Iron Gates Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

2025, Зборник радова „Слава породице“: Десет година од уписа породичне славе на Унескову Репрезентативну листу нематеријалног културног наслеђа човечанства [Collection of papers "Family slava": Ten years since the inscription of Family slava on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural ...

Породична слава на подручју Романије у централно-источној Босни, односно источном дијелу Републике Српске, била је до сада у мањој мјери предмет етномузиколошких и етнолошких и антрополошких истраживања. Спорадични примјери сакупљања грађе о прослављању свеца заштитника у оквиру наведеног културно-географског простора у прошлости нису били јасно означени као нешто што је потребно детаљније сагледати и анализирати. Културни феномен породичне славе у овом раду биће обрађен на основу теренских истраживања обављених током друге и почетка треће деценије двадесет првог вијека, и то из угла двије дисциплине – етномузикологије и етнологије и антропологије. Сматрамо да би укорјењеност крсне славе у савременој култури становника Романије требало да буде стручно објашњена и представљена научној јавности, не само због врло слабог или готово никаквог усмјерења истраживача ка том дијелу Републике Српске – Босне и Херцеговине, већ и због значаја који ова пракса има за чланове српске заједнице као дио њиховог насљеђа.
On the Balkan Peninsula, family slava occurs among various ethnic and religious communities, but as a custom, it is most widespread among Christian Orthodox Serbs. Ethnology and anthropology observe slava in the contemporary social, economic and political context, trying to see the continuity of the customary practice itself, as well as its practical application and meaning. On the other hand, ethnomusicology approaches family slava through a review of its musical components, i.e. the vocal folk music tradition. Family slava in the area of Romanija in central-eastern Bosnia, that is, the eastern part of Republika Srpska, has so far been the subject of ethnomusicological, ethnological and anthropological research to a lesser extent. Sporadic examples of collecting material on the celebration of the patron saint’s day within the mentioned cultural-geographical space in the past were not clearly marked as something that needs to be further analyzed. The cultural phenomenon of family slava in this paper will be treated on the basis of fieldwork conducted during the second and the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century, from the ethnomusicological and ethnological-anthropological perspectives. We believe that the rootedness of family slava in the contemporary culture of Romanija region’s population should be explained and presented to the scientific community. This is the case not only because researchers have very weak or almost no direction towards that part of the Republika Srpska-Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also because of the importance that family slava has for the Serbian community members as part of their heritage. We believe that in this respect we have made a contribution that can encourage other researchers to approach fieldwork and study various phenomena and processes, thereby slava, within the mentioned cultural-geographical space.

2025

Memory is an integral part of an individual's cognition. Collective memory implies certain social dimensions which are represented by the verbal and written transfer of the historical and social events within a human community, as well as other elements represented by objects and places that, due to historical and social events, suffered significant changes for the community in question over time. The aim of the present article is to shortly link the theories of collective memory and transgenerational memory to the Iron Gates displacements, events which happened during communism in a period of strong industrialization process.

2025, Ученые записки музея–заповедника «Томская Писаница»

В статье представлены результаты инвентаризации фаунистических материалов раскопок поселения Третьяково I (Кемеровская область, Тисульский муниципальный округ), датируемого поздней тагарской культурой – тагаро-таштыкским периодом. Объем коллекции насчитывает 1702 образца, из которых 1635 экз. относятся к пищевым остаткам и 67 экз. – к предметам неясного функционального назначения, и состоит из остатков скелетов 16 видов домашних и диких животных. Более половины фаунистических находок принадлежат домашним животным (мелкому и крупному рогатому скоту, лошадям и собакам), среди диких животных доминирует косуля. В статье дается анализ текущего состояния находок, анатомический и возрастной состав, приводится анатомическая и морфологическая характеристика каждого из выявленных артефактов. В результате зооархеологического анализа показана скотоводческая специализация населения, обосновывается наличие специализированной охоты на диких копытных, в первую очередь косулю, делается вывод об отсутствии массовой заготовки рыб с использованием сетей. Анализа возрастного состава показал, что домашний скот интенсивно забивался на 1 и 2 году жизни, а также по достижении 6-8 лет, лошади – от 3 лет и старше. На основании результатов инвентаризации фаунистические материалы поселения Третьяково I объединены в две самостоятельные коллекции, соответственно, КМАЭЭ ФМАП 99/1 (пищевые остатки) и КМАЭЭ ОФ 915 (артефакты из кости).
The article presents the results of an inventory of faunal materials from excavations of the Tretyakovo I settlement (Kemerovo region, Tisulsky district), dating back to the late Tagar culture – the Tagaro-Tashtyk period. The volume of the collection is 1702 specimens, of which 1635 specimens are food remains and 67 specimens are items of unclear functional purpose. It includes the remains of skeletons of 16 species of domestic and wild animals. More than half of the faunal finds belong to domestic animals (sheep, coat and cattle, horses and dogs); among wild animals, roe deer dominates. The article provides an analysis of the current state of the finds, anatomical and age composition, and provides anatomical and morphological characteristics of each of the identified artifacts. As a result of zooarchaeological analysis, the pastoral specialization of the population is shown, the presence of specialized hunting for wild ungulates, primarily roe deer, is substantiated, and the conclusion is made that there is no mass harvesting of fish using nets. Based on the analysis of the age composition, it was shown that livestock grew intensively in the 1st and 2nd years of life, as well as upon reaching 6-8 years, horses - from 3 years and older. Based on the results of the inventory, the faunal materials of the settlement Tretyakovo I are combined into two independent collections, respectively, KMAEE FMAO 99/1 (food remains) and KMAEE BF 915 (bone artifacts)

