On the prehistoric site of Ploˇca Miˇcov Grad (Ohrid, North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of La... more On the prehistoric site of Ploˇca Miˇcov Grad (Ohrid, North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid a total of 799 wooden elements were recorded from a systematically excavated area of nearly 100 square metres. Most of them are pile remains made of round wood with diameters up to almost 40 cm. A comprehensive dendrochronological analysis allows the construction of numerous well-replicated tree-ring chronologies for different species. High agreements between the chronologies prove that oak, pine, juniper, ash and hop-hornbeam can be crossdated. The chronologies are dated by means of radiocarbon dates and modelling using wiggle matching. An intensive settlement phase is attested for the middle of the 5th millennium BCE. Further phases follow towards the end of the 5th millennium BCE and in the 2nd millennium around 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE. Furthermore, the exact, relative felling dates allow first insights into the minimum duration of the settlement phases, which lie between 17 and 87 years. The multi-centennial chronologies presented in this study can be used as a first robust dating basis for future research in the numerous not yet dated prehistoric lake shore settlements of the region with excellently preserved wooden remains.
Specialized and systematic underwater fieldwork at the prehistoric site of Ploča Mičov Grad at Gr... more Specialized and systematic underwater fieldwork at the prehistoric site of Ploča Mičov Grad at Gradište (North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid was undertaken in 2018 and 2019. It has substantiated the archeological site’s outstanding preservation condition, and furthermore proven the numerous construction timbers’ suitability for dendrochronological analysis. Dendrochronological analysis on archaeological timbers was applied, combined with radiocarbon dating. Bayesian radiocarbon modeling allowed to ‘wiggle match’ the dendrochrono-logical mean curves, i.e. allowed the precise chronological anchoring of ‘floating’ tree-ring sequences. Furthermore, radiocarbon dates of plant remains from the site’s main archaeological layer are statistically evaluated. Based on the new findings, the strikingly high density of wooden piles at the site can be attributed to several construction phases of Neolithic (middle of 5th millennium BC) and Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC: 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE) settlements. Intense settlement activity is furthermore evidenced by a cultural layer of mainly organic material under the lakebed up to 1.7 m in thickness, which accumulated during the Neolithic occupation of the bay in the middle of the 5th millennium BC. The presented research enables precise absolute dating of a series of settlement phases at Ploča Mičov Grad from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, and hence provides important reference points for an absolute chronological framework for the prehistory of the southwestern Balkans. The investigations underline the potential of future research on waterlogged prehistoric settlements in the region.
This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic... more This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic site of Uzun Mera, near the village of Mustafino, north-eastern Macedonia. In order to assess the integrity of the lithic assemblage (n=139), the post-depositional surface modification of the stone tools was inspected in relation to raw material and information on spatial dispersion. The post depositional surface modifications were recorded as follows: physical (mechanical) ones (the area and position of edge rounding and/or edge fracturing); chemical (position and area of gloss and/or colour patina, carbonate concretions and iron-manganese nodules) and thermal alteration (colour change, thermal cracks, cupulas, sheen). Mechanical edge damage and gloss patina dominate among the post-depositional features. A typo-technological classification was also applied in order to understand the lithic economy in the area and compare the stone industry with other sites in the wider region. Typical Middle Palaeolithic variability is asserted, including recurring and preferential Levallois reduction, lateral side-scrapers and naturally backed blades. It is argued that more than one occupation phase is represented at the site and that chemical post-depositional modifications have a good potential for becoming diagnostic features for surface collections analysis and classification.
The archaeological site of Sovjan is situated on the edge of the Korç¨e Basin, southeastern Alban... more The archaeological site of Sovjan is situated on the edge of the Korç¨e Basin, southeastern Albania. Its remarkably long and well investigated stratigraphic sequence, spanning from the Neolithic till the Iron Age, makes it an important type- and reference-site for the whole region. At different periods of prehistory it was located on the shores of the former Lake Maliq that once filled the Korç¨e Basin, but was definitely drained in the 1940′ s. These permanent wetland conditions on the site allowed for a high degree of preservation of organic material, especially wood. Based on the current knowledge, level 8 of Sovjan contains the best-preserved wooden material of all the Early Bronze Age sites in the Balkans. Through the combination of dendrochronology and Bayesian modelling, i.e. wiggle-matching, a floating 269-years long tree-ring chronology was constructed, with an absolute end-date range falling between 2158 and 2142 cal BC (2σ). It was possible to establish that the dwellings and the trackway associated with the last occupation phase of level 8 are contemporaneous. Additionally, with the help of the new dendrochronological data and based on previously published charcoal dates, the absolute chronology of the subsequent level 7 is being narrowed-down to a range from the mid-22nd to mid-20th c. cal BC (2σ). The Early Bronze Age layers of the archaeological site of Sovjan, which are particularly pertinent for the 3rd millennium chronology of the southwestern Balkans, can now be dated with high precision for the first time and hence offer a major chronological reference point in the region.
