Slavic Migration Theory - 'The Evidence'

[TerraNova]

for me this was the most important factor in my own rejection of the slavic migration theory.

Before the Slavic migration (570 AD-7th century) there have been 3 centuries of other "Barbarian Invasions".
From 250 AD on ,several waves of different people migrated West and South:
Goths (Visigoths,Ostrogoths, Vandals),Avars,Huns,Eruli,Kutriguri,Alamans etc etc etc.

The effects of invasions,destructions of cities and towns,killings and slavery were tremendous.
Northern Balkans are described by Byzantine chronographers as a deserted land.

Moreover during Justinian's time the Great Plague emerged (541-542AD)

"By the time Justinian's plague had run its course in AD 590, it had killed as many as 100 million people -- half the population of Europe -- brought trade to a near halt, destroyed an empire and, perhaps, brought on the Dark Ages. Some historians think that the carnage may also have sounded the death knell for slavery as the high demand for labor freed serfs from their chains. Justinian's plague was a "major cataclysm," says historian Lester K. Little, director of the American Academy in Rome"

http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/anempiresepidemic.html

[osiris]

To believe in the 6th century migration theory is also to believe that a small tribe of several thousand people living in the pripet marshes, suddenly had a huge population explosion over a short period to grow over several million. Not only this, they then left the pripet marshes to colonise over half the lands of Europe in less then 100 years. The indigenous populations of the lands that the Slavs 'colonised' also seemed to have magically disappeared without trace the same instant the Slavs were to appear on 'their' lands.

for me this was the most important factor in my own rejection of the slavic migration theory.

[I of Macedon]

Archeological Evidence...FAILED

To date, not one single piece of archaeological evidence has ever been found to support the mythical 6th century migration theory. If the Slavs did in fact migrate to settle in over half of Europe during the 6th century, they magically did so without leaving any physical trace.

First Hand Primary Source Evidence...FAILED

Again, if the mythical 6th century migration did take place, it must have happened without either Rome or the eastern Roman empire (Byzantium) hearing about it as their scholars and historians have made no mention of what would have been a mass invasion and colonisation of their territories. Despite this, there are a few passages in several contemporary accounts which proponents of the migration theory offer as 'evidence', but these accounts are contradictory and vague...not what you would effect if they had been encountering a major invasion of their territories. At face value, these passages can simply be interpreted as accounts of social conflicts and upheavel between the literate, Romanised christian populations of the cities and towns, and the illiterate pagan populations of the countryside.

Cultural Disruption Evidence...FAILED

If a migration and settlement did in fact take place, then one would expect to find evidence of cultural disruption were cultural aspects of the indigenous population would disappear over a short period of time only to be replaced with new and different cultural aspects and practices of the 'incoming' Slavs. Despite this, there has been no evidence of either the indigenous culture disappearing or a new culture being introduced. In fact, there is nothing to suggest there has been anything other then unbroken cultural continuity in the Balkan region dating back to the neolithic.

Logistical Evidence...FAILED

To believe in the 6th century migration theory is also to believe that a small tribe of several thousand people living in the pripet marshes, suddenly had a huge population explosion over a short period to grow over several million. Not only this, they then left the pripet marshes to colonise over half the lands of Europe in less then 100 years. The indigenous populations of the lands that the Slavs 'colonised' also seemed to have magically disappeared without trace the same instant the Slavs were to appear on 'their' lands.

Conclusion

There is probably more evidence to prove the existence of Santa Claus then there is to prove the existence of a 6th century Slavic migration.

Just to add to the above (though nothing that significant) it appears even mathematics was used to try and prove such migrations but failed, using nivariate and multivariate craniometric analyses of time-successive populations

However, how accurate and reliable when testing on what I would say a small sample of skeletal population – I would say not that accurate, but then again I’m no mathematician. Nevertheless, whether right or wrong, accurate or not the hypothesis still failed in this (old) study. Thus;

MATHEMATICS – FAILED

Abstract of the study.

