Archaeological research into the culture of the Goths in the Hrubieszów Basin started in 1977. Since the very beginning, the importance of the discoveries, attractive artifacts and exceptional funeral customs of those who inhabited the region 1700 years ago have been the focus of public interest. The news of the excavations in Masłomęcz quickly made the front pages of the newspapers and got a lot of publicity on the radio and TV. The academic community and public opinion kept up with news of the research carried out by the Lublin archaeologists. Every year, international delegations of foremost researchers, students and lay enthusiasts visited Masłomęcz to witness these unique discoveries. 25 years of intensive fieldwork changed the lives of the inhabitants of this small village, who became famous for their friendliness and hospitality towards archaeologists.
In 2002, the end of the excavations of Gothic burial grounds was officially announced. It seemed that Masłomęcz would become an ordinary village mentioned only in archaeological literature and archival issues of newspapers.
However, the inhabitants of Masłomęcz, used to the presence of archaeologists, students and the media, were determined to maintain their cooperation with academic circles.
Today, Masłomęcz is an unusual place where the past and the present meet. This would not have happened if it had not been for several key grassroots initiatives aimed at the reconstruction of the daily life of the multicultural community inhabiting the area in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Just as it was 1700 years ago, the centre of these ventures is near Masłomęcz, where the Goths’ village is under construction.
At present, the group has about 30 members and interest in joining this Gothic community is still increasing.
The basic aim of the association is the popularization of the cultural and historical heritage of the Hrubieszów region in Poland and abroad. In 2013, during annual archeological fest, the intention to build a genuine open-air museum, an exhibition complex called The Goths’ Village and consisting of several buildings, was announced. It was intended that each structure would be built on the basis of archaeological sources and, as far as possible, with the use of technology known in the Roman period.
