Dzieje zasiedlania Kotliny Biebrzańskiej w epoce żelaza

Abstract

During over 150 years of archeological researches in the Biebrza Valley only few sites dated from the Early Iron Age until early historical times were discovered. They were forthills in: Grodzisko, Grodziszczany, Pienki-Grodzisko, Rajgród, Sambory and Wizna. Cemeteries from early and late medieval times and from the early historical times were discovered in: Jacewko, Jedwabne, Jatwiez Mala, Katy, Kokoszki, Kotowo, Okopy, Pienki-Grodzisko, Rostki Male, Rus, Suchowola, Wilamówka and Zabiele. Relicts of settlements as well as sites dated from the Early Iron Age, Roman Period and Great Migration period had been undiscovered until the eighties of XX century, when the Polish Archeological Record began. The sites mentioned above are the source base for reconstruction of settlement and cultural differentiation of the Biebrza Valley in the Early Iron Age, Roman Period and Great Migration Period, medieval and early historical times. The main problem of the Early Iron Age until the beginning of early medieval times is the problem of borderlines between Baltic tribes (Culture of the Westbaltic Barrows, Hatched Pottery Culture, Sudowska Culture and the Prudziszki Phase) and German tribes (Przeworsk Culture and Wielbark Culture). According to the early medieval times, it is also the problem of Baltic-Slaves borderland and the cultural interaction. The medieval and early historical times were periods when the Post-Jatvingan primeval forests (germ. Wildnis) were settled. In this context, very important questions are those referring to the origin of new settlers, the range of settled zone and the possibility of survival of some groups of Jatvingan people. Studies on all those problems require verification and new interpretations of several archeological sources.