Although ceramic vessels form the majority of artifact assemblages in the Neolithic, little is kn... more Although ceramic vessels form the majority of artifact assemblages in the Neolithic, little is known about their production beyond the assumption that they were made in a domestic context. Characterizing the scale of ceramic production is important for understanding Neolithic social and economic processes, particularly at sites with enclosure systems that indicate an increased degree of social organization. Nevertheless, characterizing the complexity and social entanglements of ceramic production is a difficult task in the absence of primary production locales.
In this study, we provide a working hypothesis and use ceramic and clay petrographic data to highlight the variability in ceramic technological practices, and in turn, identify the organization of ceramic production at the Late Neolithic (Lengyel I; 4750–4500 BCE) site of Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, South Moravia, Czech Republic. The site is characterised by a large circular enclosure, the construction of which required a high level of social cooperation. It is still under scrutiny whether the cooperation required for building the enclosure system was only temporary and related to this construction activity, or if it reflects a higher degree of social organization in general.
By understanding ceramic production, we may clarify the complexity of the most common production processes that took place at the site. Large-scale ceramic and clay petrographic data provide information on the first steps of the chaîne opératoire in ceramic fabrication, which can be used to assess the organization of production. A systematic analysis of a large number of ceramic samples, representing all basic typological and macroscopically distinguishable fabric groups, revealed a high degree of individuality in choices of raw materials and tempers. Ceramic petrographic data, compared with the petrographic data of local sediment sources, further highlighted individuality in raw material and temper preferences, and even mixing of raw materials was identified.
Our analyses suggest that Lengyel culture potters likely produced their vessels on a household level, with no evidence suggesting non-domestic production. These data, in conjunction with ceramic petrographic data from Hungarian Late Neolithic sites, suggest that Late Neolithic communities were self-sufficient in terms of utilitarian pottery production. Ceramic petrographic data also indicate interaction between the inhabitants of Těšetice and other Lengyel culture communities in the vicinity, perhaps further indicating a higher degree of social organization at the site.
Consensus holds that pottery technology came to Central Europe from the Northern Balkans with ind... more Consensus holds that pottery technology came to Central Europe from the Northern Balkans with independent pottery traditions existing concurrently in Eastern Europe. An unusual grass-tempered pottery dating back to around 5800 cal BC found in lake sediments at Santovka, Slovakia, predated the earliest known Neolithic pottery in the region (~ 5500 cal BC), suggesting unexplored narratives of pottery introduction. Analyses of the pottery's technology, origin, and grass temper shedding light on ceramic traditions' spread can unveil mobility patterns and community lifestyles. Our findings indicate a non-local provenance, low temperature firing, Festugc sp. grass temper and unique rectangular or cylindrical vessel shapes which align with Eastern European hunter-gatherer practices. Moreover, the pottery style and technology have no analogies in the contemporary Danubian pottery traditions and have more similarities to those of the Eastern traditions. The pottery's raw materials likely originated from distant areas, indicating extensive territorial access for its creators. Our findings imply late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers as the probable artisans and with implications for the site's significance in the late Mesolithic landscape.
This research combines Strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and Oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope analysis to challenge... more This research combines Strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and Oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope analysis to challenge the prevailing interpretation of patrilocal exogamic practices among eastern European Early Neolithic Linearbandkeramik (LBK) communities. Patrilocality has been considered the key factor influencing the mobility patterns of central Europe's first farmers (c. 5500-4900 cal. BC), especially in the southeastern Moravian region (Czech Republic). Focusing our attention on both male and female tooth enamel samples from cemeteries, settlement graves and small clusters of graves, this paper reassesses the correlation between mobility, biological sex, and funerary practices. This task is accomplished by establishing a new isotopic footprint using new 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data, as well as significantly increasing the number of sampled individuals for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 18 O. The outcome of this research contributes to a better understanding of the mobility patterns among early farmers in central Europe, challenging existing theories and providing new insights into their social and cultural dynamics.
In the absence of wood, bone, and other organics, one possible candidate for determining the age ... more In the absence of wood, bone, and other organics, one possible candidate for determining the age of a site is the radiocarbon (14C) dating of pottery. In central Europe during the Early Neolithic, pottery was ubiquitous and contained substantial quantities of organic temper. However, attempts at the direct dating of organic inclusions raises a lot of methodological issues, especially when several sources of carbon contribute to the resulting radiocarbon age. Hence an alternative approach to dating of the early pottery is necessary. Here, we present a novel method of bulk separation of organic content from the grass-tempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia). The procedure is based on the consecutive application of three inorganic acids, dissolving clay, silica content, and low molecular or mobile fractions to separate organic inclusions added to the pottery matrix during the formation of vessels. Radiocarbon dates obtained with this method are coherent and produce the shortest time span compared to other pretreatment methods presented in this study. The paired dates of grass-tempered pots with the 14C age of lipids extracted from the same pots point to a difference of 400-600 14C yr, however they are in line with the site's chronostratigraphic Bayesian model. Grasstempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia) is dated to the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC, making it the earliest pottery north of the Danube. It seems feasible that ceramic containers from Santovka were produced by hunter-gatherers, and pottery predated the arrival of farming in the Carpathian region by a couple of centuries.
The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from... more The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from the Lengyel culture settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, Czech Republic. We indicated the possibilities for acquiring analytical data, although destructive methods were unacceptable. We included methods neglected to date, but widely available in the common archaeological laboratory. Information on the composition of the ceramic matrix, the provenance of inclusions, the techniques used for shaping, firing, operating and discarding are all of key importance for advancing the discussion on the nterpretational potential of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from typological and religionist discourses to analytically-focused discussions supported by hard data. Two serious factors have thus far prevented the widespread use of analytical methods: the destructive nature of the evidential analyses, which is contradictory to heritage protection and general awareness of the value and rarity of suc...
Using a multi-proxy analysis of a postglacial sedimentary sequence from a lowland wetland, we add... more Using a multi-proxy analysis of a postglacial sedimentary sequence from a lowland wetland, we address the possible drivers of change in the wetland habitats and surrounding landscapes of southwestern Slovakia. A 5 m-deep core in the Parížske močiare marshes was investigated for pollen, plant macro-remains, molluscs, organic content and magnetic susceptibility. The palaeoecological record extends from the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (≥11,200 cal. BP) to the 5th millennium cal. BP and was correlated with a macrophysical climate model (MCM) and archaeological data. Our results show the transformation of an open parkland landscape with patches of coniferous forest to a temperate deciduous forest at the onset of the Holocene. The record is remarkable for an early occurrence of Quercus pollen and macro-remains around 11,200 cal. BP and its early expansion (10,390 cal. BP) in the vegetation. Such an early spread of Quercus has not previously been recorded in the region, where Corylus i...
From Farmers To Heroes? Archaeological Studies In Honor Of Sławmir Kadrow, 2022
The most important analytical approach in archaeology since radiocarbon dating, stable isotope an... more The most important analytical approach in archaeology since radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis provides quantitative evidence for ancient diets, provenance/mobility, and ecology. In this study, we analyzed the 87Sr/86Sr isotopic composition of ceramics from Verteba Cave, the underground sacrificial site associated with the Tripolye culture in Western Ukraine. The study sought to provide an initial outline and isotopic reference dataset to be used in archaeometric analysis of provenance for prehistoric pottery and other clayey artefacts, and consequently in studying ancient mobility of the communities living close to the Seret River and Verteba Cave site. The approach here adopted relies on Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry, using the clayey materials tout court, without any pre-treatment, in order to maintain unaltered the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the natural resources possibly available in ancient times for the pottery production, and avoid any possible preparation bias. Results indicate the presence of both locally made vessels and imports in the Verteba cave. Strontium isotopic ‘finger-printing’ can be used as a discrimination tool applied to ancient ceramics provenance, however, this method encounters certain significant technical limitations.
