▁the ▁early ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁from ▁almost ▁a ▁century . ▁Another ▁aspect ▁of ▁dis continu ity ▁is ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁tomb s : ▁p its ▁l ined ▁by ▁lim estone ▁rocks , ▁a ▁construction ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁since ▁the ▁Iron ▁Age ▁period . ▁However ▁the ▁tomb s ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁such ▁bur ial s ▁are ▁in ▁a ▁Christian ▁context ▁( pla ced ▁next ▁to ▁churches ) ▁rather ▁than ▁re version ▁to ▁a ▁pag an ▁Il ly rian ▁past . ▁ ▁A ▁further ▁argument ▁against ▁a ▁proto - Al ban ian ▁aff inity ▁of ▁the ▁K oman ▁culture ▁is ▁that ▁very ▁similar ▁material ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁central ▁Dal mat ia , ▁Mont en eg ro , ▁western ▁Mac ed onia ▁and ▁south - e astern ▁Bulg aria , ▁along ▁the ▁Via ▁E gn atia ; ▁and ▁even ▁islands ▁such ▁as ▁Cor fu ▁and ▁S ardin ia . ▁The ▁" late ▁Roman " ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁ass embl ages ▁has ▁led ▁some ▁to ▁hypoth es ize ▁that ▁it ▁represented ▁By z antine ▁g arr isons . ▁However , ▁already ▁by ▁this ▁time , ▁literary ▁sources ▁give ▁testim ony ▁of ▁w ides p read ▁S lav ic ▁settlement s ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁B alk ans . ▁Specifically ▁for ▁Alban ia , ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁lex icon ▁and ▁to pon ym s ▁might ▁suggest ▁that ▁speak ers ▁of ▁proto - Al ban ian , ▁S lav ic ▁and ▁Rom ance ▁co - ex isted ▁but ▁occupied ▁specific ▁e colog ic