Medieval Teutonic Castle Uncovered in Poland

News May 15, 2017

(Marian Jaroczyński, Public Domain)
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(Marian Jaroczyński, Public Domain)

TORUŃ, POLAND—Science & Scholarship in Poland reports that a thirteenth-century castle has been unearthed in north-central Poland. The structure, built on a steep slope in Unislaw overlooking the Vistula River valley, is thought to have been first built by the Teutonic Knights. “It consisted of the high castle and two wards,” said team leader Bogusz Wasik of Nicolaus Copernicus University. The high castle, he explained, measured only about 100 feet long. A small courtyard was situated in front of the buildings. Ceramics, animal bones, eggshells, and fish bones and scales were found in a kitchen area. Other artifacts include a knife and armor plates. The castle was captured and destroyed during the Thirteen Years’ War, when the Teutonic Knights were eventually defeated by Poland and the Prussian Confederation. The castle was annexed to Poland and rebuilt, but was destroyed again in the seventeenth century during the Polish-Swedish wars. For more, go to “Off the Grid: Krakow, Poland.”

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