Hiatus, lacunes et absences: identifier et interpréter les vides archéologiques. Actes du 29e Congrès préhistorique de France, 31 mai-4 juin 2021, Toulouse. Session Les espaces vides: preuves d’absences ou absences de preuves?, Société préhistorique française, Paris, 2024, pp. 105-120. , 2024
The open-air archaeological site of Konjevrate-Groblje was discovered in 1988 and subsequently pa... more The open-air archaeological site of Konjevrate-Groblje was discovered in 1988 and subsequently partly excavated in four campaigns. In preliminary reports, the site was interpreted as being a Neolithic Impressed Ware settlement. Several thousand chippedstone artifacts were initially attributed to the same Neolithic phase and interpreted as the remains of a lithic “workshop” within the village. Recently, the collected assemblage was revisited and re-examined: analyses of the pottery confirmed its Early Neolithic date, but surprisingly, most of the lithic assemblage showed characteristics of the Epigravettian industry. A new excavation campaign was conducted in 2018 to further investigate the chronological sequence of Konjevrate and determine whether an Epigravettian date could be corroborated. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the two cultural-chronological occupation episodes that were suggested for the assemblage can also be clearly distinguished stratigraphically in situ. Moreover, the excavation results, combined with the accidental and surface finds collected in the vicinity, suggested that the site’s occupation sequence spanned a part of the Upper Paleolithic, throughout the Neolithic and possibly into the early Copper Age. As such, the case of the Konjevrate-Groblje site serves as a good example of the importance of revisiting archaeological assemblages in museum collections and shows how, based on the high level of specialization of researchers’ expertise in archaeology today, revisiting old assemblages can shed new light on a site’s complexities and importance
Vodice kroz povijest / Zbornik radova sa Znanstvenog skupa „Vodice kroz povijest“, Vodice, 4. i 5. svibnja 2019., 2022
Unutar administrativnog područja Grada Vodica dosad je zabilježeno sedam prapovijesnih nalazišta,... more Unutar administrativnog područja Grada Vodica dosad je zabilježeno sedam prapovijesnih nalazišta, od čega su tri arheološki istraživana. Najstarije nalazište je Velištak, s ostatcima naselja iz kasnog neolitika, odnosno hvarske faze iz početka 5. tisućljeća prije Krista. Ostala nalazišta su gradine koje su karakterističan tip lokaliteta za kasnija prapovijesna razdoblja, poglavito željezno doba. Arheološka iskopavanja provedena u naseljima i nekropolama Velike Mrdakovice i Gradine u Dragišićima pokazala su da su te dvije gradine tijekom željeznoga doba bile značajna središta južnoga liburnskog područja.
Archaeofaunal remains (n = 41,081) from six Neolithic villages in northern Dalmatia indicate the ... more Archaeofaunal remains (n = 41,081) from six Neolithic villages in northern Dalmatia indicate the intensification of livestock management from 6000 to 4700 cal BC through changes in the demographic and species compositions of livestock herds that coincide with larger cultural and economic developments in the region. The majority of animal bone at each Neolithic site consisted of sheep and goats. Though cattle and pigs were minor contributors to Early or Middle Neolithic assemblages, both are more prominent in the Late Neolithic. Furthermore, wild species typically range from 4 to 10% of faunal assemblages in open air villages, regardless of phase, and the wild species contain a significant proportion of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). We suggest the shift in the proportions of domestic animal species during the Neolithic signifies a change in management strategies that is also visible in other proxies (e.g., lipid residues), and the presence of roe deer at these sites results from a variety of behavioral responses by farming communities to their changing agropastoral practices and climatic shifts identified in the region.
The earliest evidence for cheese production in the Mediterranean is revealed by stable carbon iso... more The earliest evidence for cheese production in the Mediterranean is revealed by stable carbon isotope analyses of individual fatty acids in pottery residues from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Lipid residue data indicate the presence of milk in the earliest pottery, Impressed Ware, by 5700 cal. BCE (7700 BP). In contrast, by 5200 cal BCE (7200 BP), milk was common in refined Figulina pottery, meat was mostly associated with Danilo ware, cheese occurred in Rhyta, and sieves contained fermented dairy, representing strong links between specific function and stylistically distinctive pottery vessels. Genetic data indicate the prevalence of lactose intolerance among early farming populations. However, young children are lactase persistent until after weaning and could consume milk as a relatively pathogen-free and nutrient rich food source, enhancing their chances of survival into adulthood. Fermentation of milk into yogurt and cheese decreases lactose content. The evidence for fermented dairy products by 5200 cal BCE indicates a larger proportion of the population was able to consume dairy products and benefit from their significant nutritional advantages. We suggest that milk and cheese production among Europe's early farmers reduced infant mortality and helped stimulate demographic shifts that propelled farming communities to expand to northern latitudes.
