The archaeology of the migration period specialization encompasses the teaching and research of the material and spiritual culture, as well as the history, of the steppe peoples who settled in the Carpathian Basin during the first millennium AD—such as the Huns, Avars, and conquering Hungarians—as well as the Germanic, Slavic, and Iranian groups.

In analyzing social structures and stratification, special emphasis is placed on the relationship between local populations and newcomers, the formation of centers of power, and the examination of cultural changes and economic systems. Research into the complex network of cultural relations also extends to communication among so-called “barbarian” peoples and the reception of Late Antique and Byzantine Mediterranean culture.