Early Medieval Poland Research Articles

Ołów i władza: plomby Rurykowiczów i Piastów w Europie środkowo-wschodniej

The article considers the economic and political use of small lead seals (tag seals) to validate different kinds of social relations in early medieval Poland and Rus’. Originated in Antiquity, the practice of sealing peaked in Byzantium from where it spread to Early Rus’. This is reflected, for example, in the use in late 11th-late 14th centuries of small lead seals referred to as the “Drohiczyn type”. In this paper I put forward an opinion that not all the early medieval small lead seals should be attributed to “coinless economy”. A study of the corpus of small lead seals from Drohiczyn and Czermno, and finds from Mazovia, has identified a group with iconography identical to the Polish Hohlpfennig, suggesting they were commercial-customs small lead seals used by the Piast dynasty, contemporary with the bracteates introduced in the first half/mid-13th-early 14th centuries. The extraordinary number of small lead seals found in Drohiczyn possibly reflects the outstanding position of the town in the Eastern and Central European relationships as well as a short-term relocation of trade routes leading north, caused by the military conflicts of the 1240-1280s in the upper course of the Western Bug. The practice of sealing could have been introduced by Conrad of Mazovia to Poland from Early Rus’. Subsequently, the small Polish lead seals might have contributed to the emergence of lead cloth seals in Western Europe as part of a cultural transfer.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRACES OF THE PRESENCE OF LYAKHS DISPLACED TO THE ROS RIVER. THE STATE OF RESEARCH

The paper deals with the resettlement of the inhabitants of early medieval Poland to the territory of Rus’. The starting point is the mention contained in The Tale of Bygone Years, informing under the year 1031 about the transplant of the Lyakhs (inhabitants of the Piast state) to the Ros River, on the border of Rus’ and nomads. The paper outlines the discussion on this issue, as well as research perspectives. The latter seem particularly promising in relation to the settlement complex in Mykolayivka on Ros River, studied, among others, by M. Kuchera in the 1950s and 1980s. Based on the presence of ceramic material and metal ornaments with West Slavic analogies, the Ukrainian archaeologist put forward a hypothesis that the discovered cemetery and settlement there are the traces of a presence of the Lyakhs settled there in 1031. This hypothesis, although being repeated in the archaeological literature, has never been verified by typological and chronological analyses of artifacts as well as anthropological and laboratory analyses of human bones.
 In 2019, the Ukrainian-Polish archaeological expedition started a new project in Mykolayivka. The research covered, inter alia, a flat cemetery where two relatively well-preserved burials were discovered. In one of them there was a skeleton of an adult man, next to which the arrowheads and a ring were found. In the second grave, the skeletons of an adult woman and a child have been discovered. Numerous ornaments, including earrings, a lunula pendant, rings and several dozen metal, glass and stone beads were found there. In order to check the suitability of the bone material for specialized analyses, the skeletons were subjected to: radiocarbon, DNA, microscopic tooth enamel and stable isotope analysis. All the above-mentioned studies have shown that the state of preservation of the material from the cemetery in Mykolayivka allows for the use of a wide range of laboratory analyses. Thus, it can be useful for the verification of the above-mentioned hypothesis about the origin of the local inhabitants.

Dogs in the Wroclaw Stronghold, 2nd Half of the 10th-1st Half of the 13th Century (Lower Silesia, Poland)-An Zooarchaeological Overview.

Simple SummaryOver the centuries of coexistence between humans and dogs, both the appearance of our four-legged companions and their social perception have changed. This article aims at identifying the most probable morphological and functional types of dogs found in Poland in the period from the 10th to the first half of the 13th century. The authors will also try to address the issue of how dogs were treated in the early Middle Ages and what social and economic roles these animals played. These considerations are based on the remains of several dozen dogs discovered in the medieval Wroclaw stronghold, one of the most important centres in Poland at the time. We will use finds from other archaeological sites in Poland and written sources concerning this part of Europe. It has been proven that specific “breeds” of dogs were found in this area. Their appearance and size were probably related to the specific function of the quadrupeds. Dogs were treated very differently in the early Middle Ages: Both as a companion for the elite, and as a source of skins, bones, and even meat.This article pertains to the issue of early medieval dogs (10th–mid-13th century) from the territory of Poland and Central Europe. The study is based on dog remains from the Wroclaw Cathedral Island (Ostrów Tumski), one of the most important administrative centres of early medieval Poland, the capital of a secular principality and the seat of diocese authorities. The main morphological and functional types of dogs living in Wroclaw and other parts of Poland were characterized on that basis. It has been concluded that the roles and perceptions of dogs were very ambiguous. On the one hand, they were hunting companionship for the elite and were considered a symbol of devotion and loyalty. On the other hand, dogs symbolised disgrace. In everyday life, these animals were sometimes abused, their skin was sometimes tanned and their bones modified into tools, and in exceptional cases, dogs were even eaten.

