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The remains of ancient Viminacium are located in Eastern Serbia, next to the modern town of Kostolac, on the right bank of the Mlava river, near its confluence with the Danube (Figure 1). Its history begins with the construction of a... more
The remains of ancient Viminacium are located in Eastern Serbia, next to the modern town of Kostolac, on the right bank of the Mlava river, near its confluence with the Danube (Figure 1). Its history begins with the construction of a military outpost in the second half of the 1st century AD. During the most of its existence, it was the main military camp of the Legio VII Claudia. In the late 1st - early 2nd century, a civilian settlement developed to the west of the camp. During the reign of Emperor Hadrian, in AD 117, Viminacium was granted the...
The paper focuses on a group of five anthropomorphic pendants, deposited in graves of sub-adult and female individuals, discovered in cemeteries of ancient Viminacium (Serbia). The selection of raw materials (jet and amber), as well as... more
The paper focuses on a group of five anthropomorphic pendants, deposited in graves of sub-adult and female
individuals, discovered in cemeteries of ancient Viminacium (Serbia). The selection of raw materials (jet and amber),
as well as other parts of the necklaces these pendants were incorporated in, suggest their apotropaic character.
Various data sources have been employed in order to answer questions regarding the identification of the depicted beings,
reasons for their usage by certain population groups, etc. A comparison has been made with analogous specimens from across the
Roman world, which are not numerous but are prominently widespread. Three examples from Viminacium originate from recent
archaeological campaigns, meaning that osteological material was available for analysis.
Аbstract: Bone spinning implements have traditionally been a neglected part of Roman material culture, due to a general lack of interest for topics outside of the so-called "male domain". The consequence of such a situation is that hand... more
Аbstract: Bone spinning implements have traditionally been a neglected part of Roman material culture, due to a general lack of interest for topics outside of the so-called "male domain". The consequence of such a situation is that hand distaffs often remained unidentified , in manners that contributed to the persistence of stereotypes about women in the Ro-man world. The predominant occurrence of these artefacts in sepulchral contexts, as well as their supposed fragility and miniature dimensions, led some scholars to the conclusion that they had a symbolic and ritual role. On the other hand, most of bone spinning implements possess some undoubtedly functional elements. This article presents an attempt to systematize all available data on bone spinning equipment, with particular focus on the collection of distaffs and spindles from ancient Viminacium. At the current stage of research, it can be concluded that there is no compelling evidence for the use of bone spinning tools in everyday wool working in Viminacium. Кeywords: Roman wool spinning, bone distaffs, bone spindles, Viminacium Wool had a special significance in the Roman world. The Latin word for it-lana was simultaneously used to name clothes in general (Larsson Lovén 1998, 85). Garments worn by priests of the traditional Roman religion were exclusively made out of wool. It was also used for bands that were tied around the heads of sacrificial animals, sacred trees, altars, temple columns, etc. Wool symbolizes the correct relationship with nature because, unlike leather, it comes from an animal that continues to live (Sebesta 2001, 47). A very important step in the process of making a finished product from the raw material was the spinning of the yarn. Equipment used for this task consisted of three implements: a distaff-colus, a spindle-fusus, and a basket for storing tools as well as rovings of unspun wool and balls of yarn-calathus (Facsády 2008, 166). A roving of wool would have been attached to a distaff held in the left hand, and from it, fibres would be extracted with two fingers. The spindle was in the right hand, and on it, there was some yarn already spun, the
A luxurious set of spinning implements was discovered as part of the furnishings in the grave of a woman, unearthed in the surroundings of ancient Viminacium. A unique amber distaff with the upper part modelled in the form of a female... more
A luxurious set of spinning implements was discovered as part of the furnishings in the grave of a woman, unearthed
in the surroundings of ancient Viminacium. A unique amber distaff with the upper part modelled in the form of a female bust
stands out as the most important part of the grave assemblage. Similar artefacts were often misinterpreted, but this specimen
was found together with a spindle, thus confirming that it actually is a distaff. Miniature copies of spinning equipment made out
of precious materials are known from sepulchral contexts, and are described as objects expressing feminine virtue. It is considered
that they were used in wedding rites, thus indicating the possible age of the deceased. Spinning implements can represent useful
tools for studying the life course of Roman women. In this paper, an attempt was made to identify the divinity or person depicted
on the distaff from Viminacium, considering the symbolic nature of these artefacts.