We synthesise reported stable isotope values for domesticates and wild herbivores from sites span... more We synthesise reported stable isotope values for domesticates and wild herbivores from sites spanning the Neolithic in coastal Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy (6000–3500 calBC). Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values are analyzed as proxies of diet and environment, with differences between species possibly indicating anthropogenic influence. Results are used to characterise diets and address questions of the origin and development of husbandry strategies, especially transhumance, in early farming communities. Changes in pig carbon and nitrogen isotope values through time suggest alterations in practices, whereas values remain relatively constant for cattle and ovicaprids during most of the Neolithic, despite assumptions of seasonal mobility.
Le quistioni nostre paletnologiche più importanti… Trent’anni di tutela e ricerca preistorica in Emilia occidentale , 2019
CONTATTI E INTERAZIONI NEL NEOLITICO TRA FRIULI E ADRIATICO ORIENTALE. In seguito alle revisioni ... more CONTATTI E INTERAZIONI NEL NEOLITICO TRA FRIULI E ADRIATICO ORIENTALE. In seguito alle revisioni di vecchi scavi e alle nuove ricerche stratigrafiche condotte nei siti neolitici dell’Adriatico orientale gli autori presentano il fenomeno della neolitizzazione dell’area tra Croazia, Slovenia e Friuli, riflettendo sui rapporti intercorsi in generale tra l’Adriatico orientale e l’Italia settentrionale, analizzati a partire dai dati offerti dalla produzione ceramica. CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS OF THE NEOLITHIC BETWEEN FRIULI AND EASTERN ADRIATIC. Following the revisions of old excavations and the new stratigraphic researches carried out in the Neolithic sites of the Eastern Adriatic, the authors present the phenomenon of the neolithization of the area between Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli, considering the relations between the eastern Adriatic and northern Italy, analyzed starting from the data offered by pottery production.
The Dalmatian coast has been occupied by Neolithic seafaring communities since the beginning of t... more The Dalmatian coast has been occupied by Neolithic seafaring communities since the beginning of the 6th millennium BC. On the basis of pottery styles, a transition between the Impressed Ware and Danilo culture is defined, around 5300 cal BC. Nevertheless, bioarchaeological and archaeological data indicate general continuity between the two periods. In the current paper, we present an integrated technological and use-wear study of a large selection of lithics from several sites of both inland and insular Dalmatia. The results provide strong evidence for a change in harvesting techniques between the Impressed Ware and Danilo cultural phases. This change can be related to the pursuit of better performing inserts that could be used for longer periods and would be quicker to resharpen. Such a switch may have been associated with an initial increase in agricultural production during the Middle Neolithic.
The archaeobotanical remains from Veli∏tak are the first evidence of plant economies from an open... more The archaeobotanical remains from Veli∏tak are the first evidence of plant economies from an open-air settlement dating to the late Neolithic Hvar culture in Croatia (c. 4900–4000 cal BC). The results presented here are from the 2007–2013 field seasons. Based on an examination of carbo- nised macro-remains, it is suggested that emmer, einkorn, and barley were the main crops at Veli∏- tak, along with lentils, bitter vetch, and possibly peas and flax. Wild plants were also exploited, with evidence of wild fruits, such as cornelian cherry. Similarities with archaeobotanical finds from the early/middle Neolithic (c. 6000–4900 cal BC) also suggest that plant economies remained relatively unchanged during the Neolithic.
