Milica Radišić

In this paper, part of a gilded attire set for decorating clothes is published, from the Museum of Srem, belonging to the Hungarian arts-and-crafts milieu of the period immediately after their settling in the Pannonian Plain. The group of finds, consisting of a total of 14 pieces, was gifted to the Museum in the middle of the 20th  century as a legacy of Franjo Rački, who was the parson of Sremska Mitrovica and trustee of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb. It is assumed that the finds originate from the area of Mitrovica, where Rački used to procure antiquities, or the wider  region of Syrmia. It is a set consisting of two-piece pendants and two types of appliques which used to adorn the attire of the female part of the population in the 10th century. On this occasion, formal, technological and decorative characteristics are examined, through a comparative analysis with similar decorative sets from the Carpathian Basin. Finally, with an overview of other archaeological finds of similar chronology, historical circumstances and the nature of the Hungarian presence in the area between the Danube and the Sava are briefly discussed.

The study of the Great Moravian heritage is of importance for Serbian archaeology, all the more so as different kinds of archaeological finds from the wider Serbian Danube region, inlcuding the Velika Morava and Timok valleys, point to certain contacts with the regions of the Great Moravian state in present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia (map 1). While for some finds one may confidently suggest a Great Moravian workshop provenance, other finds, similar not exclusively to the Moravian ones, reflect wider Slavic fashion styles. Although the majority of our sample does not come from archaeological contexts, on the basis of central European parallels these finds can be dated to the 9th and the first half of the 10th centuries. There are two groups of indicative finds – jewellery and parts of clothing, and weapons and horse-riding equipment. Most similarities can be found in jewellery, and particularly in earrings, the most popular adornment in the Slavic world. A group of earrings from the vicinity of Belgrade, Ram and eastern Serbia (fig. 1), grape-like in shape and those with pendants decorated with filigree and granulation, has close parallels in cemeteries in Great Moravia (e.g Staré Město – Na Valách) and the Pannonian Duchy in western Hungary (Zalavár). Simple earrings are more numerous, both cast in bronze and made from sheet and wire; they come from Belgrade, Ravna, Gamzigrad, Grabovica, and Prahovo (fig. 2/1–2, 4–5). Many similar pieces have been found in cemeteries in Slovakia, around Nitra, and in the Bulgarian Danube region; some finds from the Morava valley also feature characteristics of Great Moravian jewellery (fig. 2/3, 6). Along with a few sheet finger-rings with rhombic heads, two lunula-shaped pendants have been found in Ritopek near Belgrade (fig. 3/2) and Knić in central Serbia, almost identical to those from the Staré Město – Na Valách and Cífer-Pác cemeteries. A gilded button from a ruined medieval necropolis in Ram, by the Roman fortress of Lederata (fig. 3/1), is a typical Great Moravian product of the second half of the 9th century, resembling those from Stará Kouřim and Mikulčice – Valy. In addition to the Ram find, several metallic and glass buttons of Great Moravian style have been recorded at Gamzigrad and Gradac by Kragujevac (fig. 3/3–4). A unique find in the territory of present-day Serbia is a battle-axe from Ritiševo near Vršac in the Western Banat region, which belongs to the I1 type of Great Moravian axes (fig. 4/1). Apart from a granulated silver earring, the devastated cemetery located between Ram and Kličevac also yielded a pair of strap-ends and loops that had originally belonged to a spur set, most likely central European in origin. Furthermore, the cross-shaped strap dividers from Gamzigrad and Zlot in eastern Serbia are parts of horse-riding equipment which were typically used in the western Slavic regions (fig. 4/2–3). The Gamzigrad find comes from a medieval settlement which was formed above the ruins of the Tetrarchic palace, while the Zlot fitting has been found in the course of a field survey. They find close 9th-century parallels in Gradišče Hill above Bašelj and Gradec near Velika Strmica in Slovenia and in Bojná I – Valy in western Slovakia. Following their incorporation into the Bulgarian state, the Slavs settled in the Serbian Danube region came into contact with the mid-European states, the Carolingian Empire and Great Moravia. The fact that the Bulgarian policy in the 9th century was in part directed towards the Middle Danube region – first in wars against the Franks over control of the Sava, Drava and Danube interfluve, and in the second half of the 9th century through alliances in the Frankish-Moravian wars – provides a framework for understanding wider archaeological phenomena. The second process which unified distant Slavic regions, much deeper and more far-reaching, was the strengthening of Byzantine influence through the religious missions of the eight-sixties in Bulgaria and Great Moravia. We are informed of the Balkan Slavs from the Frankish annals. They name the Timočani and the Abodrites, first in some form of alliance with the Bulgarians, and afterwards integrated into their state. Unsatisfied with their status, in 818 they had sought Frankish protection; some of them fled there as well. The Timočani were most likely settled in the area of the Timok valley in what is now eastern Serbia, while the Abodrites are usually ubicated north of the Danube, between the Sava and the Timok confluences, or in the immediate vicinity of the former group on the right bank of the Danube. The Velika Morava valley was settled by the Slavic group of (Balkan) Moravians. They are mentioned in sources from the middle of the 9th century, when they were finally annexed to Bulgaria. One may assume that early contacts with the Great Moravian Slavs took place as a consequence of migrations from the Balkans towards the Frankish Empire. The appearance of the same earrings in the Serbian Danube region and around Nitra in modern Slovakia was explained in this context by M. Ćorović-Ljubinković, who believed that the Timočani brought their jewellery to central Europe. The Czech archaeologists B. Dostál and T. Štefanovičová thought that this was due to the establishment of closer connections with the Balkan populations within the expansion of Swatopluk’s state towards the south. However, the appearance of the same material culture could in this case be interpreted in terms of a wider fashion, which in the Bulgarian territories persisted throughout the 10th century. Apart from Bulgaria and Great Moravia, the same trends in jewellery can be observed in western Pannonia, Slovenia, Austria and Dalmatia, revealing the existence of stronger connections between the different Slavic groups prior to the Hungarian conquest. In his work De administrando imperio, Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus mentioned the migrations of the Moravians to Bulgaria and Croatia, driven away by the Hungarian threat of the end of the 9th century. However, from these accounts one should not envisage large masses flooding the Balkan Danube region. Population changes of such magnitude would have left more abundant traces in material culture in comparison to our record. The several luxurious pieces from the vicinity of Belgrade, Ram and eastern Serbia (figs 1/1–2, 4–5, 3/1) could have belonged to refugees, or may represent an import from the north obtained through trade routes from Great Moravia to Bulgaria and beyond. Although there are evident similarities in jewellery design and items of clothing, the Slavic communities of the central Balkans and central Europe lived in significantly different socio-economic and cultural environments. Apart from the settlement organisation and structure, this is particularly well reflected in grave inventories. The richly furnished elite graves from the Great Moravian cemeteries, often dug near churches, contained weapons, horse-riding equipment and other luxurious metallic objects. As far as we know at present, since in the explored sites there are virtually no finds of a military character, the Balkan Danube region was not affected by a “warriors’” fashion of early feudal Europe. The few such finds of central European origin (fig. 4) can be differently interpreted, as testimonies to war episodes or military movements, or as personal belongings of newcomers.