Origin and Production of Silver in Early Medieval Poland

Modern archaeology makes use of analytical methods in order to answer questions about deposit and technological provenience of artefacts. This paper discusses selected and the most interesting, results obtained during the completion of a research project which focuses on silver from the 10th and 11th centuries in Poland. In total, 200 silver artefacts known from Polish hoards (found in Kalisz-Dobrzec, Nowa Obra, Wolsztyn District, Zalesie, Olsztyn District, Sluszkow and Jastrzebniki, Kalisz District, Kalisz-Rajskow and Stojkowo, Kolobrzeg District and Naruszewo, Plonsk District) were studied. A micro-invasion LA-ICP-MS (Laser Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) was used for determinining lead isotope ratios in silver. The data obtained were evaluated using statistical methods which allowed reliable isotopic ratios in inhomogeneous alloy to be obtained. In order to study the provenance of silver, the obtained lead isotope ratios in the artefacts were compared with those of silver deposits. The use of SEM-EDX allowed the tracing of morphological changes and the measurement of quantitative elemental composition of coins, raw silver and jewellery according to technological traits.

Stave vessels as part of post mortem furnishings in Early Medieval Poland – a problem outline and research perspectives

In Polish archaeological literature there is no systematic and broad-scale formal-typological and chronological analysis of stave vessels (buckets), which were part of grave goods in Early Medieval cemeteries in the present-day territory of Poland. Furthermore, hardly anything has been said with regard to their sepulchral function. The knowledge concerning this category of finds is still not systematised and is scattered in monograph works on individual sites, in broader compendia dealing with funeral rites and in various minor works. It is therefore recommended to offer a brief overview of research on this category of finds. Author discusses the issues of terminology, the current state of research and the most ardent research needs related to the issue mentioned in the title of this paper

Post-Cranial Traumatic Injury Patterns in Two Medieval Polish Populations: The Effects of Lifestyle Differences.

Traumatic injuries can be used as general indicators of activity patterns in past populations. This study tests the hypothesis that contemporaneous (10th–12th century) rural and urban populations in medieval Poland will have a significantly different prevalence of non-violent fractures. Traumatic injuries to the post-cranial skeleton were recorded for 180 adults from rural Giecz and for 96 adults from urban Poznań-Śródka. They were statistically analyzed by body region and individual skeletal element. Results reveal that Giecz had a significantly higher rate of trunk fractures than Poznań-Śródka (Fisher’s exact, p<0.05). In particular, rib and vertebral fractures were more common in Giecz males and females than in their Poznań-Śródka counterparts. Traumatic injuries in the extremities were comparable between the two samples, suggesting similar risks of trauma to these regions. These results indicate that in early medieval Poland, activities associated with a rural lifestyle resulted in more injuries. These stress or accidental fractures, which are related to a high-risk setting, were not consistent with an urban lifestyle. Overall, agricultural populations like Giecz were engaged in a laborious lifestyle, reflected in a variety of injuries related to repetitive, high-risk activities. Although urban populations like Poznań engaged in craft specialization participated in repetitive activities, their lifestyle resulted in lesser fracture-risk.

Indirect Evidence of Falconry in Medieval Poland as Inferred from Published Zooarchaeological Studies

AbstractAlthough written sources indicate that falconry or hawking was very popular already in early medieval Poland, there is no hard zooarchaeological evidence that would support it. So far, only two studies based on animal remains suggested hawking in medieval Poland. The purpose of this study was to examine all published zooarchaeological reports from all archaeological sites in Poland and check for possible clues of hawking. Altogether, 281 remains of 12 species of diurnal birds of prey were recorded from 38 sites (49 time‐site units) in Poland beginning from the Middle Ages onward. The most frequently found was the goshawk Accipiter gentilis followed by the white‐tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla and the sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Clues of possible hawking include high status of sites, occurrence of species used in falconry outside their natural ranges, preponderance of females, the presence of sub‐adult specimens and others. It is suggested that surface damage observed on prey bones done by the hawks' beaks and claws may be an extra evidence of hawking. The present study strongly supports the notion that hawking was a very popular activity in medieval Poland. In the future, medieval bone assemblages should always be checked for clues of hawking. The present study may also be used as a source of raw data for other analyses because it includes detailed information on birds of prey from all zooarchaeological reports published so far in Poland. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Vampires, criminals or slaves? Reinterpreting ‘deviant burials’ in early medieval Poland