On the prehistoric site of Ploˇca Miˇcov Grad (Ohrid, North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of La... more On the prehistoric site of Ploˇca Miˇcov Grad (Ohrid, North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid a total of 799 wooden elements were recorded from a systematically excavated area of nearly 100 square metres. Most of them are pile remains made of round wood with diameters up to almost 40 cm. A comprehensive dendrochronological analysis allows the construction of numerous well-replicated tree-ring chronologies for different species. High agreements between the chronologies prove that oak, pine, juniper, ash and hop-hornbeam can be crossdated. The chronologies are dated by means of radiocarbon dates and modelling using wiggle matching. An intensive settlement phase is attested for the middle of the 5th millennium BCE. Further phases follow towards the end of the 5th millennium BCE and in the 2nd millennium around 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE. Furthermore, the exact, relative felling dates allow first insights into the minimum duration of the settlement phases, which lie between 17 and 87 years. The multi-centennial chronologies presented in this study can be used as a first robust dating basis for future research in the numerous not yet dated prehistoric lake shore settlements of the region with excellently preserved wooden remains.
Specialized and systematic underwater fieldwork at the prehistoric site of Ploča Mičov Grad at Gr... more Specialized and systematic underwater fieldwork at the prehistoric site of Ploča Mičov Grad at Gradište (North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid was undertaken in 2018 and 2019. It has substantiated the archeological site’s outstanding preservation condition, and furthermore proven the numerous construction timbers’ suitability for dendrochronological analysis. Dendrochronological analysis on archaeological timbers was applied, combined with radiocarbon dating. Bayesian radiocarbon modeling allowed to ‘wiggle match’ the dendrochrono-logical mean curves, i.e. allowed the precise chronological anchoring of ‘floating’ tree-ring sequences. Furthermore, radiocarbon dates of plant remains from the site’s main archaeological layer are statistically evaluated. Based on the new findings, the strikingly high density of wooden piles at the site can be attributed to several construction phases of Neolithic (middle of 5th millennium BC) and Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC: 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE) settlements. Intense settlement activity is furthermore evidenced by a cultural layer of mainly organic material under the lakebed up to 1.7 m in thickness, which accumulated during the Neolithic occupation of the bay in the middle of the 5th millennium BC. The presented research enables precise absolute dating of a series of settlement phases at Ploča Mičov Grad from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, and hence provides important reference points for an absolute chronological framework for the prehistory of the southwestern Balkans. The investigations underline the potential of future research on waterlogged prehistoric settlements in the region.
This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic... more This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic site of Uzun Mera, near the village of Mustafino, north-eastern Macedonia. In order to assess the integrity of the lithic assemblage (n=139), the post-depositional surface modification of the stone tools was inspected in relation to raw material and information on spatial dispersion. The post depositional surface modifications were recorded as follows: physical (mechanical) ones (the area and position of edge rounding and/or edge fracturing); chemical (position and area of gloss and/or colour patina, carbonate concretions and iron-manganese nodules) and thermal alteration (colour change, thermal cracks, cupulas, sheen). Mechanical edge damage and gloss patina dominate among the post-depositional features. A typo-technological classification was also applied in order to understand the lithic economy in the area and compare the stone industry with other sites in the wider region. Typical Middle Palaeolithic variability is asserted, including recurring and preferential Levallois reduction, lateral side-scrapers and naturally backed blades. It is argued that more than one occupation phase is represented at the site and that chemical post-depositional modifications have a good potential for becoming diagnostic features for surface collections analysis and classification.
The archaeological site of Sovjan is situated on the edge of the Korç¨e Basin, southeastern Alban... more The archaeological site of Sovjan is situated on the edge of the Korç¨e Basin, southeastern Albania. Its remarkably long and well investigated stratigraphic sequence, spanning from the Neolithic till the Iron Age, makes it an important type- and reference-site for the whole region. At different periods of prehistory it was located on the shores of the former Lake Maliq that once filled the Korç¨e Basin, but was definitely drained in the 1940′ s. These permanent wetland conditions on the site allowed for a high degree of preservation of organic material, especially wood. Based on the current knowledge, level 8 of Sovjan contains the best-preserved wooden material of all the Early Bronze Age sites in the Balkans. Through the combination of dendrochronology and Bayesian modelling, i.e. wiggle-matching, a floating 269-years long tree-ring chronology was constructed, with an absolute end-date range falling between 2158 and 2142 cal BC (2σ). It was possible to establish that the dwellings and the trackway associated with the last occupation phase of level 8 are contemporaneous. Additionally, with the help of the new dendrochronological data and based on previously published charcoal dates, the absolute chronology of the subsequent level 7 is being narrowed-down to a range from the mid-22nd to mid-20th c. cal BC (2σ). The Early Bronze Age layers of the archaeological site of Sovjan, which are particularly pertinent for the 3rd millennium chronology of the southwestern Balkans, can now be dated with high precision for the first time and hence offer a major chronological reference point in the region.
