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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.

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|350px|Baska tablet 1100 AD from Baska, on the island of Krk-[[Croatia]].]]

[[File:800px-Bascanska ploca.jpg|thumb|right|350px|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.

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 8th 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>

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>