A HILLFORT WITH A VIEW - DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF VISIBILITY IN STUDIES ON WESTERN POMERANIAN HILLFORTS
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 16/03/2021

1st millennium BC is the time of emergence fortified settlement structures in the Western Pomerania. Though most of them are only partially recognized or not excavated at all they still drew the attention of scholars. The most discussed is whether they are really defensive structures emerging in response to unstable ”political” circumstances or they are some kind of power declaration. Regardless of the ”political” role of fortified settlements, they are usually placed in specific landscape and some landforms are preferred. Lower Oder fortified settlements fulfil the definition of hillfort - they are usually built on the tops or upper part of slopes of moraine hills or dunes. Using environmental and geographical data I’m going to test whether ”being visible” or ”broad view” could be the most important factor to establish fortified structure. Regardless of the ”political” role of fortified settlements, they are usually placed in specific landscape and some landforms are preferred. Lower Oder fortified settlements fulfil the definition of hillfort - they are usually built on the tops or upper part of slopes of moraine hills or dunes. Using environmental and geographical data I’m going to test whether ”being visible” or ”broad view” could be the most important factor to establish fortified structure. The test sites are Garz/Kaminke on Usedom Island, Lubin on Wolin Island and Szczecin-Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle.


Author(s): Slusarska, Katarzyna (University of Gdańsk)