A Test of a Migration Hypothesis: Slavic Movements into the Karst Region of Yugoslavia [and Comments and Reply], by Gloria Jean y'Edynak, Brad Bartel, Carl B. Compton, Robert W. Ehrich, David A. Fredrickson, Alexander Gallus, Leo S. Klejn, Matthias Laubscher, Tadeusz Malinowski, Raymond R. Newell, Ari N. Poulianos, Milan Stloukal, Susan C. Vehik and Robert A. Benfer © 1976 The University of Chicago Press.

Abstract

The paper presents the thesis that migration hypotheses must be tested on skeletal populations as well as on other information spheres: subsets of material culture, linguistics, historical records, and toponyms. It tests the null hypothesis that a population of Slavs replaced the indigenous population of Illyrians in the karst region of Yugoslavia after the middle of the 6th century A.D. The null hypothesis is rejected by univariate and multivariate craniometric analyses of time-successive populations in the karst zone: (1) Pre-Slavic, (2) Early Medieval, (3) Late Medieval, and (4) Recent. The conclusion is that there is little morphological difference between the Pre-Slavic and Slavic populations of the karst zone. The explanation for Slavicization in the karst zone must be sought in the cultural linguistic sphere and not in a phenomenon of population replacement.

"….Frequently, population (biological) is assumed or inferred from the appearance of change in the cultural domain, cultural change need not however, imply population change." This is a similar notion based on archaeological evidence that Curta was highlighting, although I'm not sure to what extent.


Further;

A.M. Khazanov – Institute of Ethnography, Academy of Sciences of the USSR.


…In prehistoric times, antiquity, and the Middle Ages, migrations were very rarely, if ever, accompanied by a complete replacement of population. With very few exceptions, those epochs were not acquainted with genocide, reservations, or mass deportations. Normally there was some kind of continuity between aborigines and newcomers. This is true in particular, of many people of the USSR – Azerbaijani, Khakass, Ossets….

[Sarafot]

I'm on your side bro!
I will belive in it when some body convice me in that!

[Napoleon]

Archeological Evidence...FAILED

To date, not one single piece of archaeological evidence has ever been found to support the mythical 6th century migration theory. If the Slavs did in fact migrate to settle in over half of Europe during the 6th century, they magically did so without leaving any physical trace.

First Hand Primary Source Evidence...FAILED

Again, if the mythical 6th century migration did take place, it must have happened without either Rome or the eastern Roman empire (Byzantium) hearing about it as their scholars and historians have made no mention of what would have been a mass invasion and colonisation of their territories. Despite this, there are a few passages in several contemporary accounts which proponents of the migration theory offer as 'evidence', but these accounts are contradictory and vague...not what you would effect if they had been encountering a major invasion of their territories. At face value, these passages can simply be interpreted as accounts of social conflicts and upheavel between the literate, Romanised christian populations of the cities and towns, and the illiterate pagan populations of the countryside.

Cultural Disruption Evidence...FAILED

If a migration and settlement did in fact take place, then one would expect to find evidence of cultural disruption were cultural aspects of the indigenous population would disappear over a short period of time only to be replaced with new and different cultural aspects and practices of the 'incoming' Slavs. Despite this, there has been no evidence of either the indigenous culture disappearing or a new culture being introduced. In fact, there is nothing to suggest there has been anything other then unbroken cultural continuity in the Balkan region dating back to the neolithic.

Logistical Evidence...FAILED

To believe in the 6th century migration theory is also to believe that a small tribe of several thousand people living in the pripet marshes, suddenly had a huge population explosion over a short period to grow over several million. Not only this, they then left the pripet marshes to colonise over half the lands of Europe in less then 100 years. The indigenous populations of the lands that the Slavs 'colonised' also seemed to have magically disappeared without trace the same instant the Slavs were to appear on 'their' lands.

Conclusion

There is probably more evidence to prove the existence of Santa Claus then there is to prove the existence of a 6th century Slavic migration.