PhD thesis: Neolithic economy and macro-lithics tools of the Central Balkans https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/669666#page=1 Researching projects: Archaeology heritage of Paraćin district, since 2016 Crafter project, 2018 - 2019 Permanent Archeological workshop - The Neolithic in the Middle Morava Valley, since 2002 - 2015. Especially interested in paleoeconomy, petrology, macro-lithics, macro and micro use-wear analysis. Supervisors: Roberto Risch
EASTERN SERBIA AS AN INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH CHALLENGE a collection of works in honor of Prof. Dr. Sreten Petrović
Аn area of Upper Resava and the mountains of Južni Kučaj and Beljanica, the eastern Serbia is kn... more Аn area of Upper Resava and the mountains of Južni Kučaj and Beljanica, the eastern Serbia is known for mining activities. Intensive archaeological explorations, which were conducted during the 70s and 80s of the XX centuries, suggested an occupation of caves during different prehistoric and historic periods. However, the published results are rare and did not follow the exploration to the same extent. Besides archaeological artefacts, researchers considered an importance of faunal remains, resulting also in rich collection of paleontological findings. On this occasion, our study focused on Alovska Cave, due to its developed cultural-chronological and geological stratigraphy and an amount of pottery and animal bones. The lack of the published records supports significance of the examination of these objects, and we focused primarily on animal remains, while the analysis of pottery will be provided preliminary.
У овом раду смо покушали да дамо одговор на функцију и економски значај познопраисторијских насељ... more У овом раду смо покушали да дамо одговор на функцију и економски значај познопраисторијских насеља на истоку параћинске општине. Локалитети су углавном вишеслојни и откривени су током рекогносцирања. Због броја посебан осврт је стављен на налазишта из периода старијег гвозденог доба. На основу ранијих запажања и садашњих података разматрана је могућност постојање путног и економског чворишта у северном подножију палнине Бабе. У другом делу рада представљена је промена у насељености током позног латена и могућнст формирања трговачког насеља на месту савременог Параћина, много пре него што то писани извори помињу. Користећи писане изворе и податке добијене ископавањима на локалитету Лидл, Глождак покушали смо да убицирамо средњевековни Паракинов брод. Као основу анализа користили смо разлике у геоморфологији, квалитету земљишта, близину ресурса, комуникационе правце и етнографске податке о економији овог подручја.
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), ... more Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African-western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
ЗБОРНИК НАРОДНОГ МУЗЕЈА У БЕОГРАДУ XXV/1 АРХЕОЛОГИЈА , 2021
У циљу побољшања система заштите археолошке баштине, 2020.
године започета су систематска рекогно... more У циљу побољшања система заштите археолошке баштине, 2020. године започета су систематска рекогносцирања територије општине Параћин. Захваљујући живој активности параћинског музеја, од његовог оснивања сакупљени су подаци за приближно 120 археолошких налазишта на територији општине. Међутим, у области западне обале реке Велике Мораве, која обухвата равничарски појас и брдовите источне обронке планине Јухор, до сада је било евидентирано само седам локалитета од праисторије до средњег века, што по густини не одговара осталим равничарским деловима централног Поморавља. Због тако малог броја налазишта, али и јаке речне ерозије Велике Мораве, која већ деценијама односи хектаре ораницa у том делу речног тока, сматрали смо да ова област има приоритет у погледу теренских рекогносцирања. Тако је у првој половини 2020. године обављена детаљна проспекција терена на поменутом подручју и утврђени су прецизни положај и границе већ постојећих и новооткривених налазишта. Циљ овог рада је објављивање резултата рекогносцирања, али и њихова валоризација и поређење с претходно откривеном грађом из збирке Музеја.
Кључне речи: рекогносцирање, праисторија, антика, средњи век, Велика Морава, параћинска општина
ETHNO-CULTURAL ANNALS for the study of the culture of eastern Serbia and the adjacent areas TRADITION – RELIGION – MYTHOLOGY research of the ancient past and its modern manifestations, 2021
Апстракт: Oваj рад je посвећен циглани Драгутина Станковића, подигнутој 1936. године у околини Па... more Апстракт: Oваj рад je посвећен циглани Драгутина Станковића, подигнутој 1936. године у околини Параћина. Цигларство је мало експлоатисана тема, а подаци о овој привредној грани су оскудни. Садашња литература указује да је цигларска индустрија у Параћину била развијена, али се из непознатих разлога циглана Драгутина Станковића веома ретко помиње. Углавном је повезана са литературом и документацијом параћинског музеја о археолошком локалитету Глождак, који је ископаван крајем 50-их и почетком 60-их година прошлог века. Овде се циглана помиње у опису његове позиције и топографским карактеристикама. Са последњим заштитним ископавањима 2020. године овај простор је поново био актуелан за истраживаче и том приликом је Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин” дошао до првих информација о овом објекту и његовом власнику.
Kључне речи: циглана, индустрија, технологија, прва половина 20. века, Параћин.
Abstract: This paper is dedicated to a brickyard, which Dragutin Stanković built in 1936 in the vicinity of the town of Paraćin. Brick-making is an insufficiently explored topic, and available information is scarce. Literature shows that brick-making was well-developed in Paraćin, however, this brickyard was rarely mentioned for unknown reasons. It is reported commonly in paperworks on excavations of a site of Gloždak, at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s of the XX century. The brickyard was a part of a description of a position and topographic characteristics of the site. This area attracted researchers again, during the latest protective archaeological excavations in 2020, when Hometown Museum Paraćin collected the first information on the object and owner.
Key words: Brickyard, industry, technology, the first half of the 20th century, Paraćin.
У самом урбаном језгру Параћина, на локалитету Глождак–ДИС, реализована су током августа и септем... more У самом урбаном језгру Параћина, на локалитету Глождак–ДИС, реализована су током августа и септембра 2020. године заштитна археолошка истраживања,иницирана услед изградње супермаркета ДИС на том простору. Локалитет Глождак је у стручну литературу као некропола из позног бронзаног доба и дакогетског периода ушао средином XX века, након првих заштитних археолошких истраживања под руководством Драге и Милутина Гарашанина. На основу претходних и овогодишњих истраживања простирање локалитета на левој обали Црнице може се само делимично реконструисати. Јужни део локалитета данас је покривен модерним насељем Глождак, али се према плану сонди са поменутих истраживања може са сигурношћу тврдити да се простире јужно од данашње Улице Браће Југовић. Истраживања 2018. године утврдила су да се према истоку локалитет простире источно од данашње улице краља Милутина. Северна и западна граница нису јасно утврђене како је читав овај простор неистражен и прекривен савременом инфраструктуром.
The paper presents the results of the analysis of 17 macro-lithic artifacts from the multilayered... more The paper presents the results of the analysis of 17 macro-lithic artifacts from the multilayered Late Prehistoric site of Laz, the village of MIrilovac, Municipality of Paraćin, which indicate various economic activities. Although this type of finds cannot provide precise chronological data, we have tried to define their chronological position according to the analogies from clearly defined cultural and chronological contexts. These objects are part of a private collection, which includes different categories of stone tools such as semi-finished perforated tools, perforated percussion tools, percussion tools, polished edge tools, and a grinding slab.
АРХЕОЛОГИЯ ЕВРАЗИЙСКИХ СТЕПЕЙ, КАМЕННЫЙ ВЕК И НАЧАЛО ЭПОХИ РАННЕГО МЕТАЛЛА, 2020
Data on the implementation of macro-lithic tools in pottery production during the Late Neolithic ... more Data on the implementation of macro-lithic tools in pottery production during the Late Neolithic of the central Balkans are very rare. This paper presents experiments in smoothing, polishing pottery surface in order to examine several topics. Fourteen vessels were made of various tempered clay and diff erent moisture levels. Their surfaces were processed by smoothers made of shells and the experimentally made stone axe. Polishing has been performed by pebbles and a boar task. The experimental tests resulted in a comparative collection of micro-wear traces considering the objects originating from an archaeological context. This can reveal pottery workshops and possible technological varieties in pottery production within the settlement or between settlements. At the same time, it has been documented that types of use-wear traces on stone polishers appeared and developed in various time, depending on pottery temper. Observations also show a correlation between the productivity and morphology of stone polishers, the shape of the vessels and decoration. It has been also concluded that to the working effi ciency of the implemented artefacts made of various materials such as stone and the boar tusk depends on technology implemented in pottery production. These experiments can assist in completing an economic picture of the Neolithic settlements on the Central Balkans. It encourages further examinations of wear resistance, mechanical property, effi ciency of the pottery smoothers and polishers made of various materials such as stone, bone and shells.
