Department of Medieval and Postmedieval Archaeology at the 50th Anniversary of the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University

The Department of Medieval and Postmedieval Archaeology, established in 1995 at the Jagiellonian University, continues a long-standing tradition of research into medieval and postmedieval material culture that dates back to the interwar period. Early investigations by Professor Rudolf Jamka and Assistant Professor Maria Cabalska laid the foundations for studies of fortified settlements and castles in Lesser Poland, while Professor Kazimierz Godłowski’s groundbreaking work on the origins of Slavic culture remains influential. Subsequent research by Professor Michał Parczewski and Professor Jacek Poleski expanded knowledge of settlement patterns, chronology, and interregional contacts in the early Middle Ages, culminating in comprehensive monographs on the early Slavic culture, strongholds of south-eastern Poland and cultural transformations as well. In recent decades, the Department has embraced interdisciplinary approaches, integrating archaeological, architectural, and natural science methods. Remote sensing, GIS-based spatial analyses, and archaeometric techniques have become central to projects such as the full exploration of the Modlnica cemetery (11th –12th centuries) and ongoing excavations at Wronin – both run by Agata Sztyber, M.A. Parallel efforts focus on late medieval and postmedieval defensive architecture, with extensive investigations of castles and strongholds in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and the Carpathians. Research by Assistant Professor Michał Wojenka at Grodzisko near Skała and Ojców Castle has clarified the chronology and function of these complexes, while studies by Przemysław Nocuń, PhD, in Silesia – centred on the ducal tower in Siedlęcin and Bolków Castle – combine architectural analysis with innovative spatial modelling. Additional projects, run by Assistant Professor Dariusz Niemiec, explore monastic architecture, university quarters and medieval and post-medieval Jewish heritage in Kraków. By combining traditional excavation with advanced analytical techniques and heritage dissemination initiatives, the department plays a leading role in historical archaeology in Central Europe. Its work not only reconstructs the material and cultural landscape of medieval Poland but also sets methodological standards for future research.