Field School
The small village of Żelewo, nestled on the western shore of the picturesque lake Miedwie, conceals archaeological mysteries invisible to an inexperienced eye. A visitor passing through cannot miss a nearby hill backdropped by the lake, clearly marked in the local landscape. An arable field today, the hill conceals a medieval cemetery, the remains of a long-gone population, of generations of people who, over eight hundred years ago, called this land their home.
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The Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology invites anthropology and archaeology students to join our quest into the past of the medieval Żelewo and its people. We offer both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain or master their practical skills in bioarchaeology, archaeology, and human osteology by participating in the Slavia study of the long-vanished medieval population of Żelewo.
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) Photo: M. Szeremeta |
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Years of intense agricultural activity on the Żelewo hill triggered destructive processes that make salvage archaeological exploration imperative. The burial ground has so far revealed twenty-two inhumations following the Christian rite with extended bodies oriented east-west. The little-known and unexplored cemetery dates back to the 13th century. The skeletons are well preserved, though some individuals bear traces of various trauma. The most recent burials date back to the 15th century and mark the demise of the necropolis.
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) Photo: I. Teul |
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The seminal moment in the history of this region was the year 1174, which saw the Cistercians of Esrum from Danish Zeeland arrive in the area. The Cistercians, well known for their entrepreneurial bent, developed a local farming infrastructure by founding several granges, regulating rivers, building mills and local markets. Soon after their arrival, the Abbey in Kołbacz became an economic centre of this region, leading to a steady population and settlement growth for centuries to come. Today, the Abbey is an attraction that draws history enthusiasts and visitors from around the world.
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The Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology in Żelewo welcomes all students wishing to gain practical experience in excavating human remains and other aspects of mortuary archaeology. The project aims to explore and document an interesting and valuable archaeological site, the preservation of which is currently threatened by intensive agriculture. Bioarchaeological evidence obtained from human remains and their funerary context is expected to provide insight into how the Cistercian-made rapid economic change affected Żelewo’s local population dynamics, health, and lifestyle. We hope you will help us take up the task of discovering and preserving that which will otherwise be lost to time.