Repository of the Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade (RAI)
Not a member yet
2254 research outputs found
Sort by
COST action GameTable (CA 22145) computational techniques for tabletop games heritage
No full textThere have not been many COST actions dedicated to the history of playing board games and how such games can obtain their digital form. In this respect, the COST action GameTable (CA 22145) can be considered as a pioneer undertaking. The action started in 2023 and it will last until 2027.
It seems that the approach to board games has always been twofold. While within mathematics and computer sciences, games have been used as testbeds for the development of the state-of-the-art methods in economics, engineering and AI, within humanities, board games have been studied as motivations that stand behind human play and social implications on individual and societal levels. In connection to this, board games are increasingly becoming accepted as parts of global intangible cultural heritage.
The GameTable action therefore tends to bring together archaeologists, heritage experts, mathematicians and computer scientists, with the aim to develop strategies on how to use game AI to study, reconstruct and preserve the intangible heritage of games. At the same time, the action is focused on introducing games in different stages of education, potentially including them into formal education.
All of the participants of the GameTable action are divided into five groups, according to their respective skills, fields of research and interests. The first group deals with search, planning, learning and explainability. Members of the second group deal with cultural heritage of games, while the third group works on automated game and puzzle design. The fourth group will be working on mathematics in games. Finally, the fifth group will take care of implementation, dissemination and education
Trojanov Grad, Serbia – methodological approach and analysis of data obtained through a series of LiDAR surveys
No full textTrojanov Grad is an archaeological hillfort site situated on the eastern slopes of Mount Cer in
Serbia. Its strategic position commands a wide view over Pocerina, the eastern parts of Jadar, and the south-eastern regions of Mačva.
Previous excavations have identified cultural layers from the transitional Bronze Age to the Iron
Age and the Roman period. However, dense forest vegetation has long limited a comprehensive
understanding of the site’s defensive morphology and internal organization. Recent technological
advancements, particularly in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, now enable detailed mapping of terrain even under forest cover. In this study, multiple overlapping LiDAR surveys were processed into high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) using enhanced ground-point filtering techniques to improve the visibility of subtle archaeological features. The results demonstrate that refined visualizations derived from the integrated datasets provide a significantly clearer and more accurate representation of the hillfort, revealing structural elements previously undetectable in traditional field surveys. This paper outlines the methodological workflow, from data acquisition to interpretation, and highlights the contribution of LiDAR-based remote sensing to the renewed understanding of Trojanov Grad and its role within the broader regional landscape
Lead object in the shape of an amphora with an inscription from Naissus
No full textDuring the systematic excavation of the presumed medieval Church of St Panteleimon in the eastern part of Niš (Naissus), a lead object in the form of a hollow cast amphora was discovered in a so-called “ceramic pit”. The object featured floral decorations and a two-line Greek inscription, which can be read as: ΕΙΡΩΝΟCΗ/ΡΙΝ. Miniature lead amphorae constitute a notable category of
small finds of the Late Roman Republican and Imperial periods and Late Antiquity. These miniature vessels were not intended for everyday use but served as containers for medicines, ointments, or other liquids. Comparable objects and moulds have primarily been found in the Eastern Mediterranean, although the majority are held in museum collections without secure archaeological
provenance. Some lead containers bear a Greek name in the genitive case, most likely indicating the pharmacist (or physician) responsible for preparing the contents. In one confirmed instance, an inscription identified the amphora as containing a remedy for eye diseases; the specimen from Naissus was likely used for the treatment of nasal ailments. On morphological and linguistic
grounds, the Naissus find can be dated to the Roman Imperial period (2nd–3rd century), and no later than the late 3rd century CE.
In this contribution, we aim to offer a more comprehensive analysis of the Naissus vessel’s inscription, which would help to date this object more precisely. Additionally, we intend to provide a review of related ancient literary sources and archaeological materials to gain better insight into their purpose in the Roman period and Late Antiquity
Prehistoric Slags from the Metal Ages in teh Vicinity of Bor (NE Serbia)
No full text,,Timok eruptive basin” was very densely settled during the Early and Middle Bronze
Ages, exclusively by copper ore miners and collectors during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC.
