Viking Age Ports Of Trade In Poland
Viking Age Ports Of Trade In Poland

Summary/Abstract: The article is an overview of the Viking Age ports of trade in the territory of present Poland. The basic theoretical models concerning their emergence and function, as well as their role in society are discussed. The ports of trade, called emporium (pl. emporia) in written sources, existed in the Slavic lands during the 8th–11th centuries, and were the meeting points for merchants. The productive character of the emporia is underscored as well. In this article, the sites are discussed in geographical order. First, in the vicinity of the Odra River, the sites of Wolin, Szczecin and Kamień Pomorski are analysed. The next sites, Bardy and Kołobrzeg, are located in the estuary of the Parsęta River. Finally an overview is given of the research at Puck, Gdańsk and Truso (in the present day Janów Pomorski) in the estuary of the Vistula River. The development of the sites, as well as the most important finds, are discussed. The emergence of the ports of trade in the Slavic lands is considered in a wider context, based on two main models explaining this process.

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