The paper presents the horizontal and vertical stratigraphy of the site of Bolnica in Paraćin, ba... more The paper presents the horizontal and vertical stratigraphy of the site of Bolnica in Paraćin, based on both earlier and the latest archaeological excavations and the material which had been collected for decades by the Hometown Museum in Paraćin, as a result of the construction works connected with the constant urbanisation of the area. The presented archaeological material is attributed to a period from the Early Neolithic to the so-called Dacian La Tène, meaning the 2nd century AD. One of the subjects discussed in this paper is the possibility that the sites of Bolnica and Motel Slatina, in fact, represent one large site, which was artificially divided by the E 75 highway and the Serbian Glass Factory. The comparative analysis, which encompassed the sites positioned on the right bank of the Velika Morava River, showed that this is one of the sites with the most independent chronological sequences in the Central Morava Region. Likewise, the importance of this site as a strategic point and an important intersection on the route from the Danube River to the Central Balkans, and further towards the south and east is underlined. Finally, we analysed the appearance of Dacian material culture during the 1st and the 2nd century AD and compared the occurrence of certain forms and decorations with relevant sites in present-day Romania. The paper cautiously suggests that the Dacian material culture represents traces of the deportation of 100,000 Transdanubians to the territory of Moesia by the legate Silvanus Aelianus, possibly between 61 AD and 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, which has been partially confirmed by new archaeological excavations at the site of Gloždak-Lidl during 2018.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUSEUM OF MINING AND METALLURGY BOR, 2014
Archeopetrological reconnaissance of site Rudna Glava and its
surrounding, in 2013, was the metho... more Archeopetrological reconnaissance of site Rudna Glava and its surrounding, in 2013, was the method for collecting rock materials with the aim to determine archeo-petrological results obtained during Vinca copper mine researches, in the 1960s and 1970s. Te paper presents preliminary results of the macro petrological analysis, with specific emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro petrological determination of stone raw archeological material and the significance of creating referent archeo-petrological collections.
An attempt to re-create pottery of the Vatin culture has been made within the CRAFTER project (Cr... more An attempt to re-create pottery of the Vatin culture has been made within the CRAFTER project (Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today), whose aim is to help revive modern-day artisanship by drawing inspiration from Bronze Age pottery of four European Bronze Age societies: El Argar (Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia). This report presents series of experimental tests conducted by a team from the Regional museum at Paraćin, Serbia, one of members of the CRAFTER project. This research focused on the behavior of various mixtures of clays, using different modelling and firing techniques. The objective was to discover the most suitable blend, which will provide the best results in recovering technology of Vatin pottery production.
An attempt to recreate pottery of the Vatin culture was made within the Craft er project (Craft i... more An attempt to recreate pottery of the Vatin culture was made within the Craft er project (Craft ing Europe in the Bronze Age and Today), whose aim is to help revive modern-day artisanship by drawing inspiration from the Bronze Age pottery of four European Bronze Age societies: El Argar (Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia). Th is experimental work was made by a team of Th e Museum at Paraćin, Serbia which presented experimental archaeology results at the recent CRAFTER workshop held 29th to 30th October 2018 in Mula, Spain.
This paper emphasizes the importance of the archaeological sites containing the material remains ... more This paper emphasizes the importance of the archaeological sites containing the material remains of various prehistoric cultures, uncovered through systematic field survey conducted in 2000 – 2004 within the territory under the jurisdiction of the Museum of Paraćin (Pl. 1, Fig. 1─4). Finds from Early Iron Age are especially numerous.The author observes the relation between certain hydronyms and the sites, concluding that the Early Iron Age culture carriers in this part of the Morava Valley chose the banks of still waters as their place of residence. Matching these types of toponyms to certain epochs might facilitate future research, in addition to providing a clearer picture of theenvironmental conditions that human communities inhabited in prehistoric times.
SRPSKO ARHEOLOŠKO DRUŠTVO XLIII SKUPŠTINA I GODIŠNjI SKUP, Subotica, 14. – 16. oktobar 2020. godine. Program, izveštaji i apstrakti, 2020
Rad na arheološkom evidentiranju nalazišta na teritoriji opštine Paraćin počeo je u godinama pre ... more Rad na arheološkom evidentiranju nalazišta na teritoriji opštine Paraćin počeo je u godinama pre Drugog svetskog rata ali su intenzivna rekognosciranja oblasti usledila tek nakon osnivanja Zavičajnog muzeja u Paraćinu 1978. godine. Istraživačke kampanje u organizaciji paraćinskog muzeja,usmerene na prikupljanju osnovnih podataka o lokalitetima intenzivno su sprođene u svim dekadama od osnivanja muzeja, zaključno sa startovanjem projekta sistematskih rekognosciranja zapadne i istočne obale Velike Morave započete februara 2020. godine. Rezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja ogledaju se u indentifikovanju 122 nalazišta, kao i na prikupljanju velike količine arheološkog materijala. Opservacijom dijagnostičkih nalaza, preliminarno je utvrđeno da se arheološki materijal sa 48 nalazišta može popredeliti u okvire poznog bronzanog i starijeg gvozdenog doba, odnosno hiljadugodišnjem priodu između XIV i IV veka pre nove ere. Ovaj vremenski interval u većini domaćih periodizacionih šema obuhvata peride Gvozdenog doba 1, 2 i 3, dok je prema unapređenoj srednjevropskoj periodizaciji ovaj vremenski interval podeljen na nekoliko kulturnih etapa koje obuhvataju period od početka Br D do kraja Ha D faze. Ovaj turbulentni milenijum prati razvojni proces proizvodnje gvožđa u istočnom Mediteranu, od njegove inicijalne pojave (XIV-XIII vek p.n.e.) u arheološkim i pisanim izvorima, do razvijene prerađivačke tehnologije i utilitarne upotrebe kao osnovne sirovine za proizvodnju oruđa i oružja (VIII-IV vek p.n.e.). Takav tehnološki razvoj propraćen je paketom društvenih, kulturnih i ekonomskih promena koje suizmeđu ostalog odrazile i na koncept naseljavanja u većem delu Starog sveta.Položaji evidentiranih lokaliteta su ubicirani na topografke karte korišćenjem GIS softvera, pomoću koga su takođe izvršene i osnovne prostorne analize nalazišta. Na taj način su dobijeni pre svega pregledni podaci o dispoziciji i distribuciji nalazišta, što je ujedno rezultiralo kreiranju detaljne arheološke karte za istraži vanu teritoriju. Pored toga izdvojene su topografske karakteristike interesnih lokaliteta, na osnovu kojih je formirana baza podataka neophodna za statističke analize koje ukazuju na naseobinske trendove u paraćinskoj oblasti tokom perioda poznog bronzanog i starijeg gvozdenog doba.
ПРЕЛИМИНАРНИ РЕЗУЛТАТИ МАКРОПЕТРЛОШКЕ
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
... more ПРЕЛИМИНАРНИ РЕЗУЛТАТИ МАКРОПЕТРЛОШКЕ
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
Весна Вучковић, Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин”, Параћин
Игор Јовановић, Музеј рударства и металургије, Бор
Душица Петрашиновић, Геолошка и хидрометереолошка школа, Београд.
Апстракт
Архео – петролошким рекогносцирањем локалитета Рудна Глава и његове околине 2013. године сакупљена је стенске грађе у циљу макро-петролошке детерминације архео-петролошких налаза, пронађених током истраживања винчанског рудника бакра шездесетих и седамдесетих година прошлог века. У раду су дати прелиминарни резултати макропетролошке анализе, са посебаним освртом на примену недеструктивних метода у макропетролошкој детерминацији каменог археолошког материјала и значај формирања референтних архео-петролошких збирки.
Кључне речи: општина Бор, неолитски рудник бакра Рудна Глава, рекогносцирање, архео – петролошки материјал, детерминација недеструктивном методом, референтна архео-петролошка збирка.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF MACRO PETRLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF
STONE RAW MATERIAL FROM NEOLITHIC SITE RUDNA GLAVA
Vesna Vučković, Hometown museum ,,Paraćin”, Paraćin.
Igor Jovanović, Museum of Mining and Metallurgy, Bor.
Dušica Petrašinović, Geological and Hydrometeorological high-school, Beograd.
Abstract
The purpose of archaeo – petrological surface survey of the site Rudna Glava and its surroundings in 2013. was rock material collecting and its macro-petrological determination. Those archaeo-petrologic objects were found during the research of Vinča’s copper mines during the sixties and seventies. This paper presents the preliminary results of macro-petrological analysis, with special emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro-petrological determination of archaeological stone material and the importance of establishing referent archaeo-petrological collections.
Key words: Bor municipality, Neolithic Copper Mine Rudna Glava, surface survey, archaeo - petrological material, non-destructive method of determination, referent archaeo-petrological collection.
EASTERN SERBIA AS AN INSPIRATION AND RESEARCH CHALLENGE a collection of works in honor of Prof. Dr. Sreten Petrović
Аn area of Upper Resava and the mountains of Južni Kučaj and Beljanica, the eastern Serbia is kn... more Аn area of Upper Resava and the mountains of Južni Kučaj and Beljanica, the eastern Serbia is known for mining activities. Intensive archaeological explorations, which were conducted during the 70s and 80s of the XX centuries, suggested an occupation of caves during different prehistoric and historic periods. However, the published results are rare and did not follow the exploration to the same extent. Besides archaeological artefacts, researchers considered an importance of faunal remains, resulting also in rich collection of paleontological findings. On this occasion, our study focused on Alovska Cave, due to its developed cultural-chronological and geological stratigraphy and an amount of pottery and animal bones. The lack of the published records supports significance of the examination of these objects, and we focused primarily on animal remains, while the analysis of pottery will be provided preliminary.
