Roots of Poland

Early settlers to Poland were found to have been of Slovac decent who moved up into
Poland from around the area of the Danube Valley. They brought cultivated plants such as
wheat and barley as well as several domesticated animals, such as the cow, pig, and sheep.
These animals were originally thought to have been domesticated in the Middle East area
according to geologist Jared Diamond. Diamonds video Guns, Germs, and Steel theory tells of
man moving from around the area of the Fertile Crescent does hold true. Diamonds theory was
that some areas became more advanced faster than others due to the lands they harvested and
the ability to cultivate the natural resources of the area. Although some of these early people
stayed in the area, many others moved on in search of new life and the possibility of better
hunting and gathering.
Several tribes of people moved west and settled into the area we now call Poland. These
people moved north following the rivers until they found an area valuable for farming. The rich
soil and mild climate were found to be suitable for their needs. This first group of people settled
into the plains area around Warsaw seven thousand years ago. It is no wonder that the name
Poland or Polska means people of the plains (info-poland.edu).
Research is still being done in regards of the whys and where these people settled into
what is now Poland. Although the soils in and around Poland were of different consistencies,
some areas had a better soil content that was more conducive to planting, while other areas
relied more upon hunting since the soil was found to be too acidic for their needs (Bogucki).
Archeologists have found two substantial areas where there are traces of ancient people settling
into the area. The first area is in the northern vicinity nestled in the Northern plains around the
Vistula and Oder rivers. This area reaped a wide variety of animals and marine life.
Archeologists state that the new ecosystem held over 450 species of edible plants, a variety of
fishes, turtles, and mussels in the streams and lakes. There was also an abundance of red deer,
roe deer, wild cattle, wild pigs, and wild horses in and around the forests that surrounded them
(Grygiel).
For the neolithic people of the area there remains one unanswered question, what did
they do in the winter? The annual yield of the area was too harsh to produce harvests thereby
leaving many unanswered questions. The Linear Pottery culture tribes were said to be the first to
settle the area in permanent settlements. They built longhouses, buried their people and had an
abundance of trash that was well preserved due to the lack of acidity in the soils. They built
their longhouses near or on sunny slopes above water or along slopes of river terraces. The
fertile soils of the area near the entrance to thick forests and excellent water supplies drew the
tribes to settle down and form their settlements. These questions posed earlier could very well
be explained with the hunting that supplemented the lack of planting throughout the winter
season.
The continuous colonization of the region was said to be due to an increase in
population and the mobility of the early agricultural communities. The development of those
communities on the Polish territories lasted for over one and a half millennium

(Leciejewczowa). The bountiful harvests and the hunting of venison were able to sustain the
tribes and they were able to meet their needs throughout the years, enhancing the ability to stay
in one place. Once the land seemed to be unyielding and as the herds moved further north, the
tribes eventually uprooted in search of better land and animals as well. Though the fish and
mussels provided a new source of food, they would be unable to provide any long term source
of protein or sustenance.
Many tribes moved through the fertile area and they also traded goods with other nearby
tribes. The evidence of this has been excavated from different sites that were dated the same
yet held proof that others were there. Pottery from the Linear tribes was found with other tribes
of the region. Through time many other tribes moved into the land of Poland and continued the
exploration and settlement of Poland. From the North to the South, and from the East to the
West, each new settlement brought new ideas, new tools, and new technology to make life in
these regions profitable as well as stable. Time brought forth the use of metals that were found
naturally in the lands, such as copper, and were exploited to further development to suit the
needs of the people. With so many groups of people colonizing Europe, the ability to trade
goods only enhanced and helped further the fact that Europe was indeed becoming a mecca for
technology and a powerhouse for the new world as we now know it. As we look back on
Diamonds theory of inequality, we can easily see that if true, makes sense. The tribes that
remained in Africa did not have the accessibility to trade with others as they moved on in search
of bigger and better things in order to carry on. The fact that the tribes that moved on took with
them cultivated plants of wheat and barley gave them bargaining tools and the ability to harvest
in new areas.
Poles began trading with all means of other tribes throughout Europe within their vacinity.
They traded with Hungarians, Romans, and Carpathians, while also forming new ties to make
them a stronger unit. Marriages between tribes were becoming more common as years went by
securing the bigger areas of land that eventually formed Poland into a country.

TIMELINE:
5000BC Slovac/Poles moved into Polish territory around areas around Vestula and Ober River.
(Linear Pottery Culture)
4000BC Lengyel Tribes moved into area near Linear Pottery Tribes
966

Krakow becomes important commercial centre, due to amber trade

(first written record)

997

Poland city of Gdansk was founded

1000

Krakow, Poland- Wawel Castle was built overlooking the Vistula River.

1241

First Mongol Invasion in city of Kracow, Poland

EARLY LINEAR POTTERY SETTLEMENTS: Climate

This map shows the relative climate in Poland from 7000 BC to 5000BC. We can see that the
North is a mix of rock, ice, and frozen tundra. As you follow the map south you can see the to
the East there are a few areas of moist steppes and forest. The West shows that it is a cool
temperate with a mixture of decidious and mixed forest. Confirming that the Linear Pottery tribe
was in the most suitable area for agriculture and hunting.

EUROPEDURINGTHELAST150,000YEARS.(n.d.).RetrievedJanuary18,
2015,fromhttp://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/nercEUROPE.html

VegetationInPoland:Thismapisaprimeexampleofhowthelandwasandfor
themostpartstillis.Theclimatesareproofthatcertainvegetablesandgrainsgrow
betterindifferentareas.Theabovemapallowsforcorrelationsbetweenthe
farmingpatternsandhowtheymatchupwithhowthelandwasutilized,aswellas
whytheearlyPolesfarmedwheretheydidandwhattheydid.

UniversityofTexasLibraries.(n.d.).RetrievedJanuary19,2015,from
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/poland.html

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Poland,itsNamesandthoseofitsPeople.(n.d.).RetrievedJanuary19,2015,from
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(AlthoughIdidnotphysicallyuseallofthesesources,Iderivedmypaperfrom
eachcitetoformmyownoriginalpaper.ThesourcethatIdidusearecitedwithin
thepaper)