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Freshwater shell remains in late prehistoric faunal assemblages of Southeastern Europe have often been neglected and usually just counted, while their species level was rarely determined. Based on ethnographic data, they were usually... more
Freshwater shell remains in late prehistoric faunal assemblages of Southeastern Europe have often been neglected and usually just counted, while their species level was rarely determined. Based on ethnographic data, they were usually interpreted as remnants of additional food resources, but also as food for pigs and as fish baits. Several pits filled with unionid shells have been dug up in 2012, in the course of protective archaeological excavations of late prehistoric settlements located at the shore of the River Klepečka, near its confluence with the Danube (in the surroundings of the later Roman city of Viminacium). According to other archaeological finds, the pits were dated to the Early Bronze Age. The assemblage of more than 1000 valves offered an opportunity for a detailed morphometric study of mollusk remains. The research included taxonomic identification, specific measurements of each valve and recording of taphonomic data, such as shell color, fragmentation and artificial modifications. Three species have been identified: Unio crassus, Unio pictorum, and Unio tumidus. We discuss whether the species significantly differ according to their length, breadth and height, as well as morphological traits of the hinge area. According to contextual and overall distribution we will discuss possible cultural preference towards these three species in prehistory. Finally, based on contextual data and taphonomic features, we will discuss their purpose and significance within the studied settlement. The results will be placed in regional and temporal context in order to suggest freshwater shell significance in the life of people who occupied Southeastern Europe in late prehistory.
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In the course of the rescue excavations at the sites of Rit and Nad Klepečkom near Viminacium, which were carried out between 2010 and 2016, remains of a La Tène settlement were recorded. Portable finds from the settlement are mostly... more
In the course of the rescue excavations at the sites of Rit and Nad Klepečkom near Viminacium, which were carried out between 2010 and 2016, remains of a La Tène settlement were recorded. Portable finds from the settlement are mostly represented by potsherds and scarce metal finds, of which painted pottery and two bronze fibulae of Middle La Tène scheme are of particular importance for the dating of the site. An absolute date is also acquired for one of the features at the site of Rit. The remains of the residential architecture indicate a settlement typical for the Scordisci, similar to the other settlements that were established in the valleys of Sava and Danube during the Late La Tène period. Feature 12 is quite interesting, as it probably represents the remains of a weaving workshop.
Prilikom arheoloških iskopavanja na lokalitetu Nad Klepečkom u okviru zaštitnih istraživanja na antičkom nalazištu Viminacijum kod Kostolca otkriveni su ostaci arhitek-ture sa brojnim pokretnim nalazima iz ranog bronzanog doba, kao i... more
Prilikom arheoloških iskopavanja na lokalitetu Nad Klepečkom u okviru zaštitnih istraživanja na antičkom nalazištu Viminacijum kod Kostolca otkriveni su ostaci arhitek-ture sa brojnim pokretnim nalazima iz ranog bronzanog doba, kao i ostaci arhitekture i deo nekropole iz srednjeg, odnosno poznog bronzanog doba. Lokalitet Nad Klepečkom nalazio se na rečnoj terasi oko 3 km istočno od današnjeg korita Mlave. Severozapadno od ovog lokaliteta bio je situiran lokalitet Rit, a oko 1 km jugozapadno od lokaliteta Nad Klepečkom, lokalitet Kod Koraba. Danas je ceo taj prostor devastiran površinskim kopom. Ostaci naselja i nekropole iz bronzanog doba na lokalitetu Nad Klepečkom registrovani su 2012. godine prilikom ubiciranja antičke komunikacije koja je vodila od Viminacijuma ka Ramu. hORIzONT RANOg bRONzANOg dObA Ostaci objekata iz ra-nog bronzanog doba otkrive-ni su u sondama 69, 77, 79 i KI 89 (sl. 1) na severnom delu lokaliteta, na jugozapadnim padinama usamljene grede orijentacije severoistok-jugo-zapad, na nadmorskoj visini između 70 i 80 m. 1 U severozapadnoj polo-vini sonde 69, koja je ujedno i najsevernija sonda sa objekti-ma iz ovog perioda, otkriven je objekat 1, ukop približno pravougaonog oblika, orijen-tacije SI-JZ, dužine oko 4,7 i širine oko 2,7 m (sl. 2-4). Bio je ukopan do relativne dubine oko 0,8 m od nivoa ukopava-nja, osim središnje jame, koja je bio ukopana oko 2,7 m.