Varna culture

2021 marked the 30th season of the archaeological excavations of the Durankulak Archaeological Complex. The buildings and structures of the 8th and 7th horizon were mainly studied, such as those from the Early Neolithic settlement on the Big Island belonging to the Hamangia Culture III and IV. Building №25 / VIII was completely studied. It was found that in its earliest stage the building was approximately square in shape. Its total built-up area is 39 m2. The floor of the building is covered with 5 clay layers. The interior space is common. The building had four structures located close to the walls. They cover about 17% of the interior space. One of them is a semi-domed thermal structure (structure 1). It was constructed directly on the floor. The oven shows five repairs concerning mainly the strengthening and restoration of the dome. Next to the oven, in the northeastern corner of the room, a square structure 2 was made measuring 1.10 × 1.10 m. It has a flat clay floor on which a large bone battle axe and anatomically arranged bones from the limb of deer (Cervus elaphus) were found in situ. To the west of structure 2 a quern (structure 3), also made of clay, was found. It is of a rectangular shape and contains a shallow basin (2–5 cm deep, measuring 1.50 × 1.20 м). Its floor was reinforced with a base of small stone slabs. The fourth structure is located in the southwestern corner of the room. It was built directly on the floor and measures 2.10 × 1.20 m.
    The building has been damaged by numerous pits from the upper horizons. Of interest is an oval-shaped pit. It has vertical walls and is filled with stone slabs. Next to its northeastern wall, a ceramic bowl with a graphite decoration Varna II Type was found turned upside down.
    In 2021, the study of building №24 /VII continued as well. The stone foundations of the western wall (preserved 13 m long) and part of the northern wall has been completely revealed. The foundations were made of large stone slabs. The lowest three courses of stones were fixed by yellow clay. The entrance to the building was from the south. The studied part of the building represents an elongated common room with several massive clay structures. One of them (structure 6) was attached to the central part of the western wall, and the other one (structure 5) to the southern end of the eastern wall. The structures are massive clay platforms raised in height. Their countertops were made of stacked logs, coated with several clay layers with a total thickness of 6–8 cm. The analysis of the charred wood showed that the timber used was oak (Quercus sp.).
    Under the plasters of the eastern structures were found: fragmented ceramic vessels, a large number of charred seeds of legumes and cereals, mussel shells, bone tools, and others. A separation of seeds by species has been observed. In some of the structures, seeds were stored belonging predominantly to bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia), and in others were found club wheat (Triticum aestivo/durum), einkorn (Triticum monococcum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and others. The building 24 /VII contained a hoard consisting of the lower part of a thick-walled vessel, a mixture of seeds of legumes and cereals, and a fully preserved ceramic model of bread.

The results of the study of building № 25 / VII-VIII showed that it has a slightly trapezoidal shape. The total built-up area is 69 m2. The building has undergone two stages of development: the first stage refers to the Hamangia III Culture, and the second one - to Hamangia IV Culture.

The building from sub-stage 1A was small, of a shape close to the square measuring 6.5 × 6.0 m. Internal dimensions are 5.5 × 4.0 m (22 m²). Its massive walls have double-sided stone foundations 0.50 – 0.60 m wide. A thermal structure was attached to the eastern wall – a hearth with a half-dome; and to the western one – a clay podium with a square shape measuring 1.50 × 1.50 m and a height of 10 cm. There were several small and large clay structures of unclear shapes and purposes next to the northern wall. The structures in the room occupied about 15% of the living space.

In stage 1B, an annex was added to the building from the south, probably a covered terrace. For this purpose, the eastern and western walls were elongated by 5 m each. The dimensions of this extension are 4.5 × 5.5 m (20 m²). It rose 15–20 cm above the room from stage 1A, and the approach to the inner room was stepped. Several additional economic segments were situated there: a domed oven located in its south-eastern corner and an elongated clay trough (?) – in the south-western one.

During stage 2 the interior of the building was completely changed. A large room with dimensions of 10.0 × 4.5 m (45 m²) was formed. The building from this stage was open from the south where a wooden colonnade was arranged. This porch was covered with a stone pavement.

The life of building № 25 / VII ended with a fire, followed by a strong destructive earthquake, around the IX degree after MSK-64. It also marks the end of the settlement from the period of Hamangia IV Culture.

