History
The beginnings of settlement in Trzcianica date back to the early Bronze Age. At that time, a fortified settlement was built there, where in the years 2100-1650 b.c. the population of the Mierzanowice culture was inhabited. Then in the years 1650-1350 b.c. the transcarpathian Otomani-Füzesabony culture community was inhabited here, by a very high civilization level, whose hillfort occupied an area of almost 2 hectares at its peak. At that time there were cultural influences from the great civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, but also from the north of the Baltic Sea.
In the early Middle Ages in the years 780-1031 a.d. there was in Trzcinica a center of local authority, and a powerful fortress, occupied over 3 hectares of area circled with ramparts. The older phase of the early medieval hollfort is now considered as one of the oldest West Slavic defense sites in Poland. In turn, the collapse of the fort in Trzcinica can be linked with the events of 1029 -1031, the recovery by the Kievan Rus so-called Czerwień Forts together with Przemysl.
Architecture
The stronghold was established on the edge of the valley, on a promontory hill at the mouth of a small, nameless stream to the Ropa River. The early-medieval Slavic stronghold occupied an area of about 3 ha, consisting of an oval main stronghold with dimensions of about 100 x 110 meters, situated on the lower terrace of a hill, to which from the west three sickle-shaped outer wards were adjacent, with distances between the ramparts of 60, 70 and 50 meters. The stronghold was surrounded by monumental ramparts 1,250 meters long, which today in some parts are 7 meters high and 20 meters wide at the base. The ramparts were of wood and earth, sandwich structure, with obliquely hammered poles outside and inside the ramparts.
Current state
Currently, on the site of one of the most important archaeological sites in Poland, called the Royal Ramparts, there is an archaeological museum called the Carpathian Troy. It consists of a hillfort and an archaeological openair park lying at its foot. On the hillfort over 150 meters of ramparts, a Bronze Age gate and an early medieval gate leading to the fort and 6 huts were reconstructed. In the area of the archaeological park are located reconstructions of the village dating from the early Bronze Age and Slavic village from the early Middle Ages. All reconstructions were made on the results of scientific researches and with a view to the most accurate reproduction of historical reality. There is also a modern exhibition’s pavilion with a spacious exhibition room, a conference room, a multimedia education room for children, and a gastronomic area where food is prepared based on the culinary art of our ancestors. Opening times and events can be found on the official website here.
bibliography:
Dąbrowska E., Wielkie grody dorzecza górnej Wisły, Warszawa 1973.
Website karpackatroja.pl, O Karpackiej Troi.