In 2018-2021, systematic research of the site continued in the locations of "Sutny IV", "Sutny V"... more In 2018-2021, systematic research of the site continued in the locations of "Sutny IV", "Sutny V" and "Sutny VI", and at the same time, multi-seasonal field prospecting in the form of surface collections took place in the wider surroundings of the Únanovka river catchment.
In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with ... more In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with the intent of extending archaeological knowledge from Vráble – Fidvár to other sites in the Žitava Valley, an area in the Carpathian foothills which included a chain of Early Bronze Age fortified. A series of 14 different known or suspected Early Bronze Age sites were evaluated, on three of which we decided to carry out further surveys (Maňa-Veľká Maňa, Bešeňov – Žitavský hon, Hul – Kratiny), including with field walking, augering and geomagnetics. Despite very comparable surveying conditions, these three sites yielded very different results attributable to the different states of preservation and functions of the sites. In Maňa-Veľká Maňa, a slope of up to 7 % was recognized which contributed to the strong erosion and bad preservation of subsoil features. According to the geomagnetic results, the site at Bešeňov was not fortified. It seems likely that it was settled only intermittently or for a short period of time during the Early Bronze Age. The prospection in Hul yielded the best results. A fortification consisting of a ditch was detected by magnetometry. According to the pXRF-analyses, there was no human impact on the filling of the ditch, which suggests that the site was inhabited only for a very short period of time. In addition to the Žitava Valley work, a field walking campaign was carried out in Vráble – Fidvár. The distribution and density of the collected finds correlates well with the prospection completed in 2007. In February 2015, additional augerings were performed there to collect sediment from the topsoil at approximately 40 cm beneath the surface. According to pXRF analyses, the concentration of Phosphor correlates with the pottery density.
Otázky neolitu a eneolitu našich krajín 2017-2019, 2020
Focus on the life of past societies is at the forefront of scientific research in recent years. F... more Focus on the life of past societies is at the forefront of scientific research in recent years. For the reconstruction of the day-to-day life of the Neolithic household, an archaeological material was obtained through the excavation of the farmstead (house with lateral clay extraction pits and adjacent sunken features) in site Těšetice-Kyjovice “Sutny IV”. This study aims to propose a model of subsistence strategy of the investigated household using intra-site analysis of the settlement refuse accumulated around the longhouse and its vicinity. The process of filling of individual features was reconstructed based on the fragmentization index, which depends on the archaeological feature and type of the artefact. Results of this study point out to dynamic filling process of the sunken features. The concentration of settlement refuse was observed around the southern part of the house (where the main entrance is considered) as well as in the features along the western house wall, where we assume a side entrance to the house. Both concentrations of the refuse suggest its deposition near the communications and in the periphery of areas of activities of the given household. Heterogeneous fragmentization of the main artefact groups was affected by the different period during which the artefacts were exposed to cultural and non-cultural transformation processes. Therefore it is not possible to determine whether the analyzed settlement refuse can be connected directly with the activities of the studied household or it is a result of the waste accumulation of several households within the settlement.
The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from... more The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from the Lengyel culture settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, Czech Republic. We indicated the possibilities for acquiring analytical data, although destructive methods were unacceptable. We included methods neglected to date, but widely available in the common archaeological laboratory. Information on the composition of the ceramic matrix, the provenance of inclusions, the techniques used for shaping, firing, operating and discarding are all of key importance for advancing the discussion on the interpretational potential of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from typological and religionist discourses to analytically-focused discussions supported by hard data. Two serious factors have thus far prevented the widespread use of analytical methods: the destructive nature of the evidential analyses, which is contradictory to heritage protection and general awareness of the value and rarity of such finds. The second factor relates to the prohibitive cost of analyses when applied to a statistically robust number of samples. On the other hand, in the absence of broad mapping of measurable data, we will remain dependent on only individually published analyses of isolated samples, typically from a different culture, period or geographical territory. We believe the use of non- and semi-destructive methods offers a solution. With the aim of achieving the lowest destructive impact, we conducted an analysis of eight ceramic figurines by use-wear analysis, high resolution 3D analysis, portable-X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) measurements and microscopy of polished sections.
Fischl/Kienlin (eds.): Beyond Divides - The Otomani-Füzesabony Phenomenon, 2019
The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian... more The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian Basin. Several previous studies indicated its complicated and unclear chronological relationships with certain pottery styles. The regional variation of the OFCC is based on differences in material culture, burial customs and complex landscape organisation of settlements. Therefore in this study, we used spatio-temporal modelling techniques to analyse the OFCC settlement structure with emphasis on several macroregions in Eastern Slovakia. A quantitative statistical approach was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
This paper reports LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data collected from archaeological human remains ... more This paper reports LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data collected from archaeological human remains uncovered in Manzherok region, Altai Republic, Russian Federation (“Mobility of nomads in central Asia: chronology and 87Sr/86Sr isotope evidence from the Pazyryk barrows of northern Altai, Russia” [1].
The skeletal remains derive from Scythian barrows dated to 6th – 3rd century BC located at Chultukov Log 1 cemetery. The Chultukov Log cemetery, located approximately 470km south of Novosibirsk, is considered the biggest nomadic burial ground in the Upper Altai and the Sayan Mountains.
To enrich the information on prehistoric mobility of ancient nomadic populations in Central Asia, strontium isotopic data were collected using a Nu plasma (II) MC-ICP-MS equipped with ESI NWR193-based laser ablation system from premolar teeth of 8 adult individuals (4 males and 4 females), associated mainly with the Pazyryk culture. Additionally, we report bioavailable strontium data from single Equus caballus specimen (found at Chultukov Log 9 settlement) from Manzherok territory. In this study we have successfully applied and tested new in-depth decontamination protocol for total (<95%) removal of contaminants, necrotic tissue and dental calculus in archaeological materials based on a clinical irrigation procedure with NaOCl and EDTA. Strontium LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data presented in this paper were obtained from prehistoric human teeth previously decontaminated according to this method.
These data will provide valuable resources for isotopic analyses of prehistoric transportation systems in Central Asia, including residential mobility of ancient nomads inhabiting steppe zone, Mongolia and NW China.
