Tomasz Nowakiewicz Some remarks on settlement systems of Early Medieval Prussians. e case of northern Galindia 1 ventures were of considerable assistance for improving our understanding of the material Inquiries into Prussian territorial divisions of the Early Medieval Prussians, every time of the Early Medieval Period have the nature, the question of territorial divisions in the area first and foremost, of historical studies. The re - of Prussian settlement lagged far behind the sults of archaeological investigation undertaken priority research objectives. so far have made it possible to verify these find - Nevertheless, thanks to analyses of histori - ings only to a limited extent. Until recently ar - cal sources it has been possible to formulate chaeological research was concentrated mainly a number of concepts on the subject of the in the coastal zone of the Old Prussian territory division of Prussian territories in the period where special interest of researchers was at - antedating the Teutonic conquest 2. The point of tracted by issues related to different aspects of departure was the division of Prussia, into relationships linking the Prussians with the out - tribal lands, universally accepted by researchers side world. The best example of this are the long-standing inquiries into the presence of Scandinavians in the region of the Sambian Emil Hollack (1908). Archaeological material secured Peninsula, the search for and exploration of the during these studies was analysed to a considerable extent through the perspective of Viking stylistic. trade emporium at Janów Pomorski/Truso, or Qualitative change came with a publication of Bernt (to a smaller extent) the Adalbertus Project von zur Mühlen (1975). In this context we have to implemented ten years ago 1. Though these mention the study of V. Kulakov (1990) which while presenting the material evidence does not include any more useful analysis. The aim of the project 1 From the early 20 th c. there has been an observable “Adalbertus” was to investigate the area on the border - intensification of various studies, both historical and land of Slav and Prussian settlement on the Lower archaeological, aimed on identifying the location of the Vistula in the context of the mission of Saint Adalbertus port of Truso (first of all, the publications of Bruno of Prague whose millennium of death was observed in Ehrlich – 1932; 1933; 1937a; 1937b; 1938; but also: 1997 (Urbańczyk ed. 1998). Carstenn 1911; Ebert 1926; Miegel 1927; Gaerte 1937). 2 Recently, several studies by Grzegorz Białuński have Investigation in Sambia, never brought within the presented an analysis of medieval historical sources organised framework of a single research project, concerned with the Prussians. One example of settle - nevertheless covered a relatively large group of cem- ment studies is his brief analysis of Prussian settlement eteries. A list of a few score gravefields from phases G, on the middle Łyna River (Białuński 2004 – with a list H and I, as defined by Carl Engel (1931), is given by of references). 487 TOMASZ NOWAKIEWICZ (Fig . 1) 3. Individual interpretations differ as to there were any rules regulating the number of the meaning of the units of the lower order strongholds to a pulko although in theory the (“inter-tribal”) and criteria used in distinguish - number of its inhabitants should have been suf - ing them. ficient for the upkeep of one stronghold (Łow- According to Henryk Łowmiański (1989, miański 1989, 65). An even more basic unit of 62) a principal role in tribal divisions of the Old territorial division was the “field”, constituent Prussians was played by smaller territorial units element of the pulko , known in Old Prussian as (in relation to the primary tribal units), which lauks (the Latin counterpart was campus ) which this researcher called vlost (Polish: włość ) – presumably was inhabited by a kinship group a term adopted from Ruthenia and used in which resided in single homesteads lying in the Lithuania. It is identical with the Old Prussian neighbourhood of the stronghold. pulko , which translates into Latin as territorium . This interpretation of Prussian tribal divi - These units were of various size, ranging from sions is supplemented by conclusions reached 80 to 700 km 2, and had a population of a thou - by Gertrud and Heinrich Mortensen who sand or so (the richest territoria in Sambia demonstrate the existence of a Prussian ter- probably were more populated – inhabited by ritorial unit of an order lower than the pulko around 1500 people; Łowmiański 1989, 63). – the moter (Mortensen & Mortensen 1937, Larger units, made up of several territoria, prob- 39 f.). Importance of the moter (mutir ) is also ably existed in Sudovia (named in Ruthenian acknowledged by Reinhard Wenskus