We examine bone samples of known domesticates (sheep, goat, cattle and pig) from five open-air vi... more We examine bone samples of known domesticates (sheep, goat, cattle and pig) from five open-air village sites spanning most of the Neolithic period in Dalmatia, Croatia (cal 6000–4700 BC) to characterise diets of domestic animals and address questions of the origin and development of animal husbandry strategies in early farming communities. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values are analysed as proxies of diet and local environment that may indicate differences in herding and management practices between domesticated species. Results are compared to those reported for faunal remains found at other Neolithic sites from coastal Croatia and the wider Adriatic region. We find that isotopic values remain stable for cattle and ovicaprids during most of the Neolithic, suggesting that husbandry of these species remained fundamentally the same throughout the period in much of the Adriatic. However, temporal differences identified among pigs indicate changes in associated management practices through time, and may be a result of different foddering practices.

The research presented herein encompassed analysis
of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of t... more The research presented herein encompassed analysis of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of the Velika Mrdakovica Hillfort in the vicinity of Zaton, near Šibenik. These are five graves from the earliest period of burials, from the Early Iron Age. Their analysis and synthesis will serve as the point of departure for fuller insight into the long, rich and fluctuating history experienced by its inhabitants and inheritors. Based on the types of burials, the graves generally comply with rites typical of the Šibenik region and the central Adriatic coastal belt. However, the placement of the bodies fully extended deviated from the overriding practices in this core territory of the Liburnians. Most of the gathered physical cultural materials consist of personal attire items and jewellery of the deceased, which have been ascribed to the Liburnian culture in the broader sense of typological classification. In line with their previous cultural interpretation, they have been separated into men’s and women’s attire, wherein the finds of pins and fibulae, as well as ring-shaped jewellery and amber beads, are the most prominent. From the chronological standpoint, two general burial periods have been distinguished in their interpretation. Typical of the older graves is the large fibula with amber bead on the bow, while the younger graves are characterized by the predominance of the proto-Certosa fibula with a small globule at the end of the foot. Despite double or multiple interments, the materials indicate a certain chronological framework, which suggests simultaneous or very brief subsequent interments, interpreted in the sense of narrower familial graves. Synchronized with the Liburnian culture periodization, interments in the older graves proceeded in the II. A and B phases, while the younger ones proceeded from the end of cultural phase III and in phase IV according to the classical periodization scheme. In compliance with the typological-chronological analysis of the materials in comparison to coterminous phenomena in the Adriatic basin cultures, a revised relative and higher absolute chronological scheme for the Liburnian sphere are proposed in the synthesis.
Hiatus, lacunes et absences: identifier et interpréter les vides archéologiques. Actes du 29e Congrès préhistorique de France, 31 mai-4 juin 2021, Toulouse. Session Les espaces vides: preuves d’absences ou absences de preuves?, Société préhistorique française, Paris, 2024, pp. 105-120. , 2024
The open-air archaeological site of Konjevrate-Groblje was discovered in 1988 and subsequently pa... more The open-air archaeological site of Konjevrate-Groblje was discovered in 1988 and subsequently partly excavated in four campaigns. In preliminary reports, the site was interpreted as being a Neolithic Impressed Ware settlement. Several thousand chippedstone artifacts were initially attributed to the same Neolithic phase and interpreted as the remains of a lithic “workshop” within the village. Recently, the collected assemblage was revisited and re-examined: analyses of the pottery confirmed its Early Neolithic date, but surprisingly, most of the lithic assemblage showed characteristics of the Epigravettian industry. A new excavation campaign was conducted in 2018 to further investigate the chronological sequence of Konjevrate and determine whether an Epigravettian date could be corroborated. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the two cultural-chronological occupation episodes that were suggested for the assemblage can also be clearly distinguished stratigraphically in situ. Moreover, the excavation results, combined with the accidental and surface finds collected in the vicinity, suggested that the site’s occupation sequence spanned a part of the Upper Paleolithic, throughout the Neolithic and possibly into the early Copper Age. As such, the case of the Konjevrate-Groblje site serves as a good example of the importance of revisiting archaeological assemblages in museum collections and shows how, based on the high level of specialization of researchers’ expertise in archaeology today, revisiting old assemblages can shed new light on a site’s complexities and importance
Vodice kroz povijest / Zbornik radova sa Znanstvenog skupa „Vodice kroz povijest“, Vodice, 4. i 5. svibnja 2019., 2022
Unutar administrativnog područja Grada Vodica dosad je zabilježeno sedam prapovijesnih nalazišta,... more Unutar administrativnog područja Grada Vodica dosad je zabilježeno sedam prapovijesnih nalazišta, od čega su tri arheološki istraživana. Najstarije nalazište je Velištak, s ostatcima naselja iz kasnog neolitika, odnosno hvarske faze iz početka 5. tisućljeća prije Krista. Ostala nalazišta su gradine koje su karakterističan tip lokaliteta za kasnija prapovijesna razdoblja, poglavito željezno doba. Arheološka iskopavanja provedena u naseljima i nekropolama Velike Mrdakovice i Gradine u Dragišićima pokazala su da su te dvije gradine tijekom željeznoga doba bile značajna središta južnoga liburnskog područja.
