▁during ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century . ▁Sch ram m ▁arg ues ▁that ▁such ▁an ▁early ▁Christian ization ▁would ▁explain ▁the ▁otherwise ▁surprising ▁virtual ▁absence ▁of ▁any ▁traces ▁of ▁a ▁pre - Christ ian ▁pag an ▁religion ▁among ▁the ▁Alban ians ▁as ▁they ▁appear ▁in ▁history ▁during ▁the ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁According ▁to ▁this ▁theory , ▁the ▁B esso i ▁were ▁deport ed ▁en ▁mas se ▁by ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁to ▁central ▁Alban ia ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁fighting ▁against ▁the ▁Bulg ari ans . ▁In ▁their ▁new ▁hom eland , ▁the ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ians ▁took ▁the ▁ge ographic ▁name ▁Ar ban on ▁as ▁their ▁eth nic ▁name ▁and ▁proceeded ▁to ▁assim il ate ▁local ▁populations ▁of ▁S lav s ▁and ▁Rom ans . ▁ ▁C ities ▁whose ▁names ▁follow ▁Alban ian ▁ph on etic ▁laws ▁– ▁such ▁as ▁S ht ip ▁( Š tip ), ▁Sh kup i ▁( Sk op je ) ▁and ▁N ish ▁( N iš ) ▁– ▁lie ▁in ▁the ▁areas , ▁believed ▁to ▁histor ically ▁been ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁Th ra ci ans , ▁Pa ioni ans ▁and ▁D ard ani ; ▁the ▁latter ▁is ▁most ▁often ▁considered ▁an ▁Il ly rian ▁tribe ▁by ▁ancient ▁histor ians . ▁While ▁there ▁still ▁is ▁no ▁clear ▁picture ▁of ▁where ▁the ▁Il ly rian - Th ra cian ▁border ▁was , ▁Ni š ▁is ▁mostly ▁considered ▁Il ly rian ▁territory . ▁ ▁There ▁are