Central Balkans Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Аbstract: During the past century, an enormous corpus of raw data was collected through extensive archaeological fieldwork on the territory of the Central Balkans-pottery, stone tools, figurines, and many more. However, due to the fact that researchers have mainly been concerned with culture-historical problems, usually only a few diagnostic finds were published, while the major part of the collections often remained unstudied. In this paper, we address a particular artefact from the site of Crnokalačka Bara, near Ražanj (central Serbia) that represents a large leg, shaped like an animal foot, possibly belonging to a figurine or a vessel. Since the evidence of these finds in the Neolithic of the Central Balkans is extremely rare, the aims of the paper are to contribute to the identification of "omit-ted" archaeological artefacts, to be of illustrative use to other researchers encountering similar problems, and to offer some insights into the daily life of Neolithic communities. An overview of the site itself is also presented, followed by a brief description of its ceramic assemblage.

- by and +1
- •
- Neolithic pottery, Late Neolithic, zoomorphic Figurines, Vinča culture

The Central Balkans, in present-day Serbia, was a potentially dynamic zone during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic (MP-UP), as it is situated between hypothesized dispersal routes of modern humans and refuges of late Neanderthals. However, the population history of the region remains poorly understood because there are little chronometric data from Late Pleistocene sites in Serbia. Here, we review the existing paleoanthropological record for the MP-UP in the Central Balkans and surrounding areas. Then, we add to it by reporting radiocarbon dates from two Serbian cave sites, Pešturina and Hadži Prodanova, which contain Middle Paleolithic and Gravettian assemblages. The results provide reliable human occurrence-dates older than 39 ka calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal BP) and between 34 and 28 ka cal BP. As shallow palimpsest deposits with low artifact yields, the sites are not ideal contexts for establishing chrono-cultural stratigraphy. However, it is proposed that the occupants before 39 ka cal BP were Neanderthals producing MP artifacts, while those after 34 ka cal BP were modern humans with Gravettian traditions.

Central Balkans, 14 miles east of Belgrade in former Yugoslavia. Area was north to Banat, west to northeast to Bosnia and east to western Bulgaria and southwestern Romania. The Vinca Culture was noted for schematized snake goddesses with long cylindrical necks, bird goddess masks, and bull centaurs (human head on a bull’s body). Also, of great significance is the Old European Vinca – Tisza script–linguistic symbol system that indicates a “script of its own kind.” (COG: 319.) For some linguists and archaeologists, this discovery challenges the theory of the Sumerian invention of script some 2000 years later.

- by Eahr Joan
- •
- Former Yugoslavia, Vinca culture, Central Balkans

Polished stone axes and adzes are ubiquitously recovered during the process
of archaeological investigations at Neolithic settlements in the Balkans. Such artifact
types are most commonly interpreted as the everyday tools of woodworking, hide
processing, and/or tilling. However, Grebska-Kulow and Whitford (2016) have
previously presented evidence that these seemingly mundane objects might also have
been utilized in domestic rituals. At the Early Neolithic settlements of Ilindentsi and
Balgarchevo, located in the Struma River Valley of Bulgaria, several stone axes and
adzes were found placed below large storage vessels and ovens and/or were placed
directly on top of storage pits. We suggested that the latter contexts represent the
occurrence of ritual deposition. During more recent archaeological investigations, we
again discovered evidence to support our claim. At the Late Neolithic settlement of
Damyanitsa, two storage vessels found within buildings were found containing
numerous stone axes and adzes that had additionally been coated with ochre. In this
paper, we suggest that the latter is yet another example on the use of polished stone
axes and adzes in domestic ritual. In conclusion, we elaborate on the diachronic
characteristics of domestic ritual practices during the Neolithic Period in the Struma
River Valley, Bulgaria.

