Location and description

The hill (called Borchwald) is located approx. 2 km to the north from the village of Tarnawa Rzepińska, on an elongated hill, on the northern bank of the Ilanka river. The area is overgrown with trees and is owned by the National Forest Holding.

The hillfort in Tarnawa Rzepińska is an oval and concave facility sized approx. 100 x 70 m (60 x 40 m inside). In is circumscribed by a ring-shaped rampart. On the western side, there are two crescent-shaped sections surrounding horseshoe-shaped ramparts. The total length of the complex along the east-west axis is approx. 280 m.

History

The hillfort in Tarnawa Rzepińska was built in early Middle Ages and was in use in between the 7th and the 10th century. In the 19th century, ceramic items (determined to be “Slavic” were found within its area, which). From the surveys carried out in 1966, the fragments of vessels created using the so-called heavy-duty technique, rounded in the upper part, weakly profiled and double cone, with quite numerous decorations (mainly made using a comb) in the form of undulating and straight bands, as well as clusters of vertical and diagonal lines, checker motif, etc.

Condition and results of archaeological research

Surface surveys within the hillfort area were carried out by Germans already in the late 19th century, e.g. in 1889 by R. Buchholz. In 1957, surface penetrations were carried out by the staff of the Archaeological Museum in Poznań; later archaeologists associated with the scientific circles of Zielona Góra. In 1966, surveys were carried out by E. Dąbrowski from the Museum of Zielona Góra. The surface and other surveys revealed the early medieval ceramic items described above.

The hillfort is accessible all year round.

compiled by Krzysztof Garbacz, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Zielona Góra, 30-03-2015.

Bibliography

• W. Śmigielski, Materiały z badań powierzchniowych na ziemi lubuskiej, „Fontes Archaeologici Posdnanienses”, t. 12, 1961, s. 314-315.
• W. Hensel, Z. Hilczer-Kurnatowska, A. Łosińska, Studia i materiały do osadnictwa Wielkopolski wczesnohistorycznej, t. 7, 1995, s. 16-18.