Marek Chłodnicki, Lech Krzyżaniak
This album presents the most spectacular finds excavated during the course of archaeological fieldwork carried out in Poland in recent years, in connection with a major rescue project. These were not traditional excavations pursued by archaeologists trying to solve a particular problem or to shed light on a specific aspect of human life in prehistoric or medieval times. The archaeological finds illustrated in this album have been excavated by several teams of archaeologists working for a number of seasons along the route of the gas pipeline which is to transport earth gas from Western Siberia to Central and Western Europe, running through the territory of Russsia, Byelorussia, Poland and Germany. In fact, it is one of the largest civil-engineering projects, if not the very largest, ever undertaken in the history of modern Europe.
The construction of this gas pipeline immediately became the focus of attention of the archaeological community of Poznań and Greater Poland which consists of the personnel of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology), Poznań University (Institute of Prehistory), Poznań Archaeological Museum, the local branch of the sites and monuments records office (Service for the Protection of Historical Monuments) and private firms involved in contract archaeology. All these institutions were considerably helped by the University of Poznań Foundation. It was clear that the execution of this industrial project would undoubtedly destroy a huge number of known archaeological sites as well as ones yet to be discovered. Nevertheless, at the same time, with the cooperation of the gas pipeline company, this venture could create an excellent opportunity to investigate, record and protect these sites.
We are delighted to be able to state that the Polish archaeological community has done its best to accomplish these objectives. It should, however, be pointed out that this would not have been possible without the assistance of the industrial giant EuRoPol Gaz S.A. (Transit Gas Pipeline Systems) in Warsaw, responsible for building the Polish section of the pipeline. The level of cooperation exhibited by the company's board of directors in response to the initial research project put forward by archaeologists was quite unprecedented. Thanks to the board's great interest and determination to become actively involved in the archaeological rescue operation, excavations were conducted spanning a 13 m-wide strip of the gas pipeline, covering a total of approximately 700 km in length. Laboratory studies of the excavated material, restoration, conservation and publication have all been financed by EuRoPol Gaz S.A. The company will also build facilities for the permanent storage of the finds recovered during excavation as well as finance the mounting of an exhibition at one of the local regional museums. In effect, an extremely successful programme of salvaging and protecting the Polish archaeological heritage has been carried out which may serve as an example for similar projects taking place elsewhere. It demonstrates that fruitful collaboration between a dynamically growing industry and rescue archaeology can be achieved in a country undergoing rapid transformation leading to a developed market economy. We also believe that this project constitutes a valid contribution to European experience in the field of protecting the Oldest Cultural Heritage.
The results of this joint enterprise will be presented in an exhibition to be shown at the Palais d'Europe in Strasbourg (14-26 September 1998) - the seat of the Council of Europe - under the patronage of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Professor Daniel Tarschys. As representatives of the archaeological community of Poznań and editors of this album, we would like to take this opportunity to express our most sincere thanks and gratitude to EuRoPol Gaz S.A., and especially to its President, Dr Kazimierz Adamczyk, for their invaluable involvement in this project.
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