Sloveni u dalekoj prošlosti

Slavs in the distant past is one of the most important and most cited works by the Russian archaeologist and academic Valentin Vasilyevich Sedov (1924–2004), a leading expert on Slavic ethnogenesis in the second half of the 20th century.

The book is a comprehensive synthesis of archaeological, linguistic and historical data on the earliest history of the Slavs. Sedov traces the process of the separation of the Slavs from the common ancient European community, their development in the period before the Great Migration of Peoples, and the formation of the Slavic ethnic and linguistic community. He pays special attention to archaeological cultures that he associates with the Slavs (e.g. Zarubinka, Chernyakhovsk, Prague culture), their settlements, material culture, funeral customs and relations with neighboring peoples (Balts, Germans, Iranians, Finns).

The work is written systematically and scientifically, with rich maps and illustrations. It represents a classic work of the so-called of the Soviet/Russian archaeological school, which emphasizes the indigenous development of the Slavs in Eastern Europe, while accepting certain migratory elements.

The book is comprehensive and is considered required reading for anyone interested in Slavic prehistory, archaeology, and the early Middle Ages. Although some of the theses have now been partially revised by new genetic research, Sedov's work remains a fundamental reference work in the field.