 Slavic settlement in the Eastern Alps region is proven by the collapse of local dioceses in the late 6th century, a change in population and material culture, and most importantly, in the establishment of a Slavic language group in the area.The territory settled by Slavs, however, was also inhabited by the remains of the indigenous Romanized population, which preserved Christianity.Slavs in both the Eastern Alps and the Pannonian region were originally subject to Avar rulers ("kagans").