Swietokrzyskie Mountains
Encyclopedia
Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains), (Polish
: ) are a mountain range
in central Poland
, in the vicinity of the city of Kielce
. The mountain range consists of a number of separate ranges, the highest of which is Łysogóry (lit. bald mountains). The two highest peaks are Łysica at 612 meters (2008 ft) and Łysa Góra at 593 meters (1946 ft). Together with the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska the mountains form a region called the Lesser Poland Upland
(Wyżyna Małopolska). Their area is 1684 km² (650 mi²).
Approximate location is 50°53′N 20°55′E.
orogeny
of the Silurian
period and then rejuvenated in the Hercynian orogeny of the Upper Carboniferous
period.
The region was once on the southern coast of the ancient supercontinent
of Laurasia
. The oldest known evidence of tetrapods comes from 395-million-year old fossil footprints found in Zachełmie. The rocks were formed from a marine tidal flat or lagoon.
The mountains have also yielded the oldest evidence of Dinosauromorpha
, pushing back the evolution of dinosaurs to small, four-legged animals living during the Early Triassic
. The fossil footprints date to some 250 million years ago, only a couple of million years after the Permian–Triassic extinction event, during a time when the environment was still destabilized. Footprints of early bipedal dinosaurs known as Sphingopus, from 246 million years ago, were also found.
From the early Middle Ages
the mountains were a place of extensive copper
and iron
mining
. Later they were also a significant site of limestone
and red sandstone
extraction. At present, the center part of the mountains contains the Świętokrzyski National Park
.
The name, Holy Cross Mountains, refers to a Christian
relic from a nearby Benedictine
monastery on Łysa Góra, said to be a small piece of wood from the Cross
on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: ) are a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in central Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, in the vicinity of the city of Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
. The mountain range consists of a number of separate ranges, the highest of which is Łysogóry (lit. bald mountains). The two highest peaks are Łysica at 612 meters (2008 ft) and Łysa Góra at 593 meters (1946 ft). Together with the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska the mountains form a region called the Lesser Poland Upland
Lesser Poland Upland
Lesser Polish Upland is an upland located in southern part of Poland, which stretches from the valley of the upper Vistula river between Kraków and Sandomierz to north-west in the region of Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Radomsko. Average height is between 200 and 400 metres above sea level, with the...
(Wyżyna Małopolska). Their area is 1684 km² (650 mi²).
Approximate location is 50°53′N 20°55′E.
Pre-history
The Świętokrzyskie Mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges in Europe. They were formed during the CaledonianCaledonian orogeny
The Caledonian orogeny is a mountain building era recorded in the northern parts of the British Isles, the Scandinavian Mountains, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and parts of north-central Europe. The Caledonian orogeny encompasses events that occurred from the Ordovician to Early Devonian, roughly...
orogeny
Orogeny
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a severe structural deformation of the Earth's crust due to the engagement of tectonic plates. Response to such engagement results in the formation of long tracts of highly deformed rock called orogens or orogenic belts...
of the Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
period and then rejuvenated in the Hercynian orogeny of the Upper Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
period.
The region was once on the southern coast of the ancient supercontinent
Supercontinent
In geology, a supercontinent is a landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton. The assembly of cratons and accreted terranes that form Eurasia qualifies as a supercontinent today.-History:...
of Laurasia
Laurasia
In paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...
. The oldest known evidence of tetrapods comes from 395-million-year old fossil footprints found in Zachełmie. The rocks were formed from a marine tidal flat or lagoon.
The mountains have also yielded the oldest evidence of Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauromorpha is the name of a clade of archosaurs that includes the closest relatives of dinosaurs, and the order Dinosauria itself. Basal forms include Saltopus, Marasuchus, the perhaps identical Lagosuchus, the lagerpetonids Lagerpeton from the Ladinian of Argentina and Dromomeron from the...
, pushing back the evolution of dinosaurs to small, four-legged animals living during the Early Triassic
Early Triassic
The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 245 ± 1.5 Ma . Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic, which is a unit in chronostratigraphy...
. The fossil footprints date to some 250 million years ago, only a couple of million years after the Permian–Triassic extinction event, during a time when the environment was still destabilized. Footprints of early bipedal dinosaurs known as Sphingopus, from 246 million years ago, were also found.
History
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the mountains were a place of extensive copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. Later they were also a significant site of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
extraction. At present, the center part of the mountains contains the Świętokrzyski National Park
Swietokrzyski National Park
Świętokrzyski National Park is a National Park in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in central Poland. It covers the highest ridge of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains – the Łysogory – with its two highest peaks: Łysica at and Łysa Góra at . It also covers the eastern part of the Klonowski...
.
The name, Holy Cross Mountains, refers to a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
relic from a nearby Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery on Łysa Góra, said to be a small piece of wood from the Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
See also
- Bartek the most famous tree in Poland
- Caledonian orogenesis