Description
Book SynopsisThis is the first academic book which concentrates on the discoveries of medieval date (6th- 13th centuries) from the territory of modern Poland. The book covers the principal research questions, such as the origins of the Slavs, societies of the proto-state period and the origins of the Polish state. The volume also includes a discussion of the most interesting, sometimes controversial, archaeological discoveries or issues. These include pagan Slavonic holy places, the monumental mounds of Little Poland, the first traces of medieval writing, exceptional strongholds, the origins of Polish towns, rural landscapes, archaeology of the oldest monastic complexes, and the question of locals and aliens viewed through archaeological evidence and many other topics. The book is meant mainly for students, archaeologists and historians. It can also be useful for a wider audience interested in the history and archaeology of central Europe. In November 2006 "The Archaeology of Early Medieval Poland" received the KLIO Award from the Association of Polish History Publishers.
Table of ContentsIntroduction .. 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
