Papers by Przemyslaw Nocun
Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka, 2024
The text discusses new information on the subject of the most recent historical reconstruction of... more The text discusses new information on the subject of the most recent historical reconstruction of the surroundings of the 14th-century ducal tower in Siedlęcin near Jelenia Góra (Lower Silesia, Poland). Previous research by archaeologists has established the extent and confirmed the medieval chronology of the walled defensive enclosure and the nature, extent, and dating of later alterations. Thanks to the discovery in the archives of a proposal for the rebuilding of the outbuildings around the tower, dated 1806 and subsequently verified by dendrochronological expertise, it was possible to define more precisely the appearance of the buildings around the tower before the works were undertaken and to determine to what extent and when the rebuilding was carried out.
Textus et Studia, 2023
The alleged Romanesque church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Sędziszowa (Złotoryja district) i... more The alleged Romanesque church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Sędziszowa (Złotoryja district) in the light of archaeological research to date.
In 2009–2010, the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University carried out archaeological research on the relics of an alleged sacral building in Sędziszowa (Röversdorf) near Świerzawa (Schönau) in Lower Silesia. The surroundings of this village and of the nearby Nowy Kościół (Neukirch) were associated with a cluster of early medieval settlements connected with the Wleń (Lähn) district (castellania).
Before the research began, only one corner of the building was visible. One result of the work was that its plan was identified as a three-element towerless structure, which consisted of a rectangular nave, a rectangular chancel and apse (semicircular), as well as a sacristy adjacent to the chancel from the north.
Although the written sources do not make it possible to clearly define the function of the temple, considering the scale of the foundation, it should be assumed that it was a church built around the middle of the 13th century. It must have ceased to exist quite early - probably no later than in the first third of the 15th century. There is also a lack of certainty about the church’s presumed patrocinium (St Catherine of Alexandria).
Archaeologia Historica Polona, vol. 29, 2021
The tower in Siedlęcin near Jelenia Góra is one of the best-preserved keeps in Central Europe. Si... more The tower in Siedlęcin near Jelenia Góra is one of the best-preserved keeps in Central Europe. Since the beginning of the 21 st century it has been open to visitors. In 2008 archaeological research of the tower and its surroundings was started, two years later the Association 'Ducal Tower in Siedlęcin' was established. The cooperation between Jagiellonian University and the nongovernmental organisation led to the implementation of several projects to protect, and popularize the archaeological heritage. Researchers provided some of the ideas and substantive support, the NGO participated in the conceptual and implementation stages and maintained the effects of the activities (on a year-round basis). The effects of cooperation were substantial (archaeological exhibition and reserve), organisational (heritage trails, camps for volunteers) and educational (guidebooks dedicated to the children). Activities developed in Siedlęcin during the recent years allowed creating a complete product (on a scale achievable under those conditions), which as a 'good practice' was implemented at another site (Wleń castle). The activities carried out around the keep in Siedlęcin by the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University and the Association 'Ducal Tower in Siedlęcin' were mutually beneficial and additionally contributed to strengthening the local community and helped achieve local self-government tasks in the field of heritage protection.
The stratigraphy of cultural layers in the Western part of Professors’ Garden of Jagiellonian University in Krakow
FROM A HISTORIC VILLAGE TO AN INDUSTRIAL CENTRE: TRANSFORMATIONS OF A SETTLEMENT IN THE 18TH AND ... more FROM A HISTORIC VILLAGE TO AN INDUSTRIAL CENTRE: TRANSFORMATIONS OF A SETTLEMENT IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY TAKING THE EXAMPLE OF THE VILLAGE OF ZBOROWSKIE IN UPPER SILESIA AND A LOCAL MANUFACTORY PRODUCING STONEWARE SMOKING PIPES The study tries to describe the transformations of a village called Zborowskie in the Liswarta river basin in the south-east frontier part of Upper Silesia. This village was probably founded in the late Middle Ages as a dependant village (though it was transformed relatively soon into a demesne). A pivotal moment in its history that rapidly changed its appearance, both in terms of spatial arrangement and social structure, was the establishment of a manufactory producing stoneware smoking pipes in 1753, in parallel with the intensive German colonisation of Upper Silesia. A new site was reserved for the purposes of the manufactory and Western experts were called in. Archaeological research conducted in 2013 and 2014 revealed the size of the former manufact...
