Lednicki  the Island Fortress of Poland By Lady Marija Kotok/ MKA Marilyn Kinyon One of the Piast tribes, the Polan, occupied an interesting area containing what became the center of newly formed  Polish Kingdom.  in  960  AD Duke Mieszko the organized this extremely defensible residence which is considered by some to be the birth place of the Polish Nation. that time the island had been lightly used and   inhabited since about the third century BC. Archeological remains have been found that suggest  Roman influence at that time.  Ostrow Lednicki lies on one of a row of four islands “ostrow” in Lake Lednika, Poland. It is strategically located between the major cities of Poznan and Gniezno on a major trade route.        when it was decided to move the governmental  seat to Lake Lednika many stone buildings were erected. These included a Castle and a Christian church ,It is believed that this is where Mieszko I was baptised. the Fort section alone  came to cover 1/3 of the island. On the inside  the fort measures  110 by 140 meters.  A ring- shaped rampart encircled  the perimeter and measured about 470 meters . Presently the rampart reaches 6 meters.  in the 10th century it is believed that it was about 12 meters high.       Remains have been found where two very sturdy bridges were built. One connecting them to the mainland on East side  and another on the west. The bridges were made of oak and marvels of their time. The longest 438 meters long was destroyed once in 1028 during an attack. But it was rebuilt and the bridges functioned well for a very long time . Many interesting goods and armor pieces have been found at the bottom of the lake. The island was  also protected by banked reinforcements made of stakes, with  wooden compartments and stone structures to protect it from waves and ice floes. The defense of the island was well thought out in many ways.       Currently there is an ongoing archeological investigation at Ostrow Ledniki. In fact  the area  has been turned into a cultural museum which is open to the public and more is being learned about it everyday.       the island was unoccupied from the 15th century until about a hundred an fifty years ago when archeological research began.  it has presented a wonderful opportunity to investigate an area that was fairly untouched by modern technology and society. The area contains hundreds of burials and was continually occupied throughout much of the middle ages. Many wonderful  grave finds have been revealed   Including knowledge  about their building methods and the day to day tools of living. Articles  Included among the Ledniki finds are: A helmet with a nosegaurd                     109 hatchets 15spurs                                                  numerous arrowheads 21 wooden shovels                                30 sickles and scythes many whetstones and millstones            pottery carved spoons and ladles                      wooden buckets knives                                                    swords gold and silver jewelry                            buckles coins                                                      Horse tack a woodworking shop                              a wheel wrights shop potters wheels and a chest with clay ready for throwing carved horn , bone, and antler artifacts They also found  a large market area which contained finds of Polish, Czech, German and Scandinavian coins as well as numerous items  originating from all over Europe.  The finds  have led them to conclude that  the   people of Lednica enjoyed widespread trade with far flung cultures and had access to on site skilled craftsman as well. From the graves and other remains  it is  extrapolated that Ledniki had a population in which only about 8% reached the age of 55 or more.  Women seemed to have an earlier mortality rate. Most not living past 35 yrs. burials were generally  laid out in the head to the west manner.    Most families were large about 7 children.  2% of families   included a live in grandparent.  Clothing in graves  was primarily of wool. The Lednica site findings have much to offer those with a Polish or Slavic  persona interest. I’m sure it will keep providing us with many interesting artifacts for a long time to come  Feel free to check out the resources below for more information and feel free to contact me with questions. I have pictures of some of the artifacts and would be happy to share them with those interested in recreating something in particular  ____________________________________________________________________ Resources: My heartfelt Thanks to the Folks at the Slavia organization who have been so wonderful about sharing their materials  and letting me reference them for educational non-profit purposes                                                  The Slavia Organization Online http://www.slavia.org/index.php?go=lednica Thalia Gray     New York University Precious Networks: The Role OfImported Materials in the Founding of the Early Medieval Polish State Janusz Górecki   First Piasts Museum Lednica The Magic Power of Attraction - the Island Residence of Ostrów Lednicki                     Mateusz ºLastowiecki   First Piasts Museum  LednicaThe bridges of Lednica and environs of the fortified settlement