Introduction 61
rivers, the Danube and its tributary the Tisza, while their tributaries play a con-
siderable role in dividing up regions in the area.
The central part of the Carpathian Basin can be divided into two parts:
Transdanubia and the Great Hungarian Plain. Transdanubia, the former
Roman province of Pannonia, lies west of the Danube (being today the west-
ern half of Hungary), and is characterised by a hilly landscape with the main
lake in this region, the Balaton, dividing this area into northern and south-
ern parts. The Great Hungarian Plain is the lowland area in the eastern part
of Hungary, along with Vojvodina and Banat in Serbia, the western edge of
Romania, Eastern Slovakia and Southwestern Ukraine, which incorporates the
Danube-Tisza interfluve with its sand dunes, including Bačka (Bácska) and the
Transtisia region east of the Tisza river, including Banat. The lowlands north
of the Danube were settled only during the Middle and Late Avar phase and
are the northern continuation of the Little Hungarian Plain (Kisalföld), today
known as Southwestern Slovakia. The Transylvanian Plateau is a special part
of the Carpathian Basin enclosed by mountains (Carpathians and Apuseni
Mountains). The settlements of the Avar population in the area probably
occured only during the 7th century, while formerly it was populated by the
Gepids. Most of the known sites of the region were found in the valley of the
Mureş (Maros) river.
3.4 Armament and Society
Elements of early medieval armament are mainly known from burial assem-
blages, therefore their examination is inseparable from the analyses of cem-
eteries. Two main approaches are known in the social interpretation of
weapons: the Anglo-American and German (Continental) schools. In spite of
similarities, these schools developed parallel to one another without commu-
nication between them.264 Hungarian and East-Central European archaeol-
ogy in general was mainly influenced by the Continental (German) school for
political and linguistic reasons, while Anglo-American archaeological theories
have had almost no impact on Hungarian early medieval archaeology.
Three main approaches exist for the social analysis of cemeteries and
the examination of weapon combinations: 1. qualitative, 2. quantitative and
3. multi-dimensional.265 All three aproaches are used in Avar archaeology par-
allel to various international trends as mainly influenced by developments in
German archaeology.
264 Härke 1989, 185–194.
265 Härke 1992, 23.