In this first major synthesis in English of the archaeology of the Prussian Crusades and of the society that was created by the Teutonic Order in the south-east Baltic from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, Aleksander Pluskowski (Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Reading University) makes an important and timely contribution to the growing international awareness of the rich material heritage of the eastern Baltic region. Pluskowski's study reviews an extensive range of archaeological data, from the iconic red-brick castles of the Order through to artefacts and environmental information, integrated with the documentary sources. Discussion of the settlements, fortifications and towns and landscapes of medieval Prussia concludes with observations on the role and meanings of the historical legacy of the Teutonic Knights in modern-day Poland and neighbouring territories. The convulsions caused by centuries of conflict in these borderlands of Europe have meant that the monuments of the medieval Ordenstaat now fall within the boundaries of three countries: most of the sites are in modern Poland, while a few now lie in the Russian enclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast (formerly Königsberg) and in coastal Lithuania. Badly damaged during the Second World War and effectively inaccessible until the fall of the Iron Curtain, medieval Prussia's rich cultural heritage is today emerging through intensive archaeological investigation and research.

While the better-known armies of crusaders fought Muslims in the Holy Land, the Servants of St Mary of the German House, as the Teutonic Order was officially known, took on the inhabitants of Prussia, which was medieval Europe's last pagan frontier. From 1230 the Knights unleashed half a century of sustained warfare on the Prussian tribes, converting them to Christianity with as much force as faith and carving themselves out a kingdom in so doing.

Pluskowski's study, divided into broadly chronological themes, begins with the Holy War of the thirteenth century and the systematic programme of colonisation, or Ostsiedlung, in medieval Prussia. The new Teutonic state was consolidated first through the construction of temporary wooden forts, then by a defensive line of brick fortresses and finally by establishing trading towns to foster the local economy. The Prussian crusades also saw the building of ‘fortified monasteries’, or convent castles, built according to a standard template, like that at Marienburg (Malbork) on the banks of the River Nogat – often claimed as the largest castle in Europe. These buildings accommodated the military needs of a monastic order and the sometimes opulent lifestyles of its Grand Masters, commanders, procurators and other officials, so that Marienburg grew to resemble a ducal court, with its star vaulting and painted interior decoration expressing the political and crusading ideology of the Order. Pluskowski's analysis shows that archaeological attention is turning from the identification of structures and the verification of building phases to the study of domestic artefacts and environmental data in order to understand daily life at such castles.

Towns form the other key historical legacy of the Teutonic Order; many of these planted settlements attracted Hanseatic merchants and flourished as a result of their pivotal role in the Baltic and North Sea commodity trade. Reviewing the archaeological results of the immediate pre- and post-1990 redevelopment of Prussia's historic towns, such as Elbing (Elbląg), Thorn (Toruń) and Danzig (Gdańsk), the author examines daily life in the urban colonies through social topography and artefact studies, emphasising the interdependency of the Teutonic Order, Hansa merchants, international trade and local production, showing that it was the prolific trade in imported domestic goods, such as fine ceramic tableware and luxury glassware, that ensured Prussia's integration into the European cultural orbit.

Further key themes include the archaeology of conversion – exploring the development of the Prussian Church, its parish system, episcopal organisation, monasteries, church form and decoration, pilgrimage and relic observance – and the environmental archaeology of the Order's eventual transformation of the Prussian wilderness through intensive farming. Pluskowski's own ‘Ecology of Crusading’ research programme (2010–14) has informed much of this groundbreaking analysis.

The final chapters of the book review the transition from Holy War to secular conflict in the south-east Baltic. The post-medieval history and archaeology of the Teutonic Order in Prussia is tantalising and is beginning to demonstrate a long period of continuing occupation and adaptation in line with new political, military and confessional realities. Further research into the post-1466 archaeology is highly desirable and likely to reveal a long tail in cultural continuity across the region.

Responsibility for managing this Prussian cultural heritage has changed hands many times, resulting in significant losses. Following Polish independence the situation is now beginning to look brighter in heritage management terms. The red-brick castles have been recognised as economic assets and embedded within tourist trails, resulting in a new programme of conservation. Marienburg and Thorn now enjoy UNESCO World Heritage status. But more widely, the prospect of a sustained programme of conservation and restoration of these important medieval monuments will depend on effective collaboration between commercial parties and public heritage agencies. Much will also rely on reconciling the contested heritage of the region, which once displayed such a strong German cultural identity and which is now situated mostly in modern Poland.

Less clear is the future of the medieval Prussian heritage in the Kaliningrad Oblast, formerly the coastal city and hinterland of Königsberg. Following Soviet occupation and the deportation of the German population at the close of the Second World War, the removal of German identity was secured with the dynamiting of the city's main medieval monuments, including the Knights’ castle. In stark contrast to those destructive days of the Cold War, there is now growing recognition of the German cultural heritage and the cathedral has seen partial restoration. The rapid development of urban archaeology in Kaliningrad will also help to inform today's inhabitants about the ‘past under their feet’.

The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade is an important book, being the first in English to explore the rich material legacy of the medieval crusader state that operated for centuries on the eastern borderlands of Europe. This heritage remains contested and is still partly under the threat of further destruction and loss. This book will serve to bring much-needed international attention to the conservation challenges faced by the region. At long last our horizons have been widened in respect of the archaeology of medieval crusader culture now so familiar to us through the work of Denys Pringle and Adrian Boas on the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Latin East. I look forward to archaeologists in the north-east Baltic writing a companion piece on the archaeology and surviving material heritage of the Livonian Chapter of the Teutonic Order. They could do worse than emulate Pluskowski's pioneering study.