DOI: 10.33547/terra.fertilis06
Zaborów. Eine Siedlungskammer der Przeworsk-Kultur westlich von Warschau und ihre natürlichen Ressourcen an der Grenze zweier physiogeographischer Landschaften
by Adam Cieśliński 
, Eliza Drogosz , Aldona Mueller-Bieniek und Marcin Woźniak
in Terra fertilis, terra deserta. Exploitation of marginal zones, edited by M. J. Przybyła, J. Rodzińska-Nowak and M. Wojenka, Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung 15, Braunschweig – Kraków: Braunschweigische Landesmuseum, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Profil-Archeo, pp. 93-105.
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Abstract: This paper presents the results of recent archaeological and archaeobotanical research conducted in the microregion of Zaborów, located west of Warsaw, within the Mazovian Centre of Metallurgy. The study focuses on a cluster of Przeworsk culture sites situated at the boundary of two distinct physiogeographical units: the fertile Łowicz-Błonie Plain and the less hospitable Warsaw Basin.
The region is characterized by intensive Iron Age settlement and large-scale iron production, evidenced by numerous slag finds and the remains of hundreds to thousands of shaft furnaces identified at individual sites. Excavations carried out in 2021–2022, supported by geomagnetic surveys and fieldwalking, revealed both settlement and production zones, as well as a cemetery with burials dated from the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Early Roman Period.
A key component of the research is the archaeobotanical analysis of plant remains recovered from furnace fills. The results indicate the predominance of grasses and ruderal plants, along with limited evidence of cultivated cereals such as barley and millet. These findings provide insight into local vegetation, land use, and the environmental impact of iron production.
The study highlights the importance of environmental factors in shaping the development of ancient metallurgy. The location of the Zaborów microregion at the interface of agriculturally productive land and resource-rich woodland zones appears to have been strategic, enabling access to raw materials such as bog iron ore, clay, and wood. This suggests that the area functioned as a specialized production zone within a broader economic landscape, while simultaneously remaining a peripheral region in settlement terms.