Environmental conditions as a key factor in the functioning of wells at a settlement from the Roman period of the Iron Age

Abstract

The article deals with geological and geomorphological conditions of the construction and functioning of wells from the Roman period of the Iron Age in a settlement on the Amber Road. This settlement is located in Central Poland (in the vicinity of Kwiatków village), on a flat surface of the lower terrace of the Warta River valley, among the dry channels of numerous streams cutting the terrace, which developed in three generations, from the Younger Dryas onwards. In the Holocene, the area was characterised by an abundance of flowing water in a multichannel system and the stability of the groundwater table. Among the archaeological features discovered there, the most interesting is a large complex of well-preserved wells dated to the early Roman period. The structures of the wells were based or dug in an organic series which constituted the terrace profile at a depth of between 2.0 and 2.5 m, dated to the late Alleröd and the Younger Dryas. In the study, the authors focus on the purpose of locating a large number of wells within a relatively small area abundant with numerous streams. The authors used a range of methods, including lithological and textural analyses, a geochronological analysis and a geochemical examination to describe the properties of the deposits and the quality of the waters. The characteristics of the wells were provided from dendrochronological studies. The archaeological approach included an analysis of the features morphology and the stage of technological advancement, as well as the diversity of the wells’ casings. The spatial and functional relationships of the locations of the wells were also given special attention.