Early history of Pomerania

Part of a series on the
History of Pomerania
Early history Early Middle Ages High Middle Ages Late Middle Ages Early Modern Age 1806–1933 1933–1945 1945–present
Poland portal Germany portal
v t e

After the glaciers of the Ice Age in the Early Stone Age withdrew from the area, which since about 1000 AD is called Pomerania, in what are now northern Germany and Poland, they left a tundra. First humans appeared, hunting reindeer in the summer.^[1] A climate change in 8000 BC^[2] allowed hunters and foragers of the Ertebølle-Ellerbek culture to continuously inhabit the area.^[3] These people became influenced by farmers of the Linear Pottery culture who settled in southern Pomerania.^[3][4] The hunters of the Ertebølle-Ellerbek culture became farmers of the Funnelbeaker culture in 3000 BC.^[3][5] The Havelland culture dominated in the Uckermark from 2500 to 2000 BC.^[6] In 2400 BC, the Corded Ware culture reached Pomerania^[6][7] and introduced the domestic horse.^[7] Both Linear Pottery and Corded Ware culture have been associated with Indo-Europeans.^[7] Except for Western Pomerania,^[6] the Funnelbeaker culture was replaced by the Globular Amphora culture a thousand years later.^[5]

During the Bronze Age, Western Pomerania was part of the Nordic Bronze Age cultures, while east of the Oder river the Lusatian culture dominated.^[8] Throughout the Iron Age, the people of the western Pomeranian areas belonged to the Jastorf culture,^[9][10] while the Lusatian culture of the East was succeeded by the Pomeranian culture,^[9] then in 150 BC by the Oksywie culture, and at the beginning of the first millennium by the Wielbark culture.^[9]

While the Jastorf culture is usually associated with Germanic peoples,^[11] the ethnic category of the Lusatian culture and its successors is debated.^[12] Veneti, Germanic peoples like Goths, Rugians, and Gepids, and Slavs are assumed to have been the bearers of these cultures or parts thereof.^[12]

From the 3rd century onwards, many settlements were abandoned,^[13] marking the beginning of the migration period in Pomerania. It is assumed that Burgundians, Goths and Gepids with parts of the Rugians left Pomerania during that stage, while some Veneti, Vidivarii and other, Germanic groups remained,^[14] and formed the Gustow, Debczyn and late Wielbark cultures, which existed in Pomerania until the 6th century.^[13]

The name Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means "[land] by the sea".^[15]