The Early Neolithic settlement at Velesnica: lithic and osseous industries (original) (raw)
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Documenta Praheistorica, 2020
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The Neolithic bone industry from Starčevo – Grad (Serbia)
The eponymous site of Starčevo culture, Starčevo – Grad in south Pannonia, excavated in the first half of 20th century, represents one of the most important sites for Early and Middle Neolithic in South-East Europe. However, many aspects of its rich portable material are still unpublished, including bone industry. In this paper will be presented 250 objects from osseous materials, collected during almost 100 years of research. Raw materials choice, techniques of manufacture, characteristic forms and traces of use were analyzed. From raw materials, bones were dominant, although antlers were far from being insignificant. Boar’s tusks and mollusc also occurr, although in small numbers. The analysis of traces of manufacture helped in reconstructing the „chaîne opéraotire“, but also showed that there are some manufacture techniques typical for Early and Middle Neolithic. The existence of workshop or working place in the settlement was indirectly confirmed by the presence of manufacture debris. Most common objects were awls, needles, projectile points, scrarpers,burnishers, punches, hammers, but also some specific tool types occurred, such as Early/Middle Neolithic spatulas-spoons, and some types of decorative objects. Usewear traces, when preserved, suggest most of the tools were linked with processing of organic materals (leather, hide, plant materials, wood). Objects made from Spondylus, although only few were found, demonstrate that Starčevo was on the trading route of prestige goods.
Technological changes in the Starčevo culture of the central Balkans
Earliest Neolithic cultures brought significant changes in Southeast Europe – domesticated plant and animal species, new forms of material culture, innovations in settlement patterns, architecture. Completely new forms of economy and material culture (domesticated animals, pottery) attracted most attention from researchers, while less attention was paid on the changes among the already existing aspects of material culture. In this paper it will be attempted to observe the innovations in the Starčevo culture through the changes in technology, with special focus on the industry from osseous raw materials (bone, antler, teeth, mollusc shells). The comparison of the bone industries from the Mesolithic Iron Gates and Starčevo culture revealed some similarities, especially in manufacturing antler. Starčevo bone industry introduced some new techniques and some new types and variants of tools, which, in turn, give information on new aspects of everyday activities, importance of certain crafts, and also a changes in cultural attitude towards raw materials (related to their origin and/or final products and their tasks). Especially characteristic techno-types are those made from cattle metapodials, most notably carefully made and long-used spatula-spoons. Also, osseous materials are no longer used for artistic expressions, but they remain the dominant raw material for personal ornaments.
The Starčevo Culture Horizon at the Site of Kneževi Vinogradi (Eastern Croatia)
Documenta Praehistorica
The region of Slavonia in eastern Croatia represents the westernmost area inhabited by the communities of the Starčevo culture, part of the Starčevo-Körös-Criş cultural complex. This region was intensively inhabited during the period between 6200 and 5500 cal BC, and numerous sites were excavated. Some of the aspects of the lives of these communities, however, are still insufficiently explored, in particular the economy and craft production. In this paper we will focus on lithic and osseous tool assemblages from the site of Kneževi Vinogradi-Osnovna škola. The Starčevo cultural horizon has only yielded small assemblages of lithic and osseous tools, but they show some interesting technological and typological traits.
Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Granada, 2019
Osseous raw materials were important raw material in the Early and Middle Neolithic Starčevo culture of the South-East Europe; they were widely used for production of everyday tools (awls, needles, scrapers, burnishers, chisels, hammers, etc.), other utilitarian objects (such as handles), weapons (projectile points) and ornaments (pendants, beads, buckles). In this paper will be presented the analysis of technological choices (raw material selection and manufacturing techniques). Raw material selection shows the predominance of bones at most of the sites, but with some exceptions, such as high ratio of antlers in the Iron Gates region. Mollusc shells are not numerous, yet present at several sites. Raw material selection was relatively strict, while the manufacturing techniques show high level of technological knowledge and familiarity with raw material. They also display some chronological-cultural specific traits, such as use of abrasion only for the production of metapodial awls, making or large perforations, etc.
Osijek, 2016. SARVAŠ -neolitičko i eneolitičko naselje II SARVAŠ -Neolithic and Eneolithic settlement II 2 Zahvala Veliku zahvalu dugujemo kolegi Anti Grubišiću, prof. na ustupljenoj građi Dokumentarne zbirke; Grguru Marku Ivankoviću, prof. na ustupljenim fotografijama Zbirke fotografija Kulturno-povijesnog odjela; dr. sc. Marini Vinaj i Ivani Knežević Križić, prof. za pomoć pri proučavanju Zbirke novina Odjela hemeroteke; kolegi Domagoju Dujmiću, dipl. arh. na ustupljenim geodetskim snimcima Sarvaša, pohranjenim u Arheološkom odjelu (svi iz Muzeja Slavonije); Ani Solter, dipl. arh., na ustupljenoj građi Odjela za dokumentaciju Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu; dr. sc. Seleni Vitezović s Arheološkog instituta u Beogradu za pomoć pri determinaciji koštanih nalaza te kolegi Tomislavu Hršaku, dipl. arh. iz Muzeja Slavonije za pomoć pri determinaciji keramičkih nalaza. Posebna zahvala kolegi mr. sc. Danijelu Jelašu na iskrenim savjetima pri čitanju teksta kataloga. SARVAŠ -neolitičko i eneolitičko naselje II SARVAŠ -Neolithic and Eneolithic settlement II 3 SARVAŠ -neolitičko i eneolitičko naselje II SARVAŠ -Neolithic and Eneolithic settlement II
DETECTING AND EXPLAINING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN PREHISTORY, 2020
The Neolithic period is marked with numerous and dramatic changes in all aspects of life. Changes in subsistence, namely domestication of plants and animals and introduction of agriculture and animal herding, are the most important, but not the only changes; different mode of subsistence affected different aspects of daily life – shelter making, tool production, technologies, as well as the perception of the environment, and many more. In this paper, traditions, changes and innovations will be analysed among osseous industries in the south-eastern Europe within the early Neolithic Starčevo and the late Neolithic Vinča culture. Osseous industries went through considerable changes in the Neolithic: introduction of domestic animals brought in modifications in raw material choices and methods of acquiring; changes in economy – new crafts and new activities, which influenced the typological repertoire. Furthermore, we may note some new manufacturing techniques, connected with changes in lithic industries, such as the introduction and wider use of abrasion techniques. Finally, we may observe differences in the cultural attitude towards these raw materials – they are no longer used for the figurines, objects of art, etc., although they remain the most important raw materials for personal ornaments.