У овом раду смо покушали да дамо одговор на функцију и економски значај познопраисторијских насељ... more У овом раду смо покушали да дамо одговор на функцију и економски значај познопраисторијских насеља на истоку параћинске општине. Локалитети су углавном вишеслојни и откривени су током рекогносцирања. Због броја посебан осврт је стављен на налазишта из периода старијег гвозденог доба. На основу ранијих запажања и садашњих података разматрана је могућност постојање путног и економског чворишта у северном подножију палнине Бабе. У другом делу рада представљена је промена у насељености током позног латена и могућнст формирања трговачког насеља на месту савременог Параћина, много пре него што то писани извори помињу. Користећи писане изворе и податке добијене ископавањима на локалитету Лидл, Глождак покушали смо да убицирамо средњевековни Паракинов брод. Као основу анализа користили смо разлике у геоморфологији, квалитету земљишта, близину ресурса, комуникационе правце и етнографске податке о економији овог подручја.
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), ... more Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African-western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
ЗБОРНИК НАРОДНОГ МУЗЕЈА У БЕОГРАДУ XXV/1 АРХЕОЛОГИЈА , 2021
У циљу побољшања система заштите археолошке баштине, 2020.
године започета су систематска рекогно... more У циљу побољшања система заштите археолошке баштине, 2020. године започета су систематска рекогносцирања територије општине Параћин. Захваљујући живој активности параћинског музеја, од његовог оснивања сакупљени су подаци за приближно 120 археолошких налазишта на територији општине. Међутим, у области западне обале реке Велике Мораве, која обухвата равничарски појас и брдовите источне обронке планине Јухор, до сада је било евидентирано само седам локалитета од праисторије до средњег века, што по густини не одговара осталим равничарским деловима централног Поморавља. Због тако малог броја налазишта, али и јаке речне ерозије Велике Мораве, која већ деценијама односи хектаре ораницa у том делу речног тока, сматрали смо да ова област има приоритет у погледу теренских рекогносцирања. Тако је у првој половини 2020. године обављена детаљна проспекција терена на поменутом подручју и утврђени су прецизни положај и границе већ постојећих и новооткривених налазишта. Циљ овог рада је објављивање резултата рекогносцирања, али и њихова валоризација и поређење с претходно откривеном грађом из збирке Музеја.
Кључне речи: рекогносцирање, праисторија, антика, средњи век, Велика Морава, параћинска општина
ETHNO-CULTURAL ANNALS for the study of the culture of eastern Serbia and the adjacent areas TRADITION – RELIGION – MYTHOLOGY research of the ancient past and its modern manifestations, 2021
Апстракт: Oваj рад je посвећен циглани Драгутина Станковића, подигнутој 1936. године у околини Па... more Апстракт: Oваj рад je посвећен циглани Драгутина Станковића, подигнутој 1936. године у околини Параћина. Цигларство је мало експлоатисана тема, а подаци о овој привредној грани су оскудни. Садашња литература указује да је цигларска индустрија у Параћину била развијена, али се из непознатих разлога циглана Драгутина Станковића веома ретко помиње. Углавном је повезана са литературом и документацијом параћинског музеја о археолошком локалитету Глождак, који је ископаван крајем 50-их и почетком 60-их година прошлог века. Овде се циглана помиње у опису његове позиције и топографским карактеристикама. Са последњим заштитним ископавањима 2020. године овај простор је поново био актуелан за истраживаче и том приликом је Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин” дошао до првих информација о овом објекту и његовом власнику.
Kључне речи: циглана, индустрија, технологија, прва половина 20. века, Параћин.
Abstract: This paper is dedicated to a brickyard, which Dragutin Stanković built in 1936 in the vicinity of the town of Paraćin. Brick-making is an insufficiently explored topic, and available information is scarce. Literature shows that brick-making was well-developed in Paraćin, however, this brickyard was rarely mentioned for unknown reasons. It is reported commonly in paperworks on excavations of a site of Gloždak, at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s of the XX century. The brickyard was a part of a description of a position and topographic characteristics of the site. This area attracted researchers again, during the latest protective archaeological excavations in 2020, when Hometown Museum Paraćin collected the first information on the object and owner.
Key words: Brickyard, industry, technology, the first half of the 20th century, Paraćin.
У самом урбаном језгру Параћина, на локалитету Глождак–ДИС, реализована су током августа и септем... more У самом урбаном језгру Параћина, на локалитету Глождак–ДИС, реализована су током августа и септембра 2020. године заштитна археолошка истраживања,иницирана услед изградње супермаркета ДИС на том простору. Локалитет Глождак је у стручну литературу као некропола из позног бронзаног доба и дакогетског периода ушао средином XX века, након првих заштитних археолошких истраживања под руководством Драге и Милутина Гарашанина. На основу претходних и овогодишњих истраживања простирање локалитета на левој обали Црнице може се само делимично реконструисати. Јужни део локалитета данас је покривен модерним насељем Глождак, али се према плану сонди са поменутих истраживања може са сигурношћу тврдити да се простире јужно од данашње Улице Браће Југовић. Истраживања 2018. године утврдила су да се према истоку локалитет простире источно од данашње улице краља Милутина. Северна и западна граница нису јасно утврђене како је читав овај простор неистражен и прекривен савременом инфраструктуром.
The paper presents the results of the analysis of 17 macro-lithic artifacts from the multilayered... more The paper presents the results of the analysis of 17 macro-lithic artifacts from the multilayered Late Prehistoric site of Laz, the village of MIrilovac, Municipality of Paraćin, which indicate various economic activities. Although this type of finds cannot provide precise chronological data, we have tried to define their chronological position according to the analogies from clearly defined cultural and chronological contexts. These objects are part of a private collection, which includes different categories of stone tools such as semi-finished perforated tools, perforated percussion tools, percussion tools, polished edge tools, and a grinding slab.
АРХЕОЛОГИЯ ЕВРАЗИЙСКИХ СТЕПЕЙ, КАМЕННЫЙ ВЕК И НАЧАЛО ЭПОХИ РАННЕГО МЕТАЛЛА, 2020
Data on the implementation of macro-lithic tools in pottery production during the Late Neolithic ... more Data on the implementation of macro-lithic tools in pottery production during the Late Neolithic of the central Balkans are very rare. This paper presents experiments in smoothing, polishing pottery surface in order to examine several topics. Fourteen vessels were made of various tempered clay and diff erent moisture levels. Their surfaces were processed by smoothers made of shells and the experimentally made stone axe. Polishing has been performed by pebbles and a boar task. The experimental tests resulted in a comparative collection of micro-wear traces considering the objects originating from an archaeological context. This can reveal pottery workshops and possible technological varieties in pottery production within the settlement or between settlements. At the same time, it has been documented that types of use-wear traces on stone polishers appeared and developed in various time, depending on pottery temper. Observations also show a correlation between the productivity and morphology of stone polishers, the shape of the vessels and decoration. It has been also concluded that to the working effi ciency of the implemented artefacts made of various materials such as stone and the boar tusk depends on technology implemented in pottery production. These experiments can assist in completing an economic picture of the Neolithic settlements on the Central Balkans. It encourages further examinations of wear resistance, mechanical property, effi ciency of the pottery smoothers and polishers made of various materials such as stone, bone and shells.
The paper presents the horizontal and vertical stratigraphy of the site of Bolnica in Paraćin, ba... more The paper presents the horizontal and vertical stratigraphy of the site of Bolnica in Paraćin, based on both earlier and the latest archaeological excavations and the material which had been collected for decades by the Hometown Museum in Paraćin, as a result of the construction works connected with the constant urbanisation of the area. The presented archaeological material is attributed to a period from the Early Neolithic to the so-called Dacian La Tène, meaning the 2nd century AD. One of the subjects discussed in this paper is the possibility that the sites of Bolnica and Motel Slatina, in fact, represent one large site, which was artificially divided by the E 75 highway and the Serbian Glass Factory. The comparative analysis, which encompassed the sites positioned on the right bank of the Velika Morava River, showed that this is one of the sites with the most independent chronological sequences in the Central Morava Region. Likewise, the importance of this site as a strategic point and an important intersection on the route from the Danube River to the Central Balkans, and further towards the south and east is underlined. Finally, we analysed the appearance of Dacian material culture during the 1st and the 2nd century AD and compared the occurrence of certain forms and decorations with relevant sites in present-day Romania. The paper cautiously suggests that the Dacian material culture represents traces of the deportation of 100,000 Transdanubians to the territory of Moesia by the legate Silvanus Aelianus, possibly between 61 AD and 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, which has been partially confirmed by new archaeological excavations at the site of Gloždak-Lidl during 2018.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUSEUM OF MINING AND METALLURGY BOR, 2014
Archeopetrological reconnaissance of site Rudna Glava and its
surrounding, in 2013, was the metho... more Archeopetrological reconnaissance of site Rudna Glava and its surrounding, in 2013, was the method for collecting rock materials with the aim to determine archeo-petrological results obtained during Vinca copper mine researches, in the 1960s and 1970s. Te paper presents preliminary results of the macro petrological analysis, with specific emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro petrological determination of stone raw archeological material and the significance of creating referent archeo-petrological collections.
