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The relationship between Castrum Pontes and the surrounding infrastructure
No full textThe existence of a wooden-palisade fortification of Pontes in the period before the construction of the bridge across the Danube cannot be ruled out, however, its size and inner organisation remain unknown for most part. On the other hand, the position and the size of the stone phase of castrum Pontes were reliably determined for the period during the construction of Trajan’s Bridge, when it got its fortification and inner layout, which corresponded to the fortifications of the Antonine period along the Limes. The position of the fortification at the Danube, the orientation of its lateral gates and the urbanised structure in the nearby settlement of Konopište (Mala Vrbica) reliably indicate that the Roman road followed the Danube banks in this part of the Limes, and also help us establish its position in a more precise manner. Previously, because of the construction of Trajan’s Bridge, a channel had been formed around the fortification, in the place of a former backwater of the river. The specific position of the fortification in relation to the channel and the inner layout of the camp indicate that Pontes could only have been approached via bridges leading towards all of its gates, with the exception of the northern one. This circumstance certainly influenced the unusual name of the fortification (plural of the noun Pons)
The prehistoric collection of the Viminacium museum
No full textIn 2006, the archaeological park and open-air museum in Viminacium had officially been opened.
However, it was not until 2019 that the circumstances were right to establish a museum on the site. The official name
of the museum is “Museum of the Institute of Archaeology within the Archaeological Site Viminacium” (Muzej u
sastavu Arheološkog instituta, na prostoru arheološkog lokaliteta Viminacium).
Although most of the museum and its exhibits are dedicated to the Roman period, there is a certain amount of finds
that originate from the periods before the Roman occupation, starting from the Neolithic, over the Bronze Age and
into the Iron Age, especially the Late Iron Age.
The presentation will bring the most striking and best-preserved artefacts from the prehistoric collection kept at
the Viminacium museum, which will find their place in the permanent exhibition of the museum. Among them, there
is a hoard of richly decorated ceramic objects from the Late Bronze Age, as well as urns and related finds from
two cenotaphs of the same period
The pattern of settlement occupation during the bronze age in Eastern Serbia: A key study of the Banjska Stena and Popovica sites
No full textOver the past fifteen years, systematic studies of prehistoric settlements and necropolises in north-eastern Serbia have
substantially expanded our understanding of regional occupation during the Bronze Age. Collaborative research with the Austrian
Archaeological Institute has yielded a large number of absolute dates, refining the Bronze Age chronology. Provenance analyses
of copper from metallurgical sites have further clarified patterns of resource exploitation, while anthropological studies of
cremated remains from urn cemeteries provide new insights into the local population.
This paper examines spatial aspects of prehistoric occupation and settlement organization during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC,
focusing on two hillforts: Banjska Stena and Popovica. These sites illustrate different strategies of settlement placement and
continuity, shedding light on the broader dynamics of Bronze Age habitation in north-eastern Serbia
Late Hallstatt Female Head/Hair Decoration in Donja Dolina and the Southern Carpathian Basin (II)
No full textVarious kinds of temple rings played an important role in female body decoration in the southern Carpathian Basin during the Early Iron Age. Based on finds from graves, especially at the cemetery in Donja Dolina, four basic types of temple rings have been distinguished, according to differences in the design of their terminals, while different variants were recognized based on the method of shaping of the body. Temple rings were most commonly made of a copper alloy, but during the Late Hallstatt period, silver temple rings with twisted bodies also appeared. As the finds show, particularly in older graves at Donja Dolina, combinations of different temple rings were often worn, whereas temple rings of the same shape appear more frequently in younger graves. After analysing temple rings of the Ciumbrud and Donja Dolina types, we examine two other basic types with variants found in women's graves in the southern Carpathian Basin. These temple rings are rare outside this area, which may indicate cultural connectivity between different Late Hallstatt communities, possibly including matrimonial alliances. Notably, they are common in the Donja Dolina cemetery. Conversely, they appear in smaller numbers in graves of the Syrmian group in the Danube region, mostly as the silver twisted-body type, which is the youngest form. The wearing of different temple rings throughout almost the entire Early Iron Age, and even at the very beginning of the Late Iron Age, testifies to the fact that they were an important part of the visual identity of women and constituted an integral element of Late Hallstatt female body decoration
Промене у стратегијама коришћења простора и рељефа у прелазном периоду из бронзаног у гвоздено доба у северозападној Србији
No full textСеверозападна Србија позната је у прошлости по богатим налазиштима ретких руда. Током прелазног периода из бронзаног у гвоздено доба, од посебног значаја била су налазишта два метала: бакра и калаја. Ретко извориште алувијалне руде калаја, каситерита, потврђено је у потоцима на јужним падинама планине Цер. На основу петнаестогодишњих истраживања америчко-српског геоархеолошког тима, потврђено је да је експлоатација овог извора започета још током бронзаног доба, средином
2. миленијума п.н.е. Такође у то време, вероватно је било познато и неколико површинских налазишта бакра у подручју венца Подрињско–ваљевских планина, чија се најранија експлоатација може се определити у 4. миленијум п.н.е. Нека мања налазишта руде у том региону показују изузетно висок садржај бакра, и до 25%. Током претходних пола века, теренска истраживања и ископавања открила су велики број некропола из касног бронзаног доба, док је пронађено само једно равничарско
насеље. У гробовима је регистрован велики број бронзаних предмета, понекад и неколико пута више него у истовременим гробовима из околних области. Међутим, током истраживања идентификован је и значајан број градина из прелазног периода (Ha A), а које представљају прву појаву таквих насеља у овом региону. Материјална култура и низ апсолутних С14 датума указују на присуство културе чији је центар био знатно северније, у јужној Панонији. Све градине биле су стратешки постављене на највишим планинским врховима и утврђене снажним бедемима и рововима, што су јасни показатељи велике промене у начину коришћења простора и географских датости у времену од око 1000. до 850. године п.н.е. Додатном анализом коришћењем LiDAR технике откривена је величина и комплексност утврђења Цикоте, у размерама које су биле незамисливе у ранијим периодима. Такође је извршено LiDAR снимање утврђења на Тројановом граду, где су истраживањима посведочени бедем и ров истовремени са оним на Цикотама. Исто тако, ГИС анализа видљивости (viewshed analysis) за 12 градина и низиjских насеља из овог времена потврдила је да су она била међусобно визуелно повезана, макар са најближим локалитетима. Нека утврђења, попут Тројановог града и градине Видојевица, имала су визуелне везе са више локалитета, при чему је видљивост досезала и до неколико десетина километара
Geophysical prospection at the Neolithic site of Stublina-Supska, Serbia
No full textThe site of Stublina-Supska, a long-known Neolithic settlement located in the
Middle Morava Valley, was first excavated in 1950. These initial excavations, primarily aimed at gathering
data on the site’s stratigraphy and chronology, confirmed its continuous occupation during the Late Neolithic
(Vinča culture), spanning the Vinča-Tordoš I phase to the Vinča-Pločnik IIb phase. In 2019, geophysical
prospection of Stublina-Supska was carried out, revealing key features of the Late Neolithic settlement,
including evidence of enclosures and variability in settlement density. This paper discusses the results of
the survey, focusing on the settlement’s size, layout, and internal organisation. The findings underscore the
importance of geophysical methods in understanding settlement dynamics and provide a valuable framework
for future archaeological investigations to refine the site’s occupational history and its role within the
broader context of Late Neolithic communities of the Vinča culture
Радионица и складиште (granaria) призидани уз северни зид и југоисточни угао принципије у утврђењу Timacum Minus
No full textУ периоду октобар-новембар 2024. године реализована су археолошка истраживања у оквиру пројекта „Археолошка истраживања,
презентација и промоција римског утврђења и насеља Timacum Minus у
Равни код Књажевца“, који реализују Археолошки институт – институт
од националног значаја за Републику Србију, Београд, Завичајни музеј
Књажевац и Завод за заштиту споменика културе Ниш. Ископавања су
била усмерена на централну грађевину у оквиру утврђења, тј. управну и
командну зграду принципију. Истраживањима је обухваћен западни део
северног и јужног зида принципије, као и њен северозападни и југозападни угао у циљу израде техничке документације, потребне за пројекат
конзерваторско –рестаураторских радова.
На простору северно од северног зида и северно и западно од
северозападог угла принципије констатована су три хоризонта живота која се датују у период друге половине 4. – прве половине 5. века.
Овде је откривен објекат од лаког материјала, набоја на фундаменту од
сувозида, призидан дуж северне фасаде принципије у коме је деловала
радионица за израду предмета од јелењег рога. У хоризонту деструкције – пожара, овог објекта откривена је посуда са очуваним садржајем
– угљенисаним семенима махунарки.
