After the epoch of nations’ migration, the period of ethnical and settling stabilization on today's Middle Pomerania terrains as well as on the other Polish grounds comes next. The new period in Polish history begins and is called the Early-Medieval period (570-1250 AD). This period splits on two sub-periods: the pre-Piasts (570-950 AD) and the Early-Piasts (950-1250 AD). In Dark Ages all Pomerania was populated only by the Slavic people - Pomeranians. The basis of existence of those people was still farming and animal husbandry. What is more, the invention which made technical breakthrough in the farming of that time should be mentioned. In the early Middle Ages people began to farm by means of the plough. Beyond the husbandry, people started to do gardening. They also grew leguminous plants, broad bean and peas. People were occupied with fruit-farming, too. The bigger meaning had the animal husbandry and the shepherding.

At that time, the population of Middle Pomerania practised various crafts. The leading role was acted by metallurgy and smithery (in the 9th century a production of steel was begun), the pottery (in the 7th century people began to mass-use the potter’s wheel), processing of bones and horns, wheelwrighting, weaving and tanning. The development of craft works had a big impact on more technically advanced mass production of equipments and tools. However, it also overturned originally rich decorative art of produced goods.

The achievements mentioned above resulted in clear separation of goods and social diversity of the population. The progress in the agriculture caused that the common agriculture in the context of tribal economy had given place to the domestic economy. This process resulted in the separation of old-time tribal clans as well as in the beginning of independent families. As a result of this, the former ancestral union was disintegrated. A new community, which based on neighbours’ relations, arose in the place of the previous one.

Business activity, the need of people’s mutual assistance and defence were the basis of strong bonds between all citizens of certain territories. The new institution was born – the territorial community. Such an organization, which still maintained family ties between independently farming families, got the name opole or żupa. Among all members of opole, the group called ‘elders of opole’ was distinguished. This group, that was economically stronger from the other members of opole, began the process of making the population of opole, who were occupied with the agriculture within own farms, dependent on them. This was the beginning of feudal dependence on Polish territories.

The oldest castle-towns in Middle Pomerania appeared about 7th century. They fulfilled the functions of heartlands, political and administrative centres as well as economic and cultic centres. The development of castle-town colonization is considered as being the result of above transformations of socio-political structure of society, which was developed after the family community disintegration. New social ties resulted in first defensive settlements. The oldest, so-called, ringed castle-towns that developed in the pre-Piast period were of king-size. If it was necessary, they served as shelter to all local citizens. In the 9th and 10th century, instead of old defensive castles, new little and strongly fortified conical castle-towns appeared together with few defensive objects, which had the early-urban’s housing estate character. First of these castles were residences for magnates (feudal social relations). While the second were capital tribal centres, which were concentrating the economic, social and political-administrative life for the all tribe.

The next stages in the development of castle-town settlement were actions caused by integrative policy of first Piasts after the annexation Pomerania to Polish country. Under the rule of Piasts, reconstruction of previous territorial organization was begun. The defensive castle-towns chain from about 9th and 10th century was gradually eliminated. However, large centres of economic and socio-political life were held. They also were the main centres of Piasts’ power in Pomerania - eg. Gdansk, Kolobrzeg, Wolin. The turn of first and second millennium also means the final date of the development of castle-towns as the basic settlement form. From this date the open settlement began to prevail.