2024, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Plants and plant-based foods played a crucial role in human evolution, and the interaction between plants and humans is a highly debated topic in archaeology. Ground stone tools are considered particularly valuable evidence due to their direct involvement in various plant processing tasks. This paper investigates the use of sandstone ground stone tools coming from the site of Vlasac in the Danube Gorges region, used in plant processing
tasks, providing clues about the exploitation of vegetal resources during the Mesolithic of the region. Applying a novel approach based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including optical
microscopy, 3D surface texture analysis, and spatial analysis, we explore the use of ground stone tools in plant processing at the site. Our results highlight the existence of a specific plant-food processing technology in the area of the Danube Gorges during the eight millennium cal BC, alongside the familiarity of these Mesolithic foragers with the consumption of wild plants, long before the introduction of agriculture in this region.

2024, Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology

The climatically unfavourable period of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ca. 26-19 ka cal bp) is held responsible for a severe demographic crisis of hunter-gatherer populations, their retreat to a few refugial areas, the disruption of wide-ranging networks, and a considerable loss of cultural complexity in Eastern and Central Europe. The latitudes above 50°N appear to have been completely depopulated. Recent research has demonstrated a continuous occupation of the Carpathian Basin and the East Carpathian region during the LGM on one hand, and an ephemeral human presence in the Middle Danube, the Middle Rhine, and the Swiss Plateau on the other. The western part of the East European Plain, in particular the East Carpathians, is known for several large, Early Epigravettian open-air sites with well-preserved artefacts of antler, bone, and mammoth ivory. For Central Europe, the assemblage from Kammern-Grubgraben in Lower Austria is of pivotal importance. As osseous industries have shown to be an essential component of Upper Palaeolithic material culture, it is the aim of this contribution to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the processing of hard animal tissues in Eastern and Central Europe during the LGM. Starting out with a reevaluation of one of the largest and most diverse assemblages from the site of Cosăuţi in the Republic of Moldova (ca. 23-19 ka cal bp), contemporary assemblages from the area between the Bug River in the east and the Rhine in the west are presented, discussed and compared with the situation in Western Europe. Based on that, it can be asked what information osseous industries can provide about the development of technological traditions and dissemination of concepts during the LGM from a local and supraregional perspective.

2024, RAASI

În anii ´20 ai secolului trecut, arheologul C. S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor a cercetat o serie de movile funerare în zona de câmpie a Olteniei, în localitățile Plenița și Perișor din județul Dolj. În timp ce săpăturile de la Plenița au fost publicate, descoperirile de la Perișor au fost doar menționate în literatura de specialitate, fără a fi prezentate în detaliu. Recent, raportul săpăturilor arheologice de la Perișor, redactat de C. S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor și adresat prefecturii județului Dolj, a fost descoperit în arhiva Muzeului Olteniei Craiova. Publicarea textului acestui raport, însoțit de prezenta notă, are scopul de a introduce informațiile privind descoperirile de la Perișor în circuitul științific. În plus, în colecția Muzeului Olteniei Craiova s-au păstrat resturi osteologice umane ce provin din săpăturile efectuate în localitatea Plenița, asupra cărora aducem clarificări de ordin arheologic și bioantropologic.

2024, Integrating ZooMS and Zooarchaeology (IZAZ) 2nd workshop

Sturgeons were among the most intriguing creatures that inhabited the waters of Europe in the past, and are among the most endangered species on earth today. There is considerable historical data on sturgeon fishing, trade, and consumption in the Middle Danube region, particularly during the medieval and modern periods, but archaeological evidence is scarce and hindered by preservation and identification problems. Species identification is crucial for reconstructing the historical ecology of sturgeons, fishing practices, and comprehending the particular species-specific characteristics – such as size, appearance, migratory behaviour, as well as their conservation status. However, the morphological differentiation of commonly recovered skeletal elements is highly challenging. Overfishing and the construction of dams on the Danube have intensified sturgeons’ endangered status, and comparative collections in the region and beyond are scarce as a result. With DNA analysis being expensive, especially considering sturgeons’ unusually large genomes, and often proving ineffective, ZooMS may present a solution. This paper presents the results of an initial study, aimed at developing markers to enable precise and reliable identification of archaeological specimens of five sturgeon species – the beluga sturgeon, Russian sturgeon, fringebarbel sturgeon, starry sturgeon, and sterlet. A combination of modern and genetically-identified archaeological specimens were used as reference specimens for marker development using LC-MS/MS, revealing distinct markers for all five species. These were then applied to a sample of 30 sturgeon specimens from various historical sites in Serbia using standard ZooMS protocols, demonstrating their ability to refine and in some cases correct the original morphological identifications.