The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian... more The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian Basin. Several previous studies indicated its complicated and unclear chronological relationships with certain pottery styles. The regional variation of the OFCC is based on differences in material culture, burial customs and complex landscape organisation of settlements. Therefore in this study, we used spatio-temporal modelling techniques to analyse the OFCC settlement structure and rate of cultural change with an emphasis on several macroregions in Eastern Slovakia. A quantitative statistical approach (spatio-temporal modelling, Kruskal-Wallis test, principal component analysis) was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. In order to capture regional variability, within the relative chronological dating, Reinecke’s periodisation scheme was used instead of individual internal chronological systems of the OFCC. Information about sites (location, dating and type) was gathered from the literature, excavation and survey reports, as well as using existing databases (Tóth 2014; Oravkinová 2018). The database was managed in LibreOffice Calc, with the component as the central registration unit. Absolute chronology of individual Reinecke’s stages (used for spatio-temporal modelling) was adapted based on existing literature. Spatio-temporal modelling was performed on all sites using LibreOffice Calc, showing a gradual transformation of relative-chronological data into a timescale (Crema 2012; Kolář et al. 2015). Taking into account the duration of the OFCC pottery style, the data was modelled within 200 years’ timescale. Environmental analyses (altitude, soil types, cost distance to water and sources of copper, tin and gold) were analysed using QGIS software; values were extracted using ‘Point Sampling Tool’. Secondary information layers (cost distance to water and metal sources) were derived from the digital elevation model with the resolution 30x30 m (Tóth 2014: 106–108). The fertility of soils has been based on the most recent research (Lieskovský et al. 2015: table 4.2). We analysed the components with a clearly defined sitting within the surrounding landscape. During statistical tests, regional characteristics were taken into account. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
In Emília Pásztor. Shamanism and nature worship. Past and present. Baja: István Türr Museum., 2019
Cult practices go through almost all aspects and activities of human life in Prehistory. Therefor... more Cult practices go through almost all aspects and activities of human life in Prehistory. Therefore it is almost impossible to separate everyday life from ritual practices. Nearly all artifacts preserved up-today are in some way connected with spiritual belief. The terms ‘ritual find’ and ‘sacred belief’ (and their derivatives) will be used to characterize artifacts and phenomena, which are unique or unusual and probably fell outside everyday life, as well as finds related to Prehistoric art (Kalicz – Raczky 1987, 22). Changing climate conditions after the last ice age slowly paved the way for new subsistence strategies in the Neolithic – agriculture. However, these significant changes were preceded by the most fundamental one. It was the radical change of thinking, which enabled the spread of a new ideology that connected Central Europe with the Balkans and further with the Near East. In the center of sacred belief was fertility, regular rhythm of natural cycles and an infinite alteration of life and death closely connected with it. Ritual practices changed in the Eneolithic. This transformation reflected new situation in society and economy, in which man becomes a central element. Maternity cults are gradually pushed into the background as new components emerge (Podborský 2006, 201; Neustupný 2008, 11). Individual examples of ritual practices were chosen in order to illustrate a very diverse and manifold belief system of a man 7 500–4 300 years ago. Since most of finds and find circumstances with possible ritual context are known from settlements, the presented text will mainly focus on this aspect of human activities.
In this study we report the first 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk cu... more In this study we report the first 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk culture in Central Asia. Throughout prehistory the Altai Mountains represent a unique cultural frontier characterised by a perpetual state of transition, resulting from highly mobile nomadic inhabitants. We analysed human skeletal remains from barrows in the Manzherok region of the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The analysis was based on 160 measurements of 87Sr/86Sr from Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP- MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material. The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows.
Temperate oak-dominated woodlands are plant communities characterized by relatively open canopy s... more Temperate oak-dominated woodlands are plant communities characterized by relatively open canopy structure and often rich assemblages of light-demanding understory species. This vegetation prevailed in Central European lowlands during the early and middle Holocene. Where open woodlands persisted in later periods, several main factors might have prevented the expansion of shade-tolerant tree species: climate, soil, and disturbances. The last factor includes both natural and human induced agents (fire, grazing of wild or domestic herbivores, management). In our study we focused on the relative impact of the humans and climate on long-term forest vegetation changes in the northerwestern part of the Panonnian Basin. Two peat cores covering the vegetation history of the past 12,000 years have been investigated by means of pollen and charcoal analyses. Palaeoecological data wereinterpreted inthe contextof a climaticmodel and archaeological evidence. Our results showed that the early Holocene vegetation in the study region was composed of open wooded steppe with the dominance of pine. Succession to temperate oak and hazel woodland started in about 7500 cal BP and coincides with the first traces of permanent human settlement in the vicinity of both study sites. Since the Neolithic, different types of woodland management have created a more open forest structure, which has benefited light demanding trees, such as oak and hazel. However, during the middle Holocene several humid oscillations were recorded, which might have triggered the expansion of temperate woodlands. Although the natural or anthropogenic driversbehind thedynamics of temperate woodlandcouldnot be separatedfromeachother, itseems probable that long-term human impact in fluenced the dynamics of temperate woodlands from the middle and late Holocene until the present.
In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with ... more In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with the intent of extending archaeological knowledge from Vráble – Fidvár to other sites in the Žitava Valley, an area in the Carpathian foothills which included a chain of Early Bronze Age fortified. A series of 14 different known or suspected Early Bronze Age sites were evaluated, on three of which we decided to carry out further surveys (Maňa-Veľká Maňa, Bešeňov – Žitavský hon, Hul – Kratiny), including with field walking, augering and geomagnetics. Despite very comparable surveying conditions, these three sites yielded very different results attributable to the different states of preservation and functions of the sites. In Maňa-Veľká Maňa, a slope of up to 7 % was recognized which contributed to the strong erosion and bad preservation of subsoil features. According to the geomagnetic results, the site at Bešeňov was not fortified. It seems likely that it was settled only intermittently or for a short period of time during the Early Bronze Age. The prospection in Hul yielded the best results. A fortification consisting of a ditch was detected by magnetometry. According to the pXRF-analyses, there was no human impact on the filling of the ditch, which suggests that the site was inhabited only for a very short period of time. In addition to the Žitava Valley work, a field walking campaign was carried out in Vráble – Fidvár. The distribution and density of the collected finds correlates well with the prospection completed in 2007. In February 2015, additional augerings were performed there to collect sediment from the topsoil at approximately 40 cm beneath the surface. According to pXRF analyses, the concentration of Phosphor correlates with the pottery density.
Skeletal remains from Hronovce (Levice district, Slovakia) dated to the Eneolithic. The skeletal ... more Skeletal remains from Hronovce (Levice district, Slovakia) dated to the Eneolithic. The skeletal remains and pottery from the site Hronovce-Vozokany were dated to the Middle Eneolithic Period, exactly to the late classical Baden culture (Baden III-IVa). Skeletal remains belonged to a female in the age of 35–45 years (adultus II–maturus I). The distal ends of both ulnae were deformed. The traumatic changes (e.g. the injury of distal radioulnar joint or Colles' fracture) which led to a nutritional disorder of carpal joints and weakening of the bones are considered. The degenerative-productive changes are present in the cervical vertebrae; arthritis is most pronounced on the body of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. The heavy occlusal tooth wear was found in all teeth, and may not only be related to the consumption of abrasive food, but in this case it is possible to consider the use of teeth as the work tool. The analysis of stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N (-19.9, resp. +10.7) showed that a female had consumed terrestrial food typical for the temperate zone of Central Europe (cereals, vegetable food, meat from domestic and wild animals). Úvod V máji roku 2009 boli v obci Hronovce (okr. Levice), v miestnej časti Vozokany, objavené kostrové pozostatky ľudského jedinca. Archeologická lokalita sa nachádza na severovýchodnom okraji obce a je situovaná na vysokej sprašovej terase na pravom brehu rieky Hron, pokrytej pomerne hrubou vrstvou černozeme. Nálezisko leží v nadmorskej výške 136 m n. m. a prevýšenie od súčasnej riečnej hladiny predstavuje približne 10 m. Ľudský skelet spolu s nálezmi keramiky a zvieracích kostí bol nájdený na pozemku pána Raczkiho. Kostrové pozostatky " vypadli " v dôsledku erózie nespevnenej klenby zo stropu pivnice. Všetky nálezy prevzal od pána Raczkiho pán Szabó, ktorý ich uschoval do roku 2014. Následne si ich od neho prevzal archeológ Peter Tóth, ktorý nálezovú situáciu aj zdokumentoval.
Although ceramic vessels form the majority of artifact assemblages in the Neolithic, little is kn... more Although ceramic vessels form the majority of artifact assemblages in the Neolithic, little is known about their production beyond the assumption that they were made in a domestic context. Characterizing the scale of ceramic production is important for understanding Neolithic social and economic processes, particularly at sites with enclosure systems that indicate an increased degree of social organization. Nevertheless, characterizing the complexity and social entanglements of ceramic production is a difficult task in the absence of primary production locales.
