International archaeological research launched near Grunwald
International archaeological research began last Saturday near Grunwald. For over a week, dozens of scientists and detectorists will search for traces of the Teutonic camp. Discovering its location should help determine where the heaviest fighting took place in 1410.
"This is the largest project in Poland with the participation of archaeologists and detectorists. Not only considering the number of participants and the area of research, but also its importance, because there is only one Grunwald" - told PAP Dr. Szymon Drej, director of the Grunwald Museum, which organized the search.
Research in the areas in which the greatest battle of medieval Europe was fought, will continue for eight days. This is the third season of this work. This year\'s search will cover an area of approx. 100 hectares, west of the ruins of the battle chapel.
Participants will search for the camp of the Teutonic Knights, whose traces they found in the previous season. This time, they will check the fields, which could not be accessed last year because of the crop. The project is carried out with the approval of the province monument conservator and consent of land owners.
The search participants - in addition to archaeologists and museum employees - include more than 50 amateur explorers equipped with metal detectors. The core groups are detectorists from the Danish association Harja. There are also Polish, British and Norwegian detectorists. According to the organizers, every year so many people are interested in taking part in the expedition that only those with the most experience and professional equipment are selected.
Research is conducted with detectors, scanners and GPR. The finds are marked in the GPS system and on maps. The project leader Dr. Piotr A. Nowakowski told PAP that on Saturday the participants planned to use special detectors, which allow to search a large area and conduct deep scanning of the ground.
The organizers intend to not only find traces of the Teutonic army camp, but also determine the places where the heaviest fighting took place. Involved in the project is Prof. Sven Ekdahl, Swedish scientist who believes that the battle site was not located east and south of the village Stębark - as contemporary Polish historians and archaeologists claim - but to the east and south of the village Grunwald. The search may allow to determine which of these theories is true.
According to director Dreja, the hope of uncovering the secrets of the Battle of Grunwald attracts many detectorists from different countries. In the previous two seasons the participants found approx. 600 historical items, including many arrowheads, bolts and small pieces of weaponry. "I hope that this year we will acquire more monuments that will enrich our museum\'s collection" - he said.
According to the archaeologists, the items discovered in previous seasons showed that the battle was fought in a very large area. So far the only material trace and point of reference, enabling an attempt to reconstruct the course of the fighting, were the ruins of the battle chapel. It was built on order of Grand Master Heinrich von Plauen and consecrated in 1413.
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