Gone Medieval Early Medieval Croatia
Mar 16, 2026
Professor Florin Curta, a medieval historian of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, explores Dalmatia’s coastal continuity after Rome. He discusses coastal cities versus inland regions. He questions mass Slavic invasion narratives. He traces Frankish, Byzantine and Hungarian rivalries, church politics, and shifting medieval power around Zadar and Croatian rulers.
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Sparse Archaeology Challenges Large Slavic Invasion
- Archaeology shows little evidence for large-scale Slavic migration into Dalmatia in the 7th century.
- Missing features include sunken-floored houses, Prak-type pottery, and early cremation cemeteries dated before ca. 700.
Language Shift Came From Acculturation Not Replacement
- Cultural and economic acculturation likely explains Slavic language adoption in the countryside rather than mass population replacement.
- Rural patterns simplified between 600–800 while urban elites remained Roman and dominant in towns.
Dalmatia Sat Between Frankish Byzantine And Venetian Spheres
- Frankish expansion after Charlemagne created competing spheres with Byzantium over Dalmatia.
- Byzantium made Dalmatia a thema and Venice operated as its imperial maritime agent, producing a tri-pole of Frankish, Byzantine and Venetian interests.