Pre-Urban or Early Urban Settlements? (Civitas Petouia, Carnium/Creina and Other Non-Agrarian Central Settlements in the Early Middle Ages). Part II.

Abstract

In addition to Ptuj, Kranj (Carnium/Creina/ Chreinburg) is the most important early urban settlement in the area of present day Slovenia, that had evolved in the course of several centuri- es into a true medieval town. The vast Germanic and indigenous burial site dating from the 6th century and a church with a large Slavic burial ground from the period between the 9th and the 11th centuries both indicate the importance of the central settlement. In the 9th century this presumed center of the Carniolan Slavs also served as a base for the ruling Franks. Notitiae traditionum of Bishop Altwin of Brixen from the second half of the 11th century are a good evidence of the significance of Kranj, which at that time was probably also the seat of the margrave of Carniola. During the 12th century, the old settlement transformed socially and urbanistically into a contemporary medieval town also in legal terms (1221 first mention of burgenses, 1256 civitas).