Landform Analysis, Vol. 1: 33-39 (1997)
Changes of the Vistula river course and development of the flood plain in the border zone of the South-Polish uplands and Middle-Polish lowlands in historical times
Henryk Maruszczak
M. Curie-SklOfioll'ska University, Department ofPhysical Geography and Palaeogeography. ul. Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin. Poland
Ab~'lr/lCI; Thc results of gcomorphological research on thc terraccs of the Vistu13 valley have been compared with archaeological and historical evidence in this area and also with evidence of chmate changes in the area of Poland. In lhe early Medieval times (lhe Medieval Wann Period), lhe river had a narrow channel with well.developed small meanders. LA This period was divided into two stages: an earlier (6th· 10th centuries) whieh was relatively dry and a laler (11 th . 13th -~,", centuries) which was relatively wet. In the tirst stage. the river flooded only occasionally and this favoured flood settlemem In the transitional limes (141h . 15th centuries), more frequent floods staned to elldanger thc scttlemcllts in this area; howevcr, the mcanders of the river were not signitieamly altered at this time. [11 thc Little lee Age (from the second part of the 16th to the 19th centuries) Ih", frequency of floods was so great that the river changed its course in some ehanncl sections and the channel itself changed from a meandcring into braiding type: its lO,idth increased greatly at that time. This trend has increased considerably since the beginning of the 19th century, consequent upon climate changes and the deVelopment of agricultural land use of the Vistula catchment. To proteetthe tields from the floods, special protection embankmcnts wcre built: the river responded in what is now the flood plain. The relatiollship of this plain to Medieval flood plains created by meandering rivcr is discussed.
Key words; meandering river, braidillg river, Medicval flood plains, modern flood plain, warm Medieval times, Linle Ice Age
The earliest Medieval times Le. Hrst stage of the warm Medieval period Introduction Thcearlicst Medieval times in the area of Poland provided The work concerns the area ofthe middle Vistula between a climate favourable for human activity. According to Kosiba Zawichost and Kozlcnice. Between Z'1wichost and Puiawy, it (1962), this was the period ofthe "second post-glucial climatic belongs to the belt of South-Polish uplands, and, between optimum", [n the West European literature it is called ha period PuJawy and Kozienice. it belongs tOlhe belt ofMiddle-Polish ofwann Medieval times" (Lamb, 19&4). From a hydrological lowlands (Fig. I). In the valley floors of the both sectors, Point ofview, it should be divided into two sub-periods: the settlement has been well developed since the earliest Medieval first - drier, and the second - wetter. Evidence of the dryness times (6th - 10th centuries). Artefacts may be thus used in of the first sub-period is found not only in palaeogeographic analyslng the character ofthe river and its course. Historical research in Poland (Ralska-JasiewicZQwa & Starkel, 1988; facts and sources are known since the 11 th century; they are Niewiarowski. 1995; Starkcl et al., 1996) but also in the studies most prolific in the Sieciechowseetion ofthe lowland vaHey, ofthe dune areas in West Europe (Heidinga, 1984) and in the i.e. the area ofthe Wieprz confluence with the Vistula. hydrological relationships in the Dniepr catchment in East Certain artefacts and historical evidence huvc been used Europe (Rauner et al., 1983). The result~ of investigation in in the analysis ofgeological-geomorphological results offloo<1 Central America (Hodell et aI" 1995) may even show that it plain investigation in both sectors ofthe Vistula. Changes of was a c1imalic trend on a global scale. the river course and flood plain which have taken place since In this first, drier sub-period ofwarm Medieval times, an the 6th/7th centuries have been compared with the evidence intensive development ofagricultuml developmenl took place of climate change trends in the second post-glacial climatic in the 000<1 plain ofthe Visrula valley, and in the Chode1 Basin optimum (wann Medieval times) and the Little [cc Age. in particular. In this Basin, the vancy floor is the widest in the whole Vistula gap through the belt ofthe South-Polish uplands
