Settlement patern of Lusatian culture in Podlasie (NE Poland) and man-environment interaction

Abstract Three sites from network of 27 structures of the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age Lusatian culture from NE Poland (Biebrza and Narew river basins) and man-environment interaction were study. These circular structures have a relatively uniform location, structure, type of construction and dimension. Two areas within these structure coud be distinguished: a protective area consisting of a system of ditches and embankments and a central area consisting of a flat central square with only some archaeological traces of economic activity. Determining the function of the structures is extremely difficult. Their structure does not indicate the defensive function of the objects. Their location near peat bogs may suggest their use as corals for grazing animals and intensive agricultural use of the environment are reflected in the valley bottom sediments. There are many indications that we are dealing here rather with a kind of stable socio-administrative-religious centre concentrating dispersed in the microregion population of the Lusatian culture.