The chronological frame of Bubanj-Hum I group and the Cultural and chronological position of its sites within the Timok Valley

The purpose of the article is to determine the cultural-chronological relations between the Early Eneolithic sites in Timočka Krajina and the sites of the BSK complex in other regions of the central Balkans by using new absolute dates and the analysis of stylistic and typological elements of pottery finds from the Timočka Krajina, with a focus on the site of Kmpije in Bor

Preserving the Danube Limes in Serbia: A Review on the Biodeterioration of Trajan’s Bridge

One of the most significant monuments of the Roman Danube Limes is Trajan's Bridge, built in the period from 103 to 105 AD. The remains of the pillars on the Serbian bank of the Danube were partially restored four decades ago. Today, the pillar that is closest to the river, which has not undergone conservation, is subject to different types of deterioration. During the comparison between the present condition of the pillar and those recorded in photos over the last six decades, we can estimate that its level of material loss has not overly changed. However, the difference in biological growth is visible. The primary aim of this study was to record the degree of the infestation and endangerment of the monument and check for possible risks for future mortar deterioration where mortar is in direct contact with severely infested bricks. Moreover, a characterisation of the biodeteriogens was performed. Special emphasis was given to fungi as the main agents of deterioration. A precise assessment of the level of risk they pose to this monument was made as a basis for the formulation and implementation of appropriate conservation treatments. Severe macrofouling by epilithic lichenised fungi and mosses was documented. Even in areas where pillars lack visible infestation, thriving microbial communities characterized by the presence of various fungal structures, as well as structures of trichal Cyanobacteria, and Chlorophyta were recorded. Similarities between communities documented on brick, mortar, and stone surfaces estimated via Sørensen’s quotient of similarity, were high, with the highest similarity documented between mortar and stone

Attic-ionic column bases of Timacum Minus

У раду су истражени примерци база атичко-јонских стубова регистрованих приликом досадашњих истраживања и рекогносцирања терена на простору налазишта Timacum Minus. Заједничка карактеристика свих елемената овог типа је једнак пречник горњег торуса и горње ивице трохилуса. Архитектонске анализе стила указују на то да се ради о специфичности која може да се веже за обликовање атичко-јонских база под јаким хеленским утицајем. Начин клесања већине показује да се ради о елементима стубова који су зналачки урађени. Будући да су још увек непознати објекти којима су базе припадале, извршена је компаративна анализа са сродним примерцима у окружењу, како би се одредили њихово време настанка и стилска припадност. Поређењем с познатим атичко-јонским базама овог типа, наши примерци могу се датовати у време од последње трећине II до средине IV века, што се поклапа с периодом развоја касноантичког каструма и насеља Timacum Minus.During the period of archaeological research of castrum Timacum Minus and the surrounding settlements, six column bases were registered. Unfortunately, except for one, the rest were found outside of actual archaeological research activities, as accidental finds or built into the buildings of rural households in the nearby village of Ravna. Therefore, it couldn’t be determined to which objects they could have belonged individually, for any of them. All bases had one common feature: the most exposed edge of the upper torus had the same diameter as the upper edge of the trochilus. Significantly different values of the diameter and height of the bases indicate that most of them belonged to columns that had the role of supporting elements of a given structure, but also that some could have been parts of smaller structures, such as furniture. The stylistic analysis of the bases indicates that they all belonged to the Attic-Ionic type of bases and that their common peculiarity regarding the relationship between the upper torus and the trochilus indicates prominent Hellenistic influences. The architectural analysis of the elements of the bases indicates that the creation of these bases can be determined into the period from the middle of the second century to the middle of the 4th century

A new type of Hellenistic coin from Ravna (Timacum Minus)?

A coin was discovered as a chance find northeast of the Roman fort Timacum Minus, and, based on our knowledge so far, represents an unknown specimen in science. The obverse shows a male profile facing right, wearing a Corinthian helmet. On the reverse, in a laurel wreath, there is an inscription in Greek letters in two lines: C I [?]/ MωN, with a palm branch below. Sources say that the conflict between Alexander the Great and the Triballi led by King Syrmus took place in 335 BC near the former island of Peuce that used to exist in the Danube delta. In this battle, Alexander failed to destroy the Triballi, but forced the king Syrmus into a vassal relationship. Is it possible that the specimen found near Timacum Minus, located on the border of the then most powerful tribal community, is an example of the emissions of Syrmus

Višestruke biografije glačanog i abrazivnog kamenog oruđa u kasnom neolitu Srbije

Cilj ovog izlaganja je da razjasni upotrebu termina ponovne, prolongirane, sekundarne i reciklažne upotrebe u okviru glačane kamene industrije, kao i da prