Editing Belarus (section)

===Early history===
{{further|Early Slavs}}
From 5000 to 2000 BC, the [[Bandkeramik]] predominated in what now constitutes Belarus, and the [[Cimmerians]] as well as other pastoralists roamed through the area by 1,000 BC. The [[Zarubintsy culture]] later became widespread at the beginning of the [[1st millennium]]. In addition, remains from the [[Dnieper–Donets culture]] were found in Belarus and parts of [[Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shaw|first1=Ian|last2=Jameson|first2=Robert|title=A Dictionary of Archaeology|publisher=Wiley|year=2008|pages=203–204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HKDtlPuM2oC&pg=PA203|isbn=978-0-470-75196-1}}</ref> The region was first permanently settled by [[Baltic peoples|Baltic]] tribes in the 3rd century. Around the 5th century, the area was taken over by the Slavs. The takeover was partially due to the lack of military coordination of the Balts, but their gradual assimilation into Slavic culture was peaceful.<ref>{{harvnb|Zaprudnik|1993|p=7}}</ref> Invaders from [[Asia]], among whom were the [[Huns]] and [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]], swept through c. 400–600 AD, but were unable to dislodge the Slavic presence.<ref>John Haywood, ''Historical Atlas, Ancient and Classical World'' (1998).<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed--></ref>