Aleksandar Kapuran | Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, Serbia (original) (raw)

Books by Aleksandar Kapuran

The visualization of the archaeological heritage from the Balkans turns the spotlight on the huma... more The visualization of the archaeological heritage from the Balkans turns the spotlight on the human past in this region that is in many ways essential for our understanding of European history in general. Southeast Europe represents one of the key areas for analysing the human past, where most of the major cultural developments started that had a long-lasting impact on the continent. This specific culmination of cultural and social dynamics over millennia took place in the highly diverse, but connected landscapes of the Balkans. These distinct characteristics form the backbone of one of the most exciting and challenging areas for archaeology on the globe. Visualizing the Unknown Balkans offers an overview of ongoing interdisciplinary fieldwork in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia covering a time span of about six millennia. The results, in the form of maps, plans, geophysical screenings and digital reconstructions, open up new perspectives for potential future investigations and set the course for the broader
public and scientific perception of archaeological research in the region.

Velebit, a Tumulus Culture Necropolis in the Southern Carpathiana Basin (Vojvodina, Serbia), 2019

The aim of this publication of Proceedings ,,Mokranjske Stene,, is to show the level of explorati... more The aim of this publication of Proceedings ,,Mokranjske Stene,, is to show the level of exploration concerning issues of praehistory, antiquity and the Middle Ages in area of Negotinska Krajina, through thematic papers from different authors related to cultural stratigraphy of the archaeological complex Mokranjske Stene near village Mokranje in North Eastern Serbia.

Papers by Aleksandar Kapuran

Archaeology and Science, 2023

The paper summarises the results achieved during the first 18 months of the project THE FLOW (Int... more The paper summarises the results achieved during the first 18 months of the project THE FLOW (Interactions-Transmission-Transformation: Long-distance connections in Copper and Bronze Age of the Central Balkans). The project team has visited 12 museums in the territory of Central Serbia and accumulated a total of 5,000 km of road trips. More than 400 pottery samples from 67 archaeological sites were collected for provenance analyses, thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Samples have also been collected from more than 150 bronze and 64 copper artifacts, as well as more than 25 samples from clay pits and ore deposits. A total of 30 samples from obsidian artifacts have been collected. Following the collection of samples, procurement procedures were conducted for AMS and TL/OSL dating, as well as calls for isotopic analyses of copper and tin provenance. Contracts for TL/OSL analyses have been signed with Instituto Universitario de Geología “Isidro Parga Pondal” from La Coruña (Spain), and for AMS analyses with Isotoptech Zrt. from Debrecen (Hungary), and Rutgers University in New Jersey (USA).
Laboratory research within the project has so far brought many important results, among which are those on the origin of the raw materials for making the analysed ceramic vessels, as well as the pigments used for their decoration. Extremely significant data was obtained on the composition of the analysed items made of metal - weapons and jewellery, on the basis of which preliminary conclusions were made about the technology of their production, and them belonging to a certain region or workshop.
The project initiated the creation of a network of scientific collaborations that can be continued through future joint projects and applications on international calls. The following project activities will be aimed towards the consolidation of already established methodological procedures as well as the interpretation of the awaited outcomes and their integration into explanatory models of complex processes in the societies in later prehistory.

Gamzigrad-Studien I: Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, 2020

Starinar, 2022

Following more than seven decades of research on the Bronze Age cremation burial grounds in the t... more Following more than seven decades of research on the Bronze Age cremation burial grounds in the territory of Serbia, the new absolute dates provide us with an opportunity to determine a more precise chronological sequence of different local cultural manifestations. Although the pioneers of the Serbian archaeology after WWII defined the main cultural trajectories that led to the establishment of cremation as the main burial rite during the 2 nd millennium BC, several misconceptions were established that need to be corrected, considering new data. We regard this paper as our contribution to the better understanding of the cultural and chronological sequence in the Central Balkans during the Bronze Age.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021

