Development of Settlement in Western Greater Poland and Its Economic Aspect during the Early Middle Ages

Abstract

Historical demography of Polish territories during the Early Middle Ages generally relies either on retrospective extrapolation from medieval tax registers (Peter's Pence, pobór) or on the deductive method estimating population from natural conditions. A systematic inductive approach exploiting archaeological finds on a regional scale had not yet been attempted on a larger scale.
This article evaluates, on the basis of archaeological materials, the growth of the colonized zone and the evolution of population density in the western part of Greater Poland (Obra river basin, 12,000 sq. km) from the 5th to the end of the 13th century, as well as the forms of agricultural exploitation corresponding to each phase.
The analysis draws on Greater Poland archaeological finds classified by W. Hensel and Z. Hilczer, on Łowmiański's estimates of population density and the land requirements of slash-and-burn technology, and on a quantitative analysis of six micro-zones presented in four tables.
The analysis distinguishes two major phases. In the first half of the Early Middle Ages extensive forms of exploitation - fallow-field cultivation and two-field system combined with slash-and-burn technique - dominated. Population density in the occupation zone reached approximately 3 persons per sq. km by the late 10th century and 4.5 by the second half of the 11th century. Growth in agricultural production resulted exclusively from the exploitation of ever-new land. Analysis of micro-zones reveals frequent migratory movements: immigration from Silesia into the southern part, the founding of colonies ex prima radice, and emigration from micro-zones with limited land reserves. In the second half of the Early Middle Ages, cultivation stabilizes and agricultural productivity gradually increases, reaching its fastest growth in the 10th and 12th-13th centuries.