Post by kaima on Apr 26, 2022 9:40:37 GMT -7
Lubuszanie - a forgotten Slavic tribe? 🤔
They occupy a negligible place in the historical narrative, while the latest research shows that the number of known castles and settlements of the Lubuszans - an early Slavic tribe inhabiting the present areas of western Poland - was comparable to that in the capital of Greater Poland.
Polish historians and archaeologists traditionally recognize that before the establishment of the Piast state, the areas of today's Poland were inhabited by various Slavic tribes. The most important are: Vistula, Lędzianie, Mazowsze, Ślężanie, Pomorzanie, Polanie - the Piasts most likely belonged to the latter.
However, disputes continue to this day as to whether all of the aforementioned tribes actually existed and what their exact territorial range should be. Determining this is not easy for archaeologists, as the items produced by these communities did not differ significantly from one another. People also lived in similar houses and practiced similar funeral rituals.
Historians come to the aid of archaeologists. In the case of some alleged tribes, we know their names from the records of medieval scribes. This was also the case of Lubusz inhabitants. The German chronicler and geographer Adam of Bremen mentioned them in the book "The History of the Bishops of the Hamburg Church" (in the second half of the 11th century), describing them as "Leubuzzi".
"Recent decades have brought a rapid increase in information about the early Middle Ages of the Lubuskie region" - notes the archaeologist Dr. Jarosław Lewczuk. The scientist collected data on excavations carried out at archaeological sites from the 7th to the 13th centuries in the province of Lubuskie.
“Thus, a rather surprising picture of the area emerged. It turns out that in terms of the number of settlements, castles and cult centers, this region did not differ much from Greater Poland in the times before the Piasts were incorporated into the state "- says Dr. Lewczuk.
Therefore, Lubusz inhabitants were not at all backward compared to their Slavic neighbors from across the eastern border. On the contrary, Dr. Lewczuk recalls, for example, the oldest wooden bridge known in the Western Slavic region, discovered by archaeologists in the Niesłysz lake near Świebodzin. There are many indications that it functioned from the middle of the 8th to the end of the 9th century. On the other hand, from the Długa Lake near Chycina, relics of a 100-meter bridge are known. This functioned in the 60s and 70s of the 10th century.
According to researchers, the area of Lubuszany was in the Piast zone of influence only at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries. This is evidenced by the traces of fights in the form of burns found on some of the settlements - incl. in Grodziszcz near Świebodzin. These are probably testimonies after the war between the Piasts and the Lubuszans, which the latter lost.
From the calculations of dr. Lewczuk shows that in the period from the 6th / 7th to the mid-thirteenth century, there were nearly 30 castles in Lubuskie, of which 15 already existed in the tribal period, i.e. before the Piast conquest. Dr. Lewczuk points out that these assumptions were much smaller than those that were later built in the capital city of Wrocław or Gniezno. For the needs of the former, 6-8 thousand. m of cubic wood (to build fortifications), and later even three times more. The archaeologist believes that in the case of eleven of the tribal settlements, their settlement also continued in the Piast times. For example, in the case of Grodziszcze, archaeologists have managed to establish that the latest fortress was built according to the pattern known from the area of Greater Poland.
So far, archaeologists have also noted over 200 sites from the 6th / 7th and 10th centuries, which do not have their own field form - they can therefore include villages and cemeteries. Most of them have not been excavated, and the age of the relics, possibly hidden underground, was estimated on the basis of ceramic vessels lying on the surface. The researcher estimates that before the Piast invasion, the population of Lubusz inhabitants amounted to approx. people. In the early state period, the population probably increased to 30-35 thousand. residents.
"It is difficult to distinguish the sharp borders of the territory in which the Lubusz inhabitants lived, but in my opinion there are strong material grounds for locating them in the area of today's Lubusz Land, understood as the river weave of the Odra, Warta, Noteć and Obra rivers" - believes the archaeologist. He stipulates that although the boundaries outlined in this way were not impassable barriers, they allowed for the gradual separation of the area as a result of various types of internal and external events.
There is no clear answer as to why the Lubusz inhabitants obeyed the Piasts, even though they did not differ from them technologically. They also had quite numerous castles. “It was probably not a conquest of the modern type of wars - that was not how battles were fought then. It was not about destruction, but about appropriation in order to take control of the resources ”- believes Dr. Lewczuk.
The first mention of Lubuszany dates back to the 11th century and may prove - according to the archaeologist - that the tribal identity appeared in this area (or maybe it erupted again or was noticed by external observers?) Only after the anarchy in the country that it caused the invasion of the Czech king Brzetysław in 1038.
"This combination of internal and external factors, quite unexpected at that time and very dramatic for everyone, could have triggered the desire to emphasize one's own individuality - recently lost to the Piast power at the beginning of the 11th century" - says Dr. Lewczuk.
In his opinion, for hundreds of years, Lubuskie was an area "on the border" - a kind of melting pot, as evidenced by the later fate of the Lubuskie Region, treated as a "bone of contention" and a bargaining chip in disputes between Poland and Germany. Also in domestic politics, in the era of the division of Poland into districts, this land was treated quite especially and belonged once to Silesia and once to Greater Poland.
The significance of the Lubuskie Land was finally marginalized only as a result of the agreement between Bolesław the Rogatka and Archbishop Wilbrand in 1249 and becoming dependent on the margraves of Brandenburg. This region was not included in Poland until 1945.
