Excavations of a castle’s courtyard reveal numerous finds

Excavations at the square located in front of the Castle of the Sułkowski princes, Bielsko-Biała, South Poland, revealed among other finds remains of 15th-century fortification walls and 19th-century buildings.

Overview of the excavation site (by Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej)

Archaeologists identified the uncovered architectural remains as fortification walls dating back to the 15th century, possibly being part of a guardhouse, and as remains of a theatre and stables built in 19th century on the square in front of the castle. These buildings stood there until 1836 when they were destroyed by fire and the area was flattened. The findings indicate that the whole area was previously densely overbuilt. This is supported by a town plan from 1931, showing buildings in that place.

Stratigraphy of the site (by Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej)
Excavations at the site (by Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej)

The remains of fortified buildings have very solid, deep foundations. They area aligned with the general outline of the castle. Researchers believe that they formed a guardhouse in form of a gate in front of the castle. Archaeologists have also explored a portion of the moat located between the castle and the supposed guardhouse, uncovering ceramic tiles, parts of vessels, and a 17th-century coin. The excavations were aimed at locating and identifying former structures at the square, as a revitalisation of the area is scheduled for near future.

Coin found during excavations (by Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej)
Glass fragment found at the site (by Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej)

(after Muzeum Historyczne w Bielsku-Białej & Nauka w Polsce)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.