Sketching the History of Slavs

Abstract

The Slavs, who spectacularly emerged in historical documents in the 6th century AD, have an archaeologically documented past. Lingustic analyses is also able to offer relevant and convergent data, allowing us to postulate that the Slavs represented a satem-speaking group located between the northermost Thracian speakers (the so-called Costoboces), the south branch of the Balts, the Germanic speakers, the Iranic and Uralic (Finno-Ugric) groups. Early Romance (Proto-Romanian), north Thracian, Iranic and Germanic influences are identifiable in the context of a distinct satem idiom.