The territory of residence of Curonian tribe in the times of vikings was divided into seprate lands and the latters – into smaller territories called Burgsuchungen (borgsokinge, or castellatura) consisting of small castels and several settlements, most frequently villages of agriculturists. In the opinion of some explorers, Burgsuchengen were not only territorial but also military and administrative units, the heritage of the tribute collection system organized by vikings.
In written sources of the 13th – 15th centuries villages of several types are mentined. Laukas, lauks („a field“) were natural economical units within lands. Within Curonian „fields“ groups of farmsteads were widely dispersed between irregularily situated glades. Laukas was a characteristic primary territorial unit of Balts and the word itself is of Baltic origin. An appearance of the toponym „lauks“ out of Baltic territories must be bound with persons of Curonian or Prussian origin and lands owned by them. The unexpected existence of the toponym „Lauks i Lokrume“ within Gotland Island reflects the unexplored aspects of the relations of residents of Gotland and Western Balts in the times of vikings.
“Field” – type villages in the Northern Curonia were demolished on the redivision of lands and development of land ownership by noblemen and in the southern Curonia – on the Valak Reform of the 16th century. One of few villages where features of a „field“ – type village remained is Plaušiniai Village of Keklis land (Fig. 1). Some relics of Curonian „fields“ may be found in the maps of the land and separate settlements of the 17th – 18th c.c., for example, Tauralaukis in the environs of Klaipėda (Fig. 2). Within the Aukštakiemiai burial ground, which is situated quite near, already in the end of the 19th century more that 400 graves were explored. The living standard of the residents of the settlement was high; they were rich, acted as trade mediators; the seniors of „fields“ had good arms. There is a high probability of the development of a primary „field“ – type village into a settlement of other type. On the border of the territories of Curonians and Lyves a Curonian burial ground Pūres Zviedri of the 12th – 14th c.c. was explored. There in the „field“ – type settlement within a woodland a small village community lived.
Kaimas („a village“) were small scattered irregular settlements consisting of 5-8 farmsteads. The farmsteads were scattered in neighbouring cultivated fields which were surrounded with pastures. Relics of old villages remained in the Southern Curonia. The traditions of compact kaimas are reflected in the self–formed Žemguliai village of the Southern Curonia (Fig. 3).
A self–formed type of kaimas are closed Prussian square–type villages where farmsteads were located as a arc–half around a square (Fig. 4). Such layout of Prussian villages has very old traditions in Baltic lands (Fig. 5).
The layout of compactly built kiemas („yard“ – type villages is very similar to the one of „square“ – type villages. The „yards“ were fenced with rather high protective walls with gates. Some „yards“ in fact were fortificated. Some “yards” in fact were fortificated farmstesads of small feudals. Later sets of estates may be considered analogies of the ancient „yard“ – type settlements. A double village of the Northern Curonia (Fig. 6) resembles an ideal „yard“. Traces of „yards“ are found also in archaeological materials (Slengiai near Klaipėda, Jedžiotai near Apuolė as well as Kretinga, Genčiai). The disposed archaeological data do not enable to determine the building all around these „yards“, they only show the structure of their community and economy.
In addition to the primary village units also little castles of small feudals with small settlements around them existed. A part of them, probably, were centres of the castle districts, others were the parts of the districts. One of such centres was Purmaliai within Pilsotas land. The set consists of a small (800 sq. m), well–fortificated hillfort, a settlement with an area of 0.3 hectares and the saint place with a stone system. Later village adopted from the most important settlements situated around castles the structure of the layout as well as the word gatvė „a treet“). This word was borrowed from Scandinavians and came to Baltic lands together with creation of trade centres at the seaside. The link of gatvė with agrarian economy is reflected in the meaning of Latvian variant of this word (gatve) – „a cattle – passage“.
Settlements were situated in various places. A part of them were situated at the seaside or at large rivers flowing into the sea, other part – within territories which were more favourable for agriculture, others – in woodlands, far from trading centres and ways. In a course of time area of cultivated lands grew, however up today traces of the former large forest may be obtained and in old maps of the land the zones where area of cultivated fields were large–namely, between Minija, Dangė-Akmena and Šventoji rivers – may be clearly seen (Fig. 7). On the comparison of area of cultivated lands with maps of arable lands it may be seen that location of best arable lands not always coincided with massives of cultivated lands. It is evident that on the settlement of the land more important factor was the safety of the site than the best arable lands.
The links of villages and small sets of castles (consisting of a castle, the settlement by it and alkas, i.e. the saint place for religian cult) with economical microregions are not of the same level. Settlement of forest regions situated far from ways and centres were more closed from the standpoint of economy and preserved more of features of natural economy. Habitants of „fields“ were not initiators of trade and exchange as well as external relations. It was a closed community which accepted external relations only within the framework which was necessary for maintenance of natural economy.
Small castle centres of Purmaliai type played quite another role in the economical structure of lands. Contrarily to „fields“, they could not exist without external relations, had an economical hinterland and influenced it. The economy of settlements around small castles was agrarian and also cattle – breeding had to be sufficiently developped. On
the other hand, their economy already was not self –provided although there were no extensive handicraft for production of wares for export. Probably, handicrafts of local importance (such as pottery, extraction and processing of iron) dominated. In graves of habitants of such settlements finds related to trade, more costly arms, larger number of decorations are found. At the sites of saint places of small regions and sites of meetings (so called „tings“) also small season market–places funtionated.
The economical structure and political status of the „yard“ – type settlements were not meaningful in the hierarchy of lands. The economy of small „yards“ and „villages“ maintained an intermediate position between „fields“ and „small castle sets“.
The most frequent types of villages of Curonia and other Baltic lands, such as „a field“, „a village“ and „a yard“ existed even about 1400.
Then they were transformed and the terms „a field“ and „a yard“ were forgotten, a part of „yard“ – type settlements from the 15th century was transformed into farmsteads of noblemen and named „estates“. In the 16th century only two types of country – side settlements namely, villages of peasants and estates of noblemen – remained.