Archaeological Outline of the Late-Antique Settlement of Slovenia

Abstract

The recent discoveries in the late-antiquc fortified refuges and Early-Christian Centra of Slovenia drew attention to the new aspects of the settlement history of that time. They all had an Old Christian church either on the exposed place on the top or in the middle of the settlement. In some of the settlements, e. g. in Vranje by Sevnica there was even a family of churches with small chapels, baptistery etc. Therefore the author comes to the conclusion that there had been the organized effort of the Early Christian church in question. At the same time he points out to the case of Vranje by Sevnica in order to call attention to the gradual decline of civilization from the 4th till the 6th century which sank to the level that could lie taken over also by the coming Slavs, not acquainted with the great achievments of the antique.