HISTORY
The Centre for Medieval Archaeology of the Baltic Countries, was established in 2011. It is a direct continuation of the Szczecin Branch, established in 2006. At that time it comprised small research facilities located in Western Pomerania:

• Archaeological Branch in Szczecin,
• Archaeological Branch in Wolin,
• Research Team in Kołobrzeg.

Their origins go back to the time of research into the beginnings of the Polish state. Therefore, from the very beginning the activities of these institutions were oriented towards studies of the early Middle Ages. The main topic was the largest Baltic settlement complexes of an early urban character. However, work was also conducted on a Lusatian culture cemetery in Dolice near Stargard Szczeciński. Major excavations of late medieval towns in Western Pomerania became important. After the Branch was transformed into the Centre for Medieval Archaeology of the Baltic Countries, the previous research priorities were maintained, although the scope of activities was somewhat expanded spatially and chronologically.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES
The main task of the Centre is the implementation of long-term research programmes connected with the study of the Middle Ages of the whole of Pomerania and other Baltic lands, in the period between the end of antiquity and the 16th century. Archaeology is the basic scientific discipline in the research conducted. They are carried out in cooperation with representatives of natural sciences, history, anthropology and other disciplines. Of particular importance are:

• studies on urbanisation processes taking place in the early Middle Ages on the Slavic Baltic coast,
• the formation of the foundations of a commodity and money economy in this part of Europe,
• Slavic-Scandinavian and Prussian-Scandinavian contacts in the 8th-11th centuries,
• the question of the functioning of the so-called Baltic economic zone,
• studies on the civilisational breakthrough of the Baltic Slavonic region in connection with Christianisation,
• the formation of early state structures in Western Pomerania
• archaeology of the Hanseatic League,
• studies on the so-called ‘turn of the century’,
• studies on the economy and culture of cities in the late Middle Ages and early modern times.

The basis and starting point for this kind of research are invariably the results of excavations carried out in the second half of the 20th century within the early medieval settlement complexes in Wolin, Szczecin and Kołobrzeg. An important role in research in relation to the West Pomeranian duchy was played by several years of excavations at the site of the Premonstratensian monastery in Białoboki near Trzebiatów, and fieldwork lasting several seasons at the Lubin settlement near Międzyzdroje, which resulted, inter alia, in the discovery of relics of a church from the time of the Christianising mission of Otto of Bamberg. Also important were large-scale rescue excavations at the site of one of the ducal residences - on Castle Hill in Szczecin. An essential role in the activities of the Centre is played by the Archaeological Rescue Research Team, which every year carries out rescue excavations in advance of building investments, especially in the areas of the medieval Pomeranian towns of Gryfice, Gryfino, Kołobrzeg, Wolin and Szczecin.