Discovery and location: A mysterious stone fortress has been discovered in Maszkowice (southern Poland), on Zyndram's Hill on the Dunajec River. Although the hill is named after the legend of the medieval knight Zyndram of Maszkowice, archaeologists did not confirm the existence of a medieval castle, but found something much older, . Dating and uniqueness: the fortress dates to the 18th century BC (Early Bronze Age), making it older than the palaces in Mycenae, and even some 300 years older than the most famous Mycenaean palace ,. It is a rarity on a European scale, as similar early stone fortifications from this period are in vain to be found outside the Mediterranean,. The site is sometimes referred to as the "Mycenae of the North" . Construction of the fortifications: The fortress consisted of massive stone walls, stretching for about 200 m, reaching 3 m high and 2 m thick in places . The walls were built using the dry walling method (mortarless), fitting the stones with great precision, which required a huge and organized operation, . East Gate and rituals: The fortress had an East Gate decorated with vertical stelae (stone slabs), which probably had both structural and symbolic functions . The shape and size of the surviving slabs suggest that these were anthropomorphic stelae (schematic representations of the human figure), known at the time from graves from eastern Europe and the Balkans . Astronomical aspects and cults: the axis of the East Gate, as suggested by measurements, indicated the point of sunrise on the day of the summer solstice . In addition, an axis running from the North Gate to the East Gate indicated sunrise on the day of the winter solstice . The lower layers of the East Gate contained a large amount of burnt animal bones, ash, incinerators and high-quality pottery, indicating that the site may have been used for depositing sacrificial remains, similar to the Greek thysia, . The nature of the settlement: Inside the walls was a small but well-protected settlement with wooden houses on stone foundations ,. It is estimated that 150 to 200 people lived there in up to 20 houses, subsisting on agriculture, livestock and possible commercial services . Diet and economy : The main source of meat and fat was pigs; pig bones accounted for up to 20% of all animal remains discovered ,. This heavy reliance on pork may somewhat contradict the theory that the builders arrived from southern Europe, where sheep and goat farming was prevalent . Trade route hypothesis: One theory suggests that Zyndram Mountain may have served as a prehistoric trade factories, controlling an ancient north-south trade route (possibly the amber route) . Among other things, bronze and amber objects were found there, which probably came from the north . Origin of the Builders (Major Theories): 1. Immigration from the South: The similarity of the dry walling technique to Mediterranean constructions (Mycenae, Istria) suggests that the skills were brought by settlers from, for example, the Adriatic, Greece or the Balkans , . 2 Local Civilization: the creators may have been local, indigenous people (e.g., ancestors of the Lusatian culture), which would mean that the Bronze Age population in the lands of present-day Poland reached a high technical level . However, artifacts from the first settlement phase are linked to the Otomani-Füzesabona culture . Collapse and subsequent settlement: The settlement was abruptly abandoned around 1500 BC, probably as a result of a great fire (cataclysm or invasion of enemies) . Life on the hill died down for about 150 years. New settlers, representing the influences of the Lusitanian and Gawa cultures, among others, returned around the 10th century BC, and later, in the 1st century BC, the Celts (Pukh culture) appeared, . Relevance to the debate on the origin of the Slavs: The discoveries at Maszkowice are used in the context of the autochthonous and allochthonous debate on the origin of the Slavs . Taking an autochthonous perspective, the founders of the stone settlement may have been among the ancestors of later Slavs, and their heritage may have survived in genes and culture.