Settlements of the Avar Khaganate

Abstract

This study reviews and discusses the archaeology of settlements in the territory of the Avar Khaganate. These sites are located in the Carpathian Basin (present-day Hungary and adjacent areas) and can be dated to c. the seventh to ninth centuries AD. Many of the known Avar-period settlements are located at or in the immediate vicinity of former Roman sites. Considering the nature of connections between settlements of these two periods is therefore a crucial aspect of understanding Avar-period settlement dynamics. In order to address Avar-period settlements at different scales, this article is divided into three main parts: settlement features, intra-site perspectives, and inter-site models.