Unusual funerary behaviour is now an exciting area of research in Central and Western European archaeology. In Poland, since the first half of the twentieth century, finds of atypical or deviant burials have been almost exclusively interpreted as evidence for so-called ‘anti-vampire’ practices, intended to prevent the dead from rising, haunting and hurting the living. In the last decade or so, new attempts have been made, especially in the UK, to develop more sophisticated understandings of deviant burials, and to perceive them not only in the context of popular superstition, but also with regard to judicial practices. Inspired by these new developments, this paper offers a range of new interpretations of deviant burials from early medieval Poland with a focus on burials where people were buried in a prone position, decapitated or covered with stones.

The Early Piasts Imagined: New Work in the Political History of Early Medieval Poland

This article reviews recent work by Polish medievalists representing a new kind of political history, one which breaks with formal, specialized statecraft, law, and institutions, in favour of an inquiry into power: its experience, representation, distribution, and contestation. This conceptual shift relates to a resurgence of interest among medievalists in late-Carolingian and Ottonian Germany, and aims to be a conceptual benchmark for these subjects. Both shifts are visible in several historiographies, among which the Polish remains relatively unknown for linguistic reasons. An excellent sample of that work is contained in three books, published in Poland in the last decade, and subsequently translated into English, about the power of the Polish dukes in the dynasty’s formative early period. The article situates the books in the context of the new political history, and addresses the implications of their translation.

The archaeology of early medieval Poland: discoveries--hypotheses--interpretations

Introduction .. xi List of Figures .. xv 1. Archaeology of Early Medieval Poland: beginnings of interest, birth and development .. 1 2. Sources and methods .. 29 3. How did the Slavs get to Polish lands? .. 55 4. Mysteries of the pre-state period .. 75 5. Holy mountains .. 107 6. Pagan cemetery or holy grove? .. 133 7. Monumental mounds in Little Poland .. 143 8. Traces of the earliest script in Poland? .. 167 9. How Poland came into being? .. 175 10. Towns still under investigation .. 223 11. Other central places .. 307 12. Rural landscapes .. 333 13. The earliest monastic complexes .. 351 14. The puzzle of the century: pottery marks 383 15. Locals and migrants .. 395 Appendix 1 Some Notes on the Translation of Andrzej Buko's 'The Archaeology of Early Medieval Poland' (Paul Barford) .. 431 Appendix 2 A brief guide to the pronunciation of Polish words (compiled by Paul Barford) .. 439 Bibliography .. 441 Index

Le palimpseste hagiographique de la Pologne du haut Moyen Âge : l'espace et le temps du culte de saint Stanislas de Szczepanowo.

The Hagiographical Palimpsest of Early Medieval Poland: Spatial and Temporal Points of Reference in the Worship of Saint Stanislas of Szczepanowo From the example of the Medieval worship of Saint Stanislas of Szczepanowo, an eleventh-century martyr, the article aims to evoke the symbolic value of time and space in the advent of the first local hagiographical cults in Poland before the end of the 13th century. Referring to the hagiographical file about that bishop of Cracow, the approach consists in relating the evolution of his worship, the official one and the popular one, so as to emphasize the spatial and temporal points of reference allowing to prove the continuation of the ancient autochthonous myths under Christian veneer. Considering the symbolic dimension of two liturgical commemoration dates dedicated to Saint Stanislas of Szczepanowo may lead to a few significant mythological dues. Such examples show some ways taken by Christian acculturation on the ground occupied by former Indo-European pagan religion.

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, ca. 1100–1250. By Piotr Görecki. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 83/2.Philadelphia, Pa.: American Philosophical Society, 1993. ix + 146 pp.

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, ca. 1100–1250. By Piotr Görecki. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 83/2.Philadelphia, Pa.: American Philosophical Society, 1993. ix + 146 pp. - Volume 65 Issue 2

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, c. 1100-c. 1250 by Piotr Górecki

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, c. 1100-c. 1250 by Piotr Górecki

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, c. 1100-c. 1250.Piotr Górecki

<i>Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, c. 1100-c. 1250.</i>Piotr Górecki

Piotr Górecki, Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, ca. 1100–1250

Article Piotr Górecki, Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland, ca. 1100–1250 was published on August 1, 1995 in the journal Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Kanonistische Abteilung (volume 81, issue 1).

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland c. 1100-c. 1250

Parishes, Tithes and Society in Earlier Medieval Poland c. 1100-c. 1250