- by Małgorzata Gębska-Kulow and +2
- •
- Ritual Theory, Late Neolithic, Polished Stone Axes, Central Balkans

Апстракт: Детаљна анализа остатака цркве који се називају Манастириште Свете Петке Русалне код Сврљига показује да се ради о цркви са основом у облику триконхоса уписаног у правоугаоник и са три међусобно независне, апсидално завршене просторије на источном крају. Истовремно, дошло се до информација о начину грађења, пропорцијским односима и вероватном првобитном изгледу, као и о могућим наменама појединих простора цркве. Расположиви историјски подаци не допуштају прецизно датовање објекта, али се чини да је његов настанак највероватније везан за средњи век. Циљ овог рада је да се скрене пажња на ову цркву занимљиве основе, да се подаци о њој сакупљени на терену учине доступним стручној јавности и да се подвуче неопходност даљег и потпунијег истраживања, које би укључило и систематско археолошко ископавање.
Кључне речи: Сврљиг, црква, архитектура, триконхос уписан у правоугаоник, олтарски простор, пастофорије, нартекс, пропорцијски односи, средњи век

Inverted-rim bowls show a noticeable continuity through the Vinča D phase and represent one of the most distinctive features of Late Neo- lithic ceramic assemblages in the Central Balkans. Two additional char- acteristics are their abundance and high fragmentation rates. Namely, inverted-rim bowls have the highest frequencies among morphological vessel classes in Late Neolithic assemblages, although complete examples are somewhat rare. Due to their abundance, they have been the subject of investigation and discussion by many scholars to date (Jovanović 2015; Spasić et al. 2018; Vuković 2011b; Vuković and Miloglav 2018), who, from different theoretical and methodological perspectives, have studied their charac- teristics, providing valuable insights into the understanding of the biog- raphy of these artifacts and enabling comparative research in the region. It is generally understood that inverted-rim bowls at Late Neolithic sites predominantly reflect domestic activities, since they were regularly found in the household (complete vessels), near the oven, i.e. in the context re- lated to food preparation, and that they were, therefore, probably used by household members as individual eating bowls. Nevertheless, it is impor- tant to stress that several examples found at the necropolis of Gomolava (Jovanović 2015) indicate that this type of bowl played a significant role in the funerary context as well. Using the corpus of inverted-rim bowls from the sites of Belovode and Pločnik, this paper aims to contribute to the present understanding of their function and socio-economic importance within Late Neolithic communities in the territory of the Central Balkans.

- by Marija Svilar
- •
- Pottery (Archaeology), Standardization, Late Neolithic, Vinča culture

ИД 176365068 научни чланак -оригиналан научни рад ЗБОРНИК НАРОДНОГ МУЗЕЈА XXII -2/2016. Историја уметности 47-190 Бранка Ч. ВРАНЕШЕВИЋ Универзитет у Београду, Филозофски факултет -Одељење за историју уметности Олга З. ШПЕХАР Универзитет у Београду, Филозофски факултет -Одељење за историју уметности МЕРМЕРНА ОПЛАТА И ЊЕНЕ СЛИКАНЕ ИМИТАЦИЈЕ. БОЈА И СВЕТЛОСТ У РАНОВИЗАНТИЈСКОЈ УМЕТНОСТИ ЦЕНТРАЛНОГ БАЛКАНА

- by Branka Vranesevic and +1
- •
- Late Antiquity, Marble Revetments, Central Balkans, Early Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art

This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic–Neolithic sites (9500–5200 cal BC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in
the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation.We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen δ13C (n = 75), δ15N (n = 75) and δ34S (n = 96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic–Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exception—Ajmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy wasmainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic
individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.

- by Jelena Jovanović and +4
- •
- Stable Isotope Analysis, Mesolithic/Neolithic, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, Central Balkans

With the exception of the well known Mesolithic sites in the Danube Gorges (or the Iron Gates), the wider areas of the Central Balkans and southern fringes of the Great Pannonian Plain still represent a terra incognita when it comes to the presence of Mesolithic communities. The absence of Mesolithic sites in the region was associated with environmental changes in the Early Holocene, presumed low human population densities, limited possibilities of detection, or the lack of adequate research. However, valuable insights into the obscure regional Mesolithic can be gained not only by new archaeological excavations, but also by revisiting and reanalysing of existing archaeological collections. Particularly informative in this respect are the Early Neolithic sites, indicative of the extensive spread of farming communities from c. 6200 cal BC. Within the ERC Project BIRTH, a large sample of human and animal remains from these sites was dated, falling in the (expected) range between c. 6200‒5300 cal BC. However, one human and several animal bone samples from the sites of Magareći mlin, Gospođinci-Nove zemlje and Grabovac-Đurića vinogradi were dated to the 8th millennium cal BC, providing the first radiocarbon evidence of Early Holocene sequences in the territory of Serbia other than the Danube Gorges. In this paper, we present the new radiocarbon dates, discuss the contextual provenance of dated bones, and explore the implications of these results for a better understanding of the problem of the “missing” and “invisible” Mesolithic in the region.

