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* [http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/staff/danijel-dzino.html Dr Danijel Dzino] of Macquarie University, Sydney Australia writes: {{quote|
* [http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/staff/danijel-dzino.html Dr Danijel Dzino] of Macquarie University, Sydney Australia writes: {{quote|
''The first evidence of the Croat name, dux/rex Croatorum, does not appear until the ninth century. The Charter of Duke Trpimir is indeed the oldest text that mentions the Croat name, dux Chroatorum but its authenticity is disputed for good reason. The earliest certain evidence is the title dux Cruatorum from duke Branimir's inscription (c. 880), so that before this date we cannot assume with certainty that the Croat identity existed at all.'' <ref>[http://mq.academia.edu/DanijelDzino/Papers/163667/Becoming_Slav_Becoming_Croat_New_approaches_in_research_of_identities_in_post-Roman_Illyricum Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: New approaches in research of identities in post-Roman Illyricum] by Danijel Dzino</ref>}}
''The first evidence of the Croat name, dux/rex Croatorum, does not appear until the ninth century. The Charter of Duke Trpimir is indeed the oldest text that mentions the Croat name, dux Chroatorum but its authenticity is disputed for good reason. The earliest certain evidence is the title dux Cruatorum from duke Branimir's inscription (c. 880), so that before this date we cannot assume with certainty that the Croat identity existed at all.'' <ref>[http://mq.academia.edu/DanijelDzino/Papers/163667/Becoming_Slav_Becoming_Croat_New_approaches_in_research_of_identities_in_post-Roman_Illyricum Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: New approaches in research of identities in post-Roman Illyricum] by Danijel Dzino</ref>}}
==The Terms Slav and Croatian==
The term ''Slav'' was first used by the Byzantines-Eastern Roman Empire (i.e. Procopius-Byzantine scholar, Jordanes- 6th century Roman bureaucrat) and was recorded in the 6th century (cia. 550) in Greek (Σκλαβῖνοι-Sklabenoi). Later in Latin, Sklabenoi was written Sclaveni. Hrvat is a word of Sarmatian (Persian) origins. <ref>Note: The Sarmatian tribes have been referred to as being Persian in origin (modern: ''Iranian people'').</ref> In 1853 a Russian archaeologist Pavel Mikhailovich Leontjev discovered the Tanais Tablets. The Tanais Tablets mention three men: Horoúathos, Horoáthos, and Horóathos (Χορούαθ[ος], Χοροάθος, Χορόαθος). They are written in [[Greece|Greek]] and are from the 3rd century AD from the city of Tanais, today's Azov, Russia. At that time the region had mainly a mix of Greek - Sarmatian population.
[[File:422px-Horovathos.jpg|thumb|right|125px|'''Tanais Tablet''' B containing the word Χοροάθος (Horoáthos).]]
From the information above ''one'' can conclude that we are dealing with contact between Slavic and Sarmatian tribes from late antiquity. From a modern day perspective the Sarmatian historical footprint is non existent. All traces of these people have disappeared other than Slavic terms surrounding the word or name Hrvat which translates to English as Croat. Radoslav Katicich a Croatian linguist (and a classical philologist, Indo-Europeanist, Slavist and Indologist) said that the names from the Tanais Tablet are personal and not national ones.<ref> Two Public Inscriptions from the Greek Colony of Tanais at the Mouth of the Don River on the Sea of Azov ''by'' Ante Skegro (p.17)</ref> Furthermore it also could be said that these names are not related to any ethnic identity. Historically the term Croat became fully established as a ''constructed identity'' in the 19th century.