Książęca średniowieczna wieża mieszkalna w Siedlęcinie : powiat jeleniogórski w świetle dotychczasowych badań / Przemysław Nocuń
Les types de statuettes en terre cuite mycéniennes de région au Bas-Danube (les répliques moderne... more Les types de statuettes en terre cuite mycéniennes de région au Bas-Danube (les répliques modernes), et la reconstruction du spécimen découvert sur l'hameau fortifié de l'Âge du Bronze à Maszkowice (Carpates occidentales extérieures) (Réalisation et photo par E. Przybyła et M. Przybyła) ADRESSE DE LA RÉDACTION Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, ul. Gołębia 11, PL 31-007 Kraków www.archeo.uj.edu.pl/wydawnictwa www.farkha.nazwa.pl/RechACrac/
Arts, Feb 7, 2022
Colors were ubiquitous in the medieval world, and castles were no exception. While in the eyes of... more Colors were ubiquitous in the medieval world, and castles were no exception. While in the eyes of most people their rich color schemes manifested power and wealth, some could also read the more nuanced messages these colors conveyed. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the use and role of color in the interiors of castles of medieval Bohemia and Poland. The picture is complemented by the analysis of color decorations of defensive residences of the Teutonic Order, for which color schemes of external facades can be addressed as well. The discussion takes into account the varying state of preservation and draws from the available writ-ten accounts. To present the most complete picture possible, we discuss royal residences, for which unfortunately limited data is available, as well as better-preserved castles of dukes and knights. We discuss the identified iconographic programmes and their chivalric, heraldic, and hagiographic motifs.
Alma Mater, 2008
The text is dedicated to a reconstruction of a late medieval stove made of tiles, that were found... more The text is dedicated to a reconstruction of a late medieval stove made of tiles, that were found during archaeological excavations at the castle in Chudow (Upper Silesia, Poland).
Architectus 1 (57), 2019
The article presents the main results of research of the noble’s seat in Chudów near Gliwice (Upp... more The article presents the main results of research of the noble’s seat in Chudów near Gliwice (Upper Silesia), that was conducted since 2001 (mainly in connection with the partial reconstruction of the early-modern castle and the adaptation of its tower for museum purposes). Archival queries, architectural observations, and – in particular – archaeological works, carried out in parallel, have resulted with the discovery of remains of – preceding the stone and brick castle – previously unknown 15th-century seat of the Chudowski family (formally placed in the horizon of late mediaeval residences of motte type). The text presents conclusions about its plan, structure and bases for chronology of construction, functioning and destruction of this object. The article also discusses the results of research in the topic of the origins of the stone and brick castle, associated with the activities of Jan Gierałtowski. It presents earlier concepts of the plan and chronology of it and verifies them basing on the results of recent archaeological works. A detailed analysis was also made of the castle tower, whose state of preservation made it possible to determine its original form (from the time when it was built around the middle of the 16th century) and its function. The data presented in the text allowed showing the development of the private residence in Chudów from its origins in the mid-15th century – when it functioned as a wooden tower surrounded by a palisade – until the end of the 16th century – when the early-modern castle (surrounded by a moat) was completed composed of a stone and brick tower and three buildings constructed around a small central courtyard.
HOP. Soumrak tradiční společnosti. Český venkov a maloměsto na přelomu epoch, 2017
First accounts of the village of Zborowskie show that it was founded in the 16th century as a typ... more First accounts of the village of Zborowskie show that it was founded in the 16th century as a typical farming village. Metallurgy was also of great economic importance as it developed in the basin of the local rivers Liswarta, Pankówka and Mała Panwia from the second half of the 14th century. Numerous metal-working centres were in operation in the vicinity in the 16th and 17th century. A watershed event in the evolution of Zborowskie occurred in the middle of the 18th century with the discovery of white kaolin that had been used from the 16th century in the British Isles and in the Low Countries to make stoneware smoking pipes. Following the example of the west European manufactories it was decided at Zborowskie to set up a manufactory specialised in the production of white-kaolin pipes, put into operation in 1753. The village, whose inhabitants had until then cultivated land and to a lesser extent engaged in metallurgical production, suddenly became a major industrial centre. Pipes made at the Zborowskie workshop were noted for their superior quality comparable with Dutch products. In its heyday it produced as many as two million pipes a year.
Archaeological research conducted in the village in 2013 and 2014 confirmed the location of the former manufactory. Analysis of the results and parallel historical research proved that the village topography underwent far-reaching changes: The part in which the factory was set up was reserved for the purpose and became a new village centre. Employment of incoming traders from western Europe then resulted in the transformation of the village’s social nature. The transformation of the population structure is evidenced in the public registers, inter alia. Around 1840 the manufactory was shut down and the local metal works also saw a decline as a result of industrialisation of the Upper Silesian coalfield. Some of the inhabitants then moved out to seek work in the heart of the industrial area of Silesia.