Abstract The Balkan Peninsula played a crucial role for the introduction of metallurgy during the... more Abstract The Balkan Peninsula played a crucial role for the introduction of metallurgy during the Copper Age and numerous archaeometallurgical examinations have delivered highly interesting insights on this topic. However, there is a lack of systematic analytical research on copper ore smelting and metal exchange for the later Bronze Age. In this paper we focus on the first archaeometallurgical results of slags from the sites Ružana, Trnjane and Coka Njica, Eastern Serbia, complimented by the discussion of XRF and lead isotope analyses carried out on 28 copper-based artefacts. Importantly, radiocarbon dating from these sites points to copper production already being undertaken at the end of the Early Bronze Age (19th–18th centuries BC), more than 500 years earlier than previously assumed. This enables us to investigate the flow of metal during the 1st half of the 2nd millennium BC. The analyses of the metallurgical slags indicate a copper matte smelting process in small open pit furnaces and the use of local sulfidic copper ore sources. The fact that these intensive smelting activities in Eastern Serbia can be paralleled with the early production hotspots in central Europe e.g. on the Hochkonig (Mitterberg mining areas) sheds new light on the development of copper based metallurgy in Europe. At the same time, the evidence from Eastern Serbia shows that this area was a source of raw material for copper and bronze alloys providing a regional and supra-regional perspective. Furthermore, our analyses revealed the remarkable result, that by the start of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1700 BC) copper from the Northern Italian mining areas in the Trentino region also reached the western and central Balkans.

Starinar, 2021

Systematic archaeological excavations at the multicultural site of Foeni-S?la? in the Romanian Ba... more Systematic archaeological excavations at the multicultural site of Foeni-S?la? in the Romanian Banat conducted during the first half of the 1990s uncovered evidence that the site was inhabited during the Early Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, Early Iron, Late Antique and Medieval Ages. This paper summarises the cultural history of the settlement at the site and describes the relevant deposits and material culture in each period.

Starinar, 2017

Archaeological research at the site of Hisar in Leskovac began more than a decade ago and has ini... more Archaeological research at the site of Hisar in Leskovac began more than a decade ago and has initiated numerous papers on the relationship between the Mediana and Brnjica cultural groups and cultures that marked the transition from the Bronze to the Early Iron Age in the Central Balkans. This paper seeks to highlight and correct some of the key mistakes which have emerged in the stratigraphic interpretation of this multi-horizon site, and in such a way contribute to the better understanding of cultural movements at the transition from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BC.

Archaeologia Austriaca, 2021

The Velebit necropolis, located in the southern Carpathian Basin remains to this day an unpublish... more The Velebit necropolis, located in the southern Carpathian Basin remains to this day an unpublished archaeological site, although it has been known for almost 50 years. It represents the only systematically-investigated Tumulus (Hügelgräber) culture necropolis in the territories of Serbia and Vojvodina which has not been completely published so far. Bi-ritual burial rites from the Bronze Age perspective of the Velebit necropolis are not so rare in the Tumulus Culture commonwealth (Central Europe, Carpathian Basin and Transdanubian region), but the equal representation of both burial customs is quite uncommon. Graves from the undisturbed contexts at the Velebit necropolis show some differences in Koszider bronze and pottery burial gifts, gender and maybe social differentiation in communities. Certain artefacts possibly indicate economic stratification and the presence of craftsmen (metallurgists) in these Middle Bronze Age communities, which is considered one of the more significant traits of the Tumulus culture.

Arheologija i prirodne nauke, 2007

U ovom radu predstavljen je metod geoelektrične tomografi je obavljen na višeslojnom arheološkom ... more U ovom radu predstavljen je metod geoelektrične tomografi je obavljen na višeslojnom arheološkom nalazištu Belo Brdo u Vinči 2000. godine. Primenjeni geofi zički metod izabran je da bi se dobila što bolja rezolucija pri detekciji podzemnih struktura. Ovaj poduhvat je od značaja za arheološka istraživanja, s obzirom da je jedan od geoelektričnih profi la bio postavljen neposredno uz arheološki profi l, što je omogućilo direktno upoređivanje dobijenih rezultata geoelektričkog skeniranja i rezultata arheoloških iskopavanja. Osim međusobne provere, ova merenja su od koristi za početak atribucije pojedinih vrsta arheoloških slojeva pojedinim specifi čnim otpornostima.

Starinar, 2020

In archaeological literature, the site of Trnjane, near Bor in eastern Serbia is known as an urn ... more In archaeological literature, the site of Trnjane, near Bor in eastern Serbia is known as an urn necropolis, with 43 discovered urn graves. The excavations in Trnjane took place between 1985 and 1987-1989, and continued in 1998. The investigations also included an excavation of a nearby settlement, but the results of this research were never published. In most of the previous studies, Trnjane was assigned to the Middle and Late Bronze Age, while the necropolis was often connected with the spread of the Urnfield Phenomena from Central Europe toward the Balkans. New investigations started in 2017 as cooperation between the Archaeological Institute in Belgrade and the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology (OREA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences shed new light on the chronology and cultural assignment of Trnjane and other similar surrounding sites in the region of eastern Serbia. The excavation of the settlement area in 2017 and 2018 yielded numerous finds indicating metall...

