Archaeological Museum in Biskupin
Medals can be purchased from the vending machine in the visitor centre, next to the gift shops!
Biskupin – the most famous archaeological reserve in Central Europe.
Biskupin has made its mark in the history of Polish archaeology as a unique phenomenon. It was here, in a small village far from the beaten track, that the Polish study of prehistory began a new phase in its development. The large scale of the research, the innovative methods and, above all, the superbly preserved wooden structures – all this made Biskupin famous beyond the country’s borders. At Biskupin, generations of not only archaeologists, but also representatives of the natural sciences and technology, were given a unique opportunity to hone their skills and gather experience, which was later used at other sites and in other research projects. Biskupin also left its mark on the Polish culture of the 20th century. The first stages of excavations at Biskupin fell during a period of growing nationalism and an atmosphere of impending war. Professor Jozef Kostrzewski’s theory that the inhabitants of the Lusatian culture stronghold on the peninsula of Lake Biskupin were Proto-Slavs, and therefore our distant ancestors, played a significant role in national propaganda, strengthening the belief in broad social circles in the distant origins of the roots of our common history.
The Archaeological Museum in Biskupin is developing what has been positive and worthy of continuing over the past 75 years. The passing of time shows that the attractiveness of the site is not diminishing at all. Projects for our times are being realised at Biskupin.Before archaeologists came to Biskupin Lake Peninsula, the owners of the area used it agriculturally for growing vegetables and digging peat, unknowingly destroying the structures of the ancient settlement. The Biskupin Peninsula in June 1934, after the arrival of the archaeological expedition, was already a flat, wet area, devoid of the exuberant vegetation so characteristic of today’s reserve. During the first research season, many incredibly interesting artefacts were discovered, among them a bowl with an interesting ornament. A deer, one of the elements of the ornament from this bowl depicting a scene of a deer hunt by horse hunters, has in time become the logo of the Biskupiec Museum.
