On how justified the term Bijelo Brdo culture is in medieval archaeology

Abstract

The term "Bijelo Brdo culture" was introduced in the field of archaeology in the 1920s and refers to the archaeological remains from the period of the formation and rise of the Hungarian state in the Carpathian Basin, spanning from the 10th to the 12th century. However, this term has sparked a controversy within medieval archaeology due to conflicting opinions among experts regarding the interaction between the local post-Avar population and the settled Hungarian groups. In accordance with the specific development of archaeological science, various interpretative frameworks have been established in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia, often influenced by an ethnocentric approach and primarily based on the interpretation of finds from necropoles. Rather than solely criticizing earlier research practices in these countries, the focus of this paper is to present modern tendencies and provide a fresh perspective on the topics covered by the term "Bijelo Brdo culture."