Szőcs Péter Levente (szerk.): Ecsed. Ghid cultural şi istoric (Satu Mare, 2009)
Nagyecsed and its surroundings during te Middle Ages
The population left the area due to the wars during the age of migrations. The Slavs entered the Someş valley as late as the 8th century AD. Although there are no discoveries relating to their presence on the territory of Nagyecsed, traces of Slav habitation can be found in the wider area. A fragment of a golden buckle, belonging to a Slav leader, was found at Mátészalka, according to archaeologist István Bona. Moreover, a ceramic material indicating an 8th-9th century settlement was found at Fábiánháza-Mérk, at the crossroad with the road to Nagyecsed. The name of Kraszna (Crasna) River, and several other geographic and locality names originate from the Slav language, too. Nagyecsed and its surroundings during the Middle Ages The swamp of Ecedea was an insurmountable obstacle, thus when the Hungarians settled the area, the swamp became a part of the frontier-defense system. According to the chronicle of Anonymus: “Szabolcs and Tas, advanced with half of the army along the bank of Tisza River and subdued the people there, then they went forward, towards the Szamos (Someş) River, to the place that today is called Sárvár. There, under the swamps (...) they have excavated a large ditch and have built a strong earth fortress...” The reports of Anonymus must be regarded with criticism, although he knew well the Upper Tisza region. Therefore, he probably described with accuracy the beginnings of the Sárvár mmt Fotografie aeriană a sitului Sárvár şi macheta mănăstirii Légifelvétel Sárvár lelőhelyről és a monostor makettje Aerial view of the Sárvár site and the model of the monastery 13
