A construction site at the Old Town in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, revealed relics of wooden structures in the place where once two moats surrounding a the city’s keep joined. The excavations preceding construction of a business centre at the Kościelickich square unearthed wooden structures that run along and across these moats.

Wooden structures were once fragments of constructions and water engineering devices placed within the moats. In the northern part of the dig the works are completed, resulting in unearthing wooden and stone relics within the old river bed of the Brda river including remains of a bridge.

Small finds include numerous pottery vessels, glass bottles, elements of cutlery, metal objects and bones and even a skate that were found in the moat. Some of the vessels are fully preserved. The artefacts made from organic materials were preserved in such a good condition due to levels of manure that were once dumped and accumulated and finally overbuilt.

South of the excavated area the bailey consisting of a smithy, granaries and a brewery was located. The date of the construction of discovered wooden structures is not yet known. They are preliminary dated to between 16th-18th century. Further dendrochronological analysis is needed.

Currently the site is carefully documented and photographed. The work in the northern part of the site is currently finished. The archaeologists are working in the south part of the site while still waiting to excavate the central area. The discovery was made about 5 metres under the current ground level.

(after Gazeta Pomorska)