It is a valuable source of information about early medieval hillfort construction in the Lublin region.

History

Based on the results of archaeological research, the hillfort can be dated to the early Middle Ages, in the 13th century. 

Description

The hillfort in Andrzejów, locally called “Dworzyszcze”, is situated about 600 m in a straight line to the north of the village buildings. It lies on the western edge of a small hill, about 20 m above the level of the valley of the Włodawka River, whose bed is about 600 m to the west from the site.

The site forms an earthen structure whose shape is similar to a quadrilateral with rounded corners. It is surrounded by a moat 6-7 m deep in relation to the surface of the earthen structure. The diameter of the central area of the hillfort is 35 metres and its entire area is approximately 10 ares. In the interwar period, the area of the hillfort was used as an Orthodox cemetery. Several dozen graves-small earth mounds still exist today, including 11 brick tombstones and a disused wooden chapel. At present, the area of the hillfort and of the former cemetery is largely overgrown by trees and shrubs.

The site is mentioned in the Hipacki Chronicle under the date of 1245. In the literature, the hillfort is first mentioned by A. Nasonow in 1951.  In older literature, the site is referred to as Andrzejów Nowy. The hillfort was seriously damaged as a result of having been used as an Orthodox cemetery from the 19th century until the interwar period. In the 19th century, there was probably an Orthodox church there.

Progress and findings of archaeological

Archaeological research in the hillfort was conducted by Jerzy Cichomski in 1978. Three verification and reconnaissance excavations were performed then, covering a total area of 10 m2, including the slope of the earthen structure, the bottom of the moat and the central part of the hillfort. 14 boreholes were also drilled in the northern dyke.

In 1991, the surface was examined by Wojciech Mazurek as part of the ‘Archaeological Picture of Poland’ project. 

Archaeological reconnaissance surveys have shown that the hillfort was raised entirely on a small terrain culmination. The deep moat had been built as a result of having been used as the source of earth and soil for constructing the hillfort – originally, the denivelations were about 8 m, and the bottom of the moat was about 0.70-0.80 m below its present level. The soil from the moat had also been used for constructing the rampart, which is hardly discernible in the terrain now. Traces of the wooden structure were found in the form of negatives of wooden posts, driven vertically into the ground on the slope of the rampart to prevent earthwork from sliding. In the central part of the hillfort, fragments of a farm or a residential building have been uncovered, evidenced by numerous charcoals and burnt stones. A large number of pottery fragments were retrieved, mostly medium-sized pots. The hillfort dates back to the 13th century and is classified as the so-called motte-and-bailey fortification.  The hillfort had been seriously damaged as a result of having been used as a cemetery, therefore it was quite difficult to establish what it had looked like. Based on analogies with other objects of this type, it is believed that on the outer side of the moat there was originally an earth embankment. A similar one was found on the edge of the motte-and-bailey fortification, while on the inner yard there was a residential and defensive structure, now barely identifiable. The boreholes made within the northern dyke showed that it had been built in a later period than the hillfort, probably when the site had been used as the cemetery.

The heritage site is accessible to the general public.

compiled by Ewa Prusicka, National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Branch Office in Lublin, 4 April 2016

Bibliography

• Nasonow A., Russkaja ziemla i obrazowanie tieritorii dniewnierrusskogo gosudarstwa, Moscow 1951, p. 129. 
• Nosek S., Materiały do badań nad historią starożytną i wczesnośredniowieczną międzyrzecza Wisły i Bugu, “Annales UMCS” 1951, vol. VI, sec. F, 1951(1957), p. 365
• Żaki A., Archeologia Małopolski wczesnośredniowiecznej, Wrocław-Warsaw 1974, p. 566
• Gurba J., Grodziska Lubelszczyzny, Lublin 1976, p. 10
• Cichomski A., Andrzejów, gm. Urszulin, woj. chełmskie. “Informator Archeologiczny. Badania rok 1978.”, Warsaw 1979, p. 155.