33 H. Maruszczak Changes ofthe Vistufa river course...
.•.. -...... ::'- .... ~(...... i) ••__ on modem topographic maps oflarge scales and on the small scale map which dates from about 1830 (Fig. 3). At that time, IIIUUWA UIOIIIA ® ...;': ::'~ _oa-v_ ...... ,. "., the Vistula was a strongly meandering river with a channel 1" ,, 'Wlf.m<:MOw , . \ 'IB' lA : te • ~._-'.'--'.~ many times narrower than that of today. For the need.. of , , palaeogcographical studies on the Medieval meander.>. the Vistula section below Pulawy bet\.\·een GoIqb and St~ca ..... -'. (Fig. 4) is ofconsiderable importance. By means ofhistorical criteria. two stages ofMedieval meander development may be distinguished in this area (Fig. 5). It should be emphasised ® 11. , thal the dimensions of Medieval meanders in both sections arc very similar, as thedischarge in the Opale Lubelskie section 11. and GoI "~"':. '0 ...:... The distribution ofthe settlement showsthat the meanders .",.. -. --, .···-··.OPOLEW~ ofthe Medieval Vistula from the earlier stage are usually drier. , - rather less conspicuous and more often used now as pasture land. In contrast. the meanders from the later stage contain numerous abandoned channels filled with water which can be , n•• clearly distinguiShed on a topographical map (Fig. 4). The character and dimenSions of the meanders from bolb stages Fig. 2. Schemallc valley floor cross·sections in lhe narrow reaches (A: Ciszyca - Basoma: compare Fig. I) and wide reaches are similar. The best developed (i.e. those in an advanced phase (8: lUClffila . Szczckari.:6w) of Ihe: Vistula rivcr gap through the SOUlh·Pol.sh uplands (cfPotaryski & Kalicki. 1975). Indtees ofmain valley floor landfonns: lIb and 1101 - low and middle tc:rnces (late glacial times • lale Vistu\ian): le and 18 - historical of meandering) have a curve radius of0.3-0.5 km. Based on flood plaiDS of thc mcandering river. (C) upper. (8) lower: lA • modem flood plain with accumulalion sandbanks and islands cartometrical measurements. the width ofthech.armel is about In the channel of the braiding ri\"Cr. Fig. I. The location oflhe area sludied wilh towns and villages 0.\ km. The meanders ofboth phases comprise a valley floor I _marl and chalk: 2 • gr:l\'el w,th sand: J. sand: 4 • acoltan sand and dunes; 5 • Slily sand; 6 - sand InICTbcddcd With Sill: 7 - sandy ".11. mentioned in Ihe paper on the background of a sketch zone about 2 km wide between GoIqb and St~ca (Fig. 5). 8· sill, 9. orgamc 1111. 10· II1Iy peal: 11· peal: 12 - palacosOII, 13 . subfO!l:iillfCC trunks: 14 - archacolog.cal art<::facts (FB _Funntl Beaker showing a belt of the South·Polish uplands (Zawichosl The historical data show that the river channel with the Culture. G..... Globutar Amphora Culture. T. Trzclmcc Cullurc. L- LU!>JIhan Cullurc fP L=8ronlc Agel. XIlIXX - AD c;cnlunes) Pula>A'Y) and the soulhern part of South-Polish lowlands meanders ofthe older stage probably existed until allenst the (below I'ulawy); two stages of Pleistoccnc valley end of the IIth century. Chronicles of war events from 1093 development according to Pozaryski et al.. 1994. 1·11 • lines of geoloyical cross-sections shown in Figure 6. show that Sieciech6w, an important administrational centre ofa vast seulement area in the floorofVistula valley (Dunin \Vqsowicz. 1974; Kowalczyk. 