Archaeologist unearthed remains of stone structures that are believed to be remains of old field systems. The discovery was made within Poland’s Białowieża Forest, North-East Poland, one of the the last and largest remaining parts of primeval forests in Europe.
The initial discovery of the features was made by analysis of the LIDAR data of the forest’s area. So far archaeologists have excavated a few picked spots to determine if the features are in fact archaeological structures. It turned out, that below the ground rows of stones were present, which are believed to be Prehistoric markers of a field system that existed here a couple of thousands years ago. The finds from Białowieża are believed to date back to the Neolithic period, but there are also some younger, dating back to the times of the Roman Empire.
Archaeologists are working as part of a project to document the traces of human presence in the Białowieża Forest throughout history, and changes made by man in the environment. Beside unearthing the remains of the field systems, archaeologists managed to uncover Prehistoric settlement sites and cemeteries. Numerous artefacts, indicating human presence and activities have been also found, such as weapons, fibulae, jewellery, and objects of everyday use. Archaeological fieldwork is scheduled to last until Autumn next year.
(after TVP3 Białystok)