Recent research conducted on Gawroniec Hill in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship has revealed several thousand archaeological features, including a previously unknown defensive ditch.
The site, a Neolithic mining settlement inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, served as an important centre for flint processing. At the same time, the hill itself was gradually reshaped by human activity over centuries.
The study was carried out by the Historical and Archaeological Museum in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in cooperation with the Relicta Foundation. The results provide new insights into the structure and development of the Gawroniec site, located in the Ćmielów commune.
As archaeologist Artur Jedynak explained to PAP, researchers examined an area of approximately 7.5 hectares using airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) and magnetic survey methods.
“Even after carefully filtering out modern disturbances, we identified several thousand genuine archaeological features, including settlement pits and industrial structures. A density of up to 100 features per hectare indicates extremely intensive use of the site,” said Jedynak. “However, both geophysical surveys and earlier excavations have not yet clearly identified residential buildings.”
One of the most significant findings was a series of longitudinal anomalies detected in the southwestern part of the hill. Measuring roughly 100 meters in length and up to five meters in width, these features are believed to be defensive ditches. According to Jedynak, its placement suggests it once separated the settlement from the rest of the plateau at its most accessible point.
Analysis of the digital terrain model also revealed that the entire hill had been artificially shaped. “Its geometric form, terraces, and depressions are the result of overlapping human activity spanning thousands of years, beginning in the Neolithic period,” Jedynak noted. “At the foot of the hill, we also identified traces of ancient raw material extraction, most likely clay or building stone.”
During the late Neolithic period, Gawroniec played a key role due to its strong connections with striped flint and Świeciechów flint mines. The settlement likely functioned as a production hub, processing raw materials from sites such as Krzemionki and distributing finished flint products throughout Lesser Poland.
Researchers have also observed ongoing degradation of the hill’s surface. Comparisons of terrain models created since 2010 show progressive erosion caused by natural processes and agricultural activity.
“For this reason, it is crucial to develop a dedicated protection plan for the site—one that reflects its settlement character and distinguishes it from other mining-related components of the Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region,” Jedynak emphasised. “The findings presented so far are only the beginning of a broader process of analysis and interpretation that will continue in the future.”
The Gawroniec site forms an integral part of the cultural landscape associated with prehistoric striped flint mining. This region, which includes Krzemionki, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as Poland’s only archaeological entry.
The Krzemionki mining complex, discovered in 1922 by geologist Jan Samsonowicz, comprises around 4,000 shafts and is regarded as the largest and best-preserved prehistoric flint mining site in the world. Established during the Neolithic and early Bronze Age around 5,000 years ago, the mines reached depths of up to nine meters and employed advanced chamber mining techniques. Striped flint artefacts have been found as far as 660 kilometres from the site, underscoring its exceptional importance in prehistoric Europe.
Header Image Credit: Pęczalski/ Historical and Archaeological Museum in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
Sources : Science In Poland