An attempt to re-create pottery of the Vatin culture has been made within the CRAFTER project (Cr... more An attempt to re-create pottery of the Vatin culture has been made within the CRAFTER project (Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today), whose aim is to help revive modern-day artisanship by drawing inspiration from Bronze Age pottery of four European Bronze Age societies: El Argar (Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia). This report presents series of experimental tests conducted by a team from the Regional museum at Paraćin, Serbia, one of members of the CRAFTER project. This research focused on the behavior of various mixtures of clays, using different modelling and firing techniques. The objective was to discover the most suitable blend, which will provide the best results in recovering technology of Vatin pottery production.
An attempt to recreate pottery of the Vatin culture was made within the Craft er project (Craft i... more An attempt to recreate pottery of the Vatin culture was made within the Craft er project (Craft ing Europe in the Bronze Age and Today), whose aim is to help revive modern-day artisanship by drawing inspiration from the Bronze Age pottery of four European Bronze Age societies: El Argar (Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia). Th is experimental work was made by a team of Th e Museum at Paraćin, Serbia which presented experimental archaeology results at the recent CRAFTER workshop held 29th to 30th October 2018 in Mula, Spain.
This paper emphasizes the importance of the archaeological sites containing the material remains ... more This paper emphasizes the importance of the archaeological sites containing the material remains of various prehistoric cultures, uncovered through systematic field survey conducted in 2000 – 2004 within the territory under the jurisdiction of the Museum of Paraćin (Pl. 1, Fig. 1─4). Finds from Early Iron Age are especially numerous.The author observes the relation between certain hydronyms and the sites, concluding that the Early Iron Age culture carriers in this part of the Morava Valley chose the banks of still waters as their place of residence. Matching these types of toponyms to certain epochs might facilitate future research, in addition to providing a clearer picture of theenvironmental conditions that human communities inhabited in prehistoric times.
SRPSKO ARHEOLOŠKO DRUŠTVO XLIII SKUPŠTINA I GODIŠNjI SKUP, Subotica, 14. – 16. oktobar 2020. godine. Program, izveštaji i apstrakti, 2020
Rad na arheološkom evidentiranju nalazišta na teritoriji opštine Paraćin počeo je u godinama pre ... more Rad na arheološkom evidentiranju nalazišta na teritoriji opštine Paraćin počeo je u godinama pre Drugog svetskog rata ali su intenzivna rekognosciranja oblasti usledila tek nakon osnivanja Zavičajnog muzeja u Paraćinu 1978. godine. Istraživačke kampanje u organizaciji paraćinskog muzeja,usmerene na prikupljanju osnovnih podataka o lokalitetima intenzivno su sprođene u svim dekadama od osnivanja muzeja, zaključno sa startovanjem projekta sistematskih rekognosciranja zapadne i istočne obale Velike Morave započete februara 2020. godine. Rezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja ogledaju se u indentifikovanju 122 nalazišta, kao i na prikupljanju velike količine arheološkog materijala. Opservacijom dijagnostičkih nalaza, preliminarno je utvrđeno da se arheološki materijal sa 48 nalazišta može popredeliti u okvire poznog bronzanog i starijeg gvozdenog doba, odnosno hiljadugodišnjem priodu između XIV i IV veka pre nove ere. Ovaj vremenski interval u većini domaćih periodizacionih šema obuhvata peride Gvozdenog doba 1, 2 i 3, dok je prema unapređenoj srednjevropskoj periodizaciji ovaj vremenski interval podeljen na nekoliko kulturnih etapa koje obuhvataju period od početka Br D do kraja Ha D faze. Ovaj turbulentni milenijum prati razvojni proces proizvodnje gvožđa u istočnom Mediteranu, od njegove inicijalne pojave (XIV-XIII vek p.n.e.) u arheološkim i pisanim izvorima, do razvijene prerađivačke tehnologije i utilitarne upotrebe kao osnovne sirovine za proizvodnju oruđa i oružja (VIII-IV vek p.n.e.). Takav tehnološki razvoj propraćen je paketom društvenih, kulturnih i ekonomskih promena koje suizmeđu ostalog odrazile i na koncept naseljavanja u većem delu Starog sveta.Položaji evidentiranih lokaliteta su ubicirani na topografke karte korišćenjem GIS softvera, pomoću koga su takođe izvršene i osnovne prostorne analize nalazišta. Na taj način su dobijeni pre svega pregledni podaci o dispoziciji i distribuciji nalazišta, što je ujedno rezultiralo kreiranju detaljne arheološke karte za istraži vanu teritoriju. Pored toga izdvojene su topografske karakteristike interesnih lokaliteta, na osnovu kojih je formirana baza podataka neophodna za statističke analize koje ukazuju na naseobinske trendove u paraćinskoj oblasti tokom perioda poznog bronzanog i starijeg gvozdenog doba.
ПРЕЛИМИНАРНИ РЕЗУЛТАТИ МАКРОПЕТРЛОШКЕ
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
... more ПРЕЛИМИНАРНИ РЕЗУЛТАТИ МАКРОПЕТРЛОШКЕ
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
Весна Вучковић, Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин”, Параћин
Игор Јовановић, Музеј рударства и металургије, Бор
Душица Петрашиновић, Геолошка и хидрометереолошка школа, Београд.
Апстракт
Архео – петролошким рекогносцирањем локалитета Рудна Глава и његове околине 2013. године сакупљена је стенске грађе у циљу макро-петролошке детерминације архео-петролошких налаза, пронађених током истраживања винчанског рудника бакра шездесетих и седамдесетих година прошлог века. У раду су дати прелиминарни резултати макропетролошке анализе, са посебаним освртом на примену недеструктивних метода у макропетролошкој детерминацији каменог археолошког материјала и значај формирања референтних архео-петролошких збирки.
Кључне речи: општина Бор, неолитски рудник бакра Рудна Глава, рекогносцирање, архео – петролошки материјал, детерминација недеструктивном методом, референтна архео-петролошка збирка.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF MACRO PETRLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF
STONE RAW MATERIAL FROM NEOLITHIC SITE RUDNA GLAVA
Vesna Vučković, Hometown museum ,,Paraćin”, Paraćin.
Igor Jovanović, Museum of Mining and Metallurgy, Bor.
Dušica Petrašinović, Geological and Hydrometeorological high-school, Beograd.
Abstract
The purpose of archaeo – petrological surface survey of the site Rudna Glava and its surroundings in 2013. was rock material collecting and its macro-petrological determination. Those archaeo-petrologic objects were found during the research of Vinča’s copper mines during the sixties and seventies. This paper presents the preliminary results of macro-petrological analysis, with special emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro-petrological determination of archaeological stone material and the importance of establishing referent archaeo-petrological collections.
Key words: Bor municipality, Neolithic Copper Mine Rudna Glava, surface survey, archaeo - petrological material, non-destructive method of determination, referent archaeo-petrological collection.
Regionalisation of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture has been observed primarily based on the pott... more Regionalisation of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture has been observed primarily based on the pottery analysis several decades ago. Despite a long research tradition, this process has never been discussed and explained. The previous research of Bronze Age macro-lithic tools of the Copper and Bronze Age in southern Iberia showed territorial division produced by diversities in economic activities. Based on this experience and methodology we have analysed 2174 macro-lithic tools from the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900 - 4650/4600 BC cal) from the central Balkans. Our aim was to answer several questions concern the Neolithic economy of the Central Balkans such as detection of economic changes through time and space, to define and confirm regional economic differences during the Late Neolithic, identifying distance exchange patterns, identification of standardization of the macro-lithic objects, and defining if the Vinča culture had highly organized production and society. Thus we applied a complex methodological system that includes petrographic analysis, analysis of morphometric characteristics, functional analysis, and an experimental examination.
Regionalisation of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture has been observed primarily based on the pott... more Regionalisation of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture has been observed primarily based on the pottery analysis several decades ago. Despite a long research tradition, this process has never been discussed and explained. The previous research of Bronze Age macro-lithic tools of the copper and Bronze Age in southern Iberia showed territorial division produced by diversities economic activities. Based onthis experience and methodology we have analysed 2174 macro-lithic tools from the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900- 4650/4600 BC cal) from the Central Balkans. Our aim was to answer several questions concerns the Neolithic economy of the Central Balkans such as detection of economic changes through time and space, to define and confirm regional economic differences during the Late Neolithic, identifying distance exchange patterns, identification of standardization of the macro-lithic objects, and defining if the Vinča culture had highly organized production and society. Thus we applied a complex methodological system that includes petrographic analysis, analysis of morphometric characteristics, functional analysis, and an experimental examination.
