A Comparative Analysis

chapter 3 The Scandinavian Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula: a Comparative Analysis

3.1 Scandinavian Economic Penetration in the Light of Sources of North European Provenance

The economic significance of the expeditions undertaken by the Scandinavians from the 9th to the 12th century has been highlighted in many studies devoted to the history of the Early and High Middle Ages. It has continued to be a sub- ject of lively discussion. The role of the Scandinavians in the economic penetration was discussed in the works of such researchers as Alexander Bugge, Holger Arbmann, Aron Guriewicz, and Henri Pirenne.1 It is impossible to omit here the research of Lech Leciejewicz, Władysław Łosiński, and Henryk Łowmiański.2 Further studies conducted by Mårten Stenberger, Dagfinn Skre, Søren’a Sindbæk, Birgitta Hårdh, Klaus Heller, Gert Hatz, Gareth Williams, and Władysław Duczko also provide important into.3

1 Alexander Bugge, “Die nordeuropäischen Verkehrswege im frühen Mittelalter und die Bedeutung der Wikinger für die Entwicklung des europäischen Handels und der europäisch- en Schiffahrt,” Vierteljahrschrift für Social- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte 4 (1906), 237 and 245–46. Holger Arbman, Birka I: Die Gräber (Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri Aktiebolag, 1940). Aron Guriewicz, “Kupiec”, p. 306. Henri Pirenne, Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte Europas im Mittelalter, p. 24. 2 According to Lech Leciejewicz, the ease of transporting goods such as furs, forest fruits, amber, and slaves lay at the heart of long-distance exchange and inter-regional trade. These goods were sought after in the markets of the Muslim World and in Western Europe. Lech Leciejewicz, “Kształtowanie się stosunków gospodarczych i politycznych w basenie Bałtyku we wczesnym średniowieczu,” Zapiski Historyczne 35 (1970), no. 2, 12. See also Lech Leciejewicz, “Słowianie Zachodni i Normanowie we wzajemnych stosunkach kulturowych we wczesnym średniowieczu,” Pomorania Antiqua 10 (1981), 155–68. Władysław Łosiński, “Chronologia, skala i drogi napływu monet arabskich do krajów europejskich u schyłku IX i w X wieku,” Slavia Antiqua 34 (1993), 1–41. Władysław Łosiński, “Funkcja tezauryzacji kruszcu srebrnego w gospodarce wczesnofeudalnej.” Wiadomości Numizmatyczne 36 (1992), nos. 1–2, 27–36. Henryk Łowmiańki, “Podstawy gospodarcze i społeczne powstania państwa polskiego i jego rozwoju do początku XII wieku,” Kwartalnik Historyczny 67 (1960), no. 4, 941–70. 3 Mårten Sternberger, Die Schatzfunde Gotlands der Wikingerzeit (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell 1958). Eric Nylén, “Handel und Seefahrt zwischen Skandinavien und Ostbaltikum um 1000,” in Die Verbindungen zwischen Skandinavien und Ostbaltikum aufgrund der archäolo- gischen Quellenmaterialen: I Symposium der Sowjetestnischen und Schwedischen Archäologen: Tallinn 12.–15. Oktober 1982, eds. Aleksander Loit and Jüri Selirand, (Uppsala: Almqvist &

These scholars focused their research on the manner of organizing the exchange and definition of the categories of goods being traded, as well as the phenomenon of deposits of silver hoards.4 Scandinavian economic penetration

Wiksell International, 1985), pp. 84–7. Brigitta Hårdh, “Hacksilver and ingots,” in Means of Exchange: Dealing with Silver in the Viking Age: Kaupang Excavation Project, ed. Dagfinn Skre, (Kaupang Excavation Project Publication Series), 2 (Århus: Aarhus University Press), 2008, pp. 95–118. Brigitta Hårdh, Silver in the Viking Age: A Regional-Economic Study (Acta Archaeologica Lundensia: series in 8), 25 (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International, 1996), pp. 7–211. Teresa Dunin-Wąsowicz, Drogami średniowiecznej Polski: Studia z dziejów osadnictwa i kultury (Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Instytutu Archeologii i Etnologii PAN, 2011), p. 81. Dagfinn Skre, “Money and trade in Viking-Age Scandinavia,” in Economies, Monetisation and the Society in the West Slavic Lands 800–1200 A.D., pp. 75–86. Dagfinn Skre, “Centrality and places: The central place at Skiringssal in Vestfold, Norway,” in Trade and Communication Networks of the First Millennium A.D. in the Northern Part of Central Europe: Central Places, Beach Markets, Landing Places and Trading Centres, Babette Ludowici, Hauke Jöns, Sunhild Kleingärtner, Jonathan Scheschkewitz and Matthias Hardt, (Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung), 1 (Hanover: Theiss, 2010), pp. 221–8. Dagfinn Skre, “From Dorestad to Kaupang. Frankish traders and settlers in a 9th century Scandinavian town,” in Dorestad in an International Framework: New Research and Coinage in Carolingian Times: Proceedings of the first ‘Dorestad Congres’ held at the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, June 24–27 2009, eds. Annemarieke Willemsen and Hanneke Kik, (Turnhout: Brepols, 2010), pp. 132–35. Søren M. Sindbæk, “Silver Economies and Social Ties: Long-distance Interaction, Long-term Investments and why the Viking Age happened,” in Silver Economies, Monetisation and Society in Scandinavia A.D. 800–1100, pp. 412–59. Klaus Heller, Die Normannen in Osteuropa (Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1993). Gert Hatz, Handel und Verkehr zwischen dem deutschen Reich und Schweden in der späten Wikingerzeit: Die deutschen Münzen des 10. und 11. Jahrhunderts in Schweden (Lund: Hallström, 1974). Gareth Williams, “The ‘Northern hoards’ revisited: Hoards and silver economy in the northern Danelaw in the early tenth century,” in Early Medieval Art and Archaeology in the Northern World: Studies in Honour of James Graham-Campbell, eds. Andrew Reynolds and Leslie Webster (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2013), pp. 459–82. Władysław Duczko, The Filigree and Granulation Work on the Viking Period, pp. 15–30. Władysław Duczko, “Viking Age Scandinavia and Islam,” in Byzantium and Islam in Scandinavia. Acts of Symposium at Uppsala University: June 15–16 1996, ed. Elisabeth Piltz, (Jonsered: Paul Åstroms Forlag, 1998), p. 108. Władysław Duczko, The Viking Rus: Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2004). Mats Dreijer, “Häuptlinge, Kaufleute und Missionare im Norden vor Tausend Jahren. Ein Beitrag zur Beleuchtung der Umbildung der nordischen Gesellschaft während der Übergangszeit vom Heidentum zum Christentum,” Skrifter utgivna an Ålands Kulturstiftelse 2 (1960), 20–106. Adriaan Verhulst, The Rise of Cities in North-West Europe, pp. 44–127. 4 These issues have been discussed recently, in the Jubilee Book dedicated to Professor Władysław Duczko. Piotr Pranke, Magic, Faith and Economy: Far-reaching Trade on the Lands of Central, East Central and Northern Europe between the 10th–12th Century, (Acta Archaeologica Pultuskiensia) 5 (Pułtusk: Pułtusk Academy of Humanities, 2016), pp. 185– 96. See also James Graham-Campbell, Viking Artefacts: A Select Catalogue (London: British Museum, 1980), pp. 85–102.