Under supervision of the Institute of Archaeology at the Jagiellonian University and the Department of Metallurgy & Metal Engineering at the AGH University of Science and Technology, both situated in Kraków, the Dziejba Society (Stowarzyszenie Dziejba) is running a settlement the way it could have been like in the Bronze Age.
All the buildings in the settlement are constructed using replica tools, i.e. bronze axes, bronze and flint sickles and tools made of antler, bone or wood. The tools are carefully reconstructed after archaeological finds. The construction work was started as experiment – all materials come from nearby. There are no hidden metal nails, wire or foil – everything is like it may have been such a long time ago.
Working with exactly the same kind of tools like in the Bronze Age helped the members of Dziejba to visualise the shape of their dwellings and how they were constructed. When destroyed, the modern huts might leave exactly the same kind of traces as those found by archaeologists on the sites of the original settlements.
The huts and workshops built in the new settlement do not copy any set patterns seen elsewhere – they are an attempt to a fresh approach to this subject. The settlement is a place where you can see prehistoric huts and tools, participate in events, watch various experiments and a display of old craftsmanship. You are welcome to stay for the evening and enjoy a sociable time around the campfire.
