Biskupin archeological site

The settlement discovered by a local teacher Walenty Szwajcer in 1934 turned out to be an old Lusatian stronghold from the 8th century BC. Now thanks to its reconstruction we can get to know the conditions under which people have been living a long time ago.

The oldest traces of the men found in Biskupin come from 10 thousands years BC. The remains of the 2 500 years old Iron Age settlement can be seen on an island in the Lake Biskupinskie. The wooden fortified settlement was surrounded by a palisade of the wooden stakes and a wall of earth and wood 6 m high. The settlement contained of more than 100 houses and the streets paved with a wood . It is believed that it had around 1 200 inhabitants. The settlement was destroyed by the changing climate conditions – the rising water level of the lake surrounding the village flooded the houses and covered the whole complex. It was accidentally discovered by a teacher from Biskupin in 1934 when as a result of the irrigation work the water in the Lake Biskupinskie decreased and some parts of the ancient fortifications begun to extent above the water level. The archeological excavations started before war and were continued after 1945. Today a part of the Biskupin Settlement was reconstructed and is now an archeological museum open to visitors. Every year a festival of archeology takes place at Biskupin during which are presented prehistoric iron smelting, ancient coin manufacture, witch trial and Celtic dances.