New project results

Ciepłe comprises three strongholds, three settlements and two cemeteries (Figures 1 & 2), with the central stronghold (Ciepłe 3) forming the core. Two additional strongholds overlook the Vistula from elevated positions.

Figure 1. Location of Ciepłe and structures of the settlement complex: a) stronghold; b) settlement; c) cemetery (figure by S. Wadyl).

Figure 2. Artistic reconstruction of the early-medieval landscape at Ciepłe, based on archaeological and geomorphological evidence (drawn by W. Bałdyga).

An interdisciplinary research project was launched in 2023 to explore the role of Ciepłe in the integration of Pomerania into the early Piast state. The project includes archaeological excavations, geophysical prospections, surface surveys and palaeoenvironmental and bioarchaeological analyses. During two fieldwork seasons, excavations were conducted at two strongholds and two cemeteries, providing valuable insights into the occupation history of the site. Stratigraphic analysis helped clarify the settlement phases of the main stronghold, and a series of radiocarbon dates provide evidence for its foundation in the 980s–990s (Figure 3). Chamber graves were also found in the second cemetery, with distinctive coffin fittings.

Figure 3. Stratigraphy of the main stronghold at Ciepłe (site 3), showing settlement phases and associated radiocarbon dates (figure by S. Wadyl).

Excavations yielded an impressive number of finds: approximately 35 000 pottery fragments, 12 500 animal bones and 800 small finds. These materials attest to a wide range of activities, including crafts (pottery production, woodworking, weaving, jewellery making), farming (agriculture, livestock breeding, fishing) and trade. The presence of non-local materials and artefacts points to long-distance exchange networks, suggesting Ciepłe’s integration into broader commercial routes.

Among 20 coins found at the site, a gold tetarteron nomisma of Emperor John I Tzimiskes (969–976) stands out (Figure 4). Classified as Class II (Grierson Reference Grierson1982), it is a rare example of Byzantine gold in the region, where such coins appear only sporadically and are vastly outnumbered by Islamic issues (ratio approximately 300:1; Jankowiak Reference Jankowiak, Androshchuk, Shepard and White2016: 117). While Byzantine silver likely reached these areas through trade routes shared with dirhams, the appearance of gold nomismata reflects different circulation patterns. Only 69 nomismata have been recorded in Europe (Jankowiak Reference Jankowiak, Androshchuk, Shepard and White2016: 119), most in territories closer to Byzantium, such as Rus’, Ukraine and Slovakia. In contrast, finds from Sweden, Gotland and Poland are rare. The small number of Byzantine coins, compared to dirhams, found in the Northern Europe is most likely the result of imperial export regulations. As such, the gold coin from Ciepłe is rare evidence of elite contacts between the north and the Byzantine Empire.

Figure 4. Tetarteron nomisma of Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes (photograph by M. Jakubczak).

Bioarchaeological data indicate a mixed farming economy, combining crop cultivation with livestock breeding. Archaeobotanical evidence confirms the cultivation of cereals such as rye, common wheat, barley and oats, suggesting a diverse agricultural strategy aimed at food security. Faunal remains indicate a focus on animal husbandry, mainly pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, and fishing (Figure 5a & b). Although often overlooked in broader historical interpretations, animal husbandry provides important insights into social and historical processes. In this context, the predominance of pig breeding is particularly notable, as pigs mature quickly and even immature individuals (Figure 5c) provide a steady food source, suiting the needs of a growing administrative centre. This model aligns with patterns seen in rapidly developing Piast centres (Iwaszczuk Reference Iwaszczuk2014).

Figure 5. Animal economy at Ciepłe: A) distribution of faunal remains; B) distribution of domesticated mammal remains; C) maxillae fragments from immature pigs (figure by U. Iwaszczuk).

Piast gateway to Pomerania

In the early medieval period, the most important cultural and political centre of Eastern Pomerania was Gdańsk, but the stronghold there was likely not constructed until the 1050s–1060s (Kościński & Paner Reference Kościński, Paner, Paner and Fudziński2005: 22–25). In contrast, growing evidence suggests that Ciepłe may have played a central role during the latter half of the tenth century. The site shows no signs of earlier occupation, thus the complex was likely established de novo on the initiative of the first Piast rulers, Mieszko I (c. 960–992) or Bolesław I the Brave (992–1025). Its strategic location, facilitating communication with other parts of the Piast realm and providing access to and control over the Vistula waterway, was likely a key factor in the site’s importance (Wadyl Reference Wadyl2019: 38–40), and herring bones found at the site attest to down-river trade with the Baltic coast.

One of the strongest arguments supporting the elite status of the Ciepłe centre is the presence of cemeteries containing richly furnished chamber graves (Figure 6). These burials indicate that the individuals interred there belonged to the ruling elite of the Piast state and may have had direct ties to the early Polish monarchy. The initial series of strontium isotope analyses reveal two distinct groups among the buried individuals: one originating from the local area around Ciepłe and another from a more distant region, most likely western Scandinavia, probably the territory of present-day Denmark.

Figure 6. Weaponry and equestrian equipment from a ‘Viking merchant’ grave discovered in 1900 (no scale available) (after La Baume Reference La Baume1926; figure by authors).