Living on the lake in the Iron Age: new results from aerial photographs, geophysical survey and dendro- chronology on sites of Biskupin type Anthony Harding 1 & Wlodzimierz Ra ¸czkowski 2 The island site of Biskupin with its densely planned interior bears an uncanny resemblance to a prison camp. Is it typical of the Iron Age in Northern Europe? The authors here explore neighbouring sites around Pozna´ n using aerial photographs, geophysical survey and dendrochronology – to stunning effect. These low impact methods have given high impact results: dated street plans, some similar and others different from Biskupin, but within the same time frame: almost a repertoire of early urbanism. The authors must also be congratulated on the identification of a new type of Iron Age feature, the ‘open area for spouse avoidance’ defined at Sobiejuchy. Keywords: Poland, Iron Age, Hallstatt C, Biskupin, settlement planning, dendrochronology, aerial photographs, magnetometer survey Introduction The Early Iron Age stockade site of Biskupin in central Poland is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in Europe, well known to archaeologists since its discovery in 1933 and the early seasons of excavation from 1934 up until the Second World War. It is famous both for the detailed and virtually complete plan of a timber-built lakeside stockade of the period (Figure 1), and for the pioneering techniques which were used in its investigation, including balloon photography, the construction of a caisson to create suitably dry conditions for excavation, and for the reconstruction of the rampart, gateway and several internal buildings 1 Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK 2 Department of Prehistory, University of Pozna´ n, ´ Sw. Marcin 78, 61-809 Pozna´ n, Poland Received: 2 July 2009; Accepted; 28 September 2009; Revised: 15 October 2009 ANTIQUITY 84 (2010): 386–404 http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/84/ant840386.htm 386