Archaeological and Architectural Research in the Area of the Medieval Princely Residence in the Northern Part of Wysoka Górka in Chełm

Abstract

Archaeological research of the medieval princely residence in Chełm were conducted by various teams throughout 11 excavation seasons between 1910 and 2013. The results of works conducted until the 70s confirmed the presence of a stone residential and sacral architecture, which has been interpreted as a residence of Prince Daniel Romanowicz. The main building has been identified as a princely palace, the walls found in the northern
part of the establishment have been defined as relicts of the burnt Orthodox church of Saint John while those exposed inside, in the form of a stone quadrangular structure, were identified as the remains of a bastille-tower or a well. In the 60s one more object laid with stone, in a form of a tower dated to the times of Casimir the Great, became excavated. Moreover, wooden constructions, associated with the revetment of embankment or the elder
borough, were encountered on a slope of the hill. The latest findings made on the basis of the excavations from 2010-2013 confirm that in the area of the hill there were as much as 6 stone-laid structures (A, A1, B, C, C1, D), 3 of which have already been found in previous excavations, although the interpretation of their form and chronology are currently subject to change. The remaining 3 are newly discovered structures associated with the expansion of the residence. The oldest phase was a rectangular structure (A1), function of which was either a palace building, which was left unfinished, or a courtyard with entrance gate and internal buildings. Other objects are: structure A, identified with the temple of Jan Złotousty
(?) and the least known structures C and C1- tentatively described as the two phases of the tower. The largest amount of data comes from the studies on the tower (structure B), which was erected on the ruins of the ashlar blocks. The discovery in 2013 of another structure of stones and bricks (D), but situated in the northern part of the hill, indicates that this region was also encompassed by the monumental buildings. Stratigraphic context
of the structure confirms its connection with building-ups of the 1st and 2nd phases and the acquired TL dating of brick from the wall places its erection to the 13th century. Unfortunately, the limited scope of excavations does not allow to define the entire sketching of the structure, and subsequently to engage in a wider divagation on its function and its correlation to the buildings in the southern part of the hill. Excavations from the southern
part of Wysoka Górka have confirmed the accumulation of a multi-phased monumental architecture, which had function for nearly 150 years, between the 3rd decade of the 13th century and the ending of the 14th century. The initial architectural analyses indicate that in terms of the form the closest concepts occurred in Hungary- the royal residences in Óbuda and Székesfehérvár. However, the discovery of another structure in the northern part during excavations in 2013 posts thoroughly new questions regarding the form and spatial organisation of the princely residence in Chełm.