Remains of third wooden bridge found in Lednickie Lake

Archaeologists revealed that remains of a third Medieval wooden bridge over the Lednickie Lake have been found and dated to end of 13th century AD.

Underwater survey in the Lednickie Lake (by Muzeum Pierwszych Piastów na Lednicy)

The Lake is an important place in the Medieval history of Poland, because the large island located on it, Ostrów Lednicki, is believed to be the place where Mieszko I, the ruler of the Polans, was baptised resulting in spread of Christianity in Poland. The researchers conducted an underwater survey at the are of the lake which was known from local stories as a place where timber and parts of wooden structures were found in the past. The survey resulted in discovery of remains of a construction and archaeological artefacts. It was possible also to extract samples of the wood and conduct dendrochronological dating, which showed that the trees used were cut shortly after 1293. The previously known remains of bridges were built between 963-964. It is believed that the newly found bridge linked the small Ledniczka island with the West shore of the lake, but it was not possible to find it despite 40 years of search. Archaeologists have also surveyed around 15 kilometres of the lake’s shoreline using non-invasive methods, such as a multibeam sonar, magnetic measurements and profiling sediments.

(after Nauka w Polsce & Muzeum Pierwszych Piastów na Lednicy)

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