Abstract

The low water in the vistula recorded in 2015 enabled conducting archaeological works involving drawing an inventory of stakes protruding above the surface of the water. 195 stakes wererecorded this way. Thefollowing year a non-invasive archaeological survey was conducted between the Gdański and the Świętokrzyski bridges with the use of a towed sonar and discovered 167 more stakes. The works were financed by the Office of the Capital City Monument Conservator and performed by Artur Brzóska from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw and Piotr Prejs from the Stowarzyszenie Archeologów Jutra (Association of Archaeologists of Tomorrow). The works revealed numerous relics of wooden bridges constructed in Warsaw since the end of the 16th to the mid-20th century, which are situated in the bed of the vistula river near the today’s Boleść street (one bridge), Gdański bridge (one bridge), as well as Bednarska and Karowa streets (the remaining constructions). Although the non-invasive survey provided much new information and enabled precise determination of the size of the submerged archaeological sites, it was not possible to establish accurate dating of particular constructions or exact time of their overhauls.