Secrets Beneath the Waves: Mysterious 1,000-Year-Old Human Face Carving Discovered in Polish Lake
The Wooden Face At The Bottom Of Lake Lednica
Archaeologists from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, found a wooden beam at the bottom of Lake Lednica during recent excavations, according to the Museum of the First Piast Dynasty in Lednica. However, it wasn’t just any old piece of wood.
“When we cleaned it thoroughly, it turned out that a face was looking at us,” Mateusz Popek, a member of the research team, told Notes from Poland. “We never expected to discover something like this, even in our wildest dreams.”
Museum of the First Piast DynastyExperts determined that the face was likely carved sometime between 960 and 975 C.E.
The archaeologists made the discovery as part of ongoing excavations at the site. Since the 1980s, researchers have been studying Lake Lednica, a place known to be important to the Piasts, the first royal dynasty of Poland that ruled from the 10th to the 14th century.
After discovering the human face that adorned the wooden beam, the team sent the post off to undergo further analysis to determine its age and origin. Researchers used dendrochronology, a method of analyzing tree rings, to date it. They determined the oak beam was probably carved sometime between 960 and 975 C.E.
The beam was likely part of the defensive ramparts of a fortress on Ostrów Lednicki, an island in the middle of the lake. However, archaeologists don’t think the face was simply a decorative feature. Instead, it seemingly served a symbolic purpose.
What Was The Meaning Of The Wooden Face?
It’s unclear exactly what or whom the carved face was meant to symbolize, as finds like this one are rare. Wood can decompose quickly, and this post is one of just a few pieces of Ostrów Lednicki’s medieval fortress that have been uncovered in recent years.
Post Comment