18th-Century Wooden Road Unearthed in Poland

JAROSŁAW, POLAND—Science in Poland reports that a 100-foot-long segment of a three-foot-wide wooden road dated to the eighteenth century has been discovered in southeastern Poland, in the center of the town of Jarosław, where fabric, leather, and wine merchants gathered for fairs that may have attracted as many as 30,000 people. Archaeologist Katarzyna Oleszek said she has found additional, shorter sections of the road while excavating other areas of the town. The wood, thought to be oak, shows no hoof marks or wheel tracks, indicating it was very durable. Traces of repairs in several places suggest it was regularly maintained, Oleszek explained. Coins, pieces of shoe soles, and nails were also uncovered. To read about another recent discovery from Poland, go to "Around the World: Poland."