who iden - sources: Yatvings), although we cannot exclude tified Sambian units of this type with strong - that their nature was temporary determined to hold districts which were subordinated to a unit a great extent by current military necessity. of a higher order ( pulko ). The moter served Their presence in the western area of Prussian a military function as well as economic and territory is less well legible but cannot be ruled religious and determined the location of the out. On the other hand, it is not clear whether main centre (Wenskus 1964, 227) 4. According to Jan Powierski, moter type units were known 3 The two most comprehensive lists of Prussian tribal only in Sambia – the remaining Prussian tribal domains are given in the medieval sources: Liber census territory was organised along a different system Daniae of 1210 ( Hec sunt nomina terrarum Pruzie: (Powierski 1975, 38). Pomizania, Lanlania, Ermelandia, Natangia, Barcia, An alternative interpretation of Prussian Peragodia, Nadrauia, Galindo, Syllonis, in Zudua, Litto - nia. Hec sunt terre ex una parte fluvii, qui vocatur Lipz. territorial divisions, proposed only for the Ex altera parte eiusdem: Sambia, Scalewo, Lammato, Warmian tribal territory, is put forward by Curlandia, Semigallia ; according to J. Powierski [2001, Marzena Pollakówna (1953, 48 f.). In her view, 42]) and Chronicon terrae Prussiae from the 1330s tribal Warmia was formed of small districts of (Terra Prussiœ in undecim partes dividitur. Prima fuit Colmensis & Lubavia, qvœ ante introitum Fratrum the same rank. The same author also claimed Domus Teutonicœ qvasi fuerat desolata. Secunda that any attempt to reconstruct the internal Pomesania, in qua Pomesani. Tertia Pogesana in qva Pogesani. Qvarta Warmia, in qva Warmienses. Qvinta Nattangia, in qva Nattangi. Sexta Sambia, in qva Sam - 4 The significance of this unit in the territorial and bitœ. Septima Nadrovia, in qva Nadrovitœ. Octava social organisation of the Prussians is suggested by its Scalovia, in qva Scalovitœ. Nona Sudovia, in qva survival, in an altered form, into the later Medieval Sudovitœ. Decima Galindia. Undecma Barthe & Plica Period. Presence in the Teutonic State of small strong - Barthe, qvœ nunc major & minor Bartha diditur, in qva holds of “motte” type ( la motte ) is noted by Marian Barthi vel Barthenses habitabant , in the account given Arszyński (1995, 123; cf also Poliński 2003, 151-156). by Peter von Dusburg, edition of Christoph Hartknoch These strongholds can be identified with residences of of 1679 [Dusburg 1679]). The location of the identified Prussian nobles who had feudal duties towards the territorial units within the borders of individual Teutonic Order (Arszyński 1995, 123, footnote 31; domains is given by H. Łowmiański (1985). Nowakiewicz & Rudnicki 2003, 169, footnote 14). 488 SOME REMARKS ON SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS OF EARLY MEDIEVAL PRUSSIANS ... Fig. 1. Tribal divisions of Old Prussian territory on Caspar Hennenberger’s map (edition of Christoph Hartknoch, 1679). Names of tribes and their territories mentioned by Peter of Dusburg are shown in colour (cf Footnote 3). territorial relationships between these districts elements of the pulko would have been: kaymis would be excessively retrospective, due to dis - (village) and lauks (cultivated fields but also, tortion by the later medieval situation. in a wider sense, the entire area exploited by The most elaborate system of Prussian ter - the inhabitants of the pulko : farmland, forest, ritorial divisions was presented by Gerard pasture, hives of wild honey, fisheries, etc.) 5. Labuda (Labuda & Biskup 1988, 70 f.). Among Prussian territories he distinguished “lands” – 5 Labuda concluded that, in terms of its size, the Prussian field ( pulko ) exhibited a similar wealth of types as in Slav structures autonomous with regard to tribal countries. Thus, there were settlements consisting of areas, smaller in size than they. The smallest unit a single homestead their focal point the residence of territorial division was pulko (its Latin counter- (kaymis ) of the great family or even clan, as well as part, differently than in Łowmiański, campus – concentrations of occasionally as many as a dozen-odd villages and hamlets. (...) In some villages authority was field), its focal point an open settlement. A group exercised by the richest or the most influential member of of these “fields” formed a territorial unit of the community; villages organised in this manner are a higher order: territorium , or terrula , or, a unit encountered especially in the Yatving zone. No doubt this even smaller than a terra. Thus, according to form was known also in the northern, i.e., Prussian, region (Labuda 1988, 71-72). According to R. Wenskus, G. Labuda, pulko