Archaeofaunal remains (n = 41,081) from six Neolithic villages in northern Dalmatia indicate the ... more Archaeofaunal remains (n = 41,081) from six Neolithic villages in northern Dalmatia indicate the intensification of livestock management from 6000 to 4700 cal BC through changes in the demographic and species compositions of livestock herds that coincide with larger cultural and economic developments in the region. The majority of animal bone at each Neolithic site consisted of sheep and goats. Though cattle and pigs were minor contributors to Early or Middle Neolithic assemblages, both are more prominent in the Late Neolithic. Furthermore, wild species typically range from 4 to 10% of faunal assemblages in open air villages, regardless of phase, and the wild species contain a significant proportion of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). We suggest the shift in the proportions of domestic animal species during the Neolithic signifies a change in management strategies that is also visible in other proxies (e.g., lipid residues), and the presence of roe deer at these sites results from a variety of behavioral responses by farming communities to their changing agropastoral practices and climatic shifts identified in the region.
The earliest evidence for cheese production in the Mediterranean is revealed by stable carbon iso... more The earliest evidence for cheese production in the Mediterranean is revealed by stable carbon isotope analyses of individual fatty acids in pottery residues from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Lipid residue data indicate the presence of milk in the earliest pottery, Impressed Ware, by 5700 cal. BCE (7700 BP). In contrast, by 5200 cal BCE (7200 BP), milk was common in refined Figulina pottery, meat was mostly associated with Danilo ware, cheese occurred in Rhyta, and sieves contained fermented dairy, representing strong links between specific function and stylistically distinctive pottery vessels. Genetic data indicate the prevalence of lactose intolerance among early farming populations. However, young children are lactase persistent until after weaning and could consume milk as a relatively pathogen-free and nutrient rich food source, enhancing their chances of survival into adulthood. Fermentation of milk into yogurt and cheese decreases lactose content. The evidence for fermented dairy products by 5200 cal BCE indicates a larger proportion of the population was able to consume dairy products and benefit from their significant nutritional advantages. We suggest that milk and cheese production among Europe's early farmers reduced infant mortality and helped stimulate demographic shifts that propelled farming communities to expand to northern latitudes.
We synthesise reported stable isotope values for domesticates and wild herbivores from sites span... more We synthesise reported stable isotope values for domesticates and wild herbivores from sites spanning the Neolithic in coastal Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy (6000–3500 calBC). Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values are analyzed as proxies of diet and environment, with differences between species possibly indicating anthropogenic influence. Results are used to characterise diets and address questions of the origin and development of husbandry strategies, especially transhumance, in early farming communities. Changes in pig carbon and nitrogen isotope values through time suggest alterations in practices, whereas values remain relatively constant for cattle and ovicaprids during most of the Neolithic, despite assumptions of seasonal mobility.
Le quistioni nostre paletnologiche più importanti… Trent’anni di tutela e ricerca preistorica in Emilia occidentale , 2019
CONTATTI E INTERAZIONI NEL NEOLITICO TRA FRIULI E ADRIATICO ORIENTALE. In seguito alle revisioni ... more CONTATTI E INTERAZIONI NEL NEOLITICO TRA FRIULI E ADRIATICO ORIENTALE. In seguito alle revisioni di vecchi scavi e alle nuove ricerche stratigrafiche condotte nei siti neolitici dell’Adriatico orientale gli autori presentano il fenomeno della neolitizzazione dell’area tra Croazia, Slovenia e Friuli, riflettendo sui rapporti intercorsi in generale tra l’Adriatico orientale e l’Italia settentrionale, analizzati a partire dai dati offerti dalla produzione ceramica. CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS OF THE NEOLITHIC BETWEEN FRIULI AND EASTERN ADRIATIC. Following the revisions of old excavations and the new stratigraphic researches carried out in the Neolithic sites of the Eastern Adriatic, the authors present the phenomenon of the neolithization of the area between Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli, considering the relations between the eastern Adriatic and northern Italy, analyzed starting from the data offered by pottery production.
