Keeping Watch at an Old Burial Site
Wojciech Filipowiak, a renowned researcher affiliated with Poland’s Academy of Science, was the archaeologist commissioned to survey the construction site. The mayor most likely requested the survey because the site used to be a cemetery and an execution site several centuries ago.
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However, Filipowiak and his team found something beyond skulls and bones buried beneath the construction site for the new observation tower.
A Mystery City Surfaces After Years of Obscurity
The archaeological survey revealed the remains of a city that they suspect dates back to the 11th century. Interestingly, Polish and German researchers have been out to find the site of a long-lost Viking settlement called Jomsborg.
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Filipowiak believes the ruins at the Wolin construction site are those of Jomsborg. This is a symbolic and monumental find because Viking culture is an obscure one that has been the focus of many historical studies.
Why Is There Much Fuss About Jomsborg?
During their hay days, Vikings were a rampaging lot that tended to dominate wherever they settled. Historians believe that Jomsborg was a stronghold of Viking soldiers, complete with a fortress that housed over a thousand elite fighters. They also proceeded to state, based on historical pieces of evidence, that Jomsborg was a central hub for the then-Viking settlements of the Baltic region.
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In fact, historians have called Jomsborg the New York of the then-Viking Empire. However, no one could pinpoint the specific location until now.
Reviving the Vikings' Heritage and Wolin’s Status
Ewa Grzybowska, the Mayor of Wolin, stated in an interview with New York Times that she believes in the cultural heritage of Wolin. So, since assuming office, she has been all-out to unearth archaeological artifacts and sites littered around the Island.
Source: PxFuel
Grzybowska wants to make the Jomsborg ruins and other historical sites of Wolin available for public visits. She wants to give tourists more reasons to find the island as a travel destination.