Underwater archaeologists have discovered a wooden figure that is more than 1,000 years old. Experts believe that this face was probably used to ward off evil spirits from a settlement. Similar examples of this carving have been found in other Slavic cities as well, indicating part of a broad spiritual tradition in medieval Slavic life.
A significant part of the wooden structures of the ancient times have been lost due to the passage of time, because wood undergoes rapid erosion under normal conditions. However, water can act as a temporal container; That is, in completely airless and humid environments, or in underwater beds, wood can remain healthy for centuries. Recently, a group of archaeologists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University observed a remarkable example of this type of natural preservation: a wooden figure dating back about a millennium and discovered during an underwater research mission.
Researchers of the Underwater Archeology Center of Nicolaus Copernicus University found this face in the depths of Lake Lednice in Poland. This face was carved on a wooden beam of a structure known as a hook. According to the report of Nicolaus Copernicus University, the dimensions of this carving are 12 cm high and 9 cm wide, and delicate details such as eyes, nose, mouth and oval head have been executed in it. Also, the number 353 was engraved on the wood.
Experts have estimated that the tree from which this face and arrow were carved belongs to the year 967 AD. This period coincides with the baptism of the founder of the Polish state, Mieszko I, and the beginning of the process of integrating Christianity into the political and cultural structure of Poland.
This is not the first example of such figures to be discovered. Similar examples have been found in Slavic cities such as Volyn, Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Ladoga. Experts say the repetition of common features among these finds suggests that the wooden beam discovered in Lednice reflects a local artistic and ritual tradition, rather than the product of influence from Scandinavians or Russians. In other words, this discovery is only one piece of a larger puzzle about the life of the medieval Slavs.
Andrzej Pidin, director of the Center for Underwater Archeology of Nicolaus Copernicus University, said in a statement that the discovery not only demonstrates the remarkable skill of artists more than a thousand years ago, but also sparks new discussions about the spiritual aspects of early Slavic life.
Experts suggest that the beam containing this face was a part of the defensive fortifications of the settlement and played a role beyond an architectural element. The special style of woodworking and its design show that this figure had a spiritual charge and probably represented a god, a guardian spirit or a hero protecting the residents of the region.
Other findings also support the view that this element was part of the spiritual rituals of the medieval Slavic society. According to Mateusz Popek of Nicolaus Copernicus University, researchers have also found jaws and bones of several horses around the fortifications, which probably had a ritual origin and were used for sacrifice or protective prayers. The research team also found similar bones under houses.
In the message published by the Lednitsa Museum, it is stated that this wooden figure is a unique souvenir and a rare example of an object that has a practical and symbolic function at the same time, and its discovery in the Lednitsa Lake not only arouses surprise, but also raises new questions about the life, culture and spiritual beliefs of the people who lived in these lands more than a thousand years ago.
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