POSSIBILITIES OF INTERPRETING THE 9TH CENTURY HORIZON IN THE NORTHERNMOST PERIPHERY OF TRANSDANUBIA

Present paper discusses the various interpretations of the 9th c. material culture on the northernmost periphery of Transdanubia, Northwestern Hungary. Highlighting the archaeologically observable elements of the 9th c. cultures via the latest results of settlement archaeology in the researched region, the article presents finds and their wider context from the sites at two early medieval centres: Visegrád (Danube Bend) and Győr (by the confluence of the River Danube and the River Rába). During the train of thought, some relevant data is provided on trade, technology, and knowledge transfer between the Northern Transdanubian area and its northern neighbouring regions, data on gastronomy, archaeo-zoological data, various economic strategies and settlement structures in relation with the Western Slavic territories. The article is an attempt at a sophisticated answer to the research issue, whether the region along the river Danube had been a peripheral border region, no man’s land or contact zone with vivid interregional connections.