Ryczyn - Hillfort

At one time I often explored the nearby forests on trips. I also frequently rode out to the remains of the old Ryczyn hillfort. As a child we often played various games there; later I went there for recreation. Excavations there lasted several years, and I really enjoyed talking with the archaeologists who were present. A few photos below are from those excavations.

Ryczyn was founded over a thousand years ago and for many centuries fulfilled an important commercial and defensive function. The Ryczyński stronghold may have been one of the 15 strongholds of the Ślężans. According to the chronicle of Komas from Prague, around the year 1093 Ryczyn was destroyed by the Czech duke Břetislav II when he invaded Silesia. The Ryczyński stronghold was rebuilt and then became one of the most important Polish defensive strongholds in Silesia. The stronghold successfully defended itself in 1103 against a joint raid by the Czech duke Bořivoj II and Svatopluk of Olomouc, and in 1109 against an invasion by the German king. The first archaeological investigations took place in 1390. These photos come from archaeological investigations in 2004. The archaeologist found seven burial mounds located in the northern part of the hillfort, near a water reservoir. Cremated remains were placed on their mounds, up to seven bodies within a single mound. Animal offerings were also deposited there, as evidenced by animal bones. While I was there, I had the chance to help a little with the excavations, and I must admit it felt strange to hold human bones that were a thousand years old.

In Ryczyn there are remains of a medieval hillfort which in the past formed an important strategic point on the trade route leading from Silesia to the west. The Ryczyn hillfort was built of wooden palisades and earthen ramparts, and its construction allowed control over the movement of goods and people along the trade route.

The origins of the hillfort in Ryczyn are dated to the 9th century, when these lands were settled by Slavic tribes. In the 11th century the hillfort was captured by Mieszko II and incorporated into the Polish state. In the 13th century, during the Mongol invasions, the hillfort was destroyed and never regained its former function.

In 1958 an area encompassing both Ryczyn hillforts was designated the Ryczyn Hillfort Nature Reserve to protect the monument trees and the riparian forests. There is a legend associated with this place about a bell that supposedly sank into the hillfort's moat and whose sounds can sometimes be heard. Since 1995, meetings of tourists and history enthusiasts have been held around the hillfort, featuring games, entertainments and demonstrations by reenactment groups.