In the second half of the 8th c., a new type of settlement appeared in the Central Oder region – strongholds. The first ones surrounded by ramparts occupied a small area. The fortifications themselves were also not very impressive. Based on current research, it can be assumed that these oldest centers were established in places of particular significance for local communities. The factor that could have determined the enclosure of a certain area with a rampart could have been the role of a given place sanctioned by sacred tradition. Fortified settlements were also established as trade and economic centers, and they also served military functions. Especially the 10th c., was a period of particularly intensive development of the settlement network in this area. Fortified settlements served as central places for small communities. At the end of the 10th century, as a result of the expansion of the Piast state, many fortified settlements, along with their settlements, declined.
