In this presentation Dr. Florin Curta guides us thoroughly and intensely into not just the history of the early Slavs but into the very heart of the origins of the Slavic Peoples themselves.

He draws from archaeology, primary sources, material culture, DNA and so very much more to show the foundations of the Slavic world in the Early Middle Ages.

He explores a variety of issues and topics such as did they have their own origin stories? Was there actually Slavic migrations? Who were the Slavs before they were Slavs? And how did Slavic culture actually spread?

What did outside sources like the Eastern Roman Empire and Western European authors have to say about them?

What made them unique?

How influenced were they by Steppe peoples like the Avars or Sarmatians?

Their religious customs and practices before the eventual Christian conversion.

Lastly we approach the legacies of the medieval Slavs and how we can see that legacy today.