Fortification: Ploughmen Village Location: Bochnia, Poland Built: First written mention of the village is in 1234. I was very excited to find another archaeopark, this time in Poland, during my trip. Unfortunately, I was only there briefly. A kind security guard allowed my group in after hours and gave us a very brief tour. There's always next time! The village is a reconstruction of a typical 13th century settlement found in the Małopolska region of Poland. Entering through the main gate, we have the first courtyard, where brine was removed from the well and heated to vaporize the water and leave the salt: Unfortunately, I lost my photos that showed a close up of the 'table' where they made the salt. Continuing on to the main area of the acropolis, we have numerous houses that demonstrate that cottages and the like don't have to be shoddy little shacks: This is the blacksmith's house, and just behind it you can see the carpenter's. I should note that I am not clear if these houses were actually particular to the trades of the time, particular to the trades of this village, or simply a mix used to show off all the different styles of houses at the time. The archeopark regularly has reenactment days, where craftsmen and woman show visitors their trade. Blacksmiths were some of the earliest craftsmen to develop guilds. Over time the profession branched off to create locksmiths, nailsmiths, knifesmiths, and so on. A carpenter or woodworker was well versed in making buildings, windows, doors, and furniture. Many would even build carts and barrels when work on buildings was slow. The next photos show a design common among some Slavic people before the 13th century: A close up of the roof: Here is a photo of a roof from the inside: And here is a short (12 second) video that highlights the layout of a dugout: This next house is rather nice, but I can not remember what the leveled structure to the left was for. I believe it was for sorting/processing grains or clay for pottery, but don't hold me to that. Hopefully I can return next year and get a proper tour of the village. Looking back the way we came: The herbalist's/healer's homestead: Another interesting design: For more information on the archaeological park at Bochnia, click here. Lots of pictures, and more information about different medieval trades. (I highly recommend this site. You might be interested in reading about the salt mine as well, which is the oldest in Poland. It's origins can be traced back to 1248.)
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It might look like something out of a movie, but it's actually an important piece of history.
As far back as the 14th century massive roofs of houses in the Northern Dvina River Region of NW Russia were topped with an entire larch log, its roots hanging over the gable of the house. From the root ball Russian carpenters used an axe to carve sculptures, often in the shape of a hen or a horse. These were called "okhlupen" and had the function of protecting inhabitants of the house from illness, thieves, fires and evil forces. There was a saying in the north of Russia, "Kuritsa na krishe, v dome tishe." "With a hen on the roof, it's quiet at home." Zakopane in the Sierras Architecture from "the LAND of the BLUE EYES". My lifelong thanks to my three Viking buddies from University of Montana... Arnstein Rustberggard of Gol, Klaus Urbaye of Oslo, and Jan Brentebratten of Chicken Falls (Honefoss) for teaching me how to love all things NORGE !!! We began with a simple Carpathian Alps design known as Zakopane Style, after the alpine village of the same name in the podhale (alpine area) along the Polish/Slovakian border. From there we added architectural accoutrements covering a historical period from 1050AD to approximately 1920, in the modern age. We have incorporated door portals and shutter carvings from the old Stavkirke (Stave Churches) of Hallingdal, Telemark, and Urnes (Norway)... to roof details from the Novgorod/upper Dvina River Region of NW Russia... to window carvings from the old Prussia/Bohemian regions...... carved doors reminiscent of the Baltics, and various other folk details from the Hutsells of Ukraine and the Goral (mtn people) in Poland. This is Phase 1 of a larger compound to incorporate inspiration from European architecture as well as many such inspirations in our own High Sierras. Sites such as Vikingsholm at Lake Tahoe, the Hearst compound at Wyntoon, Rainbow Lodge, Sugarbowl, and Thunderbird Lodge. Architect: Larry Pearson, PEARSON DESIGN GROUP, Bozeman, Montana www.pearsondesigngroup.com Master Builder: Matt & Ted Williams, WILLIAMS CONSTRUCTION, Clio, California www.williamsconstructionca.com
Kamil, Poland. Black metal, death metal, doom metal, ambient, medieval, pagan,viking,folk/slavic music. Dark art, darkness, nature, travel, architecture, landscape, meteorology, astronomy. ... " I'm alone but my heart is already taken "
I’m still amazed from the nice response you are giving me, people. Thank you so much! It was a pleasure to be in Gondor for a couple of weeks, but now it is time to move somewhere else, for the mom…
props, textures created by DAZ Originals and IsauraS for Daz Studio or Poser.
