Early Slavs Discussion

Dedicated for all DNA, Analysis Results, History, Research topics related to: Early Slavs

The early Slavs were a diverse group of tribes who lived in Eastern Europe between the 5th and 10th centuries and created the foundation of Slavic nations to come. The Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea described these people as tall and especially strong, with reddish auburn hair. He reported how they would fight on foot carrying shields and spears, preferring ambush and guerrilla tactics to open warfare. Byzantines would employ these Early Slavs as mercenaries. However, various nomadic horseback tribes such as the fierce Scythians, Sarmatians and Alans were on the Eurasian Steppes around the Black Sea and absorbed into the Slavic population over time. Such close contact with these societies transformed Slavs into very skilled horsemen. Use of cavalry enabled the Slavs to expand rapidly southwest into the Balkans, the Alps and northeast toward the Volga River. Typically these early Slavic nations were known to have lived in a democracy avoiding rule of any single chief. Settlements were not uniformly distributed, but rather found in clusters which were linked by familial or clan relationships. The first historical Slavic state was founded by Samo, followed by Bulgaria in 681 AD, followed by Great Moravia, Carantania, Pannonia, Croatia, Serbia and the Obotrites.