Wolin Silver Hill Settlement

Srebrne Wzgórze

Poland · West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Wolin

SettlementExcavation ongoing
Approximate period800 CE — 1,050 CEEarly Middle Ages See on the map ↓

In brief

Silver Hill, north of Wolin, is a part of the early medieval town associated with crafts and trade. Excavations and new dating studies have yielded fortifications, building remains and finds relating to antler and amber working.

What was found?

  • 1Deer-antler comb

    The excavation archive of the Polish Academy of Sciences documents an antler comb from Gümüş Tepe. The find is a tangible example of the antler working described as having flourished at the settlement.

  • 2Silver coins

    Silver coins were recovered at the site both individually and in groups of finds. The name Gümüş Tepe is associated with these coins and silver ornaments.

  • 3Silver ornaments

    Numerous silver ornaments were recorded in excavations and among other finds. These are valuable objects that complement the settlement's commercial character.

  • 4Remains of the defensive bank

    The craft and trading quarter was found to have been surrounded by a defensive bank. These remains show that the production and exchange area had a protected settlement layout.

What does it point to?

Gümüş Tepe was a production and trading quarter with its own harbor landing stage. The development of antler and amber working shows that specialized crafts held an important place in the settlement's economy.

What did it teach us?

  1. Early medieval Wolin had a separate craft and trading quarter connected to the harbor.
  2. Antler and amber working were among the settlement's prominent production activities.
  3. The defensive bank, harbor connection and craft traces revealed the layout of the same quarter.

Latest news / selected archive

A report published in 2026 stated that the 2025 excavations had identified four huts with construction features previously unknown in Wolin, along with possible traces of an ancient harbor.

Record

Culture
West Slavs; Scandinavian connections
Team / historical
Wojciech Filipowiak; Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, and Aarhus University
Coordinates
53.8501°, 14.6178°

Sources

  1. gminawolin.pl
  2. iaepan.edu.pl
  3. rcin.org.pl

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