Remains of buildings from the Stone Age (dating back eight thousand to five thousand years) and early Middle Ages were discovered in the village of Biskupin in northern Poland. About hundred years ago they started with the reconstruction of a fragment of an early Iron Age settlement with oak and pine log-houses covered with thatched roofs. The settlement in the Archaeological Museum is surrounded by a characteristic tall wooden wall, or palisade, set on a rampart made up of both wood and earth.
Real life Iron Age culture
Visit the life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement, picturesquely situated on a marshy peninsula in Lake Biskupin, during the Archeological festival. Every year, usually during third week of September, one of the greatest archaeological, popular-scientific festivals in Europe takes place with participants from all over Europe. During nine days you can experience various aspects of spiritual life from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Hear concerts, see dances, knights tournaments and slavonic-viking ship replica sailing. Try your own skills in dance, minting coins, bow and oxbow shooting, baking bread, medieval cooking, weaving and pottery. Learn about underwater archaeology, as well as smelting iron in furnaces and other techniques of almost forgotten crafts.
Take part in workshops where you can learn how to strip off willow bark, read dates from tree trunks, or forge your own arrowheads. Archeologists show how to date excavations, classify bones, conserve wood or reconstruct the facial features of former inhabitants of this area. Children can take part in archeological competitions and activities, they can learn the steps of ancient dances, try their hand at felting, and even mold their own Stone Age Venus from clay.
Farming
You can also have a look in the newly reconstructed settlement of the first farmers from about six thousand years ago, where you can watch demonstrations of prehistoric ploughing. Rare breeds like Koniks, a species of horses which are related to forest Tarpans, Wrzosówka sheep and goats are kept in a stable and flock which are reconstructions of buildings from the Sorbian culture period. See how old grain and cereal species (wheat, millet, lentils, camelina and Celtic broad beans) are cultivated, you can visit a demonstration plot near the animal pens.
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