Survival at the Frontier of Holy War: Political Expansion, Crusading, Environmental Exploitation and the Medieval Colonizing Settlement at Biała Góra, North Poland

摘要: Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries AD, Lower Vistula valley represented a permeable shifting frontier between Pomerelia (eastern Pomerania), which had been incorporated into Polish Christian state by end of tenth century, territories western Prussian tribes, who resisted attempts at Christianization. Pomeranian colonization eventually began to falter in latter decades twelfth early centuries, most likely as result incursions, saw abandonment sites across borderland. Subsequently, Teutonic Order its allies led protracted holy war against resulted conquest region incorporation theocratic century. This was accompanied second wave colonization, settlement pattern that is still visible landscape north-central Poland today. However, not all colonies were destroyed or abandoned two phases colonization. The recently excavated site Biala Gora, situated on side Forest Sztum overlooking River Nogat, represents unique example transitional included both phases. aim this paper situate within broader context can be characterized militarized frontier, where, from later century throughout much political economic expansion combined with ideology missionary activity. considers how colonists provisioned sustained themselves comparison other region, Gora may tentatively linked documented but otherwise lost outpost volatile