ENThe Balts (divided into Western, Eastern and Dnieper Balts) are represented archaeologically by a number of culture - areas (distinguished mainly by the burial rites and grave goods) which came into being at the end of the fourth century or beginning of the fifth, which appear in theViking age and later in the written sources as different tribes of Balts. There were eleven Baltic tribes: in the west the Curonians of the Lithuanian - Latvian Baltic Sea; in the north the Semigallians, that adjoined at the Daugava, the Selonians in the Aiviekste Basin; the Lettigallians, the Samogitians, the upland Lithuanians (middle Lithuanians), the Lithuanians, in the south the Scalvians, Prussians and Jatvingians; in the east, the Galindians and Dnieper Balts (S. Rieckhoff & A. Tautavičius 1993:33; J. Apals & Ё. Mugurevičs 2001). In the period preceding the eleventh century, the Balts are characterised by expansion (J. Apals & Ё. Mugurevičs 2001). But since the 11th century the limits of the distribution of the Balts has gradually retreated as a result of pressure from the Slavs, a process which is still going on (L. Vaitkunskienė 1992: 49; J. Apals & Ё. Mugurevičs 2001). [p. 169].