The aim of the study is to present the role of the stronghold on Ostrów Tumski island in Poznań from the 10th to the mid-11th century. A key aspect of the considerations shown in the article remains the location of the feature in the changing structure of the Piast rule. Therefore, an attempt has been made to juxtapose Poznań with other central strongholds in Wielkopolska, namely Giecz, Grzybowo, Gniezno, Moraczewo, and Ostrów Lednicki. The paper discusses the origins of the stronghold on Ostrów Tumski but also focuses on the subsequent phases of its development. It is evident that the reign of Mieszko I remained crucial for Poznań, when the location underwent a major expansion to a four-part form, but above all was associated with the religious conversion. At that time, a palace with a chapel was built on Ostrów Tumski, accompanied by the construction of a cathedral for the first bishopric in the Polish lands, headed by Bishop Jordan. The Poznań stronghold did not diminish in importance during the reign of Bolesław I the Brave, and even though the ruler made Gniezno the capital of the archbishopric and a place of pilgrimage, Ostrów Tumski, located between the Warta and Cybina rivers, continued to be a key stronghold in the Piast realm. Poznań was a location for the peace negotiations in 1005, but also most likely the burial place of the rulers of the Piast dynasty.
The aim of this article is to analyse the human remains obtained during archaeological excavations conducted at an early medieval settlement in Santok. The older stage of the settlement’s existence is attributed to the discovery of human skulls and mandibles. The remains of several children of perinatal age were found in a multi-layered mound located inside the stronghold. The human bone finds presented in this article are not associated with typical early medieval burials and cemeteries. The broad context of these finds is presented in relation to their location and conditions of preservation. An interpretation of the practices of bone deposition and the significance of these assemblages has been suggested.
In her work, the author addresses two exempla from Liber Visionum et Miraculorum Clarevallensium by Herbert of Clairvaux, in historiography treated as sources for the reconstruction of Slavic beliefs. In the first subchapter, she characterises the Cistercian exemplum genre and explains its specificity. She focuses on the credibility of the stories conveyed in them. The next section presents the most important facts from Herbert’s life, as well as an outline of the most significant textual and dating issues concerning his book. It then provides an overview of the content of the two exempla and points out the difficulties with the titles as they vary from one manuscript to another. The most important part of the work is the subsection devoted to historiography where the author analyses the problems resulting from some scholars ignoring the stages of historical research, namely heuristics, criticism and reconstruction. This allows her to document, among other things, how unreliable research, ignorance of Latin, and disregard of interpretatio Christiana affect the conclusions drawn by some authors dealing with the two exempla. In conclusion, the author concludes that the exempla are of very little value for the reconstruction of pre-Christian Slavic beliefs and rituals. At the same time, she puts forward research proposals for the broadest possible analysis of the so-called Danish-Slavic cycle from Herbert’s work.
The article presents results of Archaeological excavations conducted in 2020 at the settlement of Horka, site 1, located at the northern end of the Pripyat Polesia. Two chronological periods and two different cultures have been distinguished at the site: the Early Roman (the Post-Zarubintsy horizon), and the Migration Period (the Prague culture). Further analysis based on data obtained from the neighbouring settlements of Jaskavičy 1 and Doŭgaje st. 6 shows that there was continuous settlement development here throughout the first half and half of the first millennium AD: the Post-Zarubintsy horizon, the Kiev and Prague cultures. The nature and rhythm of cultural change established for this micro-region, as well as specific changes in the location of sites in the landscape, correspond to the picture that characterises the cultural development of the ‘Slavic line’ throughout Eastern Europe. The data obtained confirm the hypothesis that Pripyat Polesia could have entered the zone of formation of the Prague culture.
Slavery was common in early medieval Europe with the so-called Baltic-Oriental exchange systemas one of the most important markets. There is a view that the slave trade is difficult to detect in material sources. Shackles are the most characteristic determinant of the slave trade. Shackles were believed to have been a very rare find. However, searching for new materials in old collections and publications turns out to be very productive. The greatest concentration of finds of shackles occurs in the Northwest Slavic region. Shackles were also discovered in other Baltic locations. Moreover, a number of finds have been recorded in Eastern Europe, in two areas to be more exact. The first is the Bulgarian Khaganate, and the other is the Khazar Khaganate. However, shackles are not the only material determinant of the slave trade. Analyses show that iron padlocks were also an element of shackles. They occur in large numbers in many locations in the Baltic zone and in Eastern Europe. Based on the concentration of the shackles and padlocks, seven areas of the slave trade can be identified. The areas of concentration of finds may reflect slave trade centres, mainly clustered around the junctions of the Baltic-Oriental exchange system.