The project “Silesian Clay-pipes Factory from Zborowskie” is being realized within the frameworks... more The project “Silesian Clay-pipes Factory from Zborowskie” is being realized within the frameworks of the research activity of the Museum “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów”. The main goal of the project was to build a faithful replica of the former clay-pipes factory. The dendrochronological analysis, which was a very important stage of the researches, has proved that the wood used for the construction of the building came from trees cut down in 1838 or 1839, which denied the original thesis considering the building a relic of the factory that was closed down in 1840. The factory was founded in 1753 by Andreas von Garnier, Rappard, Karl von Unfriedt and Samuel Grulich. The Prussian King Frederick II granted them with the privilege by the force of which they had exclusive rights to manufacture clay pipes in the region of Silesia. The article gathers the results of the excavations on the clay-pipes factory. Both all recognized structures and the most important archaeological finds are presented.
Results from the excavations of former clay tobacco pipes factory in Zborowskie (Upper Silesia, P... more Results from the excavations of former clay tobacco pipes factory in Zborowskie (Upper Silesia, Poland).
Acta Militaria Mediaevalia IX
Kraków – Rzeszów – Sanok 2013, s. 89-127
The paper deals with the o... more Acta Militaria Mediaevalia IX
Kraków – Rzeszów – Sanok 2013, s. 89-127
The paper deals with the oldest murals depicting the tragic story of Sir Lancelot, known to date. They are preserved in the great
hall of the ducal tower in Siedlęcin, Silesia. The most plausible theory states that the founder of the tower and the murals was
originally duke Henry I of Jawor. Scholars suggested that the murals, painted most probably by a Swiss artist working for the
duke, should be dated to 1338-1346. On the stylistic and costumological grounds their dating however, could be earlier than the
proposed period of time. Investigation of the arms and armour detail represented in the murals suggests that they were painted in
the 2nd or the 3rd decade of the 14th c. The whole program of the paintings had a moralizing character and their message is the
approval of loyalty towards the sovereign.
Key words: arms, armour, Siedlęcin, Lancelot, tower, murals
Book chapters by Przemyslaw Nocun
Discovering Edom. Polish archaeological activity in southern Jordan, Piotr Kołodziejczyk (ed.), 2019
In southern Jordan there are many medieval monuments. They are not the most well-known objects of... more In southern Jordan there are many medieval monuments. They are not the most well-known objects of the region but constitute an important part of its history and have much positive potential for tourism. Many of them are still poorly researched. One of them is a castle or a fortified monastery located in the vicinity of At-Tafila city, known as Qasr ed-Deir. In 2017, archaeological research conducted by a team from the Jagiellonian University began there, providing new information about its history.
Wielkie murowanie. Zamki w Polsce za Kazimierza Wielkiego. Colloquia Castrensia 2, 2019
A residential tower at Siedlęcin is a unique within Central Europe example of residential and def... more A residential tower at Siedlęcin is a unique within Central Europe example of residential and defensive structure. The research conducted thus far makes it possible to almost explicitly indicate Duke Henryk I of Jawor as its founder, while a dendrochronological analysis gives evidence for a more precise dating between 1313 and 1315. Due to a significant degree of identification of the object and, above all, the remarkably preserved original wooden elements (structural ceilings, relics of communication passageways between the storeys, traces of partitions), the Siedlęcin tower can serve as ground for a spatial analysis of the structure in the time of the last Piast dukes of Świdnica and Jawor – its constructors and first owners. In its initial phase, the tower had basements covered with ceilings. The preserved original entrance to the tower is located on the first floor level (in the southern façade) and was locked by a system of two locks (bolts). Originally, there were slit windows on the ground-floor, and recessed windows on the three upper floors, some of them enriched with sedilia with a Gothic trefoil window frames (the best examples are preserved on the second floor). The traces of interior divisions, probably made in the fourteenth century, are readable only on the second floor, where three separate rooms existed (a hall decorated with paintings, a “warm room”, and a privy). Probably also original are two projecting latrines on the eastern wall of this storey (related to the “warm room” and the privy). There is some evidence about the location of the oldest heating equipment. Also, it has been made possible to indicate the places of original stairs between the floors. The roof was placed on a parapet topped with crenels, behind which there was a wall-walk. Probably from the very beginning, the tower was surrounded by a moat and a stone defensive perimeter the fragments of which were discovered during archaeological research. In the present body of the building in front of the ducal tower remains of a late medieval gate tower were discovered.
A minor chapter from the monography of 14th century ducal tower (keep) in Siedlęcin (Lower Silesi... more A minor chapter from the monography of 14th century ducal tower (keep) in Siedlęcin (Lower Silesia, SW Poland), concerning farm buildings around the tower.
With all likelihood, the farm in Siedlęcin developed within the former medieval bailey. In the vicinity of the tower there was a pasture for grazing sheep, mills (two of them in the modern period), and ponds. The new impulse for development came with Siedlęcin becoming the property of knight families. Apart from serving as a presentable residence, it now had to also act as the centre of administration for rural property with its diversified economic activities.
