Badania archeologiczne na terenie gminy Sędziejowice
Streszczenie
This article presents some remarks on archaeological researches on the oldest traces of
human settlement in Sędziejowice commune. Up to now this region has not been the object
of thorough archaeological studies. Only one object i.e. a graveyard in Podule colony in
Łużyce, was examined by archaeologists and this state proves that the works have been hardly
advanced. In the end of XIX century there was an active local cultural drcle in Sieradz
province. This circle consisted of town intelligence and regional gentry. They were deeply
interested in the history of their region and in remains and relics of primaeval epochs. Their
activity (mainly of E. Stawiski from Podłężyce) caused the identification of many archaeological
posts (places); the relics coming from thes posts were includsd in manorial collections. During
the interwar period the commune region was penetrated by the research workers from Warsaw and Cracow. At that time in the years 1929-1930, Jan Dylik - well-known geographer and
the expert of this region, examined mentioned above graveyard in Podule. But the results of
these works were published only in the sixties.
The eighties mark the essential development of knowledge about primaeval settlement and
colonization of this region we are interested in. During that time nearly the whole area of
commune was subjected to the superficial examinations (a sort of survey) which formed a part
of AZP (Archeologiczne Zdjęcie Polski - Archaeological Picture of Poland). The main purpose
of this undertaking is a full register of archaeological post in Poland. It was found, that there
are one hundred and fifty archaeological posts in commune region. Although the data obtained
during the Archaeological Picture of Poland is random, we can hope that chronological
definitions included in this data allow for initial characteristic of colonial changes dynamics.
In commune region only several posts from the stone age have been found. This shows,
that in times of mezolit and neolit there were few settlements in this area. However, more
than thirty posts can be connected with Łużyce culture, developing up from the third period
of a bronze age to the early iron age (so called „halsztacki period”). In late-laten (125-0)
and roman (0-375) times the population was big. It was connected with general colonial and
demographic situation of this region (Sieradz province).
In the fourth century came the general brake down, the first few early-mediaeval posts
date from eighth, nineth centuries. From the tenth century the structure of colonization began
to intensify and it lasted till the most historical moment-so that in the area of commune
there were found about seventy posts with the early and late mediaeval cultural relics.
Historians are mainly interested in the times from the half of thirteenth century when Sieradz
province became the separate principality. Among the most interesting monuments which
should be the object of archaeological researches the ruins of renaissance, brick and fortified
mansion in Wola Wężykowa (formerly Wola Grabicka) should be mentioned. That was the
fortified residence of the Wężyk house, which many members lived in Sieradz province
(Widawa, Osiny, Siedlec).
Summing up it should be stated, that the state of archaeological research works is not
advanced enough. There are only few areas so scrupulously avoided by the archaeologists as
the region of Sędziejowice commune.
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