ARCHAEOLOGY

The Baltic Sea 1000 years ago

Text MATEUSZ POPEK Photos WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Haithabu, a medieval settlement, the largest Nordic city in the Viking era and at the same time the oldest (next to the existing Ribe) Danish city

Whenever we are on the beach and look at the Baltic Sea, there is always a ship on the horizon heading towards a port known only to itself.

The port it arrives at is crowded with other ships and goods that are reloaded to continue their journey. Have you ever wondered what the sea looked like 1000 years ago? Were there occasional boats landing at the beach to exchange goods with the local people? Or was it full of merchant ships bound for the crowded harbors? Before answering these questions, it may be worth saying what was happening around this small sea at that time. About 1,000 years ago, in the Scandinavian countries strong rulers started their reign. Denmark was ruled by Sveyn Forkbeard. Norway was taken over by Olaf Trygvasson, and Sweden was ruled by Olaf Skötkonung. The ruler of Poland, Bolesław the Brave, dominated the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, and in the east it bordered with the Baltic tribe of Prussia. The eastern ends of the sea were areas under the rule of the Russian ruler Vladimir the Great. Each of these tough and distinguished rulers waged wars for which they needed a lot of money, obtained, among other things, from trade. One of the main arenas of this trade was the Baltic Sea, covered with a network of trade routes. These trade routes had to lead "somewhere." After all, it would be impossible to carry out an intensive exchange without specially prepared places. Such places were ports sometimes called proto-cities or simply cities by scientists. We learn about the greatness and splendor of these cities thanks to Arab travelers or European chroniclers. This is what the chronicler Adam of Bremen said about one of the cities:

The Oder is the richest river in Slavonia. At its mouth stands the dignified city of Jumneta, a center greatly visited by barbarians and Greeks living around. This is indeed the largest among the

Birka, medieval city, Björkö island

Viking age stone, Gotland, Sweden

European cities. It is home to Slavs and other nationalities, Greeks and barbarians. This city, rich in all the goods of the North, has every conceivable pleasure and rarities. The mysterious Jumneta is located by scientists in the current city of Wolin. As Adam of Bremen recalls, it was the largest city in the Baltic Sea. Thanks to the work of archaeologists, more is known about him. The city itself was divided into districts where there were numerous craft workshops that produced luxury items distributed by merchants throughout Europe. There was also a market where goods were bought and sold. The city couldn't have functioned if it hadn't been for the great port, which was able to accommodate up to 300 ships. For decades, scientists have argued where the legendary Truso lies and whether it exists at all. But thanks to the work of archaeologists, it was possible to establish that a mysterious Viking trading post was situated near today's Elbląg in Poland.

Through the words of Adam of Bremen about the Greeks and barbarians living in Wolin, we can perceive the multiculturalism of the inhabitants of Jumne.

But Wolin was not the only big city in the Baltic Sea. The coasts of this sea were dotted with larger and smaller harbors, bays, and berths for ships. On the Jutland peninsula, which is now Denmark, there was another huge commercial center, Haithabu (Hedeby). It could now be said that Hedeby was a competition for Wolin. Commercial life flourished there, too. It is interesting that for a time Haithabu had the status of a "free city" and anyone could look for a fortune here. We don't know exactly for what purpose, but it is from there that the English trader and traveler Wulfstan of Hedeby set off. After boarding the ship, for seven days and nights he sailed east to Truso between the land of the Venedi tribe and the Witland belonging to the Ests.

Birka, Björkö

For decades, scientists have argued where the legendary Truso lies and whether it exists at all. But thanks to the work of

archaeologists, it was possible to establish that a mysterious Viking trading post was situated near today's Elbląg in Poland. On the other hand, the land of the Venedi tribe was dominated by the Slavs, and the Witland was an area inhabited by the Baltic tribes known as the Prussians. This huge center was identical to Hedeby and was probably founded by the Danish Vikings. It was there that trade with the Balts and Slavs was controlled, and also from here the trail continued towards Byzantium. We do not know if Wulfstan moved further east, but more than one merchant from Truso went further northeast to Novgorod the Great. The city was founded by the Vikings called here Rus or Varangians. This port controlled trade between the Baltic Sea and the Byzantine Empire. It was from here that merchants traveled south with furs, forest produce and slaves south to bring back silk and Arab coins. The latter archaeologists find around all proto-cities on the Baltic Sea. They show how intense trade with the Middle East was conducted. On the other hand, slaves were the most desirable goods exported to the East. How do we know that it was slaves who were such desirable commodity?

Viking barge

It was commented in the following words by a poet named Abu Yaqub Ali ibn Gabala, claiming that: Slavic locusts are literally clogging the streets of Baghdad. After all, money had to be taken from somewhere for the numerous wars waged around the Baltic Sea. From Nowogord, we will sail west to a city called Birka, which was located near contemporary Stockholm, Sweden. Birka was one of the largest ports of early medieval Sweden, located on an island in Lake Mälaren. Like the cities mentioned

before, a thousand years ago this place was also a shopping center. This is best evidenced by richly equipped graves of the deceased who were surrounded by numerous objects from far away. However, despite their wealth, or perhaps because of that, the inhabitants of this city had to protect themselves against attacks of sea robbers. In order to make it difficult for pirates to enter the port, they built a palisade, the tips of which were only a dozen or so centimetres below the water surface. So it was possible to enter Birka only using a local guide, and anyone with impure intentions would have an unpleasant surprise.

This way we have made a circle around the Baltic Sea, a sea that 1000 years ago was dotted with ships and ports. I have only described the largest of them, but there were certainly many more. However, these cities would not have arisen if it were not for the Viking traders or pirates, accepting Scandinavians, Slavs and Finns into their ranks. It was they who powered this trading network, and the remains of ports, buried treasures of Arab coins and much more are found by archaeologists on land and under water today.