Location and description

The hill fort is located south-west of the church in Pągów and about 250 metres west of the grange in Pągów, on the edge of a raised area of land, at the fork of watercourses, one of which is the eastern part of the moat.

The hill fort has a shape similar to a rectangle with rounded corners, measuring about 80 m by 100 m. The flat rectangular inner yard, measuring about 35 m by 60 m and towering above the neighbourhood (3-4 m above the bottom of the moat), is surrounded by a moat partly filled with water. The moat measures about 15 to 20 m in width. In the north-eastern part, there is a visible relic of a causeway — the entrance to the inner yard. In 2004, it was found that the centre of the inner yard was excavated probably by "survivors". The structure is well-preserved.

History

Surface surveys allowed to determine the dating of the hill fort to the Late Middle Ages (13th-14th c.). However, a thorough identification survey needs to be conducted. The structure was verified only in 2004.

Condition and results of archaeological research

Official research was conducted in 1931-1934. K. Bykowski and M. Bednarek conducted surface surveys and took an inventory in 2004. The researchers "discovered" the hill fort anew. In the excavation in the inner yard, they found eight fragments of vessels dated to the second half of the 13th century and the 14th century. In 2005, a contour plan was drawn up. The hill fort in Głuszyna is located in an area at the boundary between Upper Silesia and Lower Silesia, at the local route from Namysłów, trough Wilków towards Oleśnica. The structure might have been used as a watchtower or a customs house by local owners.

The fort is located on private land. It is clearly visible against the landscape. Since it is overgrown with trees and bushes, it is a refuge for animals and a site for leisure for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. According to a local tradition, the structure is called "castle". Access is possible from an unpaved road, about 250 m west of the grange in Pągówek.

compiled by Krzysztof Spychała, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Opole, 10-12-2014.

Bibliography

• Kaźmierczyk J., Macewicz K., Wuszkan S., Studia i materiały do osadnictwa Opolszczyzny wczesnośredniowiecznej, 1977, p. 378;
• Spychała K., Czy możliwe jest jeszcze odkrycie nieznanych grodzisk? [in:] Archeologia Żywa, No. 3(37), 2006, pp. 60-61;
• Archives of the Voivodeship Monuments Protection Office in Opole, file no. A-34/2004, and Record Sheet of the Pągów Archaeological Site no. 1, AZP 79-34/17