A few notes in the defence of the Great Moravian market system

The recent text by J. Macháček (in print) attempts to review the debate concerning the nature of the relationship between Great Moravian centres and their hinterlands. Among other points, it also criticises the model of the Great Moravian market system that I originally developed as part of the wider economic, geographic, and political model of the Great Moravian polity (Hlavica 2023). In the following text, I will analyse Macháček’s key arguments and highlight the problematic conclusions on which he bases his position. Additionally, I will point to the grounding of the author’s criticism in an incomplete understanding of certain economic and anthropological concepts. My primary aim is to demonstrate that his criticism of the Great Moravian market model is insufficient to warrant its rejection.