The Rise and fall of the Dalmatian 'Big-men': social structures in Late Antique, Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia (ca. 500-850)

This paper is discussing social structures in Dalmatia from 6th to mid-9th century, looking primarily in material evidence and utilising Sahlins’ anthropological approaches to power-structures. It is argued that change occurring in 7th century should be better explained by looking into changes in Dalmatian elite expression starting in 5th and 6th century, than by assumption of massive migration and settlement of the Slavs.