Among the toponyms found in Dagome iudex, the name Alemure is the most controversial. In the description of the southern border of the Gniezno state, it is located between the Oder (flumen Oddere) and Milsko (Milze). In Polish historiography, the prevailing view is that Alemure is a heavily altered version of Olomouc (J. Ptaśnik 1911) that appeared when the original document was copied. In German historiography, however, a connection between the name Alemure and the hydronym Mohra/Mura, i.e. the name of the Morawica River, a left-bank tributary of the second order of the Oder, has long been recognised (L. Giesebrecht 1843). A comparison of historical and archaeological sources indicates that it was precisely from the name Morawica, also known in the past as Morawa, that the name Alemure could have been derived through several minor transformations. The original document probably contained the entry alia mura (second/other Morawa), and when the register was compiled, the name was recorded as alemure. The area between the Morawica and Opava rivers has the highest concentration of early medieval archaeological sites in the so-called Czech Silesia, including two important strongholds located on the Morawica itself, namely Hradec nad Moravicí and Opava-Kylešovice.
The article presents the current state of knowledge on the synaxarion introduced by Sava Nemanjić in the Chilandar monastery founded by him and his father. It discusses all the hypotheses formulated so far and related observations presented in the latest publications. The current state of knowledge seems to suggest that Miladin Mitrović’s hypothesis is the most likely, according to which the Evergetian liturgical practice was introduced in Chilandar, but without translating the synaxarion into Church Slavonic. Instead, the rubrics from the synaxarion were added to other liturgical books – menaia, triodia, and octoechoi.
The article analyses sources of information about the cultivation of rituals and beliefs considered by clerical writers to be “remains” of paganism by the common people in Poland in the 14th and 15th centuries. A detailed analysis of the content of these accounts indicates that the “pagans” (a term used by the sources to describe people who had been formally baptised) had adopted many themes inspired by content derived indirectly from Christianity and ancient culture. These influences are particularly evident in the spread of ancient magical practices. The local, non-Christian pantheon of deities described by chronicler Jan Długosz also indicates that religious beliefs drew on these inspirations. The arguments presented above are in favour of rejecting Brückner’s a priori views on the low credibility of Długosz’s account. However, Długosz committed an anachronism by transferring his contemporary phenomena to pre-Christian times. The sources collected indicate that “pagan” relics survived in Poland as long as until the 15th century.
The historic region of Kuyavia has long represented an important area of cross-cultural communication in the heart of the Polish lands. During the Iron Age, Kuyavia evolved into a transit area for the amber trade between continental Europe and the Mediterranean region. This had transformative effects on the area’s inhabitants, known as members of the Przeworsk Culture, for instance in Gąski site no. 18, where the remains of a Pre-Roman Iron Age cemetery and a later settlement have been preserved. The small amounts of amber recovered from the burials suggest an initially marginal importance of amber in the material culture. This stands in stark contrast to the site’s later development when its inhabitants realized the commercial significance of amber and the advantages of their location, and were actively involved in the exchange of the fossilized resin. Amber artefacts were produced in specialized workshops where nu- merous objects have been found among imports, such as glassware, Roman coins, and terra sigillata.
The article presents a late 11th to early 12th-century deposit of early medieval jewellery discovered in December 2023 in Chodlik, Karczmiska municipality. The deposit comprises nine artifacts: three coins, two silver rings, two silver beads forming parts of bag-shaped earrings, a copper temple ring, and a quartz crystal bead. The coins, including the Hungarian denar of Ladislaus I (1077-1095) and two cross denars from the late 11th century, feature suspension holes, suggesting they were likely used as pendants of a necklace. The Orszymowice-type ring and the bag-shaped earrings were crafted using a similar technique involving two silver sheets. Their chemical composition, as well as that of the second ring, a polygonal band, is highly similar, indicating their origin from the same workshop. Such artifacts are rare and belong to the category of elite jewellery. The deposit was discovered in waterlogged meadows on the border between Chodlik, Karczmiska municipality, and Żmijowiska, Wilków municipality, in the vicinity of a probable medieval transport route. The absence of a settlement or burial traces suggests the deposit might have been stored in an organic container that decomposed over time and was subsequently lost. The jewellery could have been a set owned by a single individual. This discovery provides new data on the technological connections and functions of jewellery in the 11th–12th centuries. The deposit is a significant contribution to the study of elite jewellery in early medieval Małopolska.
Researchers knew about the existence of the 11th-century Pomeranian coinage back in the 19th century. The basic source is a large hoard from the village of Łupawa (Lupow) near Słupsk, consisting mostly of imitations. The term “Łupawa imitations” has been in use in numismatics, to which – over the last 100 years – various authors have included all kinds of “barbaric” coins. The author presents a new concept for dividing the 11th-early 12th century coinage into six smaller groups. The oldest mint may have operated in Wolin which, however, collapsed in the first half of the 11th century. At the same time coinage started in Budzistowo, where it continued throughout the 11th century. In the second half of the 11th century, a second mint was established – probably in the vicinity of Słupsk, where both silver and copper coins were made. The mint, producing sub-value copper coins in the late 11th and the early 12th century, was located probably in Gdansk.