1994), was located on the Idl (see Fig. I. the valley se<:tion in the area ofOpole Lubelskie). bank of Vistula on a higher flood plain (Fig. 6111). The Forthe most part, the Vistula flood plains arc covered by sandy· importance ofthis centre was also detennined by its location silty alluvial sediments (Fig. 2B) where fertile soils developed. at an important trade route from Great Poland to Kievicn In the warnl Medieval times. these soils were probably Ruthenia. Acrossing ofthe river in 1093 was not only provided intensively cultivated. The settlement in this area was probably by the old earthwork in Siccicch6w. but also by a small also attracted by the many different meadow and forest sites defensivc site. where later. in the 12th century. a Benedictine and numerous abandoned channel lakes. Also, the location of monastery, Sieciechow Abbey, became established an important transport route· the Vistula itself- which (Wisniewski, 1958) (Fig. 5). maintained an even discharge and flooded only rarely, played an important role in progressive settlement ofthis area. The remains ofan old earthwork in Chodlik. dated by archaeologists The second stage ofwarm Medieval times and to the 7th-9th century (Gardawski. 1970) are evidence ofa the transitional period to the Little Ice Age considerable setllement in this area. This earthwork was probably an important organisational pre·state centre, i.e. in Sieciechow earthwork with its Benedict monastery. the tribal period ofeastern Poland. This settlement centre must situated on both banks ofthe river, flourished in the 12th· 14th have developed much earlier bt.-cause, from the floor of the centuries, i.e. in a wetler sub-period of the warm Medieval Vistula valley in the area ofOpole Lubelskie, many Neolithic times. Owing to the increase ofclimate hwnidity (including and Bronze Age artefacts have been found (Fig. 2). most near an increase of the Vistula discharge). the significance of the to Trzciniec village: this nam~ is given by aochaeologists to river crossing at this important trade route increased as well. one ofthe stages ofthe Bronze Age in the territory ofPoland At that time. Siecicch6w was the seat ofa castellan who was a (Jaidiewski. 1984: Tarns. 1995). In the Neolithic and Bronze manager of one of the main administrational units of the Ag~ times. i.e. in the so called Subboreal phase ofHolocene. Sandomierz duchy. The Benedict monastery was an important the climate was similarlO thal ofthe earliest Medieval times economic centre which was associated with numerous villages generally it was relatively dry, so it favoured the agricultural in the Vistula region (Wisniowski. 1958). senlement in the Vistula valley floor. In the: 14th century. the first evidence ofan increase in the There is no evidence 10 date to determine unequivocally frequency and intensity oflhe river floods appeared and, as a the course and charncter ofthe Vistula channel in the Opale result of these. lIle village of SWictcica. situated 3 km Lubelskie section in the Bronze Age. However, the river SSE of Sieciech6w, was completely destroyed; a new Fig. 3. The Opole lubelsklc ~ction of the ViSlula river accordmg Fig. 4. The Sieclechow section of Ihe Vistula river aceordmg channels from Medieval times are \'ery easy to discern. both village. Klasztoma Wola. has replaced it. Also destroyed was to thc Topographic Map Oflhc Polish Kingdom (1839). to the Topographic Map of the Polish Kingd 34 35 H. Maruszczak Changes ofthe Vistuta river course.. --..... (Maruszczak, 1987a, 1994). The results ofthe analysis ofthe \ : sw @l NE 1::":"'",..,...., St~i:yca Vistula nm changes between Goli(b and sugge.<;t that m. 36 37 H. Maruszczak Changes ofthe Vistula river course... The modem flood plain, as contained between flood numerous Neolitic and Bronze Age artefacts have been found erosion, cau.