Slavic Settlement of The Eastern Alps - Slavs and The Aboriginal Population

Slavs and The Aboriginal Population

After settling in the Eastern Alps region, Slavs subsequently subjugated the aboriginal Romanised population which had dwelt in the territory of the former Noricum province and in its cities. In late antiquity, the aboriginal population evaded Slavic settlers by moving into remote and elevated places, usually hills, where they built fortifications; such examples are Ajdna in the Karavanke mountain ridge and Rifnik near modern Celje. However, recent archeological research shows that even certain well-fortified cities in the lower areas managed to protect themselves from the invaders. Part of the aboriginal population escaped into Italy and to the cities along the Adriatic coast, among them Civitas Nova (modern Novigrad). Many aborigines were enslaved by the Slavs (an old Slavic term for slaves was krščenik, meaning a Christian, as the aborigines were Christians), some, however, assimilated with Slavs and thus enriched their culture.

Slavs referred to the Romanised aborigines as Vlahi or Lahi. Certain place names in modern Slovenia, such as Laško, Laški rovt, Lahovče, and others, bear witness to this. Also a number of river names in modern Slovenia, like Sava, Drava, Soča, as well as the geographic name Carniola (Slovenian Kranjska) were adopted from the Romanised aborigines.