In this paper are presented the chance finds from the period between the 4th and 6th centuries from the Gradac site, in the village of Grbavče near Svrljig, where the remains of a fortification are situated. In addition to being archaeologically unexplored, the site is largely destroyed and consequently the objects discussed here represent the only available data. The author assumes that the fortification might have been built during the Late Antiquity and rebuilt in the great construction undertaking in Illyricum during the reigns of Emperor Anastasius I (491-518) and Justinian I (527-565). Certain finds indicate the possibility that the site of Gradac was also used in the Middle Ages.

The belt buckles and brooches from the Western European cultural circle are not very common finds in present-day Serbia. This article provides a chronological overview and discusses the possible circumstances of  their appearance in the territories south of the Danube and Sava Rivers. It is suggested that the specimens from the Danube Region and its close hinterland should be seen in the light of the administrative divisions and the expansion of Hungary and Bulgaria to the given areas. It is further assumed that the Western-style belts and brooches were not widely adopted by the inhabitants of Medieval Serbia. Therefore, finds from Novo Brdo and Kruševac are ascribed to the foreign groups whose presence is documented in the historical sources. The presented finds belong to the period between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The article presents the chance finds of  heart/leaf-shaped bronze mounts from Svrljig-Grad (Eastern Serbia) which were most probably used as belt fittings (Fig. 1). Such findings are mainly dated to the tenth century. On the basis of numerous analogous finds from pesent-day northeastern Bulgaria, i.e. from the wider  surroundings of  Preslav, it may be concluded that the mounts testify to Bulgarian domination in the region of Svrljig during the Early Middle Ages. The same could be stated for similar speciments from the areas in present-day Serbia south of  Danube and Sava Rivers (Map 1), but one cannot exclude the possibility that certain finds from the Danube Region might perhaps have been of Hungarian origin.

