History of Slovakia - Prehistory

Prehistory

Slovakia's territory had been inhabited in the Palaeolithic, based on discovery of ancient tools made by the Clactonian technique near Nové Mesto nad Váhom. Other prehistoric discoveries include the Middle Palaeolithic stone tools found near Bojnice, and a Neanderthal discovery at a site near Gánovce. The Gravettian culture was present principally in the river valleys of Nitra, Hron, Ipeľ, Váh and as far as the city of Žilina, and near the foot of the Vihorlat, Inovec, and Tribeč mountains, as well as in the Myjava Mountains. The best known artifact is the Venus of Moravany from Moravany nad Váhom.

Neolithic habitation was found in Želiezovce, Gemer, and the Bukové hory massif, the Domica cave, and at Nitriansky Hrádok. Bronze Age was marked by the Čakany and Velatice cultures, and then the Lusatian culture, followed by the Calenderberg culture and the Hallstatt culture. The major Celtic tribes living in Slovakia were Cotini (Púchov culture) and Boii.

The Roman period began in in 6 CE, with the war between them and the resident Germanic Marcomanni and Quadi tribes. The Romans attempted to form a province of Marcomannia in the late 2nd century. The great invasions of the 4–8th centuries saw the emergence of the Huns, followed by the expansion of the Ostrogoths, Lombards, Gepids, Heruli. Eurasian Avars followed, battling the Byzantine Empire, to be replaced by the Slavs.