During the last century, discoveries connected to copper metallurgy were identified at 3 settle
ments, and after a series of excavations undertaken in the last ten years, at least 3 sites with similar
situation were discovered too. Due to the surveys carried out in 2020, the number of sites where
prehistoric metallic slag where discovered increased by another 4. Main topic of this paper has
been to explain the character of the prehistoric sites where the objects of copper ore smelting
were identify. Physicometrical analysis and grained results of the aforementioned metallic slags,
some information regarding the method of ore smelting technology, characteristic for this part of
Southeastern Europe can be revailed
Тројанов град – нова сазнања на основу LiDAR снимања
No full textТројанов град представља археолошки локалитет градинског типа, који се налази на источном ободу планине Цер. Сам положај утврђења обезбеђује контролу над ширим простором у који спадају Поцерина, источни делови Јадра и југоисточни делови Мачве, али се за време „јасних“ дана поглед са овог утврђења пружа и до Београда, Авале и Фрушке Горе. Локалитет је често помињан у описима првих хроничара и путописаца, претежно као римски и српски утврђени град, док су археолошка истраживања, спроведена у више наврата, потврдила постојање културног слоја из прелазног периода из бронзаног у гвоздено доба (Ha A), али и негирала његов средњовековни карактер. И поред великог броја писаних извора као и изведених археолошких истраживања, Тројанов град никада није могао у целости да се сагледа услед густе шумске вегетације. Развој модерних и иновативних беспилотних летелица и нових рачунарских софтвера, омогућио је једноставнију и све чешће заступљену примену метода даљинске детекције у обради, анализи и документовању покретног и непокретног археолошког материјала. Једна од поменутих техника, а која има велику примену у анализи археолошких локалитета упрвао јесте LiDAR метода (Light Detection and Ranging). Применом различитих параметара у склопу више поновљених снимака у каснијој анализи, могу се добити резултати који нису видљиви у оквиру једног снимка. Сходно томе, у оквиру овог излагања биће приказан методолошки приступ у оквиру процеса снимања, као и резултати који јасно показују положај старих сонди, границе унутрашњег и спољашњег платоа, границе бедема, одбрамбеног рова и римске куле, чиме се долази до јасније слике о Тројановом граду
Lower Respiratory Tract Disease – A Case Study of One Child Individual from Naissus, Serbia
No full textPeriosteal reaction in the form of a new bone formation is not a common finding on the inner surface of ribs of children from archaeological contexts. The most common causes of these lesions are lower respiratory tract diseases and lung diseases. For this poster, we examined the ribs of children discovered at the Late Antique and Early Christian necropolis in Naissus (Jagodin Mala). On the inner surface of the ribs of one child individual, newly formed bone and destructive lytic lesions were noted. The locations of these lesions indicate that this individual suffered from a chronic disease of the lower respiratory tract
Social transformations of liminal areas in the Late Neolithic: A multidisciplinary approach to the site of Gradište (Serbia)
No full textThe site of Gradište, located near the town of Kikinda, in the Serbian part of the Banat region, has been the subject of multidisciplinary archaeological research since 2014, focusing on the formation and transformation of human societies between the Neolithic and the Late Bronze Age, human – landscape interactions, local area networks, communications, and trade and exchange in a liminal area constantly washed by inɦuences of major traditions originating both in the Balkans and in the Carpathian Basin. The site was occupied between the late 6th and the 1st millennium BC and encompasses a large area of diverse traces of human activities, illustrating its varying use through time. In our efforts to elucidate the origins, development and transformations of the local Late Neolithic population, we use a multidisciplinary approach to the material culture remains, Bayesian chronological dating of events, and scientific analysis of period proxy data. The approached showed significant alterations to material culture and societal organisation through time, from the settlement organisation and architecture building to pottery making and firing, to subsistence adaptation to local environment
Outdoor Cooking Spaces in the Late Neolithic Vinča Settlements