- by Ivana Živaljević and +9
- •
- Mesolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic Europe, Mesolithic, Carpathian Basin

This paper describes the dental cementum method and analysis of deer (Cervus elaphus and
Capreolus capreolus) teeth from Middle and Late Neolithic Vinča culture (5400/5300-4600 BC) sites in
the central Balkans: Petnica, Stragari, and Opovo in Serbia, and Sânandrei in Romania. The goal of this
paper is to determine if red and roe deer were hunted seasonally (i.e. to supplement the food supply in
winter, or to stop crop raiding in summer) or year-round as a staple. Analysis of dental cementum annuli
found at the enamel cementum junction of red and roe deer teeth reveal some slight regional
environmental differences, such as lowlands and hill country and that red and roe deer were largely
hunted year-round during the entire Neolithic. These results provide insight into the provisioning and
hunting behavior of Neolithic peoples during a time when farming was already a major source of food and
livelihood within the central Balkans.

- by Haskel J Greenfield
- •
- Seasonality, Red deer, Late Neolithic, Middle Neolithic

This paper presents unpublished finds from the Glasinac area, which became part of the museum’s collections in the last couple of years. Most of them are chance finds of pottery and ornaments or finds from small-scale excavations undertaken recently. The large quantity of stratified pottery from the hillfort of Gradac in Sokolac provides a chronological frame for the activities at the site and exhibits a good correlation with the finds from the previously excavated nearby tumulus. Systematic research of the medieval site of Crkvina at Glasinac plain also revealed the existence of an older hillfort settlement dating to the Late Bronze Age. This recent discovery increases the number of the known hillforts in the Glasinac area from 54 to 55. In the vicinity of this site, we discovered a tumulus necropolis, probably connected to the Crkvina hillfort. One of these tumuli was excavated during 2014 campaign and is described in this contribution.

- by Haskel J Greenfield
- •
- Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Early Neolithic, Fauna

Starting from the fact that the present knowledge of the late praehistory of the Central Balkans is based almost exclusively upon interpretations of funerary remains, the aim of this paper is to investigate the theoretical premises of the archaeological research into burials in this region. Problems and limitations of the traditional culture-historical approach to funerary practices are discussed, and the second part of the paper aims to demonstrate that the shift in theoretical perspective may result in fundamentally different insights into the explanatory potential of funerary rites in archaeology.
Keywords: funerary rite, dis/continuity of funerary practice, theory of
practice, late praehistory of the Central Balkans, Glasinac

- by Zorica Kuzmanovic
- •
- Mortuary archaeology, Iron Age, Late Prehistory, Central Balkans
- by Vladimir Mihajlovic
- •
- Social Networks, Roman Religion, Roman Army, Jupiter Dolichenus

Avian remains presented here were collected from the deposits spanning between late MIS 5 to 3, and give a rare opportunity to observe Last Interglacial/Last Glacial avian succession in the Central Balkans. The Late Pleistocene avifauna from Pešturina cave (Niš District, SE Serbia), comprises 26 taxa from 18 families and 10 orders, 16 of which are reported for the first time from Pleistocene deposits of the Central Balkans. Today, these species live in a variety of habitats-open grassland, forest, rocky, and aquatic habitats. The species from forest habitat were the most abundant. All species (еxcept black grouse) are present in the country's modern avifauna. The cave provides some examples of "mixed" Pleistocene avifaunas, including species both of Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean/temperate present day distribution. The occurrence of rock sparrow marks one of the northernmost Pleistocene ones in Europe so far, while presence of other species is suggestive for complex mosaic ecosystems, which probably characterized Last Glacial landscapes in the Central Balkans, at least until the LGM.