2024, EAA 2024 28–31 Aug Rome: Persisting with change. Abstract Book

The arrival of farming communities in the Central Balkans (~6200 cal BC) initiated profound environmental transformations in the region that continued throughout the Holocene. Here, the Danube meanders with their periodic floods provided ideal conditions for agriculture and access to water resources in the lowlands of the Great Pannonian Plain. Evidence from the faunal record dating back to the Early Neolithic (~6200-5300 cal BC), as well as historical records from later periods, attests to the importance of animal husbandry and fishing activities, however, tracking
the impacts of such practices over time represents a major challenge. Ancient environmental genomics has shown to provide new insights into the long-term dynamics of past aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we present metagenomic results from two old river deposits (also referred to as paleo-meanders) of the Danube and two archaeological contexts spanning the mid-Holocene to the modern era. We detect extirpated sturgeon (Acipenser sp.) at Donja Branjevina (Bačka district, Serbia), where we also detect other fish taxa. In addition, we find evidence of agricultural and grazing activities at Magareći Mlin (Bačka district, Serbia) and in both archeological and river deposits at Donja Branjevina. This work demonstrates the successful application of ancient environmental genomics to paleo-meanders and archaeological contexts within a multidisciplinary framework, in which, paleo-genomics, archaeology, and paleoecology synergise to untangle the complex human-environment interactions across different temporal scales.

2024, EAA 2024 28–31 Aug Rome: Persisting with change. Abstract Book

The Danube Gorges in Serbia, commonly referred to as the Iron Gates, showcase not only breathtaking landscapes but also hold significant archaeological importance, with traces of prehistoric settlements and numerous Roman and Medieval fortifications along its banks. It boasts rich biodiversity, providing a habitat for diverse flora and fauna along the river course. Optimal hunting and fishing conditions, i.e. particular types of whirlpool fishing, proved to be of crucial importance for the initial human settlement in the early Holocene. Since the Roman period, the Danube Gorges have witnessed the imprint of human activity, from the engineering marvels of emperor Trajan’s preparations for the Dacian wars to the contemporary reshaping of the region with the construction of the Iron Gates Dams. By analyzing mammal and fish remains from archaeological sites, as well as by looking into the data regarding the biodiversity of the modern-day National Park in this area, our research will shed light on how these immense anthropogenic activities have shaped the biodiversity of the Danube Gorges. The research mostly relies on data collected within the ARCHAEOWILD project, that is, the published material from different period sites, as well as on the archaeozoological analyses done by the authors themselves. Key species such as red deer, brown bear, wild boar, aurochs, and beluga fish take center stage, providing a nuanced understanding of historical coexistence and the enduring impact of human societies on the region’s fauna.

2024, Open Archaeology

The Mesolithic burial site Groß Fredenwalde, NE-Germany, discovered in 1962, had remained a poorly understood part of the Mesolithic burial record for decades. Since 2012, the site has been under reinvestigation. New discoveries confirm the presence of several single and multiple inhumation graves. Groß Fredenwalde stands out as the largest and one of the oldest Mesolithic cemeteries in North-central Europe. Its use period can be separated into two phases: a main phase in the late seventh millennium cal BC to the early sixth millennium cal BC and a later single burial c. 4900 cal BC. Here the state of research on the site is presented and selected characteristics are discussed in the context of early cemeteries of Northern and Northeastern Europe.

2024

New research at the Mesolithic burial site Groß Fredenwalde, NE-Germany,
has yielded exceptional evidence of Late Mesolithic burial ritual
in north-central Europe. Besides newly discovered graves from around
the main phase of the cemetery c. 6000 cal BC, the place was used for
the last time c. 1000 years later for a unique burial of a c. 25 year-old
man. The multi-step burial process included interring the man in upright
position, leaving the pit open for some time, and finally sealing
the grave with a fire. Around the time of his death, early Linear Pottery
culture farmers already settled fertile soils only c. 10–20 km away from
the site. However, no indication of Neolithic influence is present in the
ritual and grave goods. The individual was equipped with large flint
blades and bone tools. Here we present the burial and grave goods in
a broader context.

2024

Cultural tourism is internationally considered as a very efficient tool for the sustainable revitalisation of somnolent settlements and regions. However, successful cultural tourism needs two components: cultural and natural heritage as its nucleus and supportive environment, containing advanced services and infrastructure. Major task is usually how to develop the later component. A perfect case study is Golubac Municipality in eastern Serbia. This municipality is located in the entrance part of Iron Gates / Đerdap, the most magnificent gorge of the Danube. Even though heritage is abundant and cultural tourism is not a novelty, it can be at much higher level and more encouraging for declining local community. This is probably the impact of the long-lasting isolation of Iron Gates region. Actually, this isolation have caused two opposite tendencies in last two centuries; from one side, isolation has preserved beautiful nature, local tradition and ambient; in the other side, it has pr...