Tel Tsaf, a large scale Middle Chalcolithic (ca.5,200–4,700 cal BC) site in the southern Levant i... more Tel Tsaf, a large scale Middle Chalcolithic (ca.5,200–4,700 cal BC) site in the southern Levant is still an enigma due to its size, ϐindings, among which ampale evidence for long-distance ties and large-scale storage. One of the characteristics of the site is pottery bearing distanctiv decorative style termed the ‘Tel Tsaf decoration style’. These painted motiefs that frequentlly charactaraized the upper part of mainlly delicate vessels, like bowles and small jars, include a bichrome frize. It shows commonly two black, parallel lines and black geometric patterns between them and a combination of two different or the same geomethric patterns on a white slip. During the renewed project at Tel Tsaf a focused study of the Tel Tsaf decorations bearing shareds was initiated, aiming at better understanding the technology of production, application of the paintings, and the function of the vessels. This paper focuses on the technology of pottery with the “Tel Tsaf decoration” and a few imported Ubeid shards, probably originated from the northern Levant. Our goal is to establish the ground for functional analysis of the painted Tel Tsaf pottery in order to deϐine its origin, purpose, economic and social organisation, and consequently cultural links through time and space. Here we present the preliminary results of the use-wear analysis and systematic collecting of data from the surfaces of the studied objects and proϐiles, typological analysis, and analysis of metrical characteristics of the artefacts.
Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project, 2021
Introduction
The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subjec... more Introduction
The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today, and in brief, the idea was to draw inspiration from Europe’s Bronze Age pottery to help revive modern-day artisanship. The project targets the appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource and the reinforcement of a sense of belonging to a common European space. In particular, it hopes to make cultural heritage a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and strengthen the interaction between this sector and other cultural and creative sectors. The main framework of the project was the idea that four potters from Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia will draw on their skills to (re)create ceramic vessels representative of some of the most outstanding Bronze Age cultures of Europe: El Argar (southeast Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia). The papers published within these proceedings are not strictly related to the project itself, but the problems of Bronze Age pottery in Europe in general. The problems discussed in the presented papers and the inspirations are drawn from the CRAFTER project. The original idea was to delve into the content of the pottery and define its composition and quality. These are, in fact, the elements responsible for the final appearance of the ceramic vessel and its function. Considering that out of four editors, two have presented papers within the proceedings, I have been honoured to write this short introduction on their significance and essence. The thread that connects all of the papers, although their concepts do not seem similar at the first glance, since some of the papers are dwelling on interdisciplinarity while others deal with certain chronological and cultural-historical problems, is that the primary analytical material in all of the papers is Bronze Age pottery, from beyond the Pyrenees, across Central Europe, to the Balkans, which is not unexpected considering that a Serbian institution was credited for publishing. The positive aspect is that the pottery is Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project discussed in a manner uncommon for archaeology, while on the other hand pottery studies have been more and more neglected in the past few decades, as such subjects are considered as passé in archaeology. The ever-rising number of specializations and specialists have pushed the pottery and potters into an undeserved corner, even though without such a set of analytic work the past can not be completely and adequately perceived. The pottery is “slow-moving”. It changes, circulates, and exchanges at a slow pace and it enables the perception of the beginning, development, decadence, and the end of a certain society. The pottery has regional character and reflects the primary contacts, the esthetics of a community, and the inspiration of the artist. Certainly, this implies to prehistoric pottery and communities which do not function within centralized social systems, such as the Bronze Age beyond Mediterranean Europe, which is indeed in the focus of these proceedings. With the appearance of the potter’s wheel, the production and distribution of pottery merge with industry and economy, and at that moment a puzzle of a small man from the past loses a piece. A piece without which we are unable to perceive small communities through such an important, fruitful, and data-rich object such as pottery and which we often tend to neglect as a discipline. In order to identify the contacts, exchange, and trade or reconstruct the communication routes in past, we often reach to the so-called luxurious artifacts: metals, amber, glass, and artisan objects… Likewise, pottery could narrate a story of one meal, one house, one potter, one village, or one community in the past, which is, like it or not, a fact that will make the interdisciplinary and diverse analyses of prehistoric pottery one of the primary archaeological methods.
Vojislav Filipović Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
Abstract
Having worked on my master thesis on the macro-lithic tools from the Neolithic... more Abstract
Having worked on my master thesis on the macro-lithic tools from the Neolithic sites of the central part of Serbia or so-called Middle Morava valley, we noticed that there is not enough interest in this archaeological category in the central Balkans. The short research tradition and the small number of researchers explains the limited amount of published research results. This situation limits the implementation of new methodological approaches, such as those developed in the other parts of southern and central Europe, and impedes the advance of the archaeological knowledge on prehistoric economies. In order to overcome these problems, we have examined 2174 macro-lithic tools from the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900 - 4650/4600 BC cal) from the Central Balkans. This material has been scrutinised from a geological, morpho-technical and functional perspective, oriented towards the scientific questions reslting from a specific economic theory. The study starts with the presentation of the settlement context in which the analysed artefacts were found, as well as paleoof -environmental and geomorphological settings of the Central Balkans. It continues explaining the results of the petrographic analysis of raw material from macro-lithic tools and of samples from geological outcrops from the Central Balkans. The geoarchaeological approach includes the results of a geoarchaeological survey of the middle Morava valley, related to macro-lithic artefacts from Motel Slatina and Turska česma, Slatina. The petrographic analysis allows identifying the location and the distance from which raw materials derived the exploitation method and the existence of territorial borders between supply areas. Functional analysis has revealed for the first time, an appearance of a large variety of macro-lithic tools during the Neolithic of the Central Balkans. These results allow us to observe technological changes among the Early and Late Neolithic macro-lithic societies and economic differences between settlements and regions during the Late Neolithic. Our research concludes with a reconstruction of the economic organisation of Vinča society.
Vučković, V.; Vojislav Filipović, V.; Stojanović, B.; Risch, R. 2021, Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER projectPublisher: Regional museum of Paraćin (Serbia), pp. 71-99., 2021
Vatin pottery is a symbol of Vatin society (2000 – 1500 cal BCE), which can be regarded as a high... more Vatin pottery is a symbol of Vatin society (2000 – 1500 cal BCE), which can be regarded as a highly rated work of art due to its quality, shapes and decorations. So far, it was mainly approached by archaeology from a chronological and cultural perspective, while an examination of a technology is still missing. In this study, the first results of a petrographical analysis of the clays used by Vatin potters are presented. Five pots from the settlements of Zlatica, near the modern village of Omoljica, and another five from Najeva Ciglana, near the town of Pančevo, both located on the northern side of the Danube, near Belgrade, have been studied in terms of temper and clay composition. The petrographic analyses show that clays were prepared in slightly different ways in each settlement, but that all shapes, including coarse as well as fi ne ware vessels, were manufactured with fine-grained non-carbonate clays of local origin.
The exploitation of cobblestones was part of the socio-economic organisation of Neolithic inhabit... more The exploitation of cobblestones was part of the socio-economic organisation of Neolithic inhabitants of the Middle Morava Valley (c. 6100 – 4650/4600 cal BC). This area displays a large variety of raw materials, which are transported by different river courses. However, a variation in the content of fluvial rock deposits and the quality of their rocks, as well as economic changes and an increase in population shaped the social accessibility to raw materials, procurement strategies, and the development of exchange networks between the Neolithic communities of the central Balkans. The present study sets a specific geo-archaeological method to clarify these socio-economic relations. Although no standarisation in the procurement and the use of raw materials is observed among the Neolithic settlements, suggesting that economic intensification was not the primary goal of their economies, a three-tier organisation is revealed at the local, regional and supra-regional level, implying a notable degree of social cooperation, especially between the Late Neolithic Vinča communities.
Keywords: macro-lithic tools, rock exploitation, paleo-economy, geo-archaeology, Neolithic, Vinča culture, Central Balkans.
RECREATING ARTEFACTS AND ANCIENT SKILLS: FROM EXPERIMENT TO INTERPRETATION, 2022
The intention of this paper is to explore regional economic differences of the Late Neolithic Vin... more The intention of this paper is to explore regional economic differences of the Late Neolithic Vinča culture (5400/5300-4650/4600 cal. BC). They were indicated previously by pottery and geo-archaeological analysis of the macro-lithic tools, primarily by rocks used in the grinding technology (Srejović 1973; Garašanin 1979; Vučković 2019). The importance of the grinding equipment in the social, economic and political life and the biological reproduction of prehistoric communities has been already underlined in some other prehistoric societies. Thus, we applied morphological, functional analysis and experimental examination of the mechanical properties of the rocks to evaluate the technical characteristics and working efficiency of the Vinča culture grinding equipment. The results will provide an explanation on the role of grinding technology in the regionalisation of this society.
Proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the Association of Ground Stone Tools Research, 2021
Information on macro-lithic tools from the Central Balkans is still limited, although they repres... more Information on macro-lithic tools from the Central Balkans is still limited, although they represent a major source of paleo-economic information (Antonović 1992, 1997, 2000, 2003: 59; )1(14BaHuh 2010). Observations show that a wide variety of raw materials were of raw materials used to manufacture macro-lithic tools during the Late Neolithic of the Central Balkans (5400/5300- 4650/4600 BC). During the last years geo-archaeological as well as ethnographic research has confirmed that riverbeds in the vicinity of settlements were the main source of raw material (Prinz 1988: 256; Risch 1995; Hampton 1999: 224; Stout 2002; Antonović et al. 2005: 66; Antonović 2003: 18). Some results show that the quality of certain rocks was recognized and appreciated over distances of hundreds of kilometres (Risch 2011; Szakmanz et al. 2009). However, the long-distance exchange could involve complex mechanisms of social needs and relationships (Petrequin et al. 2017; Risch 2011: 114). Despite recent evidence that metallurgy was present from its beginning, the Vir6a culture at the Central Balkans is labelled traditionally as a Late Neolithic culture (cf. Porćić 2012: 23). The sedentarism caused a new socioeconomic organization, as the need to supply a growing population consequently impacted food production, accessory items of technology, and non-subsistence goods. This led to greater investments of labour and restructuring of activities, resulting in an economic intensification (Kaiser and Voytek 1983: 329). The recent analysis of rocks, presented in Vučković (2019) thesis on the Neolithic economy and macro-lithic items in the Central Balkans, has allowed the identification of three geo-economic regions. The term geo-economic region represents characteristics of the economy based on features of the raw material of macro-lithic tools involved in the different activities of a studied area. These regions have been identified primarily by rocks used in grinding technology. In addition to their intensive implementation in the whole of the Central Balkans, sedimentary rocks were also the most important rock type to the economies of the north-western part of the Central Balkans and the southern part of the Pannonian Plain. The second area is defined by the importance of igneous rocks in grinding technology in the south and south-west of the Central Balkans. The third geo-economic region is located in the Middle Morava Valley, where igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks were used likewise for tools with abrasive surfaces. This paper focuses on the economy of the latter geo-economic region identified in the Middle Morava Valley, based on the evidence of the Late Neolithic settlements of Slatina - Turska česma, and Motel Slatina (Figure 1, 2).
NEOLITHIC IN MACEDONIA RECENT RESEARCH AND ANALYSES, 2022
Archaeological excavations in the Neolithic settlement of Tumba Madžari in Skopje, so far, supple... more Archaeological excavations in the Neolithic settlement of Tumba Madžari in Skopje, so far, supplemented by multidisciplinary excavations, allow us to see some aspects of the life of the local community, in the VI millennium BC. Together, they contribute to a more thorough reconstruction of the New Stone Age in the Skopje region, as a characteristic geographical unit, in which the Neolithic settlements with a recognizable material culture had a special development. The results of the research in the field of lithic industry, especially the macrolithic artifacts from Tumba Madžari, and the identification of the location of the resources, provide more detailed information about the local economy, technological skills, ie crafts in this settlement, which has achieved its economic and cultural maximum in the beginning of Middle Neolithic.
Vučković, V. & Risch, R. (2021), A functional analysis of abrading stones: a case study from the Central Balkans, in (eds.) Beyries, S., Hamon, C., Maigrot, Y., Beyond Use-Wear Traces: Going from tools to people by means of archaeological wear and residue analyses, Sidestone Press, Leiden, 199-210, 2021
Abraders are one of the major types of macro-lithic artefacts found in Neolithic settlements in t... more Abraders are one of the major types of macro-lithic artefacts found in Neolithic settlements in the Central Balkans (6200‑4600 BC). A systematic recording strategy suggests that they represent between 30 and 60% of the macro-lithic assemblages, indicating their importance in the economy of these communities. Despite their good conservation and visibility throughout the archaeological record, they have rarely been analysed rigorously. Generally speaking, the examination of these small size artefacts with a variety of wear traces produced by friction continues to be problematic, regardless of the many attempts to define their functional diversity with a specific artefact type terminology. The aim of this paper is to overcome these problems, proposing an approach based on the mechanical properties of the rocks, on the morphometric characteristics of the working or active surfaces of the artefacts, on the analysis of use-wear traces, and on their archaeological context. This methodology will shed new light on the value of abraders in the life of Neolithic societies.
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Papers by Vesna Vuckovic
focused on Alovska Cave, due to its developed cultural-chronological and geological stratigraphy and an amount of pottery and animal bones. The lack of the published records supports significance of the examination of these objects, and we focused primarily on animal remains, while the analysis of pottery will be provided preliminary.
делу рада представљена је промена у насељености током позног латена и могућнст формирања трговачког насеља на месту савременог Параћина, много пре него што то писани извори помињу.
Користећи писане изворе и податке добијене ископавањима на локалитету Лидл, Глождак покушали смо да убицирамо средњевековни Паракинов брод. Као основу анализа користили смо разлике у геоморфологији, квалитету земљишта, близину ресурса, комуникационе правце и етнографске податке о економији овог подручја.
године започета су систематска рекогносцирања територије општине Параћин. Захваљујући живој активности параћинског музеја, од његовог оснивања сакупљени су подаци за приближно 120 археолошких налазишта на територији општине. Међутим, у области западне обале реке Велике Мораве, која обухвата равничарски појас и брдовите источне обронке планине Јухор, до
сада је било евидентирано само седам локалитета од праисторије до средњег века, што по густини не одговара осталим равничарским деловима централног Поморавља. Због тако малог броја налазишта, али и јаке речне ерозије Велике Мораве, која већ деценијама односи хектаре ораницa у том делу речног тока, сматрали смо да ова област има приоритет у погледу теренских рекогносцирања. Тако је у првој половини 2020. године обављена детаљна проспекција терена на поменутом подручју и утврђени су прецизни положај и границе већ постојећих и новооткривених налазишта. Циљ овог рада је објављивање резултата рекогносцирања, али и њихова валоризација и поређење
с претходно откривеном грађом из збирке Музеја.
Кључне речи: рекогносцирање, праисторија, антика, средњи век, Велика Морава, параћинска општина
последњим заштитним ископавањима 2020. године овај простор је поново био актуелан за истраживаче и том приликом је Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин” дошао до првих информација о овом објекту и његовом власнику.
Kључне речи: циглана, индустрија, технологија, прва половина 20. века, Параћин.
Abstract: This paper is dedicated to a brickyard, which Dragutin Stanković built in 1936 in the vicinity of the town of Paraćin. Brick-making is an insufficiently explored topic, and available information is scarce. Literature shows that brick-making was well-developed in Paraćin, however, this brickyard was rarely mentioned for unknown reasons. It is reported commonly in paperworks on excavations of a site of Gloždak, at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s of the XX century. The brickyard was a part of a description of a position and topographic characteristics of the site. This area attracted researchers again, during the latest protective archaeological excavations in
2020, when Hometown Museum Paraćin collected the first information on the object and owner.
Key words: Brickyard, industry, technology, the first half of the 20th century, Paraćin.
Локалитет Глождак је у стручну литературу као некропола из позног бронзаног доба и дакогетског периода ушао средином XX века, након првих заштитних археолошких истраживања под руководством Драге и Милутина Гарашанина. На основу претходних и овогодишњих истраживања простирање локалитета на левој обали Црнице може се само делимично реконструисати. Јужни део локалитета данас је покривен модерним насељем Глождак, али се према плану сонди са поменутих истраживања може са сигурношћу тврдити да се простире јужно од данашње Улице Браће Југовић. Истраживања 2018. године утврдила су да се
према истоку локалитет простире источно од данашње улице краља Милутина. Северна и западна граница нису јасно утврђене како је читав овај простор неистражен и прекривен савременом инфраструктуром.
data, we have tried to define their chronological position according to the analogies from clearly defined cultural and chronological contexts. These objects are part of a private collection, which includes different categories of stone tools such as semi-finished perforated tools, perforated percussion tools, percussion tools, polished edge tools, and a grinding slab.
are very rare. This paper presents experiments in smoothing, polishing pottery surface in order to examine several
topics. Fourteen vessels were made of various tempered clay and diff erent moisture levels. Their surfaces were processed
by smoothers made of shells and the experimentally made stone axe. Polishing has been performed by pebbles and a boar
task. The experimental tests resulted in a comparative collection of micro-wear traces considering the objects originating
from an archaeological context. This can reveal pottery workshops and possible technological varieties in pottery production
within the settlement or between settlements. At the same time, it has been documented that types of use-wear
traces on stone polishers appeared and developed in various time, depending on pottery temper. Observations also show
a correlation between the productivity and morphology of stone polishers, the shape of the vessels and decoration. It has
been also concluded that to the working effi ciency of the implemented artefacts made of various materials such as stone
and the boar tusk depends on technology implemented in pottery production. These experiments can assist in completing
an economic picture of the Neolithic settlements on the Central Balkans. It encourages further examinations of wear
resistance, mechanical property, effi ciency of the pottery smoothers and polishers made of various materials such as stone,
bone and shells.
Finally, we analysed the appearance of Dacian material culture during the 1st and the 2nd century AD and compared the occurrence of certain forms and decorations with relevant sites in present-day Romania. The paper cautiously suggests that the Dacian material culture represents traces of the deportation of 100,000 Transdanubians to the territory of Moesia by the legate Silvanus Aelianus, possibly between 61 AD and 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, which has been partially confirmed by new archaeological excavations at the site of Gloždak-Lidl during 2018.
surrounding, in 2013, was the method for collecting rock materials
with the aim to determine archeo-petrological results obtained
during Vinca copper mine researches, in the 1960s and 1970s. Te paper
presents preliminary results of the macro petrological analysis, with
specific emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro petrological determination of stone raw archeological material and the significance of creating referent archeo-petrological collections.