- by Stefan Milosevic and +1
- •
- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Palaeoecology, Biodiversity

From the earliest excavations on the territory of the central Balkans and up to today, Late Neolithic pottery
assemblages have remained one of the most important contributors to our knowledge of the past. To a certain extent, the burned
Late Neolithic horizons left a great number of the architectural details preserved in the archaeological record, along with various
artefacts, of which pottery makes up the largest part. However, due to the fact that the majority of pottery vessels and sherds
were subjected to temperatures that were higher than those they were initially fired in the manufacturing process, decoration
makes up a minority of the archaeological record of the central Balkans and, unfortunately, we usually deal with plain assemblages.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the discovery of one vessel that has a small preserved portion of applied painted decoration,
unearthed from a burned building structure in the latest horizon at the site of Plo~nik, introduced a whole new set of questions.
Importantly, this instance further emphasises that when deconstructing prehistoric paradigms, our interpretation sometimes
must go beyond observation.

- by Marija Svilar
- •
- Late Neolithic, Pottery decoration, Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, Prehistoric Pottery

Based on the choice of stone raw materials, the way they were made and
their even dimensions, microperforators from workshop 1 represent specialized
tools of Vinča inhabitants in the 46th century BC. Microlithic bases and penetrative
tips are the main characteristics of these artefacts. The use of microperforators is
connected to the increased manufacture of small dimensions openings on different
materials: malachite, bone, and leather specifically. A hiatus in their production on
the territory of Serbia, from the Epipaleolithic to the Late Neolithic and the Eneolithic,
could be interpreted in several ways. Is this a result of the limited excavation
scope of the Early Neolithic sites, or the insufficient insight into the archaeological
material stored in museum collections. It could as well be the consequence of
a rational orientation of one community towards other activities that did not align
with the use of this type of tool. Given the conducted experiments in the region, it
was possible to point out the type of activities and pose a series of questions regarding
the role of these tools in this paper.

- by Vera Bogosavljevic
- •
- Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic of the Balkans, Eneolithic, Vinca culture
- by Bogdana Milic and +1
- •
- Geophysics, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology), Serbian, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology)

We present the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia, which spans the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.

- by Charuta Kulkarni
- •
- Human-Environment Relations, Paleoecology, Serbian history, Ottoman Balkans

The prevalent type of archaeological field surveys in the Republic of Macedonia has ensured that only a smaller percentage of the archaeological sites visible on the surface were included in the archaeological map of the country. Up until now there were no systematically gathered field data pertaining to the size, positioning and intra-site organization of non-architectural surface remains. The two small-scale and hyper-intensive surface artifact surveys presented in this study were the first glimpse of the type and distribution of settlement on a parish level and in a rural context, in the regions along the Vardar Valley. Not attempting to offer a representative coverage of the region as a whole or of certain types of micro-geographic entities, the surveys were rather concentrated on 1) reconstructing the long-term history of individual settlements (by means of highly intensive and systematic survey coverage and careful study of the ceramic fabrics); 2) understanding the integral set of habitation practices (by adopting a site-less approach in the interpretation of the surface artifact scatters) and 3) exploring the type of micro-topographic elements preferred by the local farming communities (the concept of settlement niche). The study and interpretation of the field data faced us with the problem of understanding the settlement dynamic on a micro-level, but it also brought up a series of interpretative and methodological problems inherent to all studies of surface archaeological material.

- by Damjan Donev
- •
- Landscape Archaeology, Survey Methodology, Central Balkans

It is a well-known fact that archaeological atlases compiling the records of traditional, architectural surveys and accidental discoveries represent only the top tiers of the regional settlement hierarchies. The case of the Skopje basin during most of the Middle Age is a particularly illustrative example. A brief comparison between the historical and the archaeological records pertaining to this region in the Middle Age demonstrates that almost none of the rural settlements mentioned in the written sources have been identified archaeologically. The written records, mostly dating not earlier than the late 13 th century, but often relating to the situation in earlier centuries, know of at least 60 rural settlements in the region of modern Skopje 1 . The earliest censuses from the Ottoman period dating to the middle of the 15 th century list over 150 2 . Yet the country's archaeological atlas including the sites presented in later publications knows of less than 20 sites broadly dated to the Middle Age 3 . In addition these aren't necessarily settlements. The group consists of hoards, fortifications, monastic complexes and cemeteries. In fact when it comes to open, rural settlements, there is hardly any increase in their numbers from the period of the Early Middle Age. Two sites can be dated to the period between the 7 th and the 9 th century, three to the period between the 10 th and the late 14 th century (map 1).

