is sometimes said that these fields of rich loamy loess soil could feed the whole of Europe. However, there is an increase in extreme precipitation events that cause soil erosion. Knowledge of areas affected by severe soil erosion can lead to the implementation of effective measures to reduce it. For its early settlers, the plain offered few sources of metals or stone. Thus when archaeologists come upon objects of obsidian or chert, copper or gold, they have almost unparalleled opportunities to interpret ancient pathways of trade. Geomorphology The Pannonian plain is divided into two parts along the Transdanubian Mountains (Hungarian: Dunántúli-középhegység). The northwestern part is called Western Pannonian plain (or province) and the southeastern part Eastern Pannonian plain (or province). They comprise the following sections: Western Pannonian Plain (province): Vienna Basin Little Hungarian Plain Eastern Pannonian Plain (province): Great Hungarian Plain Pannonian Island Mountains () Transdanubian Mountains (Hungarian: Dunántúli-középhegység) Drava–Mura lowlands Note: The Transylvanian Plateau and the Lučenec-Košice Depression (both parts of the Carpathians) and some other lowlands are sometimes also considered part of the Pannonian Plain in non-geomorphological or older divisions. Regions Relatively large or distinctive areas of the plain that do not necessarily correspond to national borders include: Bačka/Bácska (Serbia, Hungary) Šajkaška (Serbia) Telečka (Serbia) Gornji Breg (Serbia) Banat (Romania, Serbia, Hungary) Pančevački Rit (Serbia) Veliki Rit (Serbia) Gornje Livade (Serbia) Baranya/Baranja (Hungary, Croatia) Burgenland (Neusiedler Basin), Austria Crişana (Hungary, Romania) Great Hungarian Plain (Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine) Jászság (Hungary) Kunság (Hungary) Little Hungarian Plain (Kisalföld/Malá dunajská kotlina – Hungary, Slovakia) Mačva (Serbia) Međimurje (Croatia) Moravia (part), Czech Republic Moslavina (Croatia) Podravina (Croatia, Hungary, around Drava river) Podunavlje (Serbia, Croatia, around Danube river) Pokuplje (Croatia, around Kupa river) Pomoravlje (part), Serbia, around Morava river Pomorišje (Romania, Hungary, Serbia, around Mureș river) Posavina (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, around Sava river) Potisje (Serbia, around Tisa river) Prekmurje (Slovenia) Semberija (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Slavonia (Croatia) Palača (Croatia) Srem/Srijem (Serbia, Croatia) Podlužje (Serbia) Šokadija (Croatia) Spačva (Croatia, Serbia) Cvelferija (Croatia) Zakarpattia Lowland (Ukraine) Transdanubia (Hungary) Vienna Basin (part), Austria Vojvodina (Serbia) several more inside Hungary, see: Counties of Hungary, Regions of Hungary several more inside Slovakia, see: Traditional regions of Slovakia, Regions of Slovakia History Prehistory The Pannonian Basin has its geological origins in the Pannonian Sea, a shallow sea that reached its greatest extent during the Pliocene Epoch, when three to four kilometres of sediments were deposited. Antiquity