In 2016, a modern Archaeological map of the territory of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra National Preserve (NR KPL) was developed, serving as a foundation for conducting research aimed at the preservation of the diverse cultural layers of this unique complex, spanning the period from the 11th to the 19th centuries. The Preserve is situated on the distinctive Pechersk Hill whose formation is influenced by dynamic natural and man-made factors that adversely affect the feature’s environment. Since the terrain acts as an indicator of the complex interaction of these processes, its detailed analysis provides an effective means for investigating the slope’s evolution. The objective of this study is to construct digital models of the paleorelief integrated with the existing Archaeological Map of the NR KPL, and to establish a database for risk assessment within the excavation zones. A structural and morphometric analysis served as the principal methodological tool. Among the numerous results obtained, the most informative were the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the residual relief (forecast) maps, and the differential maps between the summit and base surfaces (dynamic maps). These outputs enabled the reconstruction of the detailed evolution of the slopes, the identification of areas of active erosion, and the assessment of the potential risk zones at the archaeological and architectural sites, notably the Dormition Cathedral (K-80), the Church of the Saviour at Berestove (K-84), the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (K-59), and other features.
Around 2010-2012, a hoard dating from around 1025-1030 was discovered ‘west of Poznań’, perhaps near Grodzisk Wielkopolski. It contained silver coins and ornaments, probably wrapped in cloth and hidden in a pot. This is secondary information from intermediaries who obtained information about the hoard (which consisted of several hundred coins) from various sources. At least 152 specimens were recorded. The pot also contained 17 fragments of linen fabric in good condition, and several dozen small, damaged remnants. Three different types of products were distinguished. Two fabrics (15 fragments) are plain woven, and one (2 fragments) is patterned. The pattern was obtained by three- or five-thread interlacing of the warp or weft against a plain background. Both canvas fabrics are typical of medieval weaving, and the patterned fabric is an absolute revelation for which no analogies have yet been found. The fabrics preserved in the hoard are the remains of at least three wraps or bags in which their contents were stored in accordance with the owner’s intentions.
The article presents the results of an archaeo-zoological analysis of a post-consumption collection of 2,226 bone fragments, and a set of bone artefacts from an early medieval (second half of the 9th – first half of the 10th century) settlement in Dakowy Mokre. The inhabitants’ economy was based on the breeding of domesticated mammals and birds, supplemented to a small extent by hunting wild animals: deer, roe deer, wild boar and hares. In animal husbandry, the most important role was played by small cattle used as a source of meat and fat, as well as milk and draught power. Of lesser importance were medium-sized pigs, sheep, goats, and domestic chickens. These animals provided mainly food products (meat, fat, eggs). Animal products were also used, including bone raw material used to make various items (carding combs, spikes, needles).
During research at an early medieval site located 11 km away from Poznań’s Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), a set of tools for weighing bullion was found, consisting of balance scales, 10 standardised weights, and a decorative copper alloy necklace clasp. Due to the state of preservation, mechanical features and the place of uncovering, these artefacts prompted a multi-faceted analysis of the possible reasons why such valuable objects were left in one of the sites of the extensive settlement, located by the Kopel and Michałówka valley. As a result, new evidence has been obtained on the links between the main strongholds of the Polish state and the subordinate settlements, as well as on the existence of possibilities of communication between them (hitherto unconsidered) and on local variations in social stratification. At the same time, the need to carry out methodical research on archaeological sites and to exercise conservation protection over them was stressed, in the face of a threat of losing ample interpretative opportunities when the sites become victims of illegal forms of exploration
The article analyses the history of research and study of jewellery production by the people of the Middle and Upper Dnieper region in the late Roman period. One of the most recognizable products of the area and time in question are ornaments with carved enamels. The first attempts to understand them started over a century ago. During the first half of the 20th century, the ethnocultural affiliation of the circle of carved enamel decorations was debatable. With the selection of Kyiv culture (the indicated original products of applied art being among the signs thereof), another dimension is added to the study of enamelled jewellery. Modern archaeologists have not tired of the chronology, cataloguing and classification, technological, the artistic and stylistic aspects of the production of jewellery and metal parts of clothing of the Kyiv culture, or attempts at understanding of the phenomenon of recessed enamels. The rapid growth of the finds of jewellery and elements of clothing with carved enamels has led to another perception of their distribution and habitation, and the origins of the style of the jewellery of Kyiv masters.
In 2021, research was carried out which, despite its small scope, yielded a number of interesting discoveries related to Dąbrówka stronghold settlement. The most significant was the discovery of a well with preserved oak casing, built no earlier than in 870 and no later than in the mid-870s. This sequence of dates, however, covers a long period from 855 (-0/+8) to 878 (-7/+8) and indicates the use of raw material for developments of much greater scope. The only project that involved the use of such masses of wood at the time was the construction of a stronghold. From within the casing comes a wooden bucket with hoops, the ends of which are decorated with representations of animal heads. The research has also revealed a piece of an axe, related to a bradatica-type double-edged weapon, and an appliqué in the form of a rosette with numerous parallels among products of the Avar culture and assemblages of mixed Avaro-Slavic nature.