/ Source: Science in Poland PAP
Fom Wiki:
They occupy a negligible place in the historical narrative, while the latest research shows that the number of known castles and settlements of the Lubuszans - an early Slavic tribe inhabiting the present areas of western Poland - was comparable to that in the capital of Greater Poland.
Polish historians and archaeologists traditionally recognize that before the establishment of the Piast state, the areas of today's Poland were inhabited by various Slavic tribes. The most important are: Vistula, Lędzianie, Mazowsze, Ślężanie, Pomorzanie, Polanie - the Piasts most likely belonged to the latter.
However, disputes continue to this day as to whether all of the aforementioned tribes actually existed and what their exact territorial range should be. Determining this is not easy for archaeologists, as the items produced by these communities did not differ significantly from one another. People also lived in similar houses and practiced similar funeral rituals.
Historians come to the aid of archaeologists. In the case of some alleged tribes, we know their names from the records of medieval scribes. This was also the case of Lubusz inhabitants. The German chronicler and geographer Adam of Bremen mentioned them in the book "The History of the Bishops of the Hamburg Church" (in the second half of the 11th century), describing them as "Leubuzzi".
"Recent decades have brought a rapid increase in information about the early Middle Ages of the Lubuskie region" - notes the archaeologist Dr. Jarosław Lewczuk. The scientist collected data on excavations carried out at archaeological sites from the 7th to the 13th centuries in the province of Lubuskie.
“Thus, a rather surprising picture of the area emerged. It turns out that in terms of the number of settlements, castles and cult centers, this region did not differ much from Greater Poland in the times before the Piasts were incorporated into the state "- says Dr. Lewczuk.
Therefore, Lubusz inhabitants were not at all backward compared to their Slavic neighbors from across the eastern border. On the contrary, Dr. Lewczuk recalls, for example, the oldest wooden bridge known in the Western Slavic region, discovered by archaeologists in the Niesłysz lake near Świebodzin. There are many indications that it functioned from the middle of the 8th to the end of the 9th century. On the other hand, from the Długa Lake near Chycina, relics of a 100-meter bridge are known. This functioned in the 60s and 70s of the 10th century.
According to researchers, the area of Lubuszany was in the Piast zone of influence only at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries. This is evidenced by the traces of fights in the form of burns found on some of the settlements - incl. in Grodziszcz near Świebodzin. These are probably testimonies after the war between the Piasts and the Lubuszans, which the latter lost.
From the calculations of dr. Lewczuk shows that in the period from the 6th / 7th to the mid-thirteenth century, there were nearly 30 castles in Lubuskie, of which 15 already existed in the tribal period, i.e. before the Piast conquest. Dr. Lewczuk points out that these assumptions were much smaller than those that were later built in the capital city of Wrocław or Gniezno. For the needs of the former, 6-8 thousand. m of cubic wood (to build fortifications), and later even three times more. The archaeologist believes that in the case of eleven of the tribal settlements, their settlement also continued in the Piast times. For example, in the case of Grodziszcze, archaeologists have managed to establish that the latest fortress was built according to the pattern known from the area of Greater Poland.
So far, archaeologists have also noted over 200 sites from the 6th / 7th and 10th centuries, which do not have their own field form - they can therefore include villages and cemeteries. Most of them have not been excavated, and the age of the relics, possibly hidden underground, was estimated on the basis of ceramic vessels lying on the surface. The researcher estimates that before the Piast invasion, the population of Lubusz inhabitants amounted to approx. people. In the early state period, the population probably increased to 30-35 thousand. residents.
"It is difficult to distinguish the sharp borders of the territory in which the Lubusz inhabitants lived, but in my opinion there are strong material grounds for locating them in the area of today's Lubusz Land, understood as the river weave of the Odra, Warta, Noteć and Obra rivers" - believes the archaeologist. He stipulates that although the boundaries outlined in this way were not impassable barriers, they allowed for the gradual separation of the area as a result of various types of internal and external events.
There is no clear answer as to why the Lubusz inhabitants obeyed the Piasts, even though they did not differ from them technologically. They also had quite numerous castles. “It was probably not a conquest of the modern type of wars - that was not how battles were fought then. It was not about destruction, but about appropriation in order to take control of the resources ”- believes Dr. Lewczuk.
The first mention of Lubuszany dates back to the 11th century and may prove - according to the archaeologist - that the tribal identity appeared in this area (or maybe it erupted again or was noticed by external observers?) Only after the anarchy in the country that it caused the invasion of the Czech king Brzetysław in 1038.
"This combination of internal and external factors, quite unexpected at that time and very dramatic for everyone, could have triggered the desire to emphasize one's own individuality - recently lost to the Piast power at the beginning of the 11th century" - says Dr. Lewczuk.
In his opinion, for hundreds of years, Lubuskie was an area "on the border" - a kind of melting pot, as evidenced by the later fate of the Lubuskie Region, treated as a "bone of contention" and a bargaining chip in disputes between Poland and Germany. Also in domestic politics, in the era of the division of Poland into districts, this land was treated quite especially and belonged once to Silesia and once to Greater Poland.
The significance of the Lubuskie Land was finally marginalized only as a result of the agreement between Bolesław the Rogatka and Archbishop Wilbrand in 1249 and becoming dependent on the margraves of Brandenburg. This region was not included in Poland until 1945.
/ Source: Science in Poland PAP
Fom Wiki: