Rethinking Ethnic Identity in the Archaeology of the Ancient Slavs

The archaeology of the ancient Slavs has advanced methodologically but remains divided between scholars who deny the Slavs’ migrations, and those linking material culture directly to ethnic identities. This paper seeks to bridge this divide by reassessing the theoretical framework for studying the ancient Slavs. It critiques the historical development of research on ethnic identity in archaeology, highlighting limitations in both primordialist and instrumentalist models. Instead, we propose redefining archaeological culture as a polythetic commonality of practice rooted in learned social behaviours. This framework permits identifying ethnic identities in the archaeological record without relying on texts. Applying this approach to the Prague-culture-assemblage archaeological culture, we demonstrate shared practices in language, housing, dress, sustenance, social relations, and genetic relatedness. Our findings confirm that the ancient Slavs existed as both an archaeological culture and a distinct identity group with strong collective self-awareness.