Kolebka Piastów – archeologiczne prospekcje podwodne w rejonie jeziora Lednickiego – wyniki projektu

The article describes the results of the project ‘Cradle of the Piasts – archaeological underwater prospecting in the Lednica Lake area’, the objective of which was to conduct prospections in previously unexplored areas of Lednica Lake. The lake, located in the Gniezno Lake District, is of historical significance because Ostrów Lednicki, one of the most important centres of early Piast rulers, was located there. The project involved a comprehensive survey of the lake’s shoreline, islands and bottom, with the use of both traditional archaeological methods and modern non-invasive techniques such as a multibeam probe, bottom sediment profiler and magnetometer. These surveys were aimed at locating potential archaeological sites. As part of the project, acoustic, seismic and magnetometric surveys were carried out over an area of 53 ha, allowing magnetic and bathymetric anomalies to be detected. A total of 204 such anomalies were identified, some of which turned out to be archaeological sites, including a previously unknown bridge leading to Ledniczka Island. Underwater prospecting was conducted along about 14.5 km of shoreline, covering various shoreline parts of the lake with the greatest archaeological potential. Numerous artefacts were discovered in the course of the research, including objects related to settlements from various historical periods, from the early Middle Ages to modern times. These finds included pottery fragments, axes and other metal artefacts. The project allowed for a significant expansion of knowledge on the history of settlement in the Lednica Lake area, as well as the development of research methods in underwater archaeology. Cooperation with the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk made the research one of the most accurate undertakings of its kind in Poland. As a result, 14 new AZP sites were delineated and the material collected was used to prepare KEZA charts, which contributed to a better understanding of the chronology and nature of settlement in this region.