Ladoga and Wolin as Nodal Centers of Trans-Baltic Contacts between Polish Lands and North-West of Eastern Europe in the 10th Century

The article deals with the Baltic-Oriental exchange system between early Piasts State and north-western Early Rus’ in the 9th—10th century as an element of a great communication artery. Ladoga and Wolin played a leading role of nodal centers in this communication. The inflow of Arabic dirhams to the Western Slavic lands was the main material determinant of contacts. Another direction of these relations is demonstrated by ceramic vessels specific to pottery of the North-Western Slavic territory detected in north-western Early Rus’. The small group of Tornow type vessels is registered in Gorodok on the Lovat’ River in the mid-10th century. Its chronology corresponds to the times of liquidation of strongholds in the Tornow-Klenica zone. It is interpreted as an archaeological evidence of slave trade between the Piasts and Baltic-Oriental trade diasporas. The material and religious culture and wooden building of the two settlements is characterized by a number of similarities. Post-and-plank constructions erected at the end of the 9th and the mid of the 10th century were attested there. The material culture registered inside and around these wooden structures indicates that they could have been the seats of “trade diasporas”. The article is intended to open a broad discussion about the cultural ties between the communities of Polish lands and Early Rus’ as well as the role of the Baltic-Oriental exchange system in the formation of early states.