In this study, we provide a working hypothesis and use ceramic and clay petrographic data to highlight the variability in ceramic technological practices, and in turn, identify the organization of ceramic production at the Late Neolithic (Lengyel I; 4750–4500 BCE) site of Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, South Moravia, Czech Republic. The site is characterised by a large circular enclosure, the construction of which required a high level of social cooperation. It is still under scrutiny whether the cooperation required for building the enclosure system was only temporary and related to this construction activity, or if it reflects a higher degree of social organization in general.
By understanding ceramic production, we may clarify the complexity of the most common production processes that took place at the site. Large-scale ceramic and clay petrographic data provide information on the first steps of the chaîne opératoire in ceramic fabrication, which can be used to assess the organization of production. A systematic analysis of a large number of ceramic samples, representing all basic typological and macroscopically distinguishable fabric groups, revealed a high degree of individuality in choices of raw materials and tempers. Ceramic petrographic data, compared with the petrographic data of local sediment sources, further highlighted individuality in raw material and temper preferences, and even mixing of raw materials was identified.
Our analyses suggest that Lengyel culture potters likely produced their vessels on a household level, with no evidence suggesting non-domestic production. These data, in conjunction with ceramic petrographic data from Hungarian Late Neolithic sites, suggest that Late Neolithic communities were self-sufficient in terms of utilitarian pottery production. Ceramic petrographic data also indicate interaction between the inhabitants of Těšetice and other Lengyel culture communities in the vicinity, perhaps further indicating a higher degree of social organization at the site.
Consensus holds that pottery technology came to Central Europe from the Northern Balkans with ind... more Consensus holds that pottery technology came to Central Europe from the Northern Balkans with independent pottery traditions existing concurrently in Eastern Europe. An unusual grass-tempered pottery dating back to around 5800 cal BC found in lake sediments at Santovka, Slovakia, predated the earliest known Neolithic pottery in the region (~ 5500 cal BC), suggesting unexplored narratives of pottery introduction. Analyses of the pottery's technology, origin, and grass temper shedding light on ceramic traditions' spread can unveil mobility patterns and community lifestyles. Our findings indicate a non-local provenance, low temperature firing, Festugc sp. grass temper and unique rectangular or cylindrical vessel shapes which align with Eastern European hunter-gatherer practices. Moreover, the pottery style and technology have no analogies in the contemporary Danubian pottery traditions and have more similarities to those of the Eastern traditions. The pottery's raw materials likely originated from distant areas, indicating extensive territorial access for its creators. Our findings imply late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers as the probable artisans and with implications for the site's significance in the late Mesolithic landscape.
This research combines Strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and Oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope analysis to challenge... more This research combines Strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and Oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope analysis to challenge the prevailing interpretation of patrilocal exogamic practices among eastern European Early Neolithic Linearbandkeramik (LBK) communities. Patrilocality has been considered the key factor influencing the mobility patterns of central Europe's first farmers (c. 5500-4900 cal. BC), especially in the southeastern Moravian region (Czech Republic). Focusing our attention on both male and female tooth enamel samples from cemeteries, settlement graves and small clusters of graves, this paper reassesses the correlation between mobility, biological sex, and funerary practices. This task is accomplished by establishing a new isotopic footprint using new 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data, as well as significantly increasing the number of sampled individuals for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 18 O. The outcome of this research contributes to a better understanding of the mobility patterns among early farmers in central Europe, challenging existing theories and providing new insights into their social and cultural dynamics.
In the absence of wood, bone, and other organics, one possible candidate for determining the age ... more In the absence of wood, bone, and other organics, one possible candidate for determining the age of a site is the radiocarbon (14C) dating of pottery. In central Europe during the Early Neolithic, pottery was ubiquitous and contained substantial quantities of organic temper. However, attempts at the direct dating of organic inclusions raises a lot of methodological issues, especially when several sources of carbon contribute to the resulting radiocarbon age. Hence an alternative approach to dating of the early pottery is necessary. Here, we present a novel method of bulk separation of organic content from the grass-tempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia). The procedure is based on the consecutive application of three inorganic acids, dissolving clay, silica content, and low molecular or mobile fractions to separate organic inclusions added to the pottery matrix during the formation of vessels. Radiocarbon dates obtained with this method are coherent and produce the shortest time span compared to other pretreatment methods presented in this study. The paired dates of grass-tempered pots with the 14C age of lipids extracted from the same pots point to a difference of 400-600 14C yr, however they are in line with the site's chronostratigraphic Bayesian model. Grasstempered pottery from Santovka (Slovakia) is dated to the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC, making it the earliest pottery north of the Danube. It seems feasible that ceramic containers from Santovka were produced by hunter-gatherers, and pottery predated the arrival of farming in the Carpathian region by a couple of centuries.
The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from... more The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from the Lengyel culture settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, Czech Republic. We indicated the possibilities for acquiring analytical data, although destructive methods were unacceptable. We included methods neglected to date, but widely available in the common archaeological laboratory. Information on the composition of the ceramic matrix, the provenance of inclusions, the techniques used for shaping, firing, operating and discarding are all of key importance for advancing the discussion on the nterpretational potential of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from typological and religionist discourses to analytically-focused discussions supported by hard data. Two serious factors have thus far prevented the widespread use of analytical methods: the destructive nature of the evidential analyses, which is contradictory to heritage protection and general awareness of the value and rarity of suc...
Using a multi-proxy analysis of a postglacial sedimentary sequence from a lowland wetland, we add... more Using a multi-proxy analysis of a postglacial sedimentary sequence from a lowland wetland, we address the possible drivers of change in the wetland habitats and surrounding landscapes of southwestern Slovakia. A 5 m-deep core in the Parížske močiare marshes was investigated for pollen, plant macro-remains, molluscs, organic content and magnetic susceptibility. The palaeoecological record extends from the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (≥11,200 cal. BP) to the 5th millennium cal. BP and was correlated with a macrophysical climate model (MCM) and archaeological data. Our results show the transformation of an open parkland landscape with patches of coniferous forest to a temperate deciduous forest at the onset of the Holocene. The record is remarkable for an early occurrence of Quercus pollen and macro-remains around 11,200 cal. BP and its early expansion (10,390 cal. BP) in the vegetation. Such an early spread of Quercus has not previously been recorded in the region, where Corylus i...
From Farmers To Heroes? Archaeological Studies In Honor Of Sławmir Kadrow, 2022
The most important analytical approach in archaeology since radiocarbon dating, stable isotope an... more The most important analytical approach in archaeology since radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis provides quantitative evidence for ancient diets, provenance/mobility, and ecology. In this study, we analyzed the 87Sr/86Sr isotopic composition of ceramics from Verteba Cave, the underground sacrificial site associated with the Tripolye culture in Western Ukraine. The study sought to provide an initial outline and isotopic reference dataset to be used in archaeometric analysis of provenance for prehistoric pottery and other clayey artefacts, and consequently in studying ancient mobility of the communities living close to the Seret River and Verteba Cave site. The approach here adopted relies on Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry, using the clayey materials tout court, without any pre-treatment, in order to maintain unaltered the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the natural resources possibly available in ancient times for the pottery production, and avoid any possible preparation bias. Results indicate the presence of both locally made vessels and imports in the Verteba cave. Strontium isotopic ‘finger-printing’ can be used as a discrimination tool applied to ancient ceramics provenance, however, this method encounters certain significant technical limitations.
In 2018-2021, systematic research of the site continued in the locations of "Sutny IV", "Sutny V"... more In 2018-2021, systematic research of the site continued in the locations of "Sutny IV", "Sutny V" and "Sutny VI", and at the same time, multi-seasonal field prospecting in the form of surface collections took place in the wider surroundings of the Únanovka river catchment.
