The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region, c.500–700This book offers an alternative approach to the problem of Slavic ethnicity in south-eastern Europe between c. 500 and c. 700, from the perspective of current anthropological theories. The conceptual emphasis here is on the relation between material culture and ethnicity. The author demonstrates that the history of the Sclavenes and the Antes begins only at around 500 AD. He also points to the significance of the archaeological evidence, which suggests that specific artefacts may have been used as identity markers. This evidence also indicates the role of local leaders in building group boundaries and in leading successful raids across the Danube. Because of these military and political developments, Byzantine authors began employing names such as Sclavines and Antes in order to make sense of the process of group identification that was taking place north of the Danube frontier. Slavic ethnicity is therefore shown to be a Byzantine invention. |
Contents
1 | |
CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES | 6 |
Chapter 2 SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY SLAVS c 500700 | 36 |
Chapter 3 THE SLAVS IN EARLY MEDIEVAL SOURCES c 500700 | 74 |
Chapter 4 THE BALKANS AND THE DANUBE LIMES DURING THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES | 120 |
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY | 190 |
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE | 227 |
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The Making of the Slavs: History and Archaeology of the Lower Danube Region ... Florin Curta No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
According analysis appear archaeological archaeologists argued army artifacts assemblages associated attack Avars Balkans barbarian basilica Book brooches built burials Byzantine Chapter church claims clay coins communities Constantinople contrast culture Dacia Danube dated decoration Demetrius Despite distribution early eastern Emperor ethnic Europe evidence excavations existence fibulae fig Figure forts frontier Gepids grave hoards idea identity important indication interpreted Italy John Jordanes Justinian’s king known late later located material mentioned military Miracles ofthe origin particularly patterns period phase political pottery Priscus Procopius produced qagan raid recent refers region reign relation river Roman Romania Sclavenes seems settlement seventh seventh-century silver similar sixth century Slavic Slavs social society sources specimens Strategikon studies style suggests sunken building Teodor Theophylact Simocatta Thessalonica Thrace tion viewed walls warriors Werner written