2024

O Design de Superficie, como especialidade do Design,vem tomando espaco em varios lugares e grupos de estudo. Primeiramente abrangendo a area de producao textil e cerâmica, conquista outros espacos nos anos mais recentes, como sua utilizacao no desenvolvimento de objetos tridimensionais.A percepcao sobre esse aspecto fez despertar o interesse por sua aplicacao em objetos de serralharia, os portoes de ferro e seus derivados (varandas e grades de janela). Os consumidores desses produtos atualmente buscam diferenciacao nos modelos de portao, os quais vem sendo excessivamente repetidos, causando incomodo para os usuarios e em alguns casos rejeicao. Com isso, o projeto se destina a desenvolver uma linha de portoes de ferro com a utilizacao de tecnicas do Design de Superficie. Para isto, adotou-se uma metodologia embasada em autores como Lobach (2001), Baxter (2000) e Teixeira (2005). Como referencial teorico, fez-se a leitura de autores como Renata Rubim (2005), Ruthschilling (2008) e Do...

2024, Scientific Reports in Life Sciences

Switzerland is home to many archaeological sites in Central Europe, many of which are found in wetlands, resulting in well-preserved macrofauna that can be labeled with precision using dendrochronology. This region is important for our knowledge of the spread of culture and innovation through Central Europe during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, its topography results in a natural corridor through which influences traveled from both the East and West. Cattle were the most common livestock in central Europe since the Neolithic Age. The historical records of the past are well preserved in the Lake Murten sediments. Although Pile dwellers populated the region for several thousand years, the Celtic-Latians and Romans left the first traces in the sedimentary record, starting in 400 BCE. This study is the first to combine and focus on NISP% (Number of Identified Specimens) and biometric data to investigate how cattle farming began in the region and how it has changed over time. We have studied and identified an unprecedented wealth of evidence in the form of bones and horns of early livestock and some wild animals from the prehistoric records of pile-dwelling settlements from the Neolithic to Bronze Age from the Loewenberg in Lake Murten, Switzerland, which was recorded in the 19th century and is presented in this article. The recorded number of individual bones fell in percentage as follows; the domestic dog with (20%), followed by the domestic cattle with (14%), sheep/goats, red deer, roe deer, and brown bear each provide (12%). Domestic pigs (9%), domestic horses (6%), and the lynx (3%) were recorded.

2024, Open Archaeology

The Mesolithic settlements on the left bank of the Danube in the Iron Gates have yielded numerous artefacts made of osseous materials. Products and sub-products of the chaîne opératoire are present, suggesting in situ manufacturing of the finished items. Among a restricted range of artefact types, the most characteristic ones are bevelled tools made of antler, pointed tools of bone, and boar tusk scrapers. Our research has focused on identifying both the manufacturing processes applied to the various raw materials and the marks left by use, which are key indicators of the function of the artefacts. We were also interested to know if a unitary technological scheme could be identified throughout the Iron Gates, or if there are features specific to individual sites. Our findings suggest that despite a general unitary pattern, it is nevertheless possible to identify elements that are characteristic of individual sites but whether these were the result of economic or cultural factors is ...

2024, Studii de Preistorie

Located in southwestern Romania in the Iron Gates Gorges, the Mesolithic site at Icoana was submerged during construction of the Iron Gates I dam and hydro-power station. Vasile Boroneanț briefly investigated the site from 1967 until it was completely flooded, in 1969. Based on recent AMS 14 C dates, Icoana was occupied during the Middle Mesolithic (ca. 8500-7600 cal BC) and again during the Final Mesolithic ("Mesolithic/Early Neolithic transition period"-ca. 6300-5900 cal BC). The faunal assemblage from the site has been re-analyzed and the results for the mammal bone assemblage are presented briefly, in close connection with the study of 484 bone, antler and Sus scrofa tooth artefacts. Products and byproducts of the châine opératoire were identified, suggesting in situ manufacture of the finished items. The relatively small number of typological categories identified comprise well-defined tool series, the most numerous being antler bevelled tools, bone pointed tools and boar tusk side-scrapers. Our analysis of these tools was aimed at identifying the transformational patterns of both the raw materials and the use-wear and manufacturing marks, seen as an indicator of the function of the artefacts. The results of our combined studies suggest wood processing and hunting as the main activities performed with these tools, together with substantial fishing activities suggested by the presence of a FRE in the 14 C dates. Our findings provide no evidence to support previous suggestions of plant cultivation during the Mesolithic at Icoana.

2024

Myths about great floods are known from ancient cultures (e.g., Noah's Ark, the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, and Plato's Atlantis). But only in the 19 th century did scientists realize that the equilibrium of water on earth involves cycles of ice ages (glacial periods) with associated fluctuations in sea level, ranging from a drop of-120m during a glacial period and a high sea level of up to +10m during an interglacial period. Thus, land that became submerged, could potentially yield remains of inundated settlements on the sea bottom. Until recently scholars had limited access to submerged prehistoric remains, but recent decades have seen a turning point in research possibilities given developments in technology that have made it possible to detect, document and study these submerged prehistoric sites. Moreover, both natural and human-induced erosion processes have facilitated the exposure of sites, enabling their discovery and investigation.