„Bjelobrdski kompleks“ predstavlja jednu od najpoznijih (rano)srednjovekovnih evropskih kultura u kojoj se ogleda sažimanje nomadskih i nenomadskih populacija i njihov preobražaj u feudalno hrišćansko društvo, u periodu od 10. do 12. veka. Zadatak disertacije bio je da se definiše, objedini i kritički analizira arheološka građa iz Vojvodine, i manjeg dela ostatka Srbije, koja se u najširem smislu može označiti ovim pojmom. U tom cilju je obrađen arheološki materijal sa preko 200 nalazišta, prema podacima iz literature i na osnovu uvida autorke u deo nepublikovane građe. Kroz tumačenje odlika naselja i nekropola i tipološko-hronološko proučavanje nalaza objašnjene su kulturne i društvene promene u užim vremenskim etapama. Pokazano je da se bjelobrdska kultura može sagledati jedino kao složena sinteza etnički heterogenog panonskog stanovništva i doseljenih Mađara, uz znatnije uticaje iz okruženja. Na njeno oblikovanje u celini nije uticao impuls sa vizantijskog Balkana  već su prevagnula strujanja iz drugih evropskih sredina – otonskog Zapada, Kijevske Rusije i u izvesnoj meri vikinšog kulturnog kruga. To se naročito jasno oslikava u sferi verskih, društvenih i modnih obrazaca i kroz preuzimanje zanatskih tehnika i proizvoda.
Disertacija doprinosi potpunijem sagledavanju mesta i uloge prostora Vojvodine u širim teritorijalnim i istorijskim okvirima. Tokom svih vremenskih etapa se prate pojave prisutne širom Panonske nizije, koje su u vezi sa uspostavljanjem i razvojem Mađarske. Zato je u skladu sa tokovima savremene nauke predloženo da se pojam „bjelobrdski kompleks/kultura“ ukine (i) u domaćoj naučnoj sredini i da se arheloški materijal razmatra u opštem kontekstu – kao nasleđe iz perioda rane mađarske države. S druge strane, zbog neposredne blizine vizantijske granice i periodične vizantijske prevlasti nad Sremom, u južnoj Vojvodini se prati svojevrsno preplitanje vizantijskih i bjelobrdskih kulturnih tekovina.
Ključne reči: bjelobrdska kultura, bjelobrdski nalazi, ranomađarski nalazi, nekropole, naselja, Vojvodina, Karpatska kotlina, Mađarska, Vizantija, Evropa, 10–12. vek
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The “Bjelo Brdo complex” represents one of  the last (early) medieval European cultures which reflected the convergence of nomadic and non-nomadic populations and their transformation into a feudal Christian society, in the period from the 10th to the 12th century. The task set for this thesis was to define, consolidate and provide a critical analysis of the archaeological material from Vojvodina, and certain smaller parts of the rest of Serbia, which could be defined as belonging to this culture, in the broadest sense possible. In order to achieve this goal archaeological material from over 200 sites was examined, according to data provided by literature and due to author's personal inquiry into unpublished findings. Through an interpretation of the characteristics of settlements and necropoles and typological-chronological examination of the findings, cultural and social changes were explained, divided into shorter periods of time. It was demonstrated that the Bjelo Brdo culture can be perceived only as a complex synthesis of the ethnically heterogeneous Pannonian population and newly settled Hungarians, with important influences from the surrounding areas. When it comes to the shaping of that culture as a whole, it wasn’t an impulse from the Byzantine Balkans that influenced it, but rather the currents coming from other European milieux – Ottonian West, Kievan Rus’ and, in a certain measure, the Viking cultural sphere. This can be seen especially clearly in the sphere of religious, social and fashion patterns and through the adoption of crafting techniques and products.
This thesis contributes to a more complete overview of the place and role of the area of Vojvodina in a wider territorial and historical context. Phenomena were registered from all of chronological phases, present throughout the entire Carpathian Basin, and linked to the founding and development of the Hungary. Therefore, in accordance with modern scientific tendencies, it is suggested that the use of the term “Bjelo Brdo complex/culture” should be discontinued in our scientific milieu (as well) and that the archaeological material should be taken into consideration in a more general context – as heritage from the period of the early Hungarian state. On the other hand, due to the immediate vicinity of the Byzantine border and periods of Byzantine dominance over Syrmia, an entwining of sorts of the Byzantine and Bjelo Brdo cultural heritage can be observed in southern Vojvodina.
Keywords: Bjelo Brdo culture, Bjelo Brdo finds, finds from the Hungarian Conquest period, cemeteries, settlements, Vojvodina, Carpathian Basin, Hungary, Byzantium, Europe, 10th–12th century

Područje Srema u srednjem veku je naizmenično predstavljalo najseverniju periferiju Vizantijskog carstva i najjužniju oblast mađarske države. Takav položaj je odredio dinamičan i specifičan razvoj oblasti koji se manifestuje u arheološkim tragovima. Cilj saopštenja je da se prikažu predmeti  vizantijske materijalne kulture i ponudi gledište o karakteru i intenzitetu vizantinizacije Srema, uz osvrt na druge kulturne elemene iz okruženja. Komentarisaće se nalazi iz naselja, nekropola, crkvena arhitektura, skupni nalazi dragocenosti, numizmatička i sigilografska građa, iz hronološkog okvira od poslednjih decenija 10. do kraja 12. stoleća.