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Papers by Andrej Machkovski
of 799 wooden elements were recorded from a systematically excavated area of nearly 100 square metres. Most
of them are pile remains made of round wood with diameters up to almost 40 cm. A comprehensive dendrochronological
analysis allows the construction of numerous well-replicated tree-ring chronologies for different
species. High agreements between the chronologies prove that oak, pine, juniper, ash and hop-hornbeam can be
crossdated. The chronologies are dated by means of radiocarbon dates and modelling using wiggle matching. An
intensive settlement phase is attested for the middle of the 5th millennium BCE. Further phases follow towards
the end of the 5th millennium BCE and in the 2nd millennium around 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE. Furthermore,
the exact, relative felling dates allow first insights into the minimum duration of the settlement phases, which lie
between 17 and 87 years. The multi-centennial chronologies presented in this study can be used as a first robust
dating basis for future research in the numerous not yet dated prehistoric lake shore settlements of the region
with excellently preserved wooden remains.
long and well investigated stratigraphic sequence, spanning from the Neolithic till the Iron Age, makes it an
important type- and reference-site for the whole region. At different periods of prehistory it was located on the
shores of the former Lake Maliq that once filled the Korç¨e Basin, but was definitely drained in the 1940′ s. These
permanent wetland conditions on the site allowed for a high degree of preservation of organic material, especially
wood. Based on the current knowledge, level 8 of Sovjan contains the best-preserved wooden material of
all the Early Bronze Age sites in the Balkans. Through the combination of dendrochronology and Bayesian
modelling, i.e. wiggle-matching, a floating 269-years long tree-ring chronology was constructed, with an absolute
end-date range falling between 2158 and 2142 cal BC (2σ). It was possible to establish that the dwellings and
the trackway associated with the last occupation phase of level 8 are contemporaneous. Additionally, with the
help of the new dendrochronological data and based on previously published charcoal dates, the absolute
chronology of the subsequent level 7 is being narrowed-down to a range from the mid-22nd to mid-20th c. cal BC
(2σ). The Early Bronze Age layers of the archaeological site of Sovjan, which are particularly pertinent for the 3rd
millennium chronology of the southwestern Balkans, can now be dated with high precision for the first time and
hence offer a major chronological reference point in the region.
of 799 wooden elements were recorded from a systematically excavated area of nearly 100 square metres. Most
of them are pile remains made of round wood with diameters up to almost 40 cm. A comprehensive dendrochronological
analysis allows the construction of numerous well-replicated tree-ring chronologies for different
species. High agreements between the chronologies prove that oak, pine, juniper, ash and hop-hornbeam can be
crossdated. The chronologies are dated by means of radiocarbon dates and modelling using wiggle matching. An
intensive settlement phase is attested for the middle of the 5th millennium BCE. Further phases follow towards
the end of the 5th millennium BCE and in the 2nd millennium around 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE. Furthermore,
the exact, relative felling dates allow first insights into the minimum duration of the settlement phases, which lie
between 17 and 87 years. The multi-centennial chronologies presented in this study can be used as a first robust
dating basis for future research in the numerous not yet dated prehistoric lake shore settlements of the region
with excellently preserved wooden remains.
long and well investigated stratigraphic sequence, spanning from the Neolithic till the Iron Age, makes it an
important type- and reference-site for the whole region. At different periods of prehistory it was located on the
shores of the former Lake Maliq that once filled the Korç¨e Basin, but was definitely drained in the 1940′ s. These
permanent wetland conditions on the site allowed for a high degree of preservation of organic material, especially
wood. Based on the current knowledge, level 8 of Sovjan contains the best-preserved wooden material of
all the Early Bronze Age sites in the Balkans. Through the combination of dendrochronology and Bayesian
modelling, i.e. wiggle-matching, a floating 269-years long tree-ring chronology was constructed, with an absolute
end-date range falling between 2158 and 2142 cal BC (2σ). It was possible to establish that the dwellings and
the trackway associated with the last occupation phase of level 8 are contemporaneous. Additionally, with the
help of the new dendrochronological data and based on previously published charcoal dates, the absolute
chronology of the subsequent level 7 is being narrowed-down to a range from the mid-22nd to mid-20th c. cal BC
(2σ). The Early Bronze Age layers of the archaeological site of Sovjan, which are particularly pertinent for the 3rd
millennium chronology of the southwestern Balkans, can now be dated with high precision for the first time and
hence offer a major chronological reference point in the region.