The Dalmatian coast has been occupied by Neolithic seafaring communities since the beginning of t... more The Dalmatian coast has been occupied by Neolithic seafaring communities since the beginning of the 6th millennium BC. On the basis of pottery styles, a transition between the Impressed Ware and Danilo culture is defined, around 5300 cal BC. Nevertheless, bioarchaeological and archaeological data indicate general continuity between the two periods. In the current paper, we present an integrated technological and use-wear study of a large selection of lithics from several sites of both inland and insular Dalmatia. The results provide strong evidence for a change in harvesting techniques between the Impressed Ware and Danilo cultural phases. This change can be related to the pursuit of better performing inserts that could be used for longer periods and would be quicker to resharpen. Such a switch may have been associated with an initial increase in agricultural production during the Middle Neolithic.
The archaeobotanical remains from Veli∏tak are the first evidence of plant economies from an open... more The archaeobotanical remains from Veli∏tak are the first evidence of plant economies from an open-air settlement dating to the late Neolithic Hvar culture in Croatia (c. 4900–4000 cal BC). The results presented here are from the 2007–2013 field seasons. Based on an examination of carbo- nised macro-remains, it is suggested that emmer, einkorn, and barley were the main crops at Veli∏- tak, along with lentils, bitter vetch, and possibly peas and flax. Wild plants were also exploited, with evidence of wild fruits, such as cornelian cherry. Similarities with archaeobotanical finds from the early/middle Neolithic (c. 6000–4900 cal BC) also suggest that plant economies remained relatively unchanged during the Neolithic.
We examine bone samples of known domesticates (sheep, goat, cattle and pig) from five open-air vi... more We examine bone samples of known domesticates (sheep, goat, cattle and pig) from five open-air village sites spanning most of the Neolithic period in Dalmatia, Croatia (cal 6000–4700 BC) to characterise diets of domestic animals and address questions of the origin and development of animal husbandry strategies in early farming communities. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values are analysed as proxies of diet and local environment that may indicate differences in herding and management practices between domesticated species. Results are compared to those reported for faunal remains found at other Neolithic sites from coastal Croatia and the wider Adriatic region. We find that isotopic values remain stable for cattle and ovicaprids during most of the Neolithic, suggesting that husbandry of these species remained fundamentally the same throughout the period in much of the Adriatic. However, temporal differences identified among pigs indicate changes in associated management practices through time, and may be a result of different foddering practices.

The research presented herein encompassed analysis
of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of t... more The research presented herein encompassed analysis of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of the Velika Mrdakovica Hillfort in the vicinity of Zaton, near Šibenik. These are five graves from the earliest period of burials, from the Early Iron Age. Their analysis and synthesis will serve as the point of departure for fuller insight into the long, rich and fluctuating history experienced by its inhabitants and inheritors. Based on the types of burials, the graves generally comply with rites typical of the Šibenik region and the central Adriatic coastal belt. However, the placement of the bodies fully extended deviated from the overriding practices in this core territory of the Liburnians. Most of the gathered physical cultural materials consist of personal attire items and jewellery of the deceased, which have been ascribed to the Liburnian culture in the broader sense of typological classification. In line with their previous cultural interpretation, they have been separated into men’s and women’s attire, wherein the finds of pins and fibulae, as well as ring-shaped jewellery and amber beads, are the most prominent. From the chronological standpoint, two general burial periods have been distinguished in their interpretation. Typical of the older graves is the large fibula with amber bead on the bow, while the younger graves are characterized by the predominance of the proto-Certosa fibula with a small globule at the end of the foot. Despite double or multiple interments, the materials indicate a certain chronological framework, which suggests simultaneous or very brief subsequent interments, interpreted in the sense of narrower familial graves. Synchronized with the Liburnian culture periodization, interments in the older graves proceeded in the II. A and B phases, while the younger ones proceeded from the end of cultural phase III and in phase IV according to the classical periodization scheme. In compliance with the typological-chronological analysis of the materials in comparison to coterminous phenomena in the Adriatic basin cultures, a revised relative and higher absolute chronological scheme for the Liburnian sphere are proposed in the synthesis.