- by Damjan Donev
- •
- Landscape Archaeology, Settlement Patterns, Central Balkans

Historiographical production about medieval Bosnia in 2011.

- by Dženan Dautović
- •
- Historical Geography, Medieval History, Bibliography, Historiography

Avian remains presented here were collected from the deposits spanning between late MIS 5 to 3, and give a rare opportunity to observe Last Interglacial/Last Glacial avian succession in the Central Balkans. The Late Pleistocene avifauna from Pešturina cave (Niš District, SE Serbia), comprises 26 taxa from 18 families and 10 orders, 16 of which are reported for the first time from Pleistocene deposits of the Central Balkans. Today, these species live in a variety of habitats – open grassland, forest, rocky, and aquatic habitats. The species from forest habitat were the most abundant. All species (еxcept black grouse) are present in the country’s modern avifauna. The cave provides some examples of “mixed” Pleistocene avifaunas, including species both of Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean/temperate present day distribution. The occurrence of rock sparrow marks one of the northernmost Pleistocene ones in Europe so far, while presence of other species is suggestive for complex mosaic ecosys...

- by ZLATOZAR BOEV
- •
- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Palaeoecology, Biodiversity

Flaked stone artefacts found on the quarry Lojanik in west-central Serbia are good examples of how the function of non-diagnostic pieces could be determined through technological and use-wear analysis. In this study, we present the examples of surface clusters and artefacts from stratigraphic layers. Our attention is focused on the prevailing category of fragmented raw materials in the initial phase of knapping, preforms, debris, shattered pieces of anthropogenic origin and an immense number of artefacts and geofacts. The study of mines and quarries, as well as distribution of the raw materials that come from the central Balkans is an understudied phenomenon. Flaked stone artefacts found on the outcrops of the Lojanik hilltop is a good example of how we can apply technological, petrological and use-wear analysis on this type of site. Keeping in mind the loose context of the finds, as well as the lack of any datable material, this issue has to be approached with a lot of caution, since the locality itself seems to show human presence during Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic. The main focus of the study was put on the prevailing categories linked to the initial extraction of raw material on the site, as well as initial steps of shaping the raw material into cores. Samples were collected from several outcrops and so-called workshops from two localities of the hilltop: Lojanik 1 and Lojanik 2. The focal points of interest are categories that include waste, shatter, technical or shaping flakes. Worked pieces of raw material are now in the central position, and the study of these pieces have opened new grounds for this and similar occurrences-the study of so-called "grey zones" of production.

- by Anđa Petrović and +2
- •
- Neolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Use Wear Analysis, Raw materials
- by Ivana Živaljević and +8
- •
- Mesolithic, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Carpathian-Pannonian region, Radiocarbon Dates
- by Daniela Heilmann
- •
- Iron Age, Fibulae, Central Balkans
- by Stefan Milosevic
- •
- Archaeozoology, Paleoecology, Taphonomy, Subsistence systems (Archaeology)
- by Ana Smuk
- •
- History, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Late Middle Ages

Nakon što su centralnobalkanske oblasti postale deo Rimskog
carstva, van urbanih središta počeo je da se razvija nov tip ruralnog naselja (villa rustica). Iako antički izvori svedoče da život za one koji su radili na imanjima nije bio lak, arheološki ostaci ne pružaju dovoljno informacija za rekonstrukciju inteziteta aktivnosti. Međutim, metodama fizičke antropologije, kroz analizu tragova pripoja mišića na skeletima sa antičke nekropole Gladno polje u Remesijani bilo je moguće utvrditi intenzitet aktivnosti i na taj način testirati tvrdnje antičkih pisaca. U ovom istraživanju analizirani su tragovi mišićno-skeletnih markera stresa na 28 skeleta i analiza je pokazala da su pojedini muškarci i žene obavljali izrazito teške fizičke poslove. Intenzitet tragova mišićnih pripoja, destruktivne lezije i deformacije kostiju u delu remesijanske populacije potvrđuju pisanje antičkih autora o veoma teškom životu na poljoprivrednim dobrima