~ed by the shortening of the Vistula river run at Maruszczak, H., 1987a: Tendencje zmian klimatu ziem embankments, in the section from Pulawy to Kozienice often nearOpole Lubclskie in the river gap section ofVistu la through the end ofthe 16th century, is the modem flood alluvial plain polskich w czasac~ historycznych. Przeglqd rises above the level of the upper 1100d plain (Fig. 61, Il). South-Polish uplands between Zawichost and Pulawy. Situated below the level ofthe Holocene flood plains. Geograficzny 59: 471-486. Despite this, it is distinguished on many geomorphological Preliminary analysis ofthese sites shows that they were also 5) In the lowland section. where a modem flood alluvial Maruszczak. H., I987b: Zmiany srodowiska przyrodniczego and geological maps (not very logically) as the "lower flood associated with a meandering river, as in the earliest Medieval plain is situated below the level ofthe Holocene flood plains, kraju w czasach historycznych. In: L. Starke1 (Ed.) plain" (Zarski. 1996). Only within the section between Gol(lb times. In the Opole Lubelskie Vistula section, the width ofthe the arrangement ofvalley floor landforms is similar to those Przemiany .irodowiska geograficznego. Ossolineum, and Stlizyca is it situated below the level of Holocene flood river floor is similar to that of the lowland section between from the narrowest parts of the river gap section through lhe Wroclaw: 109-135. plains. This is one of the consequences ofbottolll erosion of Pulawy and Kozienice. A comparison of the lowland and South-Polish uplands, where the valley floor is up 10 3 km Maruszczak, H., 1994: Price of food products in the Polish the Vistula channel, which was caused by shifting of Visrula upland sections ofthe valley suggests that a typical, meandering wide and the modem flood plain represents the lowest territory as index ofclimatic oscillations in the Linle Ice river into a confluence section ofthe Wieprz at the cnd ofthe channel development in Neolithic and Bronze times was morphological swface ofthe Vistula valley. In the floors witbin Age. Geol,,'raphia Polonica 63: 119-127. 16th century. At first, this section must have extended fTom ubiquitous in the valley extensions. In the river gap section, the narrow sections, where meandering processes are limited, Niewiarowski, w., 1995: Wahania poziomu wody w jeziorLe the village ofBorowa to BrzeSce (Fig. 4), and then, owing to where the valley floor was less than 3 km, well-developed the Holocene morphological surfaces occur in a falling Biskupinskim i ich przyczyny (Fluctuations ofwaler level upstream erosion, it moved up the river run. At present. the , meanders did not occur. The importance of this becomes sequence. By contrast, in the wide part oflhe river gap valley, in the Biskupin Lake and its reasons), In: W. Niewiarowsk most dramatic example of channel erosion and the lowest obvious, ifone considers the stream gradient which is more or as with the lowland section ofrhe river course between Pulawy (Ed.) Zary~' zmiall srudowiska geograJicriparianwego location ofa modem flood plain are to be observed near the less the same in both the narrow and wide parts ofthe valley, and Kozienice, a modem alluvial flood plain is usually situated okolic Biskupina. Torun: 215-234. village ofGol(lb (Fig. 611). e.g. Zawichost-Kamien (relatively narrow valley) - 0.285%0, above the level ofthe Holocene flood plains. The flood plain Pawlak, I. & Milewski, M., 1968: ObjaSllieniadoszcegolowej The modern, frequently-changing braided channel ofthe Kamien-Lucimia (wide valley) - 0.245%0 and Lucimia Pulawy built from the youngest alluvia also shows traces of fomler mapy hydrogeologicznej Po/ski: arkusze Pu/awy. KurOw. Vistula is much wider than the stable meandering channel of (very narrow valley) - 0.252%0. By comparison, the stream channels ofthe braiding riVl"f. In contrast, the Holocene alluvial Kazimierz Dolfly, cz. I. Inslytut Geologiczny, early Medieval times. It is now from 0.3 to 0.8 km wide. b>Tadient in the lowland section ofthe Vistula bctweenPulawy plain, i.e. historical flood plains. contains numerous traces of Warszawa: 234 pp. Locally, it is divided into branches, among which small islands and Kozienice is fTom 0.212 to 0.286%0. meandering channels despite the fact that they have been POZaryski, \V. & Kalicki, T., 1995: Evolution ofthe gap section and channel bars occur. These fonus, which depend on the 3) In the tnmsition period fTom the warm Medieval times cultivated for a long time. of the Vislula valley in the Late Glacial and Holocene. mte of suspended load accumulation, are significantly less to the Little Ice Age (second part ofthe 14th to the cnd ofthe Geographical Studies IG i PZ PAN, Special numerou.