The origins and spread of farming are vital subjects of research, notably because agriculture mak... more The origins and spread of farming are vital subjects of research, notably because agriculture makes possible our modern world. The Early Farming in Dalmatia Project is investigating the expansion of farming from its centre of origin in western Asia through the Mediterranean into southern Europe. This multidisciplinary ecological project combines comprehensive recovery of archaeological materials through excavation with landscape studies. It addresses several key questions, including when and how farming reached Dalmatia, what was the nature of this new economy, and what was its impact on the local environment. Excavations at Danilo Bitinj and Pokrovnik have demonstrated that their inhabitants were full-time farmers. The two sites were among the largest known Neolithic villages in the eastern Adriatic. A comprehensive program of AMS dating indicates that together they were occupied from c. 8,000 to 6,800 cal BP. Our research has begun to illuminate the details of their farming system, as well as the changes that took place in their way of life through the Neolithic. Their economy was derived from western Asia and it is likely that their ancestors came from there also. It was these people who brought agriculture and village life to the Adriatic and to the rest of the central and western Mediterranean. Once in place, this farming economy persisted in much the same form from the Neolithic down to the present.
This poster presents the first results of petrographic analyses on Cetina and Cetina-like ceramic... more This poster presents the first results of petrographic analyses on Cetina and Cetina-like ceramics from key sites of Dalmatia and the Peloponnese. This study aims at addressing some aspects of the so-called Cetina phenomenon that have not been investigated as yet. The Cetina culture arose in Dalmatia in the mid-3rd millennium BC. It is mainly known for its burials consisting in inhumations or incinerations under stone barrows that are often grouped together to form clusters. Distinctive Cetina ceramics are bowls with thickened rims and beakers decorated with geometric incised and impressed patterns. During the second half of the 3rd millennium BC pottery strongly characterised by Cetina features spread across the central Mediterranean and this is widely considered to be evidence of a vast network of interconnections reflecting the movement of small human groups. In particular, Cetina-like ceramics have been found at a number of Early Bronze Age sites in the Peloponnese. However, aside from a stylistic comparison, nothing has been done to explain differences and similarities between these ceramics from a technological point of view. Given the huge differences in pottery traditions from Dalmatia and the Peloponnese in the Early Bronze Age, this matter is of particular interest. Analysed sherds from Dalmatia come from three clusters of tumuli: Brnjica, Poljakuše (Šibenik) and Vučevica (Split), while samples from the Peloponnese come from the sites of Olympia and Andravida Lechaina (Elis), which have yielded a number of Cetina-like sherds. These analysed sample sets have common stylistic traits, but also technological differences that sometimes can be macroscopically recognised. This variation might result from natural variability in the available raw material sources. On the other hand, it might be due to specific technological choices and traditions possibly linked to the existence of multiple communities of practice under the umbrella of the Cetina phenomenon.
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Papers by Emil Podrug
CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS OF THE NEOLITHIC BETWEEN FRIULI AND EASTERN ADRIATIC. Following the revisions of old excavations and the new stratigraphic researches carried out in the Neolithic sites of the Eastern Adriatic, the authors present the phenomenon of the neolithization of the area between Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli, considering the relations between the eastern Adriatic and northern Italy, analyzed starting from the data offered by pottery production.

