Bulgarian e-Journal of Archaeology | Българско е-Списание за Археология
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The Nebelivka experimental house construction and house-burning, 2014–2015
Full text linkOne of the research goals of the AHRC-funded “Early urbanism in Europe?: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites, Ukraine” Project was the better understanding of how Trypillia houses burned down in order to aid our understanding of the taphonomy of house remains excavated at the Trypillia BII mega-site of Nebelivka. For that reason, the Project decided to build two 2/3 size Trypillia experimental houses – one single-storey and one two-storey – in order to compare the burnt remains of the two types of houses. In the first part of this article, we explain the construction methods of the two 4 x 3m houses and the resources utilized to build them. In the second part, we provide an account of the burning of the two-storey house and explain the principal results of the experiment. In conclusion, we seek to define the specific contribution of the Nebelivka experiment not only to the history of Trypillia house-burning but the wider debate of deliberate house-burning
Керамичен комплекс „Копривец“ от неолитното селище до град Върбица, Североизточна България: ‘Koprivets’ pottery assemblage from the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa, Northeast Bulgaria
No full textThe article presents the pottery from the early phase of the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa, which has the characteristics of the Koprivets cultural group. The pottery assemblage originates from sondage 1, stratigraphic layers XI–XV. The information of 1,113 fragments has been statistically analyzed. There are three technological groups: brown (68.4%); beige (21.4%) and grey-black (10.2%). A distinctive feature of the assemblage are the vessels with red engobe (9.8%). Among the indicative features of the pottery from Varbitsa are 14 red-engobe fragments with traces of white painted decoration. Decoration was found on 9.34% of the fragments. The pottery shapes are classified into six functional types: dishes (I), pots (II), bowls (III), cups (IV), tulip-like vessels (V) and storage vessels (VI). The assemblage was analysed by stratigraphic layers. In terms of formative and technological features, the pottery from the early phase of the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa has the basic characteristics of the Koprivets cultural group, similar to the late-phase assemblages of the so-called ‘painted period’. In terms of shape, the vessels from Varbitsa find numerous analogies with the pottery from the sites of Orlovets and Belyakovets–Plochite in central northern Bulgaria, and Kapitan Dimitrievo in Thrace
Pliska – integrated geophysical prospection of the first Early Medieval Bulgarian capital
Full text linkBetween 2016 and 2018, two large-scale geophysical survey campaigns were conducted at Pliska, the first Early Medieval capital of Bulgaria (7th – 11th century AD). The aim was to document yet unknown archaeological remains, mainly in the central Inner City of Pliska, to achieve a better understanding of the urban layout and the successive construction phases of the entire settlement.The magnetic survey was conducted with a motorised Fluxgate magnetometer system, while the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was mainly conducted using a motorised four-channel 250 MHz GPR array. The integrated archaeological interpretation of the prospection data yielded countless newly discovered structures in the city centre, as well as several semi-urban settlements within the surveyed areas of the vast Outer City of Pliska.The results lead to a more detailed understanding and depiction of the historical development of the Inner City during its capital- and post-capital phases of use, while the data collected in the Outer City improved the knowledge about the complex landscape of this area extending over several square kilometres. However, the surveys also showed how fruitful the large-scale geophysical prospection of the entire Outer City could turn out to be for an exhaustive study and a deeper understanding of Pliska, and how much there remains yet unknown
12th International Symposium on Knappable Materials (ISKM 2019), 18–22 November 2019, Budapest, Hungary
Full text linkRecognising archaeological food remains: archaeobotanical case studies from Bulgaria
Full text linkThe paper discusses possible evidence for cereal food from seven Bulgarian archaeological sites spanning the Early Neolithic to the Early Iron Age (6th millennium BC – 1st millennium BC). It aims to increase the awareness of excavators towards such finds and to present the methods for collecting and extracting such remains from archaeological layers and their laboratory analysis. The studied remains are mainly cereal fragments, agglomerations of fragments or amorphous/ porous masses with or without visible plant tissues. They were directly collected from vessel contents or derived by means of flotation from bulk samples taken from floor layers close to fireplaces/ cooking installations. The microscopic structure of the food remains is observed and described at plant tissue level under low magnification binocular, microscope with reflected light and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). These optical examinations were applied in order to detect