The exact borders of their settlement area are disputed. It is generally accepted that their fielded land had fruitful
loess soil and had dimensions of approximately 50 km from east to west and 20 km from north to south. The northern border was in swampy and partially infertile terrain, while the southern border formed part of the
Lausitzer Bergland. The hills of
Burkau near
Kamenz formed a natural boundary for the Milceni in the west, while their territory bordered that of the
Besunzane in the east. The boundaries of the tribe have also been given as the
Pulsnitz River in the west and the
Kwisa River in the east. They were first mentioned as
Milzane in the middle of the 9th century AD by the
Bavarian Geographer as having 30
civitates. In 992 the
Dagome iudex records that "
in terram Milze et a fine Milze intra Oddere" was bordering
Civitas Schinesghe which was Polish realm of king
Mieszko I. German king
Henry the Fowler (919-936), defeated the Slavic tribe in 932 and demanded conversion to
Christianity, although this was only partially successful. King and emperor
Otto I (936-973) defeated the Lusatians in 963 and placed them under the rule of Margrave
Gero. The Milceni were subjugated by Margrave
Ekkehard I of
Meissen ca. 990 and had their territory incorporated into the
Holy Roman Empire, but already in 1002, those regions were captured by the
Polish duke
Bolesław I the Brave, who seized
Bautzen () and all lands up to the river
Elbe, also taking the neighboring
Meissen () with all territories up to
White Elster river. Lands of Milceni remained under Polish rule until 1031-1031, when they were recaptured by Germans and reincorporated into the March of Meissen. Enfeoffed to Duke
Vratislaus II of Bohemia in 1076, their estates later became known as
Land Budissin. The Milceni were still mentioned in the 12th century, both as
pago Milzana, and
Song of Roland ("the second of big-headed men from Misnes– along the vertebrae all down their backs these men have tufted bristles, just like hogs"). During the 10th–12th centuries, the region of Bautzen was known in written sources (e.g.
Thietmar of Merseburg) as
Gau Milsca, and in Polish it was known as
Milsko until the 15th century. Since th 15th century, the region became known as
Upper Lusatia, in relation to the neighboring
Lusatia proper, known since then as
Lower Lusatia. == Society ==