~ than in the first half ofthe 19th century (compare Issue 8: 111+137. 15th centuries), the Vistula flowed in a meandering channel. References Figs. 5 and 4). This results from the protection now afforded as it did in the earliest Medieval times. But it flooded more Pozaryski. W., Maruszczak. H. & Lindner. L., 1994: 10 the Vistula by the flood embankments and the several often and, during large floods, it repeatedly destroyed not only Chrollostratygrafia osad6w plejstocenskich i rozwoj regulation works, especially those of the second part of the adjacent farmland but also whole villages and towns. As a DWlin-W'l,~owicz, T, 1974: Z1I1iany IV topogmfii osadllictwa doliny Wis/y irrxlkowej ze .\'zczeg6lnym IIwzglrdnieniem 20th century. As a result ofthese works. the accumulation of result ofsuch floods. the river course changed so drastically wie/kich dolill na l1iiu.~rodkowoeuropejskim w Xlllwieku. prze/omu przez wyiyny poludniowopolskie the alluvium is now limited to the zone between the floOO between Gohtb and Stlizyca, that the Vistula abandoned Ossolineum. Wroclaw: 178 pp. (Chrollostratigraphy of Pleistocelle deposits and embankments (LaJczak, 1997). In this way, the modem flood Siccicch6w and this settlement thereby lost its importance as Falkowski, E., 1982: The pattern of changes in the middle evolution ofthe middle VlStula n"ver valley with particular plain with its lllulti-channel flow originated. Outside these the main flood centre of the Vistula plain region. Thus. the Vistula valley floor. Geographical Studies IG i PZ PAN. attention to the gape rhrough rhe Sourh Polish Upland~), embankments. occurs a Holocene alluvial plain which has well economic results ofthe hydrological regime change were, in a Special Issue I: 79-92. Prace PmlsfWowego JILStytllt1l Geologicznego, 147: 58 pp. preserved and numerous traces ofmeandering chmmel (Fig. 7). sense, rathermon: significant than the gcomorphological ones, Gardawski. A.. 1970: Chodlik. cz. I. JVcze~'llOsredniowieczny Ralska-Jasiewiczowa, M. & Starkel. L., 1988: Record ofthc Because this plain is beyond all but the most disastrous of for the parameters ofmeanders did not change materially. zespOl osadniczy. Ossolineum. Wroclaw: 140 pp. hydrological changes during the Holocene in the lake. floods now, the teon "flood plain" is ofno more than historical 4) The frequency and size of the Vistula floods Heidinga, H. A.. 1984: Indications ofsevere drought during mire and nu vial deposits of Poland. Folia importance. Therefore, in Figure 2, it is distinguished as a considerably increased during the Little Ice Age (from the the 10th century AD from an inland dWle area in the central Quarernan"a 57: 91-127. "historicall100d plain". second llalf of the 16th to second half of the 19th century). Netherlands. Geologie en Mijnbouw, 63, 3: 241-248. Rauner, Yu., Zolotokrylin, A.N. & Popova, v.v., 1983: During one ofthe larger floods, at the cnd ofthe 16th century, Hodell, D.A., Curtis, J.H. & Brenner, M., 1995: Possible role Kolebaniy vlazhnosti klimata na evropeiskoy territorii SSSR za 4000 let (Fluctuations of climate humidity in I' Conclusions an important change ofthe river course bctween Borowa and of climate in the collapse of Classic Maya civilization. Stt;:zyca took place. The Vistula then shifted into a confluent Nature 375 (6530): 391-394. European USSR