The area of Grzybowo in the early Middle Ages underwent dynamic transformations closely linked to the development of Piast rule. Changes in the settlement structure resulted from comprehensive political, economic, and military-administrative processes shaping the Piast domain. A particularly significant moment was the construction of the Grzybowo stronghold, which was carried out between 919 and 923, and then continued between 929 and 935, as well as at the beginning of the next decade of the 10th century. In this way, by the first half of the 10th century, a facility with an area of 4.4 hectares was already functioning, which is classified as one of the so-called central strongholds. Archaeological excavations conducted since the late 1980s have allowed for the development of an interdisciplinary research model combining the analysis of archaeological and natural sources. The application of comparative methods has enabled a better understanding of the specificity of the Grzybowo microregion and its role in shaping state structures in the early Middle Ages.