2024, Mesolithic burials - Rites, symbols and social organisation of early postglacial communities

Good to eat and good to think? Evidence of the consumption of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) and white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Late Mesolithic at Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov, NW Russia Gut zu essen und gut zu denken? Hinweise auf den Verzehr von Fischadlern (Pandion haliaetus) und Seeadlern (Haliaeetus albicilla) im Spätmesolithikum auf der südlichen Hirschinsel [Olenij Ostrov], NW Russland

2024, ДРАГОСЛАВ СРЕЈОВИЋ И МУЛТИДИСЦИПЛИНАРНОСТ

The exploitation of cobble stones was part of the socio-economic organisation of Neolithic inhabitants of the Middle Morava Valley (c. 6100 – 4650/4600 cal BC). This area displays a large variety of raw materials, which are transported by different river courses. However, a variation in the content of fluvial rock deposits and the quality of their rocks, as well as economic changes and an increase in population shaped the social accessibility to raw materials, procurement strategies, and the development of exchange networks between the Neolithic communities of the central Balkans. The present study sets a specific geo-archaeological method to clarify these socio-economic relations. Although no standarisation in the procurement and the use of raw materials is observed among the Neolithic settlements, suggesting that economic intensification was not the primary goal of their economies, a three-tier organisation is revealed at the local, regional and supra-regional level, implying a notable degree of social cooperation, especially between the Late Neolithic Vinča communities.

2024, 27th Annual Counselling of Doctors of Veterinary Medicine of Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Hercegovina) - 2022

The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) belongs to the deer family (Cervidae) and the genus Capreolus. Due to the wild nature and diet of deer, venison is most often obtained through deer hunting. In our practice, the most frequent cases of illegal hunting were related to the roe deer. The perpetrators hunt illegally in order to gain material benefits by selling venison meat or obtaining expensive trophies of these animals. In veterinary medicine, forensic DNA methods are used

2024

Archaeological investigations in the Iron Gates reach of the Lower Danube Valley between 1964 and 1984 revealed an important concentration of Stone Age sites, which together provide the most detailed record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement from any area of southeastern Europe. Over 425 human burials were excavated from 15 sites. Of these, less than one-fifth have been directly dated. This article presents 37 new AMS dates on human bone from five sites in the Iron Gates, together with the corresponding δ 13 C and δ 15 N values. They include the first dates on human bone from two sites, Icoana and Velesnica. The results are important for the chronology of Stone Age mortuary practices in the Iron Gates and the timing of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the region.

2024

On behalf of the organizing committee, we are happy to announce that the 22nd ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 12 to 17 August, 2024. These dates are inclusive of the post-conference field trip. Conference sessions will run from August 12 to 15, with the field trip occurring on August 16 and 17. More details are available on the conference website, linked below. We welcome abstracts on topics pertaining to historical and archaeological use of fish by humans. We uphold the tradition of past FRWG conferences to be widely inclusive of studies employing differing methodologies and examining past human and fish interactions globally. Both our abstract submission and registration systems are now open. The deadline for abstract submission is May 15, 2024, and presenters must register for the conference by June 15, 2024. Links for submission of abstracts and for registration, as well as additional information on all aspects of the conference, can be found on the conference website (https://uoft.me/frwg-2024).

2024, The archaeology of communities and landscapes in the Carpathian Basin – Interdisciplinary perspectives

The article explores the interplay between objective and subjective aspects of human–landscape interaction intermediated by architecture, with a focus on the Late Iron Age tower-dwellings from the hillfort at Divici-Grad in pre-Roman Dacia. Starting from the idea that the built landscape has the capacity to activate specific behaviour and attitudes of those interacting with it, the potential of architectural features in instrumentalising social, economic and political strategies is recognised.
The complexity of factors that intertwine towards an architectural choice and its realisation, and the response generated afterwards, have been explored by observing architectural variability and its relation with larger environmental designs in order to identify collective and individual mechanisms of creating social and ideological content. While intra-regional significance has been included in the discussion, the focus is on the local community as a social group with a controllable set of cultural conventions.

2024, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

At the Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (9500-5500 cal BCE) of Lepenski Vir and Vlasac in the Danube Gorges of Serbia, numerous disarticulated human remains were unearthed along with articulated skeletons. In many cases primary burial was only a temporary stage in the funerary ritual and skeletonised bodies were exhumed, manipulated, and relocated. The majority of bodies were left to decay within the ground prior to exhumation and disarticulation. In some instances, however, the presence of cut-marks indicates that human intervention occurred before completion of the natural decay process. In this paper we present frequency, distribution and micro-morphometric analyses of cut-marks on disarticulated human bones from Lepenski Vir and Vlasac. The use of a Focus Variation Microscope (the Alicona 'InfiniteFocus') has enabled 3-dimensional quantitative analyses of cut-mark characteristics. The location and infrequency of cut-marks strongly suggest that active defleshing was not a systematic part of funerary ritual at these sites, but it more likely occurred on bodies that were accidentally unearthed prior to skeletonisation. Based on the micro-morphometric analysis, discernible and measurable differences exist between different cutting practices and we now better understand the ways in which human bodies were treated. Taking into account other taphonomic observations, we suggest that cutting occurred on partially decomposed bodies.