of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of the Velika
Mrdakovica Hillfort in the vicinity of Zaton, near
Šibenik. These are five graves from the earliest period
of burials, from the Early Iron Age. Their analysis and
synthesis will serve as the point of departure for fuller
insight into the long, rich and fluctuating history experienced
by its inhabitants and inheritors. Based on the types of burials, the graves generally comply with
rites typical of the Šibenik region and the central Adriatic
coastal belt. However, the placement of the bodies
fully extended deviated from the overriding practices
in this core territory of the Liburnians. Most of the
gathered physical cultural materials consist of personal
attire items and jewellery of the deceased, which have
been ascribed to the Liburnian culture in the broader
sense of typological classification. In line with their
previous cultural interpretation, they have been separated
into men’s and women’s attire, wherein the finds
of pins and fibulae, as well as ring-shaped jewellery
and amber beads, are the most prominent. From the
chronological standpoint, two general burial periods
have been distinguished in their interpretation. Typical
of the older graves is the large fibula with amber bead
on the bow, while the younger graves are characterized
by the predominance of the proto-Certosa fibula with
a small globule at the end of the foot. Despite double
or multiple interments, the materials indicate a certain
chronological framework, which suggests simultaneous
or very brief subsequent interments, interpreted in
the sense of narrower familial graves. Synchronized
with the Liburnian culture periodization, interments in
the older graves proceeded in the II. A and B phases,
while the younger ones proceeded from the end of cultural
phase III and in phase IV according to the classical
periodization scheme. In compliance with the
typological-chronological analysis of the materials in
comparison to coterminous phenomena in the Adriatic
basin cultures, a revised relative and higher absolute
chronological scheme for the Liburnian sphere are
proposed in the synthesis.
CONTACTS AND INTERACTIONS OF THE NEOLITHIC BETWEEN FRIULI AND EASTERN ADRIATIC. Following the revisions of old excavations and the new stratigraphic researches carried out in the Neolithic sites of the Eastern Adriatic, the authors present the phenomenon of the neolithization of the area between Croatia, Slovenia and Friuli, considering the relations between the eastern Adriatic and northern Italy, analyzed starting from the data offered by pottery production.

of prehistoric graves from the necropolis of the Velika
Mrdakovica Hillfort in the vicinity of Zaton, near
Šibenik. These are five graves from the earliest period
of burials, from the Early Iron Age. Their analysis and
synthesis will serve as the point of departure for fuller
insight into the long, rich and fluctuating history experienced
by its inhabitants and inheritors. Based on the types of burials, the graves generally comply with
rites typical of the Šibenik region and the central Adriatic
coastal belt. However, the placement of the bodies
fully extended deviated from the overriding practices
in this core territory of the Liburnians. Most of the
gathered physical cultural materials consist of personal
attire items and jewellery of the deceased, which have
been ascribed to the Liburnian culture in the broader
sense of typological classification. In line with their
previous cultural interpretation, they have been separated
into men’s and women’s attire, wherein the finds
of pins and fibulae, as well as ring-shaped jewellery
and amber beads, are the most prominent. From the
chronological standpoint, two general burial periods
have been distinguished in their interpretation. Typical
of the older graves is the large fibula with amber bead
on the bow, while the younger graves are characterized
by the predominance of the proto-Certosa fibula with
a small globule at the end of the foot. Despite double
or multiple interments, the materials indicate a certain
chronological framework, which suggests simultaneous
or very brief subsequent interments, interpreted in
the sense of narrower familial graves. Synchronized
with the Liburnian culture periodization, interments in
the older graves proceeded in the II. A and B phases,
while the younger ones proceeded from the end of cultural
phase III and in phase IV according to the classical
periodization scheme. In compliance with the
typological-chronological analysis of the materials in
comparison to coterminous phenomena in the Adriatic
basin cultures, a revised relative and higher absolute
chronological scheme for the Liburnian sphere are
proposed in the synthesis.
(http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id={25C6B604-ACC5-4DBC-B246-32D27486379F})
However, aside from a stylistic comparison, nothing has been done to explain differences and similarities between these ceramics from a technological point of view. Given the huge differences in pottery traditions from Dalmatia and the Peloponnese in the Early Bronze Age, this matter is of particular interest.
Analysed sherds from Dalmatia come from three clusters of tumuli: Brnjica, Poljakuše (Šibenik) and Vučevica (Split), while samples from the Peloponnese come from the sites of Olympia and Andravida Lechaina (Elis), which have yielded a number of Cetina-like sherds.
These analysed sample sets have common stylistic traits, but also technological differences that sometimes can be macroscopically recognised. This variation might result from natural variability in the available raw material sources. On the other hand, it might be due to specific technological choices and traditions possibly linked to the existence of multiple communities of practice under the umbrella of the Cetina phenomenon.