In 2020, the research of building № 24/VII continued as well. There we came across the northwestern part of an unexplored earlier building – № 23/V. The remains are framed by a low clay plinth 5 – 6 cm high. On the floor of the structure we found a charred grain of Triticum monococcum and Triticum dicoccum¬¬ with an approximate ratio of 50:50%.

2018 REGULAR EXCAVATIONS ON GOLEMIJA OSTROV NEAR DURANKULAK

In 2018, the field studies on The Big Island Tell (Golimija  ostrov) at Durankulak village continued for the 27th consecutive season. Building N8/ VII was fully explored (Culture Hamangia IV). We found out that it was originally without massive stone walls, only with razor-like ones and a roof supported by several rows of wooden poles.

In 2018, the study of a new building No.25 / VII (Culture Hamangia IV culture) began. Only its final stage was fully explored. A grinding structure, a domed furnace and a clay structure for processing and storage of wheat were revealed there. Several ceramic pots appeared in situ inside the latter structure. The building was destroyed by fire as the inhabitants of the settlement had managed to save the most precious - the wheat and the grinding stones.

Building No. 25/ Vii contained also burnt seeds of coarse wheat (Triticum monococcum), soft wheat (Triticum aestivo/durum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), as well as some grains of peas (Pisum sativum), and vetch (Vicia ervilia and Vicia sativa). There was also a large number of not-burned grains of cereals.

The vaulted idols are made from bone or marble. They are known from the areas of the late chalcolithic cultures in the Eastern Balkans – Varna and Kodzhadermen-Gumelnitsa-Karanovo VI. In the area of the Kodzhadermen-Gumelnitsa-Karanovo VI cultural complex vaulted figures derive only from tell settlements, while in Varna culture and the contact zone between the two phenomena they are also known from necropolises. The only marble figure derives from the area of the Varna culture (Varna I necropolis), too.
According to most of the researchers, the vaulted idols represent an anthropomorphic image. Some scholars associate them with the other types of anthropomorphic bone figures – the prismatic and the flat ones. However, they have a different meaning from the last. Other researchers connect them with the so-called anthropomorphic amulets. However, the anthropomorphic amulets represent a stylized female image, while the vaulted figurines probably were accepted to be male effigies. They have different usage, spatial and chronological distribution, too. What we can say, is that the vaulted idols had different meaning from the other types of bone figurines and from the anthropomorphic amulets, too. They represented a religo-mythological personage that had clear significance only for the bearers of Varna and Kodzhadermen-Gumelnitsa-Karanovo VI cultures.
Vaulted idols can’t be associated with a male or female gander group. They were worn mostly by men but in some cases – by women, too.
The social significance of the vaulted idols is different in dependence, if they derive from tells or from necropolises. Those which are found in tells can be accepted as items with cult and apotropaic function. Vaulted figures derive from funerary context only in two occasions: Varna chalcholithic cemetery (mostly from cenotaphs) and Provadia-Solnicata’s necropolis. This isn’t the only common feature between the two necropolises. Near the both were situated centers of specialized productions. In the vicinity of Provadia-Solnitsata was located a salt-making center and in this of Varna I cemetery – a metalworking one. Those were the only highly developed centers of specialized productions in the area of Varna and Kodzhadermen-Gumelnitsa-Karanovo VI cultures. So, we can suppose that the funerary context of the vaulted figures is connected with the impact of the specialized productions on the inhabitants of the two centers.
The specialized productions require division of labor and this is why they probably led to acceleration of the social differentiation in the area of the two centers. So, we can argue that in the area of the highly developed specialized production centers new social groups, unknown from elsewhere, arose. Likely, this led to new ways of expressing the status of those groups. Perhaps exactly this was the social meaning of the vaulted idols for the inhabitants of the two centers – a status marker of a social group. In favor of this talks the fact that in the archaic societies grave goods marked the social status of the deceased, not their property one. Also, cenotaphs are accepted as direct burials of social status. So, we can say that in the vicinity of the specialized productions centers the vaulted idols marked a social group, known only from there. Probably the embodied in the idols mythological personage was thought as а patron of this group.