The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade

The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade explores the archaeology and material culture of the crusades against the Prussian tribes in the 13th century, and the resulting society created by the Teutonic Order which endured into the 16th century.

Aleksander Pluskowski is Professor in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Reading.

Preface and acknowledgements to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; Terminology and glossary; 1. Introduction: hitorical framework and sources; 2. Pre-Christian Prussia: early medieval Baltic society; 3. The ravages of holy war: crusade and colonisation in the thirteenth century; 4. A land of red castles: consolidating the Teutonic Order's state in the fourteenth century; 5. From colonisation to urbanisation: towns and international trade; 6. Converting Prussia: the Christianisation of the Teutonic Order's state; 7. From forest to field: the changing environment of medieval Prussia; 8. The end of holy war: from the decline of a crusader state in the fifteenth century to constructing memories of medieval Prussia in the twentieth century; 9. Conclusion: holy war and colonisation; Further reading; Bibliography; Index.