WARSAW, POLAND—Science & Scholarship in Poland reports that a team of researchers from Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University used airborne laser scanning to find ancient barrows, mounds, fields divided by raised earthen strips, tar extraction facilities, and charcoal piles in the Bialowieza Forest. Once the sites were spotted with from the air, the archaeologists visited the sites to try to determine their age and function. Some of the sites were also examined with GPR georadar. “Because of the strict regulations concerning the protection of the natural heritage in the Bialowieza National Park and the adjoining reserves, we cannot conduct excavations there,” said Joanna Wawrzeniuk. One cluster of 25 barrows, located in the northern section of Bialowieza National Park, is thought to have been made by the Iron Age Wielbark culture. The team also discovered a fortified settlement near the Orlówka River. This circular fortification measured about 100 feet in diameter and was surrounded by marshes. It may have served as a watch outpost during the Middle Ages. For more on the use of airborne laser scanning, go to “Angkor Urban Sprawl.”
