28. From Jatviag to Mindaugas. The Lands of the Balts in the Early Middle Ages
The topics of the section's papers include the issues of research on the development of the societies of the Baltic peoples from the beginning of the 9th to the end of the 13th century based on comprehensive studies of historical and archaeological sources. First of all, papers on the results of the latest research on the archaeological sites of the Balts and their neighbors and new studies on written sources are preferred. Issues for discussion within the session: - centers and peripheries of power in early medieval Baltic Tribes - formation of elites, manifestation of elite status and prestige in material culture and funeral rites, - weaponry and warfare of the Balts in the early Middle Ages, militarization of society as a manifestation of the formation of early realms, - power and religion in the societies of the "last pagans of Europe", - "on the borders of the Baltic world": relations between the Balts and their neighbors according to archaeological and historical sources.
Probably in the middle of the 10th c., in the territories of the present Suwałki Region, Eastern Masuria and south-western Lithuania, the first settlement structures were created, connected with the activity of a group of warriors under the leadership of Jatviag, known from the Nestor Chronicle. They were severely weakened or partially destroyed by the invasions of the rulers of Ruthenia at the end of the 10th c. and in the first half of the 11th c. After a short break, probably due to settlement from the Letto-Lithuanian territories, the old settlement centers were rebuilt and new ones were built. In the 12th and 13th c., historical sources record an increase in the military activity of the Yatvings towards their neighbors. At the same time, social and territorial structures and centers of power developed. At the end of the 13th c., Ruthenian, Polish and Teutonic warfare interrupted the process that could have led Yatvingia to the creation of its own state organization.
2025-09-19 16:30-17:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
Excavations at the stronghold in Trzcianka, Janów commune conducted from 2006 to 2023. Burned human remains discovered during the excavations was subjected to specialist anthropological research. The focus was mainly on sources obtained in the 2018, 2021, 2023 seasons. Based on the analysis of the obtained monuments and absolute dating, it was found that they come from the 2nd half of the 10th century. The few inhumated remains allowed for genetic research. The conclusions drawn from them allowed for the probable identification of the community inhabiting the stronghold in Trzcianka. They also allowed for an attempt to reconstruct the funeral rite used at that time.
2025-09-19 18:30-19:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The Prussians, troublesome neighbors of the Piast monarchy, despite many years of research, are still one of the least known nations of this part of Europe. In the absence of new written sources, the development of our knowledge about the Prussians is possible thanks to new archaeological research. The discovery in 2005, on the border of Prussian Galindia, of a stronghold and sacrificial place in Poganowo, created the possibility of a new look at the development and formation of Prussian settlement structures and the Prussian economy in the early Middle Ages. The results of the research also indicate the unique character of this site, the only cult place known from the early medieval Prussian lands. The speech will discuss the chronology and functioning of this site in the larger settlement structure.
2025-09-19 17:30-18:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
More than a thousand years after the death of St Adalbert's (in slavic languages known as Wojciech) a common memory of the place where it happened was blurred. Since the 19th century, attempts have been made to illuminate this issue using scientific methods. Thanks to modern non-invasive archaeological research, it is possible to re-analyze known historical sources regarding this event. The author's research resulted in determining the probable location of the martyrdom, nearby the stronghold named Cholinun. Reference was made to hagiographic descriptions and the oldest documents regarding ancient Prussia. The topographic fragments of text were combined with the exact terrain shaping obtained using LIDAR and carefully selected aerial photos. In this way, the architectural relics or landscape elements described in historical sources were highly probable. That reconnaissance constitutes a premise for the next step - undertaking field archaeological research.
2025-09-19 19:00-19:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
This paper aims to outline the characteristics of Prussian peripheries based on data from the cemetery in former Zohpen, Kr. Wehlau (East Prussia). In 1928, over 500 graves were excavated at the site. Thanks to archival materials, it is possible to partially reconstruct the data obtained during those investigations. These sources indicate that the cemetery was used by a small community from approximately the 5th century until the late 13th or early 14th century.
The focus will be on the later phase of the site's usage. An analysis of the preserved information enables an examination of the social stratification within this small group living far from major and affluent centers.
The findings suggest that life in this provincial area differed significantly from the experiences of those living near central hubs of the region. The study will highlight the distinctiveness of life on the periphery, shedding light on burial practices and social structures within a remote community
2025-09-19 15:30-16:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
The area of distribution of archaeological sites of the East Lithuanian Barrow Culture covers the territory of eastern Lithuania and the adjacent north-western regions of Belarus. However, over a long period, starting from the second half of the 20th century, there has been an obvious unbalance in the degree of study of the antiquities of this culture in the territory of Lithuania and Belarus. Belarusian part of the area is significantly less studied. This concerns both field research and the publication of archival materials and museum collections. For this reason, the eastern and south-eastern part of the area of the culture is perceived by many researchers as an understudied and poorly outlined periphery. The main task of the paper is to systematise the available information on the topography and chronology of the East Lithuanian Barrows in the territory of north-western Belarus and to determine the eastern and south-eastern borders of the culture as precisely as possible.
2025-09-19 17:00-17:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
Until the 9th century, historical sources referred to the Prussians as the Aesti. Around the same time, the name Bruzi appears and subsequently becomes the term used for the inhabitants of the southeastern Baltic shores. Seemingly, the cultural landscape of the early Middle Ages appears to align with the image of the Prussians depicted in medieval sources, and the settlement structure seems to reflect a clear division into three cultural zones. On the one hand, this could suggest that as early as the 7th century, a stable cultural system had formed, which endured for centuries. On the other hand, this is an oversimplification—changes that took place in this region during the 9th and 10th centuries do not fit into straightforward models. We observe the survival of post-Olsztyn community enclaves, a significant cultural and settlement crisis, increased Scandinavian activity in the region, and finally, the image of a strong, pagan people who became the target of Christianization efforts.
2025-09-19 18:00-18:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
Verkiai is an outstanding area of the present-day Vilnius, which in the Middle Ages was not part of the emerging city, but was nearby. It is believed that the priest Lizdeika, who interpreted Duke Gediminas' dream in the legend of the foundation of Vilnius, was found here. In 2008 and 2024, graves dating back to the 13th – 14th centuries were discovered in Verkiai. This time covers the period from King Mindaugas to Gediminas. Various changes took place during it, with the first towns being established, causing a greater wave of immigration. The graves in Verkiai are inhumations, though the prevailing practice among pagan Lithuanians was cremation of the dead. The large number of grave-goods was discovered, the complex of which is not typical for Lithuania, but represents the Latgalian material. This direction of contacts has been poorly studied in the historiography. In this presentation we will discuss the latest discoveries at Verkiai, evaluating them in the broader historical context.
2025-09-19 16:00-16:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.26