Talks by Vesna Vuckovic
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
Весна Вучковић, Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин”, Параћин
Игор Јовановић, Музеј рударства и металургије, Бор
Душица Петрашиновић, Геолошка и хидрометереолошка школа, Београд.
Апстракт
Архео – петролошким рекогносцирањем локалитета Рудна Глава и његове околине 2013. године сакупљена је стенске грађе у циљу макро-петролошке детерминације архео-петролошких налаза, пронађених током истраживања винчанског рудника бакра шездесетих и седамдесетих година прошлог века. У раду су дати прелиминарни резултати макропетролошке анализе, са посебаним освртом на примену недеструктивних метода у макропетролошкој детерминацији каменог археолошког материјала и значај формирања референтних архео-петролошких збирки.
Кључне речи: општина Бор, неолитски рудник бакра Рудна Глава, рекогносцирање, архео – петролошки материјал, детерминација недеструктивном методом, референтна архео-петролошка збирка.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF MACRO PETRLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF
STONE RAW MATERIAL FROM NEOLITHIC SITE RUDNA GLAVA
Vesna Vučković, Hometown museum ,,Paraćin”, Paraćin.
Igor Jovanović, Museum of Mining and Metallurgy, Bor.
Dušica Petrašinović, Geological and Hydrometeorological high-school, Beograd.
Abstract
The purpose of archaeo – petrological surface survey of the site Rudna Glava and its surroundings in 2013. was rock material collecting and its macro-petrological determination. Those archaeo-petrologic objects were found during the research of Vinča’s copper mines during the sixties and seventies. This paper presents the preliminary results of macro-petrological analysis, with special emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro-petrological determination of archaeological stone material and the importance of establishing referent archaeo-petrological collections.
Key words: Bor municipality, Neolithic Copper Mine Rudna Glava, surface survey, archaeo - petrological material, non-destructive method of determination, referent archaeo-petrological collection.
JSAS volumes/ GSAD sveske by Vesna Vuckovic
focused on Alovska Cave, due to its developed cultural-chronological and geological stratigraphy and an amount of pottery and animal bones. The lack of the published records supports significance of the examination of these objects, and we focused primarily on animal remains, while the analysis of pottery will be provided preliminary.
делу рада представљена је промена у насељености током позног латена и могућнст формирања трговачког насеља на месту савременог Параћина, много пре него што то писани извори помињу.
Користећи писане изворе и податке добијене ископавањима на локалитету Лидл, Глождак покушали смо да убицирамо средњевековни Паракинов брод. Као основу анализа користили смо разлике у геоморфологији, квалитету земљишта, близину ресурса, комуникационе правце и етнографске податке о економији овог подручја.
године започета су систематска рекогносцирања територије општине Параћин. Захваљујући живој активности параћинског музеја, од његовог оснивања сакупљени су подаци за приближно 120 археолошких налазишта на територији општине. Међутим, у области западне обале реке Велике Мораве, која обухвата равничарски појас и брдовите источне обронке планине Јухор, до
сада је било евидентирано само седам локалитета од праисторије до средњег века, што по густини не одговара осталим равничарским деловима централног Поморавља. Због тако малог броја налазишта, али и јаке речне ерозије Велике Мораве, која већ деценијама односи хектаре ораницa у том делу речног тока, сматрали смо да ова област има приоритет у погледу теренских рекогносцирања. Тако је у првој половини 2020. године обављена детаљна проспекција терена на поменутом подручју и утврђени су прецизни положај и границе већ постојећих и новооткривених налазишта. Циљ овог рада је објављивање резултата рекогносцирања, али и њихова валоризација и поређење
с претходно откривеном грађом из збирке Музеја.
Кључне речи: рекогносцирање, праисторија, антика, средњи век, Велика Морава, параћинска општина
последњим заштитним ископавањима 2020. године овај простор је поново био актуелан за истраживаче и том приликом је Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин” дошао до првих информација о овом објекту и његовом власнику.
Kључне речи: циглана, индустрија, технологија, прва половина 20. века, Параћин.
Abstract: This paper is dedicated to a brickyard, which Dragutin Stanković built in 1936 in the vicinity of the town of Paraćin. Brick-making is an insufficiently explored topic, and available information is scarce. Literature shows that brick-making was well-developed in Paraćin, however, this brickyard was rarely mentioned for unknown reasons. It is reported commonly in paperworks on excavations of a site of Gloždak, at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s of the XX century. The brickyard was a part of a description of a position and topographic characteristics of the site. This area attracted researchers again, during the latest protective archaeological excavations in
2020, when Hometown Museum Paraćin collected the first information on the object and owner.
Key words: Brickyard, industry, technology, the first half of the 20th century, Paraćin.
Локалитет Глождак је у стручну литературу као некропола из позног бронзаног доба и дакогетског периода ушао средином XX века, након првих заштитних археолошких истраживања под руководством Драге и Милутина Гарашанина. На основу претходних и овогодишњих истраживања простирање локалитета на левој обали Црнице може се само делимично реконструисати. Јужни део локалитета данас је покривен модерним насељем Глождак, али се према плану сонди са поменутих истраживања може са сигурношћу тврдити да се простире јужно од данашње Улице Браће Југовић. Истраживања 2018. године утврдила су да се
према истоку локалитет простире источно од данашње улице краља Милутина. Северна и западна граница нису јасно утврђене како је читав овај простор неистражен и прекривен савременом инфраструктуром.
data, we have tried to define their chronological position according to the analogies from clearly defined cultural and chronological contexts. These objects are part of a private collection, which includes different categories of stone tools such as semi-finished perforated tools, perforated percussion tools, percussion tools, polished edge tools, and a grinding slab.
are very rare. This paper presents experiments in smoothing, polishing pottery surface in order to examine several
topics. Fourteen vessels were made of various tempered clay and diff erent moisture levels. Their surfaces were processed
by smoothers made of shells and the experimentally made stone axe. Polishing has been performed by pebbles and a boar
task. The experimental tests resulted in a comparative collection of micro-wear traces considering the objects originating
from an archaeological context. This can reveal pottery workshops and possible technological varieties in pottery production
within the settlement or between settlements. At the same time, it has been documented that types of use-wear
traces on stone polishers appeared and developed in various time, depending on pottery temper. Observations also show
a correlation between the productivity and morphology of stone polishers, the shape of the vessels and decoration. It has
been also concluded that to the working effi ciency of the implemented artefacts made of various materials such as stone
and the boar tusk depends on technology implemented in pottery production. These experiments can assist in completing
an economic picture of the Neolithic settlements on the Central Balkans. It encourages further examinations of wear
resistance, mechanical property, effi ciency of the pottery smoothers and polishers made of various materials such as stone,
bone and shells.
Finally, we analysed the appearance of Dacian material culture during the 1st and the 2nd century AD and compared the occurrence of certain forms and decorations with relevant sites in present-day Romania. The paper cautiously suggests that the Dacian material culture represents traces of the deportation of 100,000 Transdanubians to the territory of Moesia by the legate Silvanus Aelianus, possibly between 61 AD and 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero, which has been partially confirmed by new archaeological excavations at the site of Gloždak-Lidl during 2018.
surrounding, in 2013, was the method for collecting rock materials
with the aim to determine archeo-petrological results obtained
during Vinca copper mine researches, in the 1960s and 1970s. Te paper
presents preliminary results of the macro petrological analysis, with
specific emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro petrological determination of stone raw archeological material and the significance of creating referent archeo-petrological collections.
АНАЛИЗЕ КАМЕНОГ МАТЕРИЈАЛА СА ЛОКАЛИТЕТА РУДНА ГЛАВА
Весна Вучковић, Завичајни музеј ,,Параћин”, Параћин
Игор Јовановић, Музеј рударства и металургије, Бор
Душица Петрашиновић, Геолошка и хидрометереолошка школа, Београд.
Апстракт
Архео – петролошким рекогносцирањем локалитета Рудна Глава и његове околине 2013. године сакупљена је стенске грађе у циљу макро-петролошке детерминације архео-петролошких налаза, пронађених током истраживања винчанског рудника бакра шездесетих и седамдесетих година прошлог века. У раду су дати прелиминарни резултати макропетролошке анализе, са посебаним освртом на примену недеструктивних метода у макропетролошкој детерминацији каменог археолошког материјала и значај формирања референтних архео-петролошких збирки.
Кључне речи: општина Бор, неолитски рудник бакра Рудна Глава, рекогносцирање, архео – петролошки материјал, детерминација недеструктивном методом, референтна архео-петролошка збирка.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF MACRO PETRLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF
STONE RAW MATERIAL FROM NEOLITHIC SITE RUDNA GLAVA
Vesna Vučković, Hometown museum ,,Paraćin”, Paraćin.
Igor Jovanović, Museum of Mining and Metallurgy, Bor.
Dušica Petrašinović, Geological and Hydrometeorological high-school, Beograd.
Abstract
The purpose of archaeo – petrological surface survey of the site Rudna Glava and its surroundings in 2013. was rock material collecting and its macro-petrological determination. Those archaeo-petrologic objects were found during the research of Vinča’s copper mines during the sixties and seventies. This paper presents the preliminary results of macro-petrological analysis, with special emphasis on the application of non-destructive methods in macro-petrological determination of archaeological stone material and the importance of establishing referent archaeo-petrological collections.