for 4000 years - only in Russian). section ofit~ tributary. the Wicprz, and, as a result, tIle river Girgus, R. & Strupczewski, w.. 1965: Wyjqrki ze irOdel Izl'estiya AN SSSR, seriya geograficzeskaja I: 50-59. I) In the earliest Medieval times (6th - 11 th centul)'), the course at this section was shortened by halfthe distance. This historycznych U lludzIVyczajllych zjawiskach Starkel, L., Pazdur, A., Pazdur. M.F., Wicik, B. & WiliCkowski, Vistula river between Pulawy and Kozienice, was represented provoked intensive channel erosion [lnd transformed the hydr%gicZflych lla ziemiach polskich w wiekach K.. 1996: Lake-level and groundwater.level changes in by a well-developed meandering channel; this was indicative meandering channcl into an brJ.iding one. The typical braided od X do XVI. Panstwowy Inslytut Hydrologiczno the LakeGOSci¥area, Poland. paleoclimatic implications. ofa relatively dry climate in which the river did not flood vel)' Vistula channel developed in the 18th century not only in the Meteorologiczny, Warszawa: 214 pp. The Ho/ocene 6: 213-224. often. These conditions favoured agricultumlland use ofthis lowland section (Pufawy - Kozlenice), but also in the upland Jazdzewski, K., 1984: Urgeschichte Mittefellropas, Szumanski, A., 1982: The evolution of the lower San river broad. Holocene flood plain which contained fertile and easy section (Zawichost - Pulawy) of the river. The Vistula, Ossolineum. Wrodaw: 528 pp. valley during the Laste Glacial and the Holocene. to-cultivate alluvial soil and variety of terrestrial and water overloaded with the products ofsoil erosion. especially since Kosiba, A., 1962: Zagadnienie ostatniego ochlodzenia klimatu Geographical Studies IG i PZPAN, Speciallssue I: 57-78. habitats. The upper levels ofthe flood plain i.e. those beyond the beginning ofthe 19th century when root crop cultivation po 1939 r.. Czasopismo Geograjiczlle 33: 63-72. Tarns, H., 1995: Kultllra trzciniecJ", IV mirdzyrzeczu Wis/y. the limil of flooding, were eminently suitable for settlement. was initiated. fonned a channel with numerous banks and Kowalczyk. E., 1994: Powracaj'lcy temat - Sieciechow: Bugu i Salll/. Wydawnictwo UMCS, Lublin: 262 pp. Siccicch6wbecame the economical and administrational centre islands of fresh alluvium. These, in turn, eertainly since the z problem6w organizacji grodowej w Polsce Topograficzna KaNa Kr6lestwa Polskiego (Carte of this Visrula seHlement region and it served to prOlcct the beginning ofthe 19th century, have led to the development of sredniowiccznej. Kwarta/llik Histurii KlIllllry topographique du ROYllUmetJe Pologlle) 1: 126 000, 1839, river crossing along the important trade route from Great large ice jams which have caused considemble damage mId Materia/nej 42: 69-85. Warszawa. Poland 10 Kievian Ruthenia. This crossing was even more local floods which have proved to be even more widespread Kunyp, K., 1989: Stl{iyca nad Wislq. Lublin: 232 pp. Wisniewski, J., 1913: Dektmat Kozienic:ki. Radom: 196 pp. important in the early Medieval times (12th -14th centuries), than the more catastrophic of the summer floods. To protect Lamb, H.H., 1984: Climate in the last thousand years - natural Wisniowski, E., 1958: Z dziej6w opactwa Benedyktynow when, owing to a more humid climate, the discharge of the this area from flooding, protective embankments have been climatic nuctuations and changes. In: H. Flohn & w Sieciechowie. Roczniki Humanistyczne 7: 23-120. Vistula river became greater. built here since the middle of the 18th century. These R. Fantechi (Ed~.) The climate ofEurope; past. presellt Zarski, M., 1991: Szczeg%wa Mapa Geologiczna Polski 2) It seems likely that similar conditions for agricultural constrained the river, so a modem flood plain, which is locally andjil1ure. Dordrecht 25-64. 1:50 000, arkusz De