Editing Dacian language (section)

=====Slovakia=====
To the north-west, the argument has been advanced that Dacian was also prevalent in modern-day [[Slovakia]] and parts of Poland. The basis for this is the presumed Dacian occupation of the fortress of [[Zemplín (region)|Zemplin]] in Slovakia in the era of Dacian king Burebista&nbsp;– whose campaigns outside Dacia have been dated c. 60 – 44&nbsp;BC&nbsp;– and Ptolemy's location of two ''-dava'' placenames on the lower Vistula River in Poland.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

The hypothesis of a Dacian occupation of Slovakia during the 1st century BC is contradicted by the archaeological evidence that this region featured a predominantly Celtic culture from c. 400&nbsp;BC;{{sfn|Bazovski|2008}} and a sophisticated kingdom of the [[Boii]] Celtic tribe. Based in modern-day [[Bratislava]] during the 1st century BC, this polity issued its own gold and silver coinage (the so-called "[[Biatec]]-type" coins), which bear the names of several kings with recognised Celtic names. This kingdom is also evidenced by numerous Celtic-type [[oppidum|fortified hill-top settlements]] (''oppida''), of which Zemplin is the foremost example in south-east Slovakia. Furthermore, the archaeological [[Puchov culture]], present in Slovakia in this period, is considered Celtic by mainstream scholars.{{sfn|Bazovski|2008}} Some scholars argue that Zemplin was occupied by Burebista's warriors from about 60&nbsp;BC onwards, but this is based on the presence of Dacian-style artefacts alongside the Celtic ones, which may simply have been cultural imports. But even if occupation by Dacian troops under Burebista actually occurred, it would probably have been brief, as in 44&nbsp;BC Burebista died and his kingdom collapsed and split into 4 fragments. In any case, it does not follow that the indigenous population became Dacian-speakers during the period of Dacian control. Karol Pieta's discussion of the ethnicity of the Puchov people shows that opinion is divided between those who attribute the culture to a Celtic group&nbsp;– the Boii or [[Cotini]] are the leading candidates&nbsp;– and those who favour a Germanic group, e.g., the [[Buri (Germanic tribe)|Buri]]. Despite wide acknowledgement of Dacian influence, there is little support for the view that the people of this region were ethnic Dacians.{{sfn|Pieta|1982|pp=204–209}}