Survey of 1410 Battlefield

Archaeologists probe the terrain of the 1410
Battle of Grunwald [Credit: PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk]

TANN 'Archaeologists probe medieval battlefield in Poland', 20th August 2015. The Battle of Grunwald (Tannenburg) July 1410 is regarded as one of the seminal clashes of the medieval era, with the Teutonic Order defeated by a Polish-Lithuanian alliance commanded by King of Poland Władysław Jagiello. An international team of archaeologists is now examining the site.

Dr. Piotr Nowakowski, head of the archaeological and historical department at the Museum of the Battle of Grunwald, has told Polish Radio that the area has yet to be thoroughly explored by archaeologists. He noted that during probes made in the 1980s, researchers only had the use of shovels and their own hands. During the current action, participants are equipped with metal detectors and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). “With these devices, you can explore a larger area in a short time,” Nowakowski said. Besides Poles, archaeologists from Denmark, Norway and Great Britain are taking part. This year, the team is trying to survey terrain where it is believed that the Teutonic Knights camped. In 2014, during a probe that covered another area, a number of small metal objects, pieces of armour and horseshoes were discovered.