Archaeologists want to re-examine the battle of Grunwald - Gazeta Wyborcza

After more than 20 years after the completion of archaeological work in the fields of Grunwald want to resume the study of Polish-Teutonic battle of 1410. Archaeologists are counting on that, thanks to modern techniques fail to uncover previously unknown traces of fighting.

Polish army reaching Grunwald burned villages passed Teutonic, pillaged and probably killed civilians

Plans to resume research in the fields of Grunwald and other places associated with the expedition summer of 1410 will be devoted to a conference organized on Monday by the Museum of the Battle of Grunwald. The castle in Nidzicy meet scientists and specialists from the archaeological exploration of Torun, Olsztyn, Lodz, Lublin and Silesia.

They set research goals for the coming years and develop a program of research using the methods used in modern archeology . – We bind the enormous hopes. We believe that the use of new techniques will allow a completely different look at what happened Grunwald – said Szymon Drej, director of the Grunwald museum.

Previous archaeological work in the fields of Grunwald conducted in the years 1958-1990. As emphasized by curators, since then there have been significant technological advances. The use of modern methods of geoinformatics can shed new light on the course of the battle.

Research will be interdisciplinary. Besides archaeologists have them participate hydrologists, climatologists and experts in other fields. They would have to determine, inter alia, the exact location of the valley of dried out the Grand Stream, which played a medieval battle.

According to the director of the museum, despite the descriptions preserved in the “Annals” Jan Dlugosz and anonymous “Chronicle of conflict” on the course of the battle of Grunwald is still more questions than reply.

conducted archaeological excavations in the past have not yielded the expected results. Excavated then only 28 pieces of armament, consisting primarily of bolts and arrowheads, fragments of weapon sellers and gloves.

then also have found the remains of about 300 participants of the battle, all in the vicinity of the chapel pobitewnej erected at the site of the camp of the Teutonic Knights. According to archaeologists, this means that it is still not discovered burial sites of several thousand dead.

A new study would take into account not only in the same fields of Grunwald, but also other areas related to contemporary warfare – pathways of both armies, crossing and directions to escape the Teutonic Knights.

The first will be examined in Kurz?tnik castle ruins and ancient beard on Drw?ca, at which 11 July 1410 touched for the first time Polish troops and the forces of order. At Monday’s conference, museum directors to sign a letter of intent with the municipality Kurz?tnik on cooperation in efforts to grants for these studies.

According to the director of Simon Dreja archaeological research on the trail of the Polish-Lithuanian army can contribute to the collapse of “the myth of the noble Sienkiewicz knights of King Jagiello and bad Teutonic Knights. “

– In fact, the army reaching the burning Grunwald passed Teutonic villages, plundering and probably killed civilians. About burning villages enemy mention the source, confirmed this earlier archaeological sites – reminded the director of the museum.

At the mass grave of more than 70 residents died from blows white weapons encountered in Ulnowie encampment near the former Polish-Lithuanian troops. According to historians, the most tragic events occurred in D?brówno, where local people burned alive in a church besieged by the army of Jagiello.