alterations of the microstructure of the possible food remains and hence to trace the possible ways of food preparation. All the cereal food remains from the Neolithic/Chalcolithic period represent coarsely ground cereals, while the later ones (Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age) have characteristics of finely ground cereal products and may suggest the introduction of new cooking/ baking techniques as well as shifts in food processing practices. Based on their field experience and research results the authors strongly recommend careful sampling and documentation of any charred crusts recognisable as such in vessel contents, and deposits around installations like ovens and fireplaces, which could be related to daily food preparation or ritual offerings. Such systematic study of archaeological food remains will facilitate obtaining reliable information about food preparation and consumption in the past
Античная амфорная коллекция Государственного Эрмитажа VI–II вв. до н.э.: Каталог: Рeцензия на книга: Сергей Ю. Монахов, Eлена В. Кузнецова, Дмитирий Е. Чистов, Наталья Б. Чурекова. Античная амфорная коллекция Государственного Эрмитажа VI–II вв. до н.э.: Каталог. Саратов: Амирит, 2019, ISBN 978-5-00140-287-9
Full text linkThe ancient amphorae collection of the State Hermitage Museum 6th–2th c. BC. CatalogueBook review: Sеrgej J. Monakhov, Elena V. Kuznetsova, Dmitrij E. Chistov, Natalia B. Churekova. The ancient amphorae collection of The State Hermitage Museum 6th–2th c. BC. Catalogue. Saratov: Аmirit, 2019, ISBN 978-5-00140-287-
LRCW 7: 7-ма международна конференция по късноантична битова керамика, кухненска керамика и амфори от Средиземноморието: археология и археометрия „Краят на късноантичната керамика. Последни векове на кръстопът”: LRCW 7: 7th International Conference on Late Roman coarse ware, cooking ware and amphorae in the Mediterranean: Archaeology and Archaeometry “The end of Late Roman pottery. The last centuries at the crossroads”
No full textEnigmatic artefacts from the Chalcolithic tell Petko Karavelovo (Veliko Tarnovo district)
Full text linkThe Chalcolithic Tell Petko Karavelovo reveals a cultural sequence from the Early to the Late Chalcolithic. Apart from evidence of complex building architecture, the tell has produced a rich repertoire of finds of various materials (clay, bone, antler, flint, shell, stone), as well as palaeobotanical and zooarchaeological remains and a series of new 14C dates. This report presents some of the more intriguing recently discovered finds – 3 delicately fashioned objects of bone (though antler is not excluded). These objects are exceptional, with only one known parallel at a site in northwest Bulgaria. It is hoped that publication of these enigmatic items will lead to the recognition of similar artefacts from other contexts and a better understanding of their function and significance
Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period: white on red paint decorated pottery tradition at the Burdur–Antalya Region (Turkey)
Full text linkRed on cream painted pottery from the Early Neolithic Period is a regular find at excavations of settlements like Hacılar, Kuruçay, Höyücek, and Bademağacı located at the Burdur–Antalya region of Turkey. In terms of Anatolian prehistory, the area is known to be one of the best explored provinces. Except Hacılar, white on red painted pottery that appeared in the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Period (LN/ECh) (ca. 5800 BC) was uncovered at Höyücek and Bademağacı in mixed contexts without possible links to particular architectural levels. The phenomenon of later appearance of white on red painted pottery at the Burdur–Antalya region, as compared to the red painted on cream decoration style, along with its fewer examples indicate that this tradition must have been imported to the region
Датиране на икони чрез анализ на изображения на дървени елементи заснети с цифров фотоапарат: Dating icons by analysis of images of wooden parts obtained with high-resolution digital camera
No full textThe precise dating of wooden elements from historical sites is possible with dendrochronological methods. Usually tree-ring cores are extracted with increment borers and then analyzed. A specific problem might be the lack of possibility to obtain such cores. This is the case with highly valued objects, as for example icons, paintings and musical instruments. We tested an approach with making high-resolution digital photographs of the back sides of icons in the church “St. Troitsa” in Bansko, Bulgaria. We later combined the images in one single image per icon board and measured the tree-ring widths with the software CooRecorder. The procedure was successful and up to the moment we were able to measure and cross-date 24 series from 7 icons. We consider that fifteen of them were from wood of Norway spruce (Picea abies) or Fir (Abies alba) and the other nine were from Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce). The first years of the dated tree-ring series from icons were between 1658 and 1734, while the last between 1783 and 1816. The used boards were from trees that were cut 30 to 50 years before the icon painting. We found that the boards used in 4 icons were probably from one spruce tree. Our work demonstrates that measurement and precise dating of the sequences of tree rings is possible with the approach of making high-resolution digital images