2024, Current biology : CB

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming involved profound cultural and technological changes. In Western and Central Europe, these changes occurred rapidly and synchronously after the arrival of early farmers of Anatolian origin [1-3], who largely replaced the local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers [1, 4-6]. Further east, in the Baltic region, the transition was gradual, with little or no genetic input from incoming farmers [7]. Here we use ancient DNA to investigate the relationship between hunter-gatherers and farmers in the Lower Danube basin, a geographically intermediate area that is characterized by a rapid Neolithic transition but also by the presence of archaeological evidence that points to cultural exchange, and thus possible admixture, between hunter-gatherers and farmers. We recovered four human paleogenomes (1.1× to 4.1× coverage) from Romania spanning a time transect between 8.8 thousand years ago (kya) and 5.4 kya and supplemented them with two Mesolithic geno...

2024, Hadtörténelmi Közlemények

In 1429, eight knights of the Teutonic Knights were sent to the Kingdom of Hungary, a thousand kilometres from Prussia, to take control of the fortifications defending the southern border. These fortifications lay in a strategic position between the buffer states of the Despotate of Serbia and the Voivodeship of Wallachia defending Hungary against the advances of the Ottoman Empire launched by Sultan Murad II (1421–1451). Sigismund of Luxembourg, king of Hungary (1387–1437) was confident that he could entrust this fortress system to the experienced Teutonic Knights, thus putting in place the missing link between the Serbian and the Wallachian wings of the southern border.
The archives of the Order of Teutonic Knights have preserved a not easily interpretable account of the actual strength of these fortresses (StA Königsberg, OBA, Kg. VII, 21). The report – forwarded to Paul von Rußdorf, Grand Master of the Order (1422–1441) in Prussia in 1429 – described the fortification system that secured the Iron Gate (German: Eiserne Tor, Romanian: Porțile de Fier, Serbian: Ђердап, Đerdap), a 134-kilometre-long winding gorge system on the River Danube. This is the place where the Southern Carpathians and the Serbian Carpathians meet with almost vertical slopes on both sides of the river that is the present-day border between Romania and Serbia.
The present research article, revisiting the preliminary survey, provides a new interpretation to the military organisation of the fortress system entrusted to the Order of Teutonic Knights. It refutes the centuries-old view that each geographical name in the list stands for a fortress. In the author’s opinion, two of these names designate sectors within the defensive system instead. The research paper attempts to prove this by examining the structure of the source text and outlining the military rationale behind the sectoral division. On this basis, it also demonstrates that the Iron Gate fortress system was much more ambitious than assumed in previous research, and suggests that the command and control system of the expeditionary operations of the Order of the Teutonic Knights may have also been more complex.

2024, Banatica

defines the basic concept of "command and control" as: "The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. " That is, it is the manner in... more

2024, Praehistorische Zeitschrift

A collection of 141 bone and antler tools and debitage pieces recovered from the River Užava at the village of Sise constitutes the largest Mesolithic osseous assemblage in western Latvia. Radiocarbon dating of 12 pieces suggests that most of this collection dates from the 6th millennium calBC. We present a general analysis, highlighting typical and unique tool forms, ornamented and sculpted pieces, and assess the corpus in a wider geographical context. Predominant in this rich and diverse collection are heavy duty antler tools: various forms of adzes, axes and hammers as well as sleeves, made either from shed antler or antler of hunted animals. They include two pieces classifiable as T-axes. Spear- and arrowheads as well as daggers are also present, along with chisels, wedges, awls and other tools. Artistic representations include five sculpted and engraved objects. The heavy duty red deer antler tools have parallels in the region south of the Baltic Sea, whereas the bone projectil...

2024, Archäologische Informationen

Zusammenfassung-Die Analysen stabiler Isotopen sind unverzichtbar für die Rek onstruk tion der Ernährung mesolithischer Bevöl k e rungen. Auf diese Weise lassen sich außerdem Informationen über mögliche Unterschiede innerhalb der Gemeinschaften sammeln, die vielleicht auf soziale Fak toren zurück gehen. Die Untersuchungen am Sk elettmaterial von Hoedic und Teviec in der Bretagne sowie Vlasac und Lepensk i Vir am Eisernen Tor bieten zurzeit die differenziertesten Ergebnisse in dieser Hinsicht. Die Methode selbst ist allerdings in der Aussagekraft ihrer Ergebnisse beschränk t. Deshalb sollten Anthropologen und Archäologen die analysierten Individuen in Zukunft vor allem im Kontext ihrer eigenen Untersuchungen beurteilen.

