Archaeologia Polona

Origin of the Slavs: an anthropological perspective

Robert Dąbrowski

The ethnogenesis of the Slavs is an issue extensively discussed in the literature of the subject, due to the significance of this population group for the history of Europe. In archaeology, disputes on the ethnogenesis of the Slavs have been going on for many years. The existing differences of opinions may be summed up in two hypotheses: autochthonous and allochthonous. Archaeology alone is not capable of answering questions on the ethnic belonging of separate cultures and cultural groups. On the other hand, anthropology with its specific methodology and the means of choosing a set of traits universal over a broad range of time and space can provide many answers. This paper presents the conclusions from our research, the results of which support the autochthonous model calling for the cradle of the Slavs to be placed in the basins of the Oder and Vistula rivers at the turn of the eras.

Keywords: ethnogenesis, Middle Ages, morphological variability, Roman Period, Slavs

Language: English