Starinar, 2019

During the first excavations of the cemetery dating from the Bronze Age and Early Antiquity in th... more During the first excavations of the cemetery dating from the Bronze Age and Early Antiquity in the village of Velebit near Kanjiza (Northern Serbia) one of the excavated artefacts was found to belong to a used and broken stone mould for casting anvils. However, without an expert archaeologist to supervise the recovery of this find, which remained unknown for decades after its discovery, as a starting point, the authors of this article present a synthesis that takes into account several aspects of this significant class of metalcraft object. This proceeds from the history of the excavation to the general role of European Bronze Age anvils in gold and bronze metalworking, and then further on to their typological, terminological, chronological and functional analysis and to their long-range distribution as a sign of an interregional network of craftsmen, including their social context and symbolism.

Starinar, 2018

In 1970, a Bronze Age necropolis in the village of Velebit to the north of Vojvodina was fully ex... more In 1970, a Bronze Age necropolis in the village of Velebit to the north of Vojvodina was fully explored, but has remained unpublished until today. Apart from possessing all of the features of a H?gelgr?ber culture complex, some finds indicate connections to the Belegis - Cruceni culture, developed at the very south of the Carpathian basin. In this paper, we shall present only some of the most attractive finds from the necropolis, including jewellery made of bronze sheets. They include spiral greaves, a belt and finger-rings. The remaining finds shall be presented in a monograph that is being planned.

Velebit, a Tumulus Culture Necropolis in the Southern Carpathiana Basin (Vojvodina, Serbia), 2019

Archaeology and Science, 2023

Gamzigrad-Studien I: Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, 2020

Starinar, 2022

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021

Starinar, 2021

Starinar, 2017

Archaeologia Austriaca, 2021

Arheologija i prirodne nauke, 2007

Starinar, 2020

Starinar, 2019

Starinar, 2018

Starinar, 2016

The last three years of archaeological investigations at the site Ru`ana in Banjsko Polje, in the... more The last three years of archaeological investigations at the site Ru`ana in Banjsko Polje, in the immediate vicinity of Bor, have provided new evidence regarding the role of non-ferrous metallurgy in the economy of the prehistoric communities of north-eastern Serbia. The remains of metallurgical furnaces and a large amount of metallic slags at two neighbouring sites in the mentioned settlement reveal that locations with many installations for the thermal processing of copper ore existed in the Bronze Age. We believe, judging by the finds of material culture, that metallurgical activities in this area also continued into the Iron Age and, possibly, into the 4th century AD.

Starinar, 2015

As a result of the rescue archaeological investigations conducted along the E-80 motorway route, ... more As a result of the rescue archaeological investigations conducted along the E-80 motorway route, around the middle course of the Nisava river, from Sicevo Gorge to Dimitrovgrad, several sites from the Early Iron Age were discovered. At the same time, two caves located on the margins of this natural transportation route which links the Morava Valley and the Sofia Basin were explored. This paper comprises all the relevant finds of the material culture from Bela Palanka, Pirot and Dimitrovgrad, and sepulchral architecture and funerary customs practised during Hallstatt C and D. The aim of the paper is to indicate the influences of the Basarabi and Psenicevo material culture in the territories assumed to have been inhabited by the Thracian and Illyrian tribes, which may help with the more accurate pinpointing of the demarcations between the Triballi, Thracians and Paeonians.

Starinar, 2014

Im Rahmen der Vorbereitung f?r die Gesamtdarstellung der bronzenen Beile aus Serbien konnten eini... more Im Rahmen der Vorbereitung f?r die Gesamtdarstellung der bronzenen Beile aus Serbien konnten einige lokale Formen mit einem begrenzten Verbreitungsradius verzeichnet werden. Es handelt sich in erster Linie um mehrere Varianten der T?llenbeile mit einer arkadenf?rmigen Facettierung auf dem Beilk?rper, einer seitlichen ?se und einem verst?rkten T?llenwulst mit horizontalen Rippen darunter. Im Bezug auf die Typologie, Verbreitung und den kultur-historischen Kontext sind die meisten der hier pr?sentierten Funde bislang unzureichend beschrieben. Die charakteristischen T?llenbeile lassen sich vermutlich als Produkte der Werkst?tte im Zentralbalkan interpretieren. Wichtig in diesem Zusammenhang sind noch pr?historische Kupferbergwerke, die im Verbreitungsraum der umschriebenen Beile liegen.