2023

The cemetery at Dudka was used in the Mesolithic and Para-Neolithic period. It yielded 25 graves with remains of at least 116 individuals, including 52 who were cremated. Cremation was introduced in the Para-Neolithic, c. 4200 cal BC, and was probably a locally developed custom. Most cre-mations are dated to the classic Zedmar period, when the number of loose human bones also increased significantly, indicating the growing role of multi-step burial rites. Cremation could have been an alter-native to temporary burial, i.e. bones were cleaned of soft tissue using fire, instead of waiting for their natural decomposition. Burned remains were selected and divided like bones taken from temporary burial places, then stored for a time before final disposal in the cemetery

2023, Artefacte, tehnologii și materii prime în spațiul tiso-nistrean în epoca fierului / Artifacts, Technology and Raw Material in the Tisza-Dniester area in the Iron Age: colloquium-ul de vară de la Saharna (Saharna, 27 iulie - 30 iulie 2023). Program & Rezumate

2023, Miscellanea

The aim of this paper is to present a transcription and translation into Serbian of an 18th-century text on the remnants of Trajan’s Bridge, written by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli, a polymath and military engineer in the Habsburg army. This represents the first modern edition and translation into a contemporary language of the entire Chapter 33 from the second volume of Marsigli’s monumental work, Pannonian-Mоesian Danube (1726). Several typographical errors have been noted, including the repetition of sentence fragments. The introduction highlights that this section of Marsigli’s work not only offers a firsthand description of the state of this ancient architectural wonder at the end of the 17th century but also reveals facets of Marsigli’s personality. He appears to be detailed and precise in his work, enthusiastic about his discoveries, and humorous when he finds opportunity.

2023, Open Archaeology

2023, Oxford Journal of Archaeology

The paper applies Bayesian statistical modelling to radiocarbon dates obtained for a stratigraphic sequence comprising occupation features and superimposed burials from the Late Mesolithic (c.7400-6200 cal BC) to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition (c.6200-5900 cal BC), from Vlasac in the Danube Gorges region of the north-central Balkans. This sequence, investigated in the course of excavations at the site in 2006-9, yielded stratigraphic evidence of the transformation of local forager populations as a result of contact with Neolithic communities. Our paper provides a reliable chronological framework for changes from Late Mesolithic burial rites to new, Neolithic types of ornamental beads at the top of the sequence. The use of the same burial location and continuities in burial rites over a considerable period of time raise significant questions about the role of tradition and the potential for enduring practices in prehistoric societies.

2023

The Danube is the river that runs through ten European countries, with a length of 2875 km, which ranks him second in Europe, being the only one in this part of the world that flows from the west to the east. Tourism development along its length is an important source of income and provides multiple options. The Cazane area is a relatively short portion on the river, located in the lower course of the Danube, very spectacular that also offers tourists unforgettable images.The current legislation supports the development of tourism and protects the river respectively the environment. Unfortunately, there are areas where pollution is present which can jeopardize the tourism activity and destroy the entire habitat. The samplings were taken in the 2011-2013 period by the authors.

2023, Ниш и Византија XXI

Окончање византијско-бугарског сукоба у корист Византије током прве четвртине 11. века довело је до поновног успостављања њених северних граница на десној обали Дунава. Поменути процес подразумевао је реокупацију касноантичких фортификација, што је
потврђено у Београду, Маргуму и Великом Градцу, али и подизање нових утврђења. Једно од њих констатовано је на ширем простору Ђердапа, на локалитету Егета. У ранијој научној литератури сматрало се да ово налазиште представља изузетно важно сведочанство промена у начину одбране лимеса у периоду од римских освајања до слома византијске управе почетком 7. века. Ипак, током неколико кампања археолошких истраживања спроведених у претходних пет година, констатовано је на основу налаза новца да су бедеми утврђења II подигнути средином 11. века у склопу обнове византијског лимеса. Будући да се у Егети још у античком периоду налазило пристаниште, као и да се од ње од пута дуж десне обале Дунава одвајала комуникација која је кроз рудоносне планине
водила до византијске утврде у Великом Градцу, може се претпоставити да је подизање утврђења II било повезано и са поновном експлоатацијом руда. Покретни археолошки материјал, попут керамичких налаза, накита и пре свега новца, указује да је брањени простор највише коришћен током 12. века, када су се на Дунаву и водили најинтензивнији сукоби између Византије и Угарске. Најмлађа откривена ковања указују пак да је фортификација била у употреби барем до средине 13. века.

2023, Current biology : CB

2023, ГЛАСНИК УДРУЖЕЊА АРХИВСКИХ РАДНИКА РЕПУБЛИКЕ СРПСКЕ

Rad na sređivanju fonda Ratna šteta otvorio je brojna pitanja o tom periodu naše prošlosti. U članku se opisuje istorijat ratne štete u Kraljevini SHS i afe-re koja je uslijedila nakon Drugog svjetskog rata. Fond Ratna šteta istaknut je kao primjer kada arhivistička obrada dokumenata dovodi do rasvjetljavanja određenih događaja koji su do sada bili zapostavljeni u istorijskoj nauci.