In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with ... more In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with the intent of extending archaeological knowledge from Vráble – Fidvár to other sites in the Žitava Valley, an area in the Carpathian foothills which included a chain of Early Bronze Age fortified. A series of 14 different known or suspected Early Bronze Age sites were evaluated, on three of which we decided to carry out further surveys (Maňa-Veľká Maňa, Bešeňov – Žitavský hon, Hul – Kratiny), including with field walking, augering and geomagnetics. Despite very comparable surveying conditions, these three sites yielded very different results attributable to the different states of preservation and functions of the sites. In Maňa-Veľká Maňa, a slope of up to 7 % was recognized which contributed to the strong erosion and bad preservation of subsoil features. According to the geomagnetic results, the site at Bešeňov was not fortified. It seems likely that it was settled only intermittently or for a short period of time during the Early Bronze Age. The prospection in Hul yielded the best results. A fortification consisting of a ditch was detected by magnetometry. According to the pXRF-analyses, there was no human impact on the filling of the ditch, which suggests that the site was inhabited only for a very short period of time. In addition to the Žitava Valley work, a field walking campaign was carried out in Vráble – Fidvár. The distribution and density of the collected finds correlates well with the prospection completed in 2007. In February 2015, additional augerings were performed there to collect sediment from the topsoil at approximately 40 cm beneath the surface. According to pXRF analyses, the concentration of Phosphor correlates with the pottery density.
Otázky neolitu a eneolitu našich krajín 2017-2019, 2020
Focus on the life of past societies is at the forefront of scientific research in recent years. F... more Focus on the life of past societies is at the forefront of scientific research in recent years. For the reconstruction of the day-to-day life of the Neolithic household, an archaeological material was obtained through the excavation of the farmstead (house with lateral clay extraction pits and adjacent sunken features) in site Těšetice-Kyjovice “Sutny IV”. This study aims to propose a model of subsistence strategy of the investigated household using intra-site analysis of the settlement refuse accumulated around the longhouse and its vicinity. The process of filling of individual features was reconstructed based on the fragmentization index, which depends on the archaeological feature and type of the artefact. Results of this study point out to dynamic filling process of the sunken features. The concentration of settlement refuse was observed around the southern part of the house (where the main entrance is considered) as well as in the features along the western house wall, where we assume a side entrance to the house. Both concentrations of the refuse suggest its deposition near the communications and in the periphery of areas of activities of the given household. Heterogeneous fragmentization of the main artefact groups was affected by the different period during which the artefacts were exposed to cultural and non-cultural transformation processes. Therefore it is not possible to determine whether the analyzed settlement refuse can be connected directly with the activities of the studied household or it is a result of the waste accumulation of several households within the settlement.
The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from... more The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from the Lengyel culture settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, Czech Republic. We indicated the possibilities for acquiring analytical data, although destructive methods were unacceptable. We included methods neglected to date, but widely available in the common archaeological laboratory. Information on the composition of the ceramic matrix, the provenance of inclusions, the techniques used for shaping, firing, operating and discarding are all of key importance for advancing the discussion on the interpretational potential of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from typological and religionist discourses to analytically-focused discussions supported by hard data. Two serious factors have thus far prevented the widespread use of analytical methods: the destructive nature of the evidential analyses, which is contradictory to heritage protection and general awareness of the value and rarity of such finds. The second factor relates to the prohibitive cost of analyses when applied to a statistically robust number of samples. On the other hand, in the absence of broad mapping of measurable data, we will remain dependent on only individually published analyses of isolated samples, typically from a different culture, period or geographical territory. We believe the use of non- and semi-destructive methods offers a solution. With the aim of achieving the lowest destructive impact, we conducted an analysis of eight ceramic figurines by use-wear analysis, high resolution 3D analysis, portable-X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) measurements and microscopy of polished sections.
Fischl/Kienlin (eds.): Beyond Divides - The Otomani-Füzesabony Phenomenon, 2019
The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian... more The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian Basin. Several previous studies indicated its complicated and unclear chronological relationships with certain pottery styles. The regional variation of the OFCC is based on differences in material culture, burial customs and complex landscape organisation of settlements. Therefore in this study, we used spatio-temporal modelling techniques to analyse the OFCC settlement structure with emphasis on several macroregions in Eastern Slovakia. A quantitative statistical approach was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
This paper reports LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data collected from archaeological human remains ... more This paper reports LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data collected from archaeological human remains uncovered in Manzherok region, Altai Republic, Russian Federation (“Mobility of nomads in central Asia: chronology and 87Sr/86Sr isotope evidence from the Pazyryk barrows of northern Altai, Russia” [1].
The skeletal remains derive from Scythian barrows dated to 6th – 3rd century BC located at Chultukov Log 1 cemetery. The Chultukov Log cemetery, located approximately 470km south of Novosibirsk, is considered the biggest nomadic burial ground in the Upper Altai and the Sayan Mountains.
To enrich the information on prehistoric mobility of ancient nomadic populations in Central Asia, strontium isotopic data were collected using a Nu plasma (II) MC-ICP-MS equipped with ESI NWR193-based laser ablation system from premolar teeth of 8 adult individuals (4 males and 4 females), associated mainly with the Pazyryk culture. Additionally, we report bioavailable strontium data from single Equus caballus specimen (found at Chultukov Log 9 settlement) from Manzherok territory. In this study we have successfully applied and tested new in-depth decontamination protocol for total (<95%) removal of contaminants, necrotic tissue and dental calculus in archaeological materials based on a clinical irrigation procedure with NaOCl and EDTA. Strontium LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data presented in this paper were obtained from prehistoric human teeth previously decontaminated according to this method.
These data will provide valuable resources for isotopic analyses of prehistoric transportation systems in Central Asia, including residential mobility of ancient nomads inhabiting steppe zone, Mongolia and NW China.
The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian... more The Otomani-Füzesabony Cultural Complex (OFCC) spanned a vast territory of the Eastern Carpathian Basin. Several previous studies indicated its complicated and unclear chronological relationships with certain pottery styles. The regional variation of the OFCC is based on differences in material culture, burial customs and complex landscape organisation of settlements. Therefore in this study, we used spatio-temporal modelling techniques to analyse the OFCC settlement structure and rate of cultural change with an emphasis on several macroregions in Eastern Slovakia. A quantitative statistical approach (spatio-temporal modelling, Kruskal-Wallis test, principal component analysis) was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. In order to capture regional variability, within the relative chronological dating, Reinecke’s periodisation scheme was used instead of individual internal chronological systems of the OFCC. Information about sites (location, dating and type) was gathered from the literature, excavation and survey reports, as well as using existing databases (Tóth 2014; Oravkinová 2018). The database was managed in LibreOffice Calc, with the component as the central registration unit. Absolute chronology of individual Reinecke’s stages (used for spatio-temporal modelling) was adapted based on existing literature. Spatio-temporal modelling was performed on all sites using LibreOffice Calc, showing a gradual transformation of relative-chronological data into a timescale (Crema 2012; Kolář et al. 2015). Taking into account the duration of the OFCC pottery style, the data was modelled within 200 years’ timescale. Environmental analyses (altitude, soil types, cost distance to water and sources of copper, tin and gold) were analysed using QGIS software; values were extracted using ‘Point Sampling Tool’. Secondary information layers (cost distance to water and metal sources) were derived from the digital elevation model with the resolution 30x30 m (Tóth 2014: 106–108). The fertility of soils has been based on the most recent research (Lieskovský et al. 2015: table 4.2). We analysed the components with a clearly defined sitting within the surrounding landscape. During statistical tests, regional characteristics were taken into account. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
In Emília Pásztor. Shamanism and nature worship. Past and present. Baja: István Türr Museum., 2019
Cult practices go through almost all aspects and activities of human life in Prehistory. Therefor... more Cult practices go through almost all aspects and activities of human life in Prehistory. Therefore it is almost impossible to separate everyday life from ritual practices. Nearly all artifacts preserved up-today are in some way connected with spiritual belief. The terms ‘ritual find’ and ‘sacred belief’ (and their derivatives) will be used to characterize artifacts and phenomena, which are unique or unusual and probably fell outside everyday life, as well as finds related to Prehistoric art (Kalicz – Raczky 1987, 22). Changing climate conditions after the last ice age slowly paved the way for new subsistence strategies in the Neolithic – agriculture. However, these significant changes were preceded by the most fundamental one. It was the radical change of thinking, which enabled the spread of a new ideology that connected Central Europe with the Balkans and further with the Near East. In the center of sacred belief was fertility, regular rhythm of natural cycles and an infinite alteration of life and death closely connected with it. Ritual practices changed in the Eneolithic. This transformation reflected new situation in society and economy, in which man becomes a central element. Maternity cults are gradually pushed into the background as new components emerge (Podborský 2006, 201; Neustupný 2008, 11). Individual examples of ritual practices were chosen in order to illustrate a very diverse and manifold belief system of a man 7 500–4 300 years ago. Since most of finds and find circumstances with possible ritual context are known from settlements, the presented text will mainly focus on this aspect of human activities.