- by Sofija Stefanovic and +1
- •
- Late Antique Archaeology, Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM), Villae Rusticae, Central Balkans

- by ZLATOZAR BOEV
- •
- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Palaeoecology, Biodiversity

point of view, the data gathered in the course of these excavations are an important contribution to our understanding of the evolution of the topography of this settlement. This is briefly discussed against the background of the known... more

- by Zlatozar Boev
- •
- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Palaeoecology, Biodiversity

STUDY OF “CENTRAL PLACES” IN THE HISTORICAL
GEOGRAPHY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE IN THE BALKANS
AND POSSIBILITIES OF APPLYING THE NEW METHODOLOGY
The paper aims to further promote the historical-geographical studies of urban
centers in the medieval Balkans, by highlighting the results achieved by
Johannes Koder in the field of Byzantine studies, and pointing out further possibilities of applying his research methodology. In his numerous works, Koder both improved the methodology of historical geography, and in practice, conducting the project Tabula Imperii Byzantini (TIB) for over four decades proves how it is possible to enlarge our knowledge of medieval social and cultural landscapes.
Those works for me were the ‘gate’ to obtain a proper insight into this particular scientific discipline and showed me the prospects of yielding new results in the field of my own research — medieval Bosnia. By applying his methodology of combining various historical sources (narrative, diplomatic, travelogues, topographical, cartographical etc.) with certain theoretical concepts, such as von Thunen’s location theory and ‘central place theory’, it was possible both to establish a much denser urban settlement network in the regions of Western and Northern medieval Bosnia, as well as to analyze correlations between the city and its agrarian hinterland, with or without the centers with a lesser impact, i.e. lower hierarchical level. Therefore, there are numerous future prospects of improving the research methodology of urban studies in medieval Serbia, together with more extensive
archaeological research.

- by Jelena Mrgić
- •
- Historical Geography, Medieval Serbia, medieval Bosnia, Byzantine Empire

With the exception of well known Mesolithic sites in the Danube Gorges, which provide ample evidence of (more or less) continuous human occupation between 9500 and 5500 cal BC, the wider areas of the Central Balkans and southern fringes of the Great Pannonian Plain still represent a terra incognita when it comes to the presence and settlement patterns of Mesolithic communities. In the archaeological literature, the absence of Mesolithic sites in the region was associated with environmental changes in the Early Holocene, presumed low human population densities, the visibility and state of preservation of organic material (often the only indicator of human activity), or the lack of adequate research. However, valuable insights into the obscure regional Mesolithic can be gained not only by new archaeological excavations, but also by revisiting and reanalysis of existing archaeological collections. Particularly informative in this respect are the Early Neolithic sites, which are indicat...

book Friday 26 th -Saturday 27 th

- by Marko Porčić and +2
- •
- Paleodemography, Early Neolithic, Radiocarbon Chronology, Central Balkans

Competition Between Humans and Large Carnivores presents Late Pleistocene archaeozoological material from Late Mousterian and Gravettian contexts in the Central Balkans. The results answer some important questions about Late Pleistocene Neanderthal and modern human ecology and their animal exploitation in this region. Most importantly it deals with the high presence of large carnivores in the Central Balkans at the sites located in different ecological settings, discuss human subsistence choices, and identifies the Central Balkans as a refugium during the MIS5-2 Late Glacial period.

With the exception of well known Mesolithic sites in the Danube Gorges, which provide ample evidence of (more or less) continuous human occupation between 9500 and 5500 cal BC, the wider areas of the Central Balkans and southern fringes of the Great Pannonian Plain still represent a <em>terra incognita</em> when it comes to the presence and settlement patterns of Mesolithic communities. In the archaeological literature, the absence of Mesolithic sites in the region was associated with environmental changes in the Early Holocene, presumed low human population densities, the visibility and state of preservation of organic material (often the only indicator of human activity), or the lack of adequate research. However, valuable insights into the obscure regional Mesolithic can be gained not only by new archaeological excavations, but also by revisiting and reanalysis of existing archaeological collections. Particularly informative in this respect are the Early Neolithic sit...

- by Tamara Blagojević
- •
- Geography, Archaeology, Mesolithic, Radiocarbon Dating