No full textFood practices shape both private and communal spaces, fostering social bonds within households and the community. Indoor and outdoor activity areas are often viewed as distinct: the former are managed by individual households, while the latter are open and accessible to a broader community. Activities confined within dwellings are usually spatially structured, with tasks assigned to specific locations. In contrast, open areas are fluid, multitasking arenas, where identifying the community's involvement is a challenging task. This paper addresses the difficulties encountered in outdoor food-related practices using selected examples from Vinča culture sites (c. 5400-4650/4550 cal BC) in Serbia. Vinča culture settlements were characterized by dense occupation and long-lasting habitation. The houses had 1-3 rooms, some also the second storey, and 1-4 ovens, which were central features in the ‘kitchen’, surrounded by vessels, querns, and mortars. In contrast, outdoor thermal structures were stand-alone features, rarely accompanied by cooking utensils. However, ashy deposits associated with them are rich in plant remains – from fuel, food and waste. The diversity of thermal structures – ovens, hearths, and fire pits – along with their spatial distribution, plant contents, and history of use, provide a fruitful ground for discussing outdoor food-related practices. In at least one instance, they point to collective open-air activities entailing food preparation and consumption
An insight into dietary habits at the Monastery of St Barbara (south-western Serbia) during the early modern period: a zooarchaeological perspective
No full textFrom the late 14th century onwards, and throughout the early modern period, the Ottoman conquest of Serbia led to the devastation of churches and monasteries and the conversion of some sacred Christian sites into mosques. One of the active monasteries during this time was the Monastery of St Barbara, located near Novi Pazar (south-western Serbia). Written sources indicate that the monastery was built during the first half of the 16th century and continued in use into the 17th century, when it was burned down, as shown by archaeological excavations. For a short period of time, this monastery served as a temporary seat of the Bishopric of Ras. The excavations have also confirmed the existence of an older medieval cemetery beneath the monastery buildings and traces of presumably earlier building remains. Archaeological material of the 16th and 17th centuries was not abundant, consisting mostly of pottery, and less numerous small finds and faunal remains. This paper aims to present the results of faunal analysis from the Monastery of St Barbara and reveal the dietary habits and characteristics of the everyday life of the monastery’s inhabitants from a zooarchaeological perspective, as well as indirect traces of trade. The analysis suggests that domestic animal meat and fish were predominantly consumed. Sheep and goat remains were the most abundant, as the most significant source for exploitation of primary and secondary products. Albeit small, the faunal assemblage from a few contexts at St Barbara uncovered to date is significant since it is the only known early modern period monastic faunal collection from the territory of Serbia
Macroscopic, petrographic, and chemical data on ceramics from the Paphos Gate site in Nicosia, Cyprus
No full textThis dataset concerns the Ottoman-period (the late 16th-19th centuries) pottery from the Paphos Gate site in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was generated as part of the project 'Byzantine and Ottoman ceramic workshops in the Eastern Mediterranean' funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation. The project was carried out at the Cyprus Institute STARC (PI Thilo Rehren). As part of research, samples of 80 ceramic vessels were selected for scientific analysis with the permission of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus. Sampling strategy was designed based on the archaeological study of the entire assemblage. These samples were classified into wares and petrographic fabrics (Table 1). During the macroscopic examination, the cross-sections of samples were recorded (Cross sections_Figures 1-80). Ceramic petrography analysis was carried out at the Archaeological Science Laboratories of the Cyprus Institute (Petrographic description of fabrics). Petrographic photomicrographs of thin sections can be found in the folder 'Petrographic photomicrographs Figures 1-44'. A sub-set of 39 samples was submitted to the Fitch Laboratory of the British School at Athens for wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) analysis. The chemical data concerning ceramic bodies obtained with WD-XRF are given in Table 2. For the chemical analysis of slips and glazes, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) was used at the Archaeological Science Laboratories of the Cyprus Institute. The chemical composition of slips determined through SEM-EDS analysis is given in Table 3. The comparison between chemical compositions of ceramic bodies and slips (SEM-EDS) is presented in Table 4. The chemical analysis of glazes determiend through SEM-EDS is given in Table 5. The comaprison betwen compositions (SEM-EDS) of different layers of ceramic samples is given in Table 6. All SEM photomicrographs are collected in the folder 'SEM photomicrographs Figures 1-38