In this study we report the first 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk cu... more In this study we report the first 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk culture in Central Asia. Throughout prehistory the Altai Mountains represent a unique cultural frontier characterised by a perpetual state of transition, resulting from highly mobile nomadic inhabitants. We analysed human skeletal remains from barrows in the Manzherok region of the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The analysis was based on 160 measurements of 87Sr/86Sr from Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP- MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material. The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows.
Temperate oak-dominated woodlands are plant communities characterized by relatively open canopy s... more Temperate oak-dominated woodlands are plant communities characterized by relatively open canopy structure and often rich assemblages of light-demanding understory species. This vegetation prevailed in Central European lowlands during the early and middle Holocene. Where open woodlands persisted in later periods, several main factors might have prevented the expansion of shade-tolerant tree species: climate, soil, and disturbances. The last factor includes both natural and human induced agents (fire, grazing of wild or domestic herbivores, management). In our study we focused on the relative impact of the humans and climate on long-term forest vegetation changes in the northerwestern part of the Panonnian Basin. Two peat cores covering the vegetation history of the past 12,000 years have been investigated by means of pollen and charcoal analyses. Palaeoecological data wereinterpreted inthe contextof a climaticmodel and archaeological evidence. Our results showed that the early Holocene vegetation in the study region was composed of open wooded steppe with the dominance of pine. Succession to temperate oak and hazel woodland started in about 7500 cal BP and coincides with the first traces of permanent human settlement in the vicinity of both study sites. Since the Neolithic, different types of woodland management have created a more open forest structure, which has benefited light demanding trees, such as oak and hazel. However, during the middle Holocene several humid oscillations were recorded, which might have triggered the expansion of temperate woodlands. Although the natural or anthropogenic driversbehind thedynamics of temperate woodlandcouldnot be separatedfromeachother, itseems probable that long-term human impact in fluenced the dynamics of temperate woodlands from the middle and late Holocene until the present.
In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with ... more In the spring of 2014, a joint German-Slovak prospection of the Žitava Valley was conducted with the intent of extending archaeological knowledge from Vráble – Fidvár to other sites in the Žitava Valley, an area in the Carpathian foothills which included a chain of Early Bronze Age fortified. A series of 14 different known or suspected Early Bronze Age sites were evaluated, on three of which we decided to carry out further surveys (Maňa-Veľká Maňa, Bešeňov – Žitavský hon, Hul – Kratiny), including with field walking, augering and geomagnetics. Despite very comparable surveying conditions, these three sites yielded very different results attributable to the different states of preservation and functions of the sites. In Maňa-Veľká Maňa, a slope of up to 7 % was recognized which contributed to the strong erosion and bad preservation of subsoil features. According to the geomagnetic results, the site at Bešeňov was not fortified. It seems likely that it was settled only intermittently or for a short period of time during the Early Bronze Age. The prospection in Hul yielded the best results. A fortification consisting of a ditch was detected by magnetometry. According to the pXRF-analyses, there was no human impact on the filling of the ditch, which suggests that the site was inhabited only for a very short period of time. In addition to the Žitava Valley work, a field walking campaign was carried out in Vráble – Fidvár. The distribution and density of the collected finds correlates well with the prospection completed in 2007. In February 2015, additional augerings were performed there to collect sediment from the topsoil at approximately 40 cm beneath the surface. According to pXRF analyses, the concentration of Phosphor correlates with the pottery density.
Skeletal remains from Hronovce (Levice district, Slovakia) dated to the Eneolithic. The skeletal ... more Skeletal remains from Hronovce (Levice district, Slovakia) dated to the Eneolithic. The skeletal remains and pottery from the site Hronovce-Vozokany were dated to the Middle Eneolithic Period, exactly to the late classical Baden culture (Baden III-IVa). Skeletal remains belonged to a female in the age of 35–45 years (adultus II–maturus I). The distal ends of both ulnae were deformed. The traumatic changes (e.g. the injury of distal radioulnar joint or Colles' fracture) which led to a nutritional disorder of carpal joints and weakening of the bones are considered. The degenerative-productive changes are present in the cervical vertebrae; arthritis is most pronounced on the body of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. The heavy occlusal tooth wear was found in all teeth, and may not only be related to the consumption of abrasive food, but in this case it is possible to consider the use of teeth as the work tool. The analysis of stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N (-19.9, resp. +10.7) showed that a female had consumed terrestrial food typical for the temperate zone of Central Europe (cereals, vegetable food, meat from domestic and wild animals). Úvod V máji roku 2009 boli v obci Hronovce (okr. Levice), v miestnej časti Vozokany, objavené kostrové pozostatky ľudského jedinca. Archeologická lokalita sa nachádza na severovýchodnom okraji obce a je situovaná na vysokej sprašovej terase na pravom brehu rieky Hron, pokrytej pomerne hrubou vrstvou černozeme. Nálezisko leží v nadmorskej výške 136 m n. m. a prevýšenie od súčasnej riečnej hladiny predstavuje približne 10 m. Ľudský skelet spolu s nálezmi keramiky a zvieracích kostí bol nájdený na pozemku pána Raczkiho. Kostrové pozostatky " vypadli " v dôsledku erózie nespevnenej klenby zo stropu pivnice. Všetky nálezy prevzal od pána Raczkiho pán Szabó, ktorý ich uschoval do roku 2014. Následne si ich od neho prevzal archeológ Peter Tóth, ktorý nálezovú situáciu aj zdokumentoval.
Presented publication is a collection of 40 abstracts of papers, which are conferred at the 39th ... more Presented publication is a collection of 40 abstracts of papers, which are conferred at the 39th annual meeting "Problems of the Neolithic and Eneolithic". The contributions are divided into four thematic blocks, which build on a long research tradition in Central Europe and reflect the new needs and directions of archaeology. Student session as a suitable platform for meeting with the next generation of archaeologists with professionals represents a separate block. The collection also includes invited lectures, which present new paradigmatic approaches to the interpretation of the archaeological record in the Neolithic and Eneolithic. The discussion session is devoted to currently intensively debated questions of settlement waste. This session concludes with memories of the most experienced researchers and their legacy for future generations of archaeologists.