Starinar, 2009

The Timocka Krajina region has not been sufficiently investigated archaeologically, which coupled... more The Timocka Krajina region has not been sufficiently investigated archaeologically, which coupled with the fact that a very small number of metal finds and remains have been discovered, makes the reconstruction of the start and end of the Bronze Age that much more difficult. Identification work in the area around Romuliana on two occasions in 2001 and 2008 led to the discovery of another 10 predominantly multi-layered sites dating back to the Bronze Age, of which 7 are highland settlements while 3 are lowland settlements located in the immediate vicinity of the Timok river or its tributaries. The discovered sites 1. Varsari, 2. Djokin Vis, 3. Kravarnik, 4. Mustafa, 5. Nikolov Savat, 6. Njiva Zore Brzanovic, 7. Petronj, 8. Potes-Petronj, 9. Strenjak and 10. Zvezdan; bare the characteristics of the material culture of the ?Gamzigrad group? of the Middle Iron Age. Besides known ceramic forms and characteristic ornamentation of this culture, there is a visibly strong influence of the Va...

Starinar, 2013

By looking at prehistoric collections and unpublished material from the museums in north-eastern ... more By looking at prehistoric collections and unpublished material from the museums in north-eastern Serbia, as well as by surveying and excavating, new information was gained which fulfills the image of material and spiritual culture of prehistoric communities from the end of the Early Iron Age. Usually, for a closer chronological determination, metal jewellery and weapons were considered. Pottery finds were published only occasionally, usually due to contexts which were not clear enough, or due to chronological insensitivity (unless they were grave goods), but also due to stylistic and typological differences not clearly distinguished between the 'Basarabi' culture and the culture of 'channelled pottery'. This paper aims to define features of pottery production from different sites, more precisely, those found in the territory between the Iron Gates, Kljuc and the Timok valley.

Starinar, 2011

This article deals with the social and anthropological aspects of burial rituals during the Middl... more This article deals with the social and anthropological aspects of burial rituals during the Middle Bronze Age in Timocka Krajina. Decades of systematic research of necropolises and reconnaissance in the basin of the Crni Timok proved an increase in number of sites around ore - rich areas of the east Kucaj mountains as well as around Romuliana site and the fertile valleys of Dzanovo polje (Map. 1). The quantitative increase in settlements was reflected by the emergence of large necropolises, only three of which have been systematically explored; those in Trnjani, Magura and Bor Lake (Fig. 1; Plan 1). Analysis of geographical features of many settlements and their position in relation to natural resources helped define two communities, one of which carried out mining and metallurgical activities, while the other group engaged in the production of food. Both groups lived in the immediate vicinity and mutual dependence, functioning within a developed market for copper production. During...

Starinar, 2013

Systematical archaeological excavations at the site Gamzigrad - Felix Romuliana continued in 2007... more Systematical archaeological excavations at the site Gamzigrad - Felix Romuliana continued in 2007-2008 in the south-eastern part of the fortified imperial palace, in the section of the thermae according to the plan of archaeological research for this site (2005-2009). In 2007, squares L'XXIV, M'XXIV, M'XXIH and M'XXII, which were investigated in 2005 to the horizon c, dated to the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th centuries, were completely excavated to the level of the porch of the earlier fortification of Romuliana (Plan 1). The stratigraphy of the cultural layers in these squares is as follows (Fig. 1): Below horizon c there is a layer of construction rubble mixed with brownish-yellow, clay like, sandy soil, 50-75 cm thick, comprising the finds dated in the last quarter of the 4th-5th centuries, layer D; The level of layer D is horizon d, where a structure destroyed in a conflagration, house 1/07, was discovered in squares M'XXII and M'XXIII. It ...

Metallurgical communities in the Iron Gates hinterland are best presented through necropoles, on ... more Metallurgical communities in the Iron Gates hinterland are best presented through necropoles, on which traditions of the Urnenfelder culture influences can be recognized. Only four cemeteries were noted so far which can clearly be connected to the metallurgical communities. Anthropological analyses were made on a smaller number of osteological finds, but even these data are sufficient to help reach further new conclusions connected to funerary traditions and relationship towards the deceased, typical for the period of the Late Bronze Age. Apart from the osteological analyses, in this paper results shall also be presented gained through "scanning electronic microscopy", contributing to the confirmation of some earlier posted theories of the authors regarding cremations of the deceased during the Bronze Age.