Сонде дуж јужног зида и југозападног угла принципије изнедриле су
отркиће два у потпуности очувана питоса са садржајем који су чиниле
житарице. Питоси су се налазили у објекту који је био призидан уз јужну фасаду принципије, те постоји могућност да је откривено складиште
хране (granarium) које је млађе у односу на саму принципију. Садржај
свих поменутих посуда је издвојен за археоботаничку анализу, те ће се у
раду представити прелиминарни разултати овог истраживања
A short overview of the production and usage of ceramic building materials in ancient Viminacium
No full textFavourable physical characteristics, modularity and standardised, but still various forms and sizes, as well as the aesthetic values, made fired brick one of the most valuable historical building materials. Local geological setting and army organisation made it possible for the Roman Viminacium construction industry to obtain quality raw material in sufficient quantity and easily combine it into a final product. Its CBM production started in the early 2nd century and declined in the end of the 3rd century, although its products were used much longer, for the construction and covering of the walls, arches and vaults, floors and roofs, as well as for water and heating systems. The vast majority of the bricks for funeral masonry constructions, were already used, confirming the rationality in Roman building practice, offering an example of the circular economy we strive for today.Повољне физичке карактеристике, модуларност и стандардизовани, али ипак разлнолики облици и величине, као и естетске вредности, учинили су печену опеку једним од највреднијих историјских грађевинских материјала. Локални геолошки контекст и војна организација омогућили су римској грађевинској индустрији Виминацијума да добије квалитетне сировине у довољним количинама и лако их комбинује у финални производ. Производња керамичких грађевинских материјала у Виминацијуму покренута је почетком 2.
века, а опала крајем 3. века, иако су се производи користили много дуже, за изградњу и облагање зидова, лукова и сводова, подова и кровова, као и за водоводне и грејне системе. Већина опека у погребним зиданим конструкцијама, већ је била коришћена, потврђујући рационалност римског грађевинарства, нудећи пример циркуларне економије којој данас тежимо
Deer in the arts and crafts in the Late Antique provinces of Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea
No full textAnimals were widespread decorative and symbolic motif in the Roman period and Late Antiquity, often encountered on mosaics and frescoes, but also on small, everyday objects, such as boxes, handles of utensils, and many more. A variety of animal species may be encountered and represented in arts – domestic animals such as dogs or cats, wild animals such as hares, wolves, birds, fishes, or some exotic animals encountered only in some parts of the Roman empire. Deer was a widespread animal in the Balkan areas, and it seems to have had a strong symbolic meaning and value among the pre-Roman populations in the region. This paper will provide an overview of the role of deer in the central parts of the Balkans, which in Late Antiquity belonged to the area of both provinces of Dacia (Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea) – in terms of the use of red deer skeletal elements for artefact production (in particular, the usage of antlers) and the representations of deer.
The frequency of red deer antlers as raw material varied considerably among different regions of the Roman Empire; they were rare in some central European regions but were more commonly used in the Balkan area. Objects produced from red deer antlers include everyday items and utensils, as well as personal ornaments such as combs and decorations, such as inlays for wooden objects.
Deer representations include a variety of objects. One funerary monument dedicated to the prefect of the first Alpine unit (cohors I Alpinorum) from the site of Rtkovo in the limes area of Dacia Ripensis should be mentioned. Also, a representation of deer hunting appears on a brick found on the imperial estate in Gamzigrad-Romuliana (4th century). Finding a marble statue of the cult couple Jupiter Dolichenus and Juno Dolichenea from the 3rd-century sanctuary in Egeta confirmed the representation of the hind.
In the studied area, during Late Antiquity, significant changes in the socioeconomic dynamics of the population were recorded. Population movements and imperial measures created a new reality in the conflict zone (limes) and hinterland. Numerous archaeological findings in the two Dacian provinces have confirmed the availability of resources in the economy, the transfer and adaptation of technologies, and the specific demands of consumers and users of various products. Findings of deer antlers, whether as raw materials, semi-finished or finished products, indicate a significant share of this type of material in the Late Antiquity economy. Archaeologically confirmed workshops within Late Antique fortified settlements point to local production. As a highly valued animal, the deer had economic, symbolic, and cultic significance for communities in these provinces
Dental disease as an indicator of diet and health in non-adults from urban and non-urban sites in Late Antique Serbia
No full textChildren represent an important segment of the community and have an important role in reconstructing the health status of ancient populations. Dental diseases (i.e. caries and calculus) in childhood give us data about food availability, social status, and feeding practices, in addition to contributing to a child’s overall health status. Dental disease also causes infections and pain, which can later cause children to have problems with eating certain foods and, thus, directly affect their health and immunity. Caries analysis provides significant data on the cultural eating habits in children, especially if we do not have more precise data from historical sources on the type of food or drink consumed by children. The presence of caries in non-adults indicates the amount of intake of carbohydrates that have a cariogenic effect. Populations whose diet is rich in protein, such as meat and fish, present a lower frequency of caries. The high incidence of caries could indicate that high-quality food was less available to children and that a diet rich in carbohydrates prevailed. In this poster presentation, the results of a dental analysis of non-adult skeletal remains from two late antique necropolises from today’s Serbia will be presented. The dental analysis itself included frequencies of caries and calculus both on erupted permanent and deciduous teeth. We will compare the results of the dental analysis from two different late antique sites, one urban (Naissus, today’s Niš) and one non-urban (Begov Most – Staničenje, nearby irot) to see how different living conditions affect the dental health of children individuals