Ostr & oacute;w Lednicki was a centre of the Piast dynasty (tenth-fourteenth centuries AD), laying the foundations for the development of the Polish state. A collapsed tenth-century wooden fortification associated with Boles & lstrok;aw the Brave (the first king of Poland) and its unique sculptural element provide insights into early-medieval construction techniques.

The article presents an integrated reconstruction of sediment development and lake-floor morphology in the western part of Lednica Lake, an archaeological site in Poland, based on instrumental datasets, underwater investigations, and core analyses. Its main outcome is a 3D (4D) map and model synthesising bedforms, depositional-unit boundaries, and spatial relations between the inflow zone and the area of deposition. The results show that the sand wedge at the stream outlet is natural and linked to episodic high-energy events rather than human activity. Combining spatial information with archival data and field observations allows reconstruction of the processes responsible for sandy deposition at the mouth of a former bay within a late-Holocene framework. The workflow, integrating lake-floor imaging, ground-truthing, and hydrodynamic verification, is transparent and reproducible. The main map provides a reference for studies of Lednica Lake and a transferable template for identifying episodic sandy deposits in other massive, weakly laminated lake systems.

This study presents a strong framework for the detection and classification of Submerged Cultural Heritage Assets (SCHA) in shallow marine environments using the integration of multibeam echosounder and airborne LiDAR bathymetry with object-based image analysis and fuzzy logic-based classification. A total of 57 remote sensing anomalies at Puck Lagoon were identified and diver-based ground-truthed. Of these, 42% were confirmed as cultural heritage assets, for example, a World War II aircraft crash site, demonstrating the efficiency of the technique. The high-dimensional feature space was diminished to two components explaining 61.7% of variance with principal component analysis, which revealed clear clustering of anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic objects. Random forest feature importance ranking and ANOVA F statistic test identified vector ruggedness measure and mean LiDAR intensity as the most discriminative features for automated classification. Application of fuzzy membership functions in knowledge-based rules modelled overlapping feature values and measurement uncertainty, improving classification reliability. This technique extends the limits of nonintrusive underwater surveying and provides an open, methodological framework for heritage managers in shallow, protected marine environments, though site-specific recalibration is required for transferability to contexts with differing depth, energy regime, substrate type or water clarity.

The focus of this article is to introduce the history of underwater archaeology in Poland until 1990. The chosen caesura corresponds to the profound systemic changes after the fall of communism in 1989. Tracing the history of underwater archaeology shows how the research methods of this subdiscipline has changed over six decades. Underwater archaeology has evolved from an amateur activity to a science with developed methods and methodology. In addition, the turbulent history shows the impact of acute historical events on the researchers' fate, including how deep a mark was left on scientists by World War II and the subsequent communist period. Scientific centres in Szczecin, Warsaw, Gdansk and Torun played an essential role in developing underwater archaeology in Poland. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, some centres of underwater archaeology in Poland had developed, and some had halted their activities. Despite many challenges and problems, underwater research has experienced dynamic growth and still holds an important place alongside other historical sciences.

This study presents an innovative approach to underwater archaeological prospection using non-invasive methods of seabed exploration. The research focuses on the Puck medieval harbour, a cultural heritage site, and utilises acoustic and optical underwater remote-sensing technology. The primary objectives include optimising the use of Airborne Laser Bathymetry in underwater archaeology, enhancing the filtration process for mapping underwater sites, and utilising data from both multibeam echosounder and bathymetric LiDAR for detailed archaeological research. A systematic approach to data processing is advocated to maximise the value of collected data and inform subsequent investigations. The study demonstrates the high accuracy of bathymetric datasets from optical and acoustic sources, with an R-squared correlation coefficient of 0.9853. The application of these techniques is demonstrated, underscoring the compatibility and effective combination of these methods in underwater archaeological exploration. This research provides valuable insights and directions for future archaeological prospections based on active remote-sensing measurements.