Key words: Bor municipality, Neolithic Copper Mine Rudna Glava, surface survey, archaeo - petrological material, non-destructive method of determination, referent archaeo-petrological collection.
Copper and Bronze Age in southern Iberia showed territorial division produced by diversities in economic activities. Based on this experience and methodology we have analysed 2174 macro-lithic tools from
the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900 - 4650/4600 BC cal) from the central Balkans. Our aim was to answer several questions concern the Neolithic economy of the Central Balkans such as detection of economic changes through time and space, to define and confirm regional
economic differences during the Late Neolithic, identifying distance exchange patterns, identification of standardization of the macro-lithic objects, and defining if the Vinča culture had highly organized production and society. Thus we applied a complex methodological system that
includes petrographic analysis, analysis of morphometric characteristics, functional analysis, and an experimental examination.
and explained. The previous research of Bronze Age macro-lithic tools of the copper and Bronze Age in southern Iberia showed territorial division produced by diversities economic activities. Based onthis experience and
methodology we have analysed 2174 macro-lithic tools from
the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900- 4650/4600 BC cal) from the Central
Balkans. Our aim was to answer several questions concerns the Neolithic economy of the Central Balkans such as detection of economic changes through time and space, to define and confirm regional economic differences during the Late Neolithic, identifying distance exchange
patterns, identification of standardization of the macro-lithic objects, and defining if the Vinča culture had highly organized production and society. Thus we applied a complex methodological system that includes
petrographic analysis, analysis of morphometric characteristics, functional analysis, and an experimental examination.
among which ampale evidence for long-distance ties and large-scale storage. One of the characteristics of the site is pottery bearing distanctiv decorative style termed the ‘Tel Tsaf decoration style’. These painted motiefs that frequentlly charactaraized the upper part of mainlly delicate vessels, like bowles and small jars, include a bichrome frize. It
shows commonly two black, parallel lines and black geometric patterns between them and a combination of two different or the same geomethric patterns on a white slip. During the renewed project at Tel Tsaf a focused study of the Tel Tsaf decorations bearing shareds was initiated, aiming at better understanding the technology of production, application of the paintings, and the function of the vessels. This paper focuses on the technology of pottery with the “Tel Tsaf decoration” and a few
imported Ubeid shards, probably originated from the northern Levant. Our goal is to establish the ground for functional analysis of the painted Tel Tsaf pottery in order to deϐine its origin, purpose, economic and social
organisation, and consequently cultural links through time and space. Here we present the preliminary results of the use-wear analysis
and systematic collecting of data from the surfaces of the studied objects and proϐiles, typological analysis, and analysis of metrical characteristics of the artefacts.
The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today, and in brief, the idea was to draw inspiration from Europe’s Bronze Age pottery to help revive modern-day artisanship. The project targets the appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource and the reinforcement of a sense of belonging to a common European space. In particular, it hopes to make cultural heritage a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and strengthen the interaction between this sector and other cultural and creative sectors. The main framework of the project was the idea that four potters from Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia will draw on their skills to (re)create ceramic vessels representative of some of the most outstanding Bronze Age cultures of Europe: El Argar (southeast Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia).
The papers published within these proceedings are not strictly related to the project itself, but the problems of Bronze Age pottery in Europe in general. The problems discussed in the presented papers and the inspirations are drawn from the CRAFTER project. The original idea was to delve into the content of the pottery and define its composition and quality. These are, in fact, the elements responsible for the final appearance of the ceramic vessel and its function. Considering that out of four editors, two have presented papers within the proceedings, I have been honoured to write this short introduction on their significance and essence. The thread that connects all of the papers, although their concepts do not seem similar at the first glance, since some of the papers are dwelling on interdisciplinarity while others deal with certain chronological and cultural-historical problems, is that the primary analytical material in all of the papers is Bronze Age pottery, from beyond the Pyrenees, across Central Europe, to the Balkans, which is not unexpected considering that a Serbian institution was credited for publishing. The positive aspect is that the pottery is Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project discussed in a manner uncommon for archaeology, while on the other hand pottery studies have been more and more neglected in the past few decades, as such subjects are considered as passé in archaeology. The ever-rising number of specializations and specialists have pushed the pottery and potters into an undeserved corner, even though without such a set of analytic work the past can not be completely and adequately perceived.
The pottery is “slow-moving”. It changes, circulates, and exchanges at a slow pace and it enables the perception of the beginning, development, decadence, and the end of a certain society. The pottery has regional character and reflects the primary contacts, the esthetics of a community, and the inspiration of the artist. Certainly, this implies to prehistoric pottery and communities which do not function within centralized social systems, such as the Bronze Age beyond Mediterranean Europe, which is indeed in the focus of these proceedings. With the appearance of the potter’s wheel, the production and distribution of pottery merge with industry and economy, and at that moment a puzzle of a small man from the past loses a piece. A piece without which we are unable to perceive small communities through such an important, fruitful, and data-rich object such as pottery and which we often tend to neglect as a discipline. In order to identify the contacts, exchange, and trade or reconstruct the communication routes in past, we often reach to the so-called luxurious artifacts: metals, amber, glass, and artisan objects… Likewise, pottery could narrate a story of one meal, one house, one potter, one village, or one community in the past, which is, like it or not, a fact that will make the interdisciplinary and diverse analyses of prehistoric pottery one of the primary archaeological methods.
Vojislav Filipović
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
Having worked on my master thesis on the macro-lithic tools from the Neolithic sites of the central part of Serbia or so-called Middle Morava valley, we noticed that there is not enough interest in this archaeological category in the central Balkans. The short research tradition and the small number of researchers explains the limited amount of published research results. This situation limits the implementation of new methodological approaches, such as those developed in the other parts of southern and central Europe, and impedes the advance of the archaeological knowledge on prehistoric economies.
In order to overcome these problems, we have examined 2174 macro-lithic tools from the 12 Neolithic settlements (c. 5900 - 4650/4600 BC cal) from the Central Balkans. This material has been scrutinised from a geological, morpho-technical and functional perspective, oriented towards the scientific questions reslting from a specific economic theory.
The study starts with the presentation of the settlement context in which the analysed artefacts were found, as well as paleoof -environmental and geomorphological settings of the Central Balkans. It continues explaining the results of the petrographic analysis of raw material from macro-lithic tools and of samples from geological outcrops from the Central Balkans. The geoarchaeological approach includes the results of a geoarchaeological survey of the middle Morava valley, related to macro-lithic artefacts from Motel Slatina and Turska česma, Slatina. The petrographic analysis allows identifying the location and the distance from which raw materials derived the exploitation method and the existence of territorial borders between supply areas.
Functional analysis has revealed for the first time, an appearance of a large variety of macro-lithic tools during the Neolithic of the Central Balkans. These results allow us to observe technological changes among the Early and Late Neolithic macro-lithic societies and economic differences between settlements and regions during the Late Neolithic. Our research concludes with a reconstruction of the economic organisation of Vinča society.
https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/669666#page=1
of fluvial rock deposits and the quality of their rocks, as well as economic changes and an increase in population shaped the social accessibility to raw materials, procurement strategies, and the development of exchange
networks between the Neolithic communities of the central Balkans. The present study sets a specific geo-archaeological method to clarify these socio-economic relations. Although no standarisation in the procurement and the use of raw materials is observed among the Neolithic settlements, suggesting that economic intensification was not the primary goal of their economies, a three-tier organisation is revealed at the local, regional
and supra-regional level, implying a notable degree of social cooperation, especially between the Late Neolithic Vinča communities.
Keywords: macro-lithic tools, rock exploitation, paleo-economy, geo-archaeology, Neolithic, Vinča culture, Central Balkans.
Despite recent evidence that metallurgy was present from its beginning, the Vir6a culture at the Central Balkans is labelled traditionally as a Late Neolithic culture (cf. Porćić 2012: 23). The sedentarism caused a new socioeconomic organization, as the need to supply a growing population consequently impacted food production, accessory items of technology, and non-subsistence goods. This led to greater investments of labour and restructuring of activities, resulting in an economic intensification (Kaiser and Voytek 1983: 329). The recent analysis of rocks, presented in Vučković (2019) thesis on the Neolithic economy and macro-lithic items in the Central Balkans, has allowed the identification of three geo-economic regions. The term geo-economic region represents characteristics of the economy based on features of the raw material of macro-lithic tools involved in the different activities of a studied area. These regions have been identified primarily by rocks used in grinding technology. In addition to their intensive implementation in the whole of the Central Balkans, sedimentary rocks were also the most important rock type to the economies of the north-western part of the Central Balkans and the southern part of the Pannonian Plain. The second area is defined by the importance of igneous rocks in grinding technology in the south and south-west of the Central Balkans. The third geo-economic region is located in the Middle Morava Valley, where igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks were used likewise for tools with abrasive surfaces.
This paper focuses on the economy of the latter geo-economic region identified in the Middle Morava Valley, based on the evidence of the Late Neolithic settlements of Slatina - Turska česma, and Motel Slatina (Figure 1, 2).