In many regions, explanations for the spread of farming often focus on key sites in the region wh... more In many regions, explanations for the spread of farming often focus on key sites in the region where the culture first develops or spreads out. These areas are often well researched and the target of multi-method approaches. For example, in the area of research we focus on, the Linearbandkeramik (LBK), the core areas of its origin, in Central Europe, and its spread westwards across central Europe have been the subject of many years of detailed and innovative research. Areas where the LBK later arrived-on the periphery of the culture's geographical distribution-are now beginning to see parallel research agendas being developed. This means we are currently in an excellent position to compare the "centre" and "periphery" (or marginal and border areas). The aim of this session is to debate and explore the similarities and differences we see arising from the processes of Neolithisation, presented in subsistence strategies, social structures, settlement patterns and material culture exchanges, between central and peripheral areas during the spread of agriculture, noting that once peripheral areas can become core over time. We invite papers that explore these themes in a wider range of early Neolithic cultures in Europe and further afield; and multiple methodological approaches (including those from the natural and social sciences). Our aim is, through discussion, to develop an idea of the general trends we see in research, and how we might further develop research agendas in these periphery-but no less important-regions of study.
Understanding the social mechanisms underlying material culture transformation using the concept ... more Understanding the social mechanisms underlying material culture transformation using the concept of chaîne opératoire Session 276, Theme 6. Material culture studies and societies The processes underlying change in European Neolithic material cultures are the subject of long-lasting debates, revolving around questions on human group identities, mobility and interactions. In this framework, the sequences of production and use (i.e. the chaînes opératoires) of material goods can act as powerful proxies to grasp the anthropological conditions leading to these critical shifts, as they reveal habits transmitted over generations. Identifying raw material supply territories and processing, as well as the manufacturing processes and uses of the artefacts produced by a given human groups provides information on its sociological nature, as well as evidence on its spatio-temporal trajectories and interactions with other communities (e.g. shared supply territories, exchanges, technical borrowing, stylistic imitation…). A syste-mic perspective, combining data, appears however pivotal to untangle the social dynamics of the identi ed communities and eventually assess their role in complex transition phenomena. The session proposes to discuss the social mechanisms leading to Neolithic material culture transformation, using the concept of chaîne opératoire. By focusing on material culture stability versus transformation in a technological perspective, we wish to investigate the diversity of economic and social patterns at the basis of changes in production and consumption of material goods: who are the groups engaged in material culture change? What kind of interactions can lead to transformation in material culture? As part of these interactions, what is transmitted? What is reinterpreted? What is rejected? Do the di erent technical spheres display the same rhythms and processes of change and how can these di erences be interpreted? Our goal is ultimately to apprehend the di erent historical scenarios at the root of the turning points identi ed in the archaeological record. The session welcomes research on all kinds of artefacts and analytical methods (petrography, technology , use-wear analyses, bioarchaeology...), with an emphasis on integrated approaches combining di erent types of data.
Vicinity of Domadice and especially Santovka (both distr. Levice, SW Slovakia) are well-known in ... more Vicinity of Domadice and especially Santovka (both distr. Levice, SW Slovakia) are well-known in archaeological literature for finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Very important is Lengyel culture settlement (probably with rondel architecture) excavated in late 70s of the 20th century. The impulse for the new research activities in Domadice was given by a stray find – fragment of an anthropomorphic figurine from the Middle Neolithic (cca 5300 cal BC). Therefore it was decided a systematic field survey was needed in the vicinity of this important find withing the “Domadice project” conducted by the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. The goal of this project is to identify and reconstruct Neolithic settlement areas and to outline the settlement dynamics in the region. Field survey in a raster method (side of the sector measured 20 m) and geomagnetical measurements were conducted in March 2017. In order to compare the research results approximately 20-25 minutes were reserved for each square. Collected were each finds from every archaeological period. Archaeological material was processed in an MS Access database with the focus on its dating and weight. This approach with the use of GIS enabled us to precisely interpolate spatial concentration of finds in the top soil thus documenting the preservation status of archaeological features lying underground. These findings were consequently compared with the geomagnetics. The spatial distribution of archaeological finds in plough layer enabled us to reconstruct the development of the settlement area in various periods of the Neolithic with regards to the prehistoric landscape use.
Our poster presents the overview of the contemporary chronological systems synchronizing archaeol... more Our poster presents the overview of the contemporary chronological systems synchronizing archaeological phases of Central-European Early and Middle Bronze Age with their counterparts in the Aegean region trying to harmonize traditional archaeological evidence with some hindsight to radiocarbon dates. We discuss possible methodologies how to question or verify the validity of each of the chronological system, their synchronisation, and if some events in any of those regions could initiate changes in the other. We challenge these problems through interregional comparison of the settlement structure changes (spatio-temporal modelling), absolute chronology (summed probability distribution), and changes in economy, long distance trade, spiritual life and climate changes. Similarities and differenced in the cultural-historical development of the Central Europe and Eastern Mediterranean are pointed out.
Věra Klontza-Jaklová’s book is not only an excellent summary of a state of research regarding one... more Věra Klontza-Jaklová’s book is not only an excellent summary of a state of research regarding one of the most discussed and studied issues in Mediterranean prehistory. She does not give an absolute answer to the question when did the volcanic eruption in Santorini happen. But rather she patiently discusses stronger and weaker points of natural sciences and archaeological methods. None of these methods alone can solve the problem and she calls for deeper communication and cooperation between ‘hard’ sciences and archaeology. She also goes beyond ‘traditional’ archaeology and discusses how natural events influence human psychology, communication network and encourages critical thinking. This book is written in an understandable language and represents a solid starting point for further research.
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Papers by Peter Tóth
In this study, we provide a working hypothesis and use ceramic and clay petrographic data to highlight the variability in ceramic technological practices, and in turn, identify the organization of ceramic production at the Late Neolithic (Lengyel I; 4750–4500 BCE) site of Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, South Moravia, Czech Republic. The site is characterised by a large circular enclosure, the construction of which required a high level of social cooperation. It is still under scrutiny whether the cooperation required for building the enclosure system was only temporary and related to this construction activity, or if it reflects a higher degree of social organization in general.
By understanding ceramic production, we may clarify the complexity of the most common production processes that took place at the site. Large-scale ceramic and clay petrographic data provide information on the first steps of the chaîne opératoire in ceramic fabrication, which can be used to assess the organization of production. A systematic analysis of a large number of ceramic samples, representing all basic typological and macroscopically distinguishable fabric groups, revealed a high degree of individuality in choices of raw materials and tempers. Ceramic petrographic data, compared with the petrographic data of local sediment sources, further highlighted individuality in raw material and temper preferences, and even mixing of raw materials was identified.
Our analyses suggest that Lengyel culture potters likely produced their vessels on a household level, with no evidence suggesting non-domestic production. These data, in conjunction with ceramic petrographic data from Hungarian Late Neolithic sites, suggest that Late Neolithic communities were self-sufficient in terms of utilitarian pottery production. Ceramic petrographic data also indicate interaction between the inhabitants of Těšetice and other Lengyel culture communities in the vicinity, perhaps further indicating a higher degree of social organization at the site.
A quantitative statistical approach was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
The skeletal remains derive from Scythian barrows dated to 6th – 3rd century BC located at Chultukov Log 1 cemetery. The Chultukov Log cemetery, located approximately 470km south of Novosibirsk, is considered the biggest nomadic burial ground in the Upper Altai and the Sayan Mountains.
