Środkowoeuropejskie społeczności osad obronnych w 1. poł. II tysiąclecia BC. Studium porównawcze obszarów próbnych

The dissertation is aimed at a description and characterization of the central European societies of fortified settlements in the first half of the 2nd millenium BC. Because of the high number of such sites and different stage of research in particular regions, it was necessary to select the sources. Four trial areas were chosen: Alpine area, south-western Wielkopolska, middle Danube basin and upper Tisa basin. All of them were related to different cultural units: inner-Alpine Bronze Age groups, Unetice culture, Vatya culture and Otomani-Fuzesabony culture. The crucial criteria for selecting trial areas was long research tradition and store of knowledge about fortified settlements characterizing them. In order to show regional variability of the fortified settlements there were described their different aspects. Particular chapters contain information about: economy and natural environment, inner layout, fortifications, metallurgy and chronology. Moreover there was discussed the role and function of the defensive structures in particular regions. In the final chapter the author summarizes the results of his comparative analyses.