![Research paper thumbnail of Dwór, [in:] P. Nocuń (ed.), Wieża książęca w Siedlęcinie w świetle dotychczasowych badań, Siedlęcin-Pękowice-Kraków, 2016, pp. 155-173.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/57192046/thumbnails/1.jpg)
One of the chapters from the monography of 14th century ducal tower (keep) in Siedlęcin (Lower Si... more One of the chapters from the monography of 14th century ducal tower (keep) in Siedlęcin (Lower Silesia, SW Poland), considering the house in front of the tower.
During the research the relics of late medievat gate tower was found, where the house is standing now. The original manor house building, added to the gate tower from the eastern side, probably comes from early 16th century. Its south-eastern corner (with the relics of stone corbels) was revealed during the archaeological works. After 1653 further works were undertaken by the new owners, the Schaffgotschs: the manor house was extended to the east, and the gate house (now the entrance hall of the manor house) gained a beam ceiling. The kitchen complex with a pantry and new descent to the cellars also gained their present shape no later than in the 17th century. Towards the close of the 18th or in the early 19th century the manor house by the tower took its final shape: from the west, the building was enlarged and two bays were added, the eastern façade was rebuilt, a brick first floor was added, and the whole was covered with a new wood shingle roof with dormers. The building connecting the tower with the manor house was also rebuilt. The final element of this activity was the raising of a building which closed the inner courtyard in front of the tower from the west.
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Papers by Przemyslaw Nocun
In 2009–2010, the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University carried out archaeological research on the relics of an alleged sacral building in Sędziszowa (Röversdorf) near Świerzawa (Schönau) in Lower Silesia. The surroundings of this village and of the nearby Nowy Kościół (Neukirch) were associated with a cluster of early medieval settlements connected with the Wleń (Lähn) district (castellania).
Before the research began, only one corner of the building was visible. One result of the work was that its plan was identified as a three-element towerless structure, which consisted of a rectangular nave, a rectangular chancel and apse (semicircular), as well as a sacristy adjacent to the chancel from the north.
Although the written sources do not make it possible to clearly define the function of the temple, considering the scale of the foundation, it should be assumed that it was a church built around the middle of the 13th century. It must have ceased to exist quite early - probably no later than in the first third of the 15th century. There is also a lack of certainty about the church’s presumed patrocinium (St Catherine of Alexandria).
Archaeological research conducted in the village in 2013 and 2014 confirmed the location of the former manufactory. Analysis of the results and parallel historical research proved that the village topography underwent far-reaching changes: The part in which the factory was set up was reserved for the purpose and became a new village centre. Employment of incoming traders from western Europe then resulted in the transformation of the village’s social nature. The transformation of the population structure is evidenced in the public registers, inter alia. Around 1840 the manufactory was shut down and the local metal works also saw a decline as a result of industrialisation of the Upper Silesian coalfield. Some of the inhabitants then moved out to seek work in the heart of the industrial area of Silesia.
Kraków – Rzeszów – Sanok 2013, s. 89-127
The paper deals with the oldest murals depicting the tragic story of Sir Lancelot, known to date. They are preserved in the great
hall of the ducal tower in Siedlęcin, Silesia. The most plausible theory states that the founder of the tower and the murals was
originally duke Henry I of Jawor. Scholars suggested that the murals, painted most probably by a Swiss artist working for the
duke, should be dated to 1338-1346. On the stylistic and costumological grounds their dating however, could be earlier than the
proposed period of time. Investigation of the arms and armour detail represented in the murals suggests that they were painted in
the 2nd or the 3rd decade of the 14th c. The whole program of the paintings had a moralizing character and their message is the
approval of loyalty towards the sovereign.
Key words: arms, armour, Siedlęcin, Lancelot, tower, murals
Book chapters by Przemyslaw Nocun
With all likelihood, the farm in Siedlęcin developed within the former medieval bailey. In the vicinity of the tower there was a pasture for grazing sheep, mills (two of them in the modern period), and ponds. The new impulse for development came with Siedlęcin becoming the property of knight families. Apart from serving as a presentable residence, it now had to also act as the centre of administration for rural property with its diversified economic activities.
During the research the relics of late medievat gate tower was found, where the house is standing now. The original manor house building, added to the gate tower from the eastern side, probably comes from early 16th century. Its south-eastern corner (with the relics of stone corbels) was revealed during the archaeological works. After 1653 further works were undertaken by the new owners, the Schaffgotschs: the manor house was extended to the east, and the gate house (now the entrance hall of the manor house) gained a beam ceiling. The kitchen complex with a pantry and new descent to the cellars also gained their present shape no later than in the 17th century. Towards the close of the 18th or in the early 19th century the manor house by the tower took its final shape: from the west, the building was enlarged and two bays were added, the eastern façade was rebuilt, a brick first floor was added, and the whole was covered with a new wood shingle roof with dormers. The building connecting the tower with the manor house was also rebuilt. The final element of this activity was the raising of a building which closed the inner courtyard in front of the tower from the west.