The Early Slavs : Eastern Europe From the Initial Settlement to the Kievan Rus

The history of the early Slavs is a subject of renewed interest and one which is highly controversial both politically and historically. This pioneering text reviews the latest archaelogical (and other) evidence concerning the first settlers, their cultural identities and their relationship with their modern successors. Dr Dolukhanov explores the various historiographical debates before offering his own interpretations. List of Illustrations ... vii Preface ... ix Transliteration of Cyrilic Names ... xii ◦ 1. THE SLAVS AND ARCHAEOLOGY IN RUSSIA ... 1 ◦ 2. GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING ... 8 ─ Geology and landforms ... 8 ─ Hydrology ... 13 ─ Climate ... 14 ─ Vegetation and soils ... 14 ─ Population and ethnic groups ... 18 ◦ 3. THE INITIAL SETTLEMENT ... 23 ─ Palaeolithic beginnings ... 23 ─ The Last Ice Age ... 29 ─ The Mousterian ... 30 ─ The Upper Palaeolithic ... 34 ─ The Late Glacial ... 41 ─ Early languages ... 44 ◦ 4. POSTGLACIAL FARMERS AND HUNTERS ... 47 ─ The Holocene ... 47 ─ The Mesolithic ... 51 ─ Early Neolithic ... 62 ─ Middle Neolithic ... 76 ◦ 5. THE BEAKER FOLKS ... 81 ─ The Post-optimum ... 81 ─ The Corded Ware ... 82 ─ The steppe groups ... 91 ─ The Bronze Age ... 96 ◦ 6. THE AGE OF CHANGE ... 109 ─ The Iron Age ... 109 ─ The northern hill-forts ... 113 ─ The Cimmerians, Scythians, Greeks and ... 117 ◦ 7. THE SLAVS, BALTS AND FINNS ... 137 ◦ 8. THE SLAVS IN EUROPE ... 146 ─ Pax Romana ... 146 ─ The Zarubintsy and Chernyakhovian ... 148 ─ The rise of the Slavs ... 160 ─ The Slavs in the north ... 167 ◦ 9. THE VIKINGS AND THE RUS ... 171 ─ The Little Optimum ... 171 ─ The Vikings in Europe ... 173 ─ The Scandinavians and the Slavs ... 177 ─ The beginnings of Russian statehood ... 193 ◦ Conclusions ... 198 Glossary ... 201 Bibliography ... 210 Index ... 231 Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface Transliteration of Cyrilic Names 1. The Slavs and Archaeology in Russia 2. Geographical Setting Geology and landforms Hydrology Climate Vegetation and soils Population and ethnic groups 3. The Initial Settlement Palaeolithic beginnings The Last Ice Age The Mousterian The Upper Palaeolithic The Late Glacial Early languages 4. Postglacial Farmers and Hunters The Holocene The Mesolithic Early Neolithic Middle Neolithic 5. The Beaker Folks The Post-optimum The Corded Ware The steppe groups The Bronze Age 6. The Age of Change The Iron Age The northern hill-forts The Cimmerians, Scythians, Greeks and ... 7. The Slavs, BaIts and Finns 8. The Slavs in Europe Pax Romana The Zarubintsy and Chernyakhovian The rise of the Slavs The Slavs in the north 9. The Vikings and the Rus The Little Optimum The Vikings in Europe The Scandinavians and the Slavs The beginnings of Russian statehood Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Index This text tackles the questions of who the first settlers were on the plains of Eastern Europe, when and where they came from, were their cultural identities distinguishable, and what kind of contact did they have with the West?