To enrich the information on prehistoric mobility of ancient nomadic populations in Central Asia, strontium isotopic data were collected using a Nu plasma (II) MC-ICP-MS equipped with ESI NWR193-based laser ablation system from premolar teeth of 8 adult individuals (4 males and 4 females), associated mainly with the Pazyryk culture. Additionally, we report bioavailable strontium data from single Equus caballus specimen (found at Chultukov Log 9 settlement) from Manzherok territory. In this study we have successfully applied and tested new in-depth decontamination protocol for total (<95%) removal of contaminants, necrotic tissue and dental calculus in archaeological materials based on a clinical irrigation procedure with NaOCl and EDTA. Strontium LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data presented in this paper were obtained from prehistoric human teeth previously decontaminated according to this method.
These data will provide valuable resources for isotopic analyses of prehistoric transportation systems in Central Asia, including residential mobility of ancient nomads inhabiting steppe zone, Mongolia and NW China.
In order to capture regional variability, within the relative chronological dating, Reinecke’s periodisation scheme was used instead of individual internal chronological systems of the OFCC. Information about sites (location, dating and type) was gathered from the literature, excavation and survey reports, as well as using existing databases (Tóth 2014; Oravkinová 2018). The database was managed in LibreOffice Calc, with the component as the central registration unit. Absolute chronology of individual Reinecke’s stages (used for spatio-temporal modelling) was adapted based on existing literature. Spatio-temporal modelling was performed on all sites using LibreOffice Calc, showing a gradual transformation of relative-chronological data into a timescale (Crema 2012; Kolář et al. 2015). Taking into account the duration of the OFCC pottery style, the data was modelled within 200 years’ timescale. Environmental analyses (altitude, soil types, cost distance to water and sources of copper, tin and gold) were analysed using QGIS software; values were extracted using ‘Point Sampling Tool’. Secondary information layers (cost distance to water and metal sources) were derived from the digital elevation model with the resolution 30x30 m (Tóth 2014: 106–108). The fertility of soils has been based on the most recent research (Lieskovský et al. 2015: table 4.2). We analysed the components with a clearly defined sitting within the surrounding landscape. During statistical tests, regional characteristics were taken into account.
The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material.
The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows.
fluenced the dynamics of temperate woodlands from the middle and late Holocene until the present.
In this study, we provide a working hypothesis and use ceramic and clay petrographic data to highlight the variability in ceramic technological practices, and in turn, identify the organization of ceramic production at the Late Neolithic (Lengyel I; 4750–4500 BCE) site of Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, South Moravia, Czech Republic. The site is characterised by a large circular enclosure, the construction of which required a high level of social cooperation. It is still under scrutiny whether the cooperation required for building the enclosure system was only temporary and related to this construction activity, or if it reflects a higher degree of social organization in general.
By understanding ceramic production, we may clarify the complexity of the most common production processes that took place at the site. Large-scale ceramic and clay petrographic data provide information on the first steps of the chaîne opératoire in ceramic fabrication, which can be used to assess the organization of production. A systematic analysis of a large number of ceramic samples, representing all basic typological and macroscopically distinguishable fabric groups, revealed a high degree of individuality in choices of raw materials and tempers. Ceramic petrographic data, compared with the petrographic data of local sediment sources, further highlighted individuality in raw material and temper preferences, and even mixing of raw materials was identified.
Our analyses suggest that Lengyel culture potters likely produced their vessels on a household level, with no evidence suggesting non-domestic production. These data, in conjunction with ceramic petrographic data from Hungarian Late Neolithic sites, suggest that Late Neolithic communities were self-sufficient in terms of utilitarian pottery production. Ceramic petrographic data also indicate interaction between the inhabitants of Těšetice and other Lengyel culture communities in the vicinity, perhaps further indicating a higher degree of social organization at the site.
A quantitative statistical approach was used to combine a broad range of archaeological and palaeoecological evidence in the space-time continuum. The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
The skeletal remains derive from Scythian barrows dated to 6th – 3rd century BC located at Chultukov Log 1 cemetery. The Chultukov Log cemetery, located approximately 470km south of Novosibirsk, is considered the biggest nomadic burial ground in the Upper Altai and the Sayan Mountains.
To enrich the information on prehistoric mobility of ancient nomadic populations in Central Asia, strontium isotopic data were collected using a Nu plasma (II) MC-ICP-MS equipped with ESI NWR193-based laser ablation system from premolar teeth of 8 adult individuals (4 males and 4 females), associated mainly with the Pazyryk culture. Additionally, we report bioavailable strontium data from single Equus caballus specimen (found at Chultukov Log 9 settlement) from Manzherok territory. In this study we have successfully applied and tested new in-depth decontamination protocol for total (<95%) removal of contaminants, necrotic tissue and dental calculus in archaeological materials based on a clinical irrigation procedure with NaOCl and EDTA. Strontium LA-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data presented in this paper were obtained from prehistoric human teeth previously decontaminated according to this method.
These data will provide valuable resources for isotopic analyses of prehistoric transportation systems in Central Asia, including residential mobility of ancient nomads inhabiting steppe zone, Mongolia and NW China.
In order to capture regional variability, within the relative chronological dating, Reinecke’s periodisation scheme was used instead of individual internal chronological systems of the OFCC. Information about sites (location, dating and type) was gathered from the literature, excavation and survey reports, as well as using existing databases (Tóth 2014; Oravkinová 2018). The database was managed in LibreOffice Calc, with the component as the central registration unit. Absolute chronology of individual Reinecke’s stages (used for spatio-temporal modelling) was adapted based on existing literature. Spatio-temporal modelling was performed on all sites using LibreOffice Calc, showing a gradual transformation of relative-chronological data into a timescale (Crema 2012; Kolář et al. 2015). Taking into account the duration of the OFCC pottery style, the data was modelled within 200 years’ timescale. Environmental analyses (altitude, soil types, cost distance to water and sources of copper, tin and gold) were analysed using QGIS software; values were extracted using ‘Point Sampling Tool’. Secondary information layers (cost distance to water and metal sources) were derived from the digital elevation model with the resolution 30x30 m (Tóth 2014: 106–108). The fertility of soils has been based on the most recent research (Lieskovský et al. 2015: table 4.2). We analysed the components with a clearly defined sitting within the surrounding landscape. During statistical tests, regional characteristics were taken into account.
The results illustrate clearly the dynamic relationship between OFCC sites and the surrounding landscape across centuries. Isolated micro-regional communities had functioned independently, however concurrently they were collectivised within an extensive supra-regional and trans-tribal networks of connections sprawling far beyond the scope of any individual community. Gathered evidence suggests that access to water passes and proximity of metal ores were the key elements in structuring the OFCC settlement hierarchies and landscape transformations in the Bronze Age Slovakia.
MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material.
The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows.
fluenced the dynamics of temperate woodlands from the middle and late Holocene until the present.
Field survey in a raster method (side of the sector measured 20 m) and geomagnetical measurements were conducted in March 2017. In order to compare the research results approximately 20-25 minutes were reserved for each square. Collected were each finds from every archaeological period. Archaeological material was processed in an MS Access database with the focus on its dating and weight. This approach with the use of GIS enabled us to precisely interpolate spatial concentration of finds in the top soil thus documenting the preservation status of archaeological features lying underground. These findings were consequently compared with the geomagnetics. The spatial distribution of archaeological finds in plough layer enabled us to reconstruct the development of the settlement area in various periods of the Neolithic with regards to the prehistoric landscape use.
We discuss possible methodologies how to question or verify the validity of each of the chronological system, their synchronisation, and if some events in any of those regions could initiate changes in the other.
We challenge these problems through interregional comparison of the settlement structure changes (spatio-temporal modelling), absolute chronology (summed probability distribution), and changes in economy, long distance trade, spiritual life and climate changes.
Similarities and differenced in the cultural-historical development of the Central Europe and Eastern Mediterranean are pointed out.