2023, Korall

The regulation of the Iron Gates Gorge, completed in 1898, gave a new impetus to Danube freight transport, with the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy becoming the biggest beneficiary of the process. Thanks to the records of the Royal Hungarian Navigation Authority of the Lower Danube region (Aldunai m. kir. Hajózási Hatóság), authorised to collect shipping and towage dues, detailed data are available on the ships passing through the Lower Danube. The records kept from 1898 onwards were published in the Statistics section of the annual Government Report, published by the Central Statistical Office. The data series allows the analysis of the cross-section of records to provide insight into the characteristics of freight traffic on the Danube. Since these data are independent of those recorded in the customs offices of the countries involved and are arranged by shipping company, the analysis extends to the freight volume of the shipping companies and the business cycle of the goods they transported. The study focuses on the first Danube Steamship Company (Dunagőzhajózási Társaság / Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft: DGT/DDSG) as an unavoidable major player in Danube freight transport. In addition to the traffic volume of DDSG, the study also explores the factors that gave this company a competitive edge, such as corporate investments, vessel fleet, agency network, and coal loading solutions.

2023, Open Archaeology

It is well known that many Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites were uncovered during the past century in the Iron Gates region of the North-Central Balkans. The application of diverse analyses on the bioarchaeological remains and artefacts raised many questions, but also offered new ideas about the Mesolithic–Neolithic transitional period in the Middle and Lower course of the Danube. Communities in the Iron Gates consumed fish and exploited the riverbank in prehistory. The stable isotope analyses are implying that these human groups fed on aquatic resources in some periods more than others. Fish remains were also found in settlements, and based on fish-related imagery on sculpted boulders and other artefacts, the bond between the people, river, and the ecosystem was compelling. The idea of this article is to present the possible ways of fish processing at Lepenski Vir using chipped stone tools. Three integrated methodologies, with high levels of interpretation, were applied: use-we...

2023, Amphibia-Reptilia

Road-associated mortality can lead to local declines of wildlife populations, and management agencies are actively implementing mitigation measures, especially focused on potential road mortality hotspots. In this study we used a spatially-explicit simulation modeling approach to estimate the hotspots of road mortality for the Eastern Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) within its distribution range in Romania. Using a field experiment, we first evaluated velocities while crossing roads. Adult male tortoises moved faster than females (3.98 m/min vs. 2.51 m/min) which led to higher individual probabilities for females being killed on high-traffic roads (0.61 for females vs. 0.44 for males at traffic levels of 7000 vehicles/day). Both males and females had similar road mortality probabilities for traffic levels <1000 and >35 000 vehicles/day. Our spatially explicit model suggests that, within the entire Romanian distributional range, the tortoises have an overall risk of road mortality 1.6%, which may have a negative impact on tortoise populations. Using the Getis-Ord Gi statistic, we identified road mortality hotspots with mortality rates of 5-30%, in areas bisected by high-traffic national and European-level roads. Our research is timely in that many low-traffic roads are predicted to have increased traffic associated with tourism activities, thus increasing the overall risk of mortality. We suggest that mitigation measures such as signage and roadside fences associated with underpasses have the potential to limit road mortality of this threatened species within predicted current mortality hotspots.

2023, Open Archaeology

2023, Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã)

Localizat în zona Porților de Fier în sud-vestul României, Icoana era unul dintre siturile preistorice inundate ca urmare a construcției barajului hidrocentralei Porțile de Fier I. În perioada 1967-1969 au fost cercetate 91m2 până la o adâncime de maxim 3m. Datele radiocarbon AMS indică pentru Icoana două perioade de locuire de scurtă durată, prima pe durata mezoliticului mijlociu (cca. 8500‒ 7600 cal BC și a două pe durata celui final (tranziția de la mezolitic/ neolitic timpuriu cca. 6200– 5900 cal BC). Articolul de față prezintă o re-evaluare a resturilor faunistice provenite din locuirea datată în mezoliticul mijlociu aflată în colecțiile Institutului de Arheologie ‘ Vasile Pârvan’.

2023, Studii de Preistorie

2023

This volume provides an insight into the current state of archaeological research in Southeast Europe and its adjacent regions, spanning chronologically from the Aurignacian to the beginning of the Neolithic period. In ten contributions by leading experts in this field, specific topics in regions ranging from the Aegean Sea, the Carpathians, and Western Anatolia to the Apennine Peninsula and Central Europe are presented. This book represents the proceedings of an international workshop, held in May 2014 in Tubingen as a part of the work of the Collaborative Research Centre 1070 ResourceCultures.

2023

Danube: Future project is a Flagship Project of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region, in the Priority Area ‘Knowledge Society’. Danube: Future is a joint network project of the Danube Rector’s Conference (DRC) and the Alps-Adriatic Rector’s Conference (AARC), co-funded by the Central European Initiative (CEI) Cooperation Fund.

2023, Glasnik Srpskog geografskog drustva

Humankind has been exposed to climate extremes from the very beginning of its existence. Today, prevention and mitigation of natural catastrophes have become a priority for International Union and World Meteorological Organization. Atmospheric electrical discharges and thunders represent an event characteristic of our part of the world in the warm half of a year. This climate event pose a danger to human life and material goods, so this work discusses approximate number of days with thunder and the absolutely highest number of days with thunder in Serbia in the period from 1995 to 2005.

2023, Open Archaeology

2023, Oxford Journal of Archaeology

2023