EARLY SLAVIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES SOUTH OF THE CARPATHIANS, SUDETES AND RUDAWY MOUNTAINS DATED BY ABSOLUTE DATING METHODS

• Authors: Dulinicz M
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The past 15 years have witnessed in Poland and Germany a considerable increase in the number of archaeological features representing Early Slavic culture, which age has been determined by natural science methods. New hypotheses have been formulated regarding the time of the formation of the oldest Early Medieval cultures in the territories between the Baltic and the Black Sea, the Carpathians and Sudetes. Investigations of the formation period in the culture of the Early Slavs are being carried out also to the south of the indicated region, but seldom have natural science dating methods, like dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating, been applied for the purpose. There is need for a recapitulation of information in view of the growing disproportion between data on absolute chronology concerning the northern and western part of Early Slavdom and the information referring to the southern and southwestern parts of Slavic colonization. Among features from the area of Austria, Czech, Slovenia and Italy, which have been dated by the radiocarbon method, the prevalent kind are pits from settlements, but there is also information on a few graves. The article focuses on analyzing the results of investigations of archaeological features dated by the radiocarbon or dendrochronological methods. Material from 14 sites for which there is a total of 35 analyses has been taken into consideration. The obtained datings permit a synchronization of information on settlement patterns and a comparison of assemblages of finds, mainly pottery. A comparison of the assemblages of finds with those known from the northern part of Central Europe does not demonstrate any significant differences in the dating, especially with regard to the Little Poland (Malopolska) region. The situation was somewhat different in the lowland territories of early Slavdom where assemblages composed of virtually only undecorated vessels were still in evidence in the 8th century. In recent years also in the Polish literature on the subject opinions have been voiced a number of times concerning the migration route and characteristics of the material culture of the Danubian Slavs. Consideration of the newest results of field investigations by Austrian, Bavarian, Croatian, Czech, Slovakian, Slovenian and Hungarian archaeologists has helped to modify the picture conceived based on the reflections of cited scholars. Thanks to the construction of a chronological framework and the growing body of knowledge on the material culture of the southern Slavs, their presence in territories south of the Danube in the 7th and 8th centuries can be proven in reference to specific, well dated finds. It can also be demonstrated that in this time their material culture still preserved many archaic characteristics and was not significantly different from the culture of their kin from beyond the Carpathians and Sudetes. The view that the southern Slavs quickly lost their specific material culture has been proved entirely incorrect. 24 Figures, 1 Table

Keywords

EN

DENDROCHRONOLOGY; EARLY MIDDLE AGES; RADIOCARBON (14C) DATING; WESTERN & SOUTHERN SLAVDOM

Discipline

• ARCHAEOLOGY: ARCHAEOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Archeologia Polski
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 81-130
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Dulinicz M

• M. Dulinicz, Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii PAN, al. Solidarnosci 105, 00-140 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08PLAAAA04268314