'''Recent DNA Studies'''
It is also very interesting to note that recent DNA studies have stated that more than three quarters of today's Croatian men are the descendants of Europeans who inhabited Europe 13 000-20 000 years ago.<ref>[http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/prezivjeli-ledeno-doba-hrvati-su-prastanovnici-europe-clanak-300151 Vecernji.hr: Preživjeli ledeno doba: Hrvati su prastanovnici Europe] ''(Vecernji.hr: Surviving an Ice Age: the Croats are descendants of prehistoric Europeans)''
* The article reports on the research work (12 years) of: prof. dr. Dragan Primorac, prof. dr. Pavle Rudan, prof. dr. Damir Marjanović, prof. dr. Peter Underhil and prof. dr. Richard Williams. Article released '''14-06-2011'''</ref> From a DNA studies perspective, the peoples who were living in Roman Dalmatia (''prior'' to the arrival of Slavic tribes) were genetically dominant and remain so to this day. The peoples who were living in Roman Dalmatia in that period predominately were of an Illyrian-Roman Latin population. <ref>Note: Other peoples in the region were Liburnians, [[Greece|Greeks]], Celts, Guduscani (''"It has been assumed, that they were part of the Vandals, Goths or Lombards."'' '''referenced''' from: [http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/guduscani self.gutenberg.org:] ), Ostrogoths (the last mentioned ''[[Germany|Germanic]] tribe'' is related to the Goths).</ref>
== Settlement of the Slavs in Roman Dalmatia ==
Slavic tribes invaded the region of [[Dalmatian Italians#Roman Dalmatia |Roman Dalmatia]] in the early Middle Ages. Contemporary historian Danijel Dzino states that the 19 century theories of mass movements of people into the old Roman Province of Dalmatia are '''questionable'''. Modern Archaeological and Scholarly research seems to be saying that we are looking at much smaller groups of Slavs invading the region. According to historians ''Florin Curta'' and Danijel Dzino the term Slavs was first used by outside observers of the day (Greco-Roman) to describe the newcomers. The Slavs used the term to describe themselves at a later stage. Thus began the '''construct''' identity of the new arrivals. Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated (or were separated by others) into different groups. There was also a good deal of interaction between the groups as shown by DNA studies.
[[File:800px-Bascanska ploca.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Baska tablet 1100 AD from Baska, on the island of Krk-[[Croatia]].]]
The issue of dates is an interesting one. Historians from the 18th and 19th century place the ''settlement'' of the Slavs into the Western Balkans in the 7th century but the more modern research undertaken by scholars and archaeologists<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC&pg=PA52&dq=croatian+graves+medieval+dalmatian+dating&hl=en&ei=LA6HTan-IsGHcYbf3Y4D&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat:] Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia by Danijel Dzino (p52).</ref> cannot confirm this. The settlement of the Slavs in small groups has now been thought to be more in the region of the late 8th century or early 9th century.<ref>Historians of this school of thought are D. Dzino, L.Margetic, Ancic, Rapanic and Sokol.</ref> The early sources must have reflected the '''raid''' activity of the Slavic tribes within Roman Dalmatia.
According to the Baska tablet from 1100 AD they spoke old Slavic Chakavian. [http://www.croatianhistory.net/glagoljica/baska.mp3 Baska tablet-mp3] <ref>Note ''Baska tablet'' was translated in 1875, it's language is Old Slavic Croatian Chakavian with elements of liturgical Church Slavonic.</ref>
=History - Medieval Croatia=
=History - Medieval Croatia=
'''Medieval Croatia''' evolved from the former province of the old Roman Empire named '''Dalmatia'''. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, from 480 to 535 AD Roman Dalmatia was ruled by the Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths). When the Ostrogoth Kingdom cease to be it was divided between the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) and the '''Carolingian Empire''' - Franks (the old Roman neighbouring province of Pannonia was at one stage under the Avar<ref>"Avar, one of a people of undetermined origin and language, who, playing an important role in eastern Europe (6th–9th century)" '''referenced''' from: http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45428/Avar The Slavs and Avar at one stage had a shared history.</ref>).
'''Medieval Croatia''' evolved from the former province of the old Roman Empire named '''Dalmatia'''. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, from 480 to 535 AD Roman Dalmatia was ruled by the Ostrogoths (a Germanic tribe related to the Goths). When the Ostrogoth Kingdom cease to be it was divided between the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) and the '''Carolingian Empire''' - Franks (the old Roman neighbouring province of Pannonia was at one stage under the Avar<ref>"Avar, one of a people of undetermined origin and language, who, playing an important role in eastern Europe (6th–9th century)" '''referenced''' from: http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/45428/Avar The Slavs and Avar at one stage had a shared history.</ref>).
Within the old Roman province of Dalmatia's borders, history presents it self as a region of Europe that has a very rich, multicultural and multiethnic past.
Within the old Roman province of Dalmatia's borders, history presents it self as a region of Europe that has a very rich, multicultural and multiethnic past.
=Editor's Note=
=Editor's Note=