Ostr ' ow Lednicki is one of the most important early medieval sites in Poland. Land and underwater archaeological excavations have been carried out there for many decades. This has allowed for a significant reconnaisance of the Lednica settlement complex. However, further research, especially that carried out underwater and in the shorezone, has required the use of modern methods involving a multibeam echosounder (MBES), sub-bottom profiler (SBP), caesium magnetometer and LiDAR scans. The primary platform used for combining the underwater and aerial survey data was a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. This software made it possible to compare and correlate acoustic, magnetic, seismic and laser data. As a result, new important archaeological features were discovered, including two previously unknown bridges and extensive shore-zone fortifications.

Limited visibility in the underwater environment often restricts opportunities for archaeological prospection. Especially in reservoirs with a high content of suspended solids, methods based on acoustics prove to be extremely useful. This study represents the first high-resolution acoustic mapping and archaeological prospections of the Old Oder Canal, which has extremely poor visibility. The study site is located near the town of Krosno Odrzanskie in Poland. The town is one of the country's most significant river crossings and settlements of mediaeval origin (including its wooden bridges). The following research objectives were identified: (1) exploration of the Old Oder Canal, including underwater acoustics and archaeological prospections; (2) analysis and interpretation of the study area based on acquired datasets; and (3) evaluation of secondary features of the river bathymetry for identification of archaeological objects. Possible locations of archaeological objects were determined based on analysis and interpretation of multibeam echosounder measurements of the riverbed. Fieldwork allowed structural elements of mediaeval bridges to be found and dendrochronological sampling performed. Feature selection analyses allowed the determination and evaluation of geomorphometric attributes, combining the characteristics of the discovered objects and diagnostics in order better to differentiate archaeological remains. Proposed secondary features may facilitate archaeological explorations in difficult environments.

The very shallow marine basin of Puck Lagoon in the southern Baltic Sea, on the Northern coast of Poland, hosts valuable benthic habitats and cultural heritage sites. These include, among others, protected Zostera marina meadows, one of the Baltic’s major medieval harbours, a ship graveyard, and likely other submerged features that are yet to be discovered. Prior to this project, no comprehensive high-resolution remote sensing data were available for this area. This article describes the first Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from a combination of airborne bathymetric LiDAR, multibeam echosounder, airborne photogrammetry and satellite imagery. These datasets also include multibeam echosounder backscatter and LiDAR intensity, allowing determination of the character and properties of the seafloor. Combined, these datasets are a vital resource for assessing and understanding seafloor morphology, benthic habitats, cultural heritage, and submerged landscapes. Given the significance of Puck Lagoon’s hydrographical, ecological, geological, and archaeological environs, the high-resolution bathymetry, acquired by our project, can provide the foundation for sustainable management and informed decision-making for this area of interest.

Open AccessZwischen Slawen und Prußen. Der frühmittelalterliche Brückenübergang in dem Flachsee (Jezioro Płaskie) an der Eylauer Seenplatte (Pojezierze Iławskie)Andrzej Pydyn, Mateusz PopekAndrzej Pydynhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9478-9863, Mateusz Popekhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5490-3585https://doi.org/10.14220/9783737012447.11SectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail About Previous chapter Next chapter FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Download book coverGeschichte im mitteleuropäischen KontextVolume 1 1. AuflageISBN: 978-3-8471-1244-0 eISBN: 978-3-7370-1244-7HistoryPublished online:February 2021 Information© 2021, V&R unipress GmbH, Theaterstraße 13, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyDieses Werk ist als Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der Creative-Commons-Lizenz BY-NC International 4.0 ("Namensnennung – Nicht kommerziell") unter dem DOI 10.14220/9783737012447 abzurufen. Um eine Kopie dieser Lizenz zu sehen, besuchen Sie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Jede Verwertung in anderen als den durch diese Lizenz zugelassenen Fällen bedarf der vorherigen schriftlichen Einwilligung des Verlages.PDF download

Between the Slavs and Prussians.Early Medieval BridgeC rossing over Płaskie Lake (Jezioro Płaskie) in theIławaLake District (Pojezierze Iławskie) The paper presents aunique 11 th century bridge in the strait connecting Lake Płaskie and Lake Jeziorak (Iławskie Lakeland).This bridge is discussed in the wider historical and cultural context of the Slavic-Prussian borderland.In the 11 th century, Pomesania wasa borderland where the influences of the twocultures clashed.The land route from Kujawy (Cuiavia) to Prussia also ran through here.The bridge discovered must haveb een an essential element of this route, as well as of the entire borderland.

Exploration of the marine environment using underwater remote-sensing methods is the most reasonable method for investigating submerged archaeological heritage sites, preserving their current condition and maintaining them for future generations. While non-invasive recognition of heritage sites is one of the main objectives of underwater archaeology, the nearshore environment of the small Polish town of Puck hides one of the biggest medieval harbours in the Baltic Sea. The following research objectives were met in this study: (a) exploration of underwater archaeological heritage harbour in Puck using high-resolution hydroacoustics, 3-D shallow seismics and underwater photogrammetry; (b) reconstruction of the submerged Puck medieval port by the combining of hydroacoustics, 3D shallow seismics, underwater photogrammetry and archival documentation; (c) estimation of the rate at which the bottom sediments containing the archaeological objects are being destroyed. The underwater archaeological site of Puck harbour was explored using multiple surveying methods, including multibeam echosounder, parametric sub-bottom profiler, underwater photogrammetry, aerial photography and comparison with archival documentation. Very high-resolution bathymetry from a multibeam echosounder allowed seabed features such as piles, stones and horizontal structural elements to be identified, along with other archaeological artefacts, boat wrecks and boat-building artefacts. The 3-D shallow seismic datasets allowed us to distinguish, for example, several outcropping structures, a previously unknown buried shipwreck, past excavation trenches, the harbour boundary and a palaeochannel of the Plutnica River. Fusing datasets from multiple sources in the geographic information system (GIS) environment allowed for a combined visualization of the heritage sites, providing a broad archaeological demonstration of the underwater structure. By comparing with archival documentation, we calculated that 43% of biogenic layers containing archaeological objects eroded over 26 years. Our results demonstrated that without any doubt, underwater remote-sensing methods are the most appropriate for exploration and investigation of underwater heritage sites while maintaining their original value.

One of the main challenges of underwater archaeology is to develop non-invasive research of heritage sites in order to enable their further protection for future societies. This study explores, identifies and classifies archaeological objects in a shallow lake using underwater acoustics. We solved the aforementioned challenges by developing an innovative, object-based, fuzzy-logic classification of nine archaeological object categories based on multibeam echosounder bathymetry, 13 secondary features of bathymetry and 106 underwater diving prospections. We achieved an 86% correlation with ground-truth samples, and 49% overall accuracy. The unique and repeatable workflow developed in this study can be applied to other case studies of underwater archaeology around the world.

Scientific diving (i.e. diving for research purposes organised by universities and research institutes) was excluded from the Act on the performance of underwater works in 2014. With the exception of the introduction of internal regulations at several academic institutions involved in underwater research, to date it remains unregulated at national level. In May this year, an initiative group consisting of six scientific institutions established the Polish Scientific Diving Committee - PKNN. Its aim is to unite Polish institutions using scientific diving in their activities, to represent their interests in the national and international arena, to co-operate and exchange experience, to adopt and develop appropriate standards and procedures, including those relating to safety, and to achieve the future introduction in Poland of regulations fully regulating scientific diving, as well as to support the development of this field of underwater research in Poland.

Lake Lednica, Greater Poland, is one of Poland's most important and longest-studied underwater archaeological sites. The residential centre established on an island was one of the central points in the state of the first Piasts. Previous research located two bridges to the island and discovered the largest collection of early medieval military objects in Central Europe in the lake. In the 2017 season, a third bridge was discovered on Lake Lednica leading to the small island called Ledniczka on which the layers of an early medieval settlement and clear remnants of a motte-type medieval structure are found. Three seasons of research on relics of the crossing suggest that it may have functioned in two periods: in the tenth century and at the turn of the fourteenth century. During the research, a number of military items, pottery, objects made of organic materials and fishing tools were found.