The geophysical prospection in march 2007

The search for settlement structures with geophysical methods in the vicinity of the barrow cemetery of Wiskiauten/Mohovoe were continued from 19th to 28th of March 2007 by the Archaeological Museum of Schleswig and its partner organisations (Baltic Expedition, Archaeological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow (Leadership J. Turin) and Institute of Geosciences, University Kiel (Leadership Dr. H. Stuempel). For 6 days a German Tv-Team (P. Prestel, G. Graichen et al.) attended the work for the purpose of producing an episode of famous broadcast “Schliemanns Erben” (“heirs of Schliemann”) for German ZDF.

Geomagnetics

All together 2.6 ha of a so far unexplored field were measured east of the road Wiskiauten/Mohovoe - Wosegau/Vishnevoe. The huge concentration of anomalies 400m north of the cemetery which already was recognized 2006 is ongoing in the new pictures but limited to a rather small area of 50 x 50 m. Drillings in the newly found anomalies proved again in the most cases that they result by past human activities and can be interpreted as archaeological features. A preliminary dating is expected in near future by the analyzing of radiocarbon samples.

Georadar

Beside geomagnetical measurements some anomalies were examined with high resolution Georadar. The clearest results produced a linear structure of 180 m length and 4 m width which can be interpreted as a street. Additional drillings prove a plane cover of stones that can be seen in the Georadar records as well (fig. 1 + 2). Two dark lines at the borders of the structures are maybe indicating higher stones enclosing the street to fix a pavement of smaller stones and gravel or sand. This construction is well known from further early medieval places (fig. 3 + 4).

Linear geomagnetical anomaly, length 180 m
Fig. 1: Linear geomagnetical anomaly, length 180 m
Georadar picture of  the linear structure, size 10 x 10 m
Fig. 2: Georadar picture of the linear structure, size 10 x 10 m
Early medieval road from Menzlin (after: H. JÖNS, Frühstädte. AID 4/2000, 22-27).
Fig. 3: Early medieval road from Menzlin (after: H. JÖNS, Frühstädte. AID 4/2000, 22-27).
Sketch of an early medieval road of the so called „Tibirke“-type (left) and „Broskov“-type (right) from Denmark (SCHOU JØRGENSEN 1988, Abb. 2).
Fig. 4: Sketch of an early medieval road of the so called „Tibirke“-type (left) and „Broskov“-type (right) from Denmark (SCHOU JØRGENSEN 1988, Abb. 2).
Sector of 10x20m.
Abb. 5: Sector of 10x20m.

A second Georadar measuring was conducted south of the last year excavation area 4 (fig. 5). It was carried out to check whether the excavated postholes continue in the following area and if postholes could be found by this method at all which could not be approved. At the same time an anomaly situated 6 m south of excavation area 4 by the measuring now can clearly be interpreted as a well. In the digital pictures an inner circle (bright), representing the lifting hole, and an outer ring (dark) are visible, probably standing for the stone built border of the well. The feature 2006 by radio-carbon-analysis was dated to the 11th / 12th cent. A.D. The construction so far might be compared to the already partly excavated well of area 2 in the south of the graveyard. Recently the well in area 2 was dated to the 10th / 11th cent. A.D., its full excavation is planned for summer 2007. Especially in the deeper layers should be expected preservation of wood which will allow an exact dating of the construction time by dendrochronological methods.

Surveys

Ring brooch and belt hook of the 12th / 13th cent. A.D.
Fig. 6: Ring brooch and belt hook of the 12th / 13th cent. A.D.

In the vicinity of another big concentration of geomagnetical anomalies directly south of the little village Wosegau/Vishnevoe 800 m north of the barrow cemetery by surveying there were detected some finds of chronological character. Beside of many fragments of wheel made pottery also some pieces of stamp ornamented hand made ceramics were found. According to similar finds from Slavonic territories they belong to the 10th cent. A.D. However according to the finds of a ring brooch (fig. 6), a belt hook (fig. 6) and other small finds the majority of the anomalies of this concentration should be dated to the 12th / 13th cent. A.D.

New discovered settlement

In the east of the barrow field cemetery a spacious occupation layer of 80 cm thickness was discovered by surveys and drillings. The collected pottery pieces are comparable to handmade vessels which were used in the cemetery itself as urns or burial objects during the time of the 9th to 11th cent. A.D. This recently localized settlement remains are situated directly beneath the suggested coastline of the former Curland Lagoon with good conditions for Viking Age navigation. An early radiocarbon dating of the 8th to 10th cent. A.D. out of the occupation layer analogical to the settlement traces in area 3 might indicate an early phase of settlement activities in the vicinities of the barrow cemetery near Wiskiauten/Mohovoe. At the moment further radiocarbon samples are under examination. During the campaign in the summer of 2007 this area will be investigated intensively. Especially answers are expected to the question whether this settlement traces could belong to the missed multi-ethnical trading place where Prussian and Scandinavian merchants lived peacefully together. In the surrounding then should be searched harbour facilities.

The excavation in summer 2007

Excavation team
fig. 7: Excavation team
Map of the excavation areas in summer 2007
fig. 8: Map of the excavation areas in summer 2007
Television team
fig. 9: Television team

Between the 23rd of July and the 31st of August 2007 a new excavation campaign did take place in Wiskiauten. Six students of the Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel as well as twelve students of the Immanuel-Kant-University Kaliningrad were involved (fig. 7).

The investigation focussed on the complete excavation and dating of the well (area 2) as well as on the inspection of the supposed settlement area already localized in March (Area 5) which by new C14-analysis can be dated into the 7th/8th cent. A.D. Additionally two more anomalies detected in the geomagnetic images east of the graveyard were checked by small test trenches. They contained a settlement pit of the Pre-Roman Iron Age (Area 7) and a settlement pit of the 7th/8th cent. A.D. (Area 8) (fig. 8).

By the new excavations again a much wider time span than expected before can now be attested for the settlement residue in the environment of the graveyard. On the one hand the number of objects originating from the Pre-Roman Iron Age increases. On the other hand the existence of extensive settlement structures from a time before the presumed arrival of the Scandinavians already in the 7th and 8th cent. A.D. gets clearer and clearer. So there already existed a local Prussian settlement at Wiskiauten which was only expanded by the Scandinavian population component.

Already the excavations of the last year showed that also the time after the main phase of the cemetery is well documented with the settlement traces of the 11th and 12th cent. A.D. in the north of the graveyard and the 12th and 13th cent. A.D. south of Vishnevoe/Wosegau. In both areas some new stray finds could verify the previous dating.

Although some C14-dates indicate that there might be an earlier phase from the 9th to 11th cent. A.D. unambiguous settlement traces which are timely connected to the graveyard itself are still missing.

The investigations will be continued already in March 2008 with further geomagnetic measurements. Only continuing the well-proved investigation tactics by combining drillings and small excavations for the clarification of the chronological depth of the geomagnetic images can help to understand the thousands of anomalies. With the next project phase in 2009 bigger excavations can apply then.

The excavations in the summer were accompanied by a film team, which produces a sending of the series “Schliemanns Erben” for the German ZDF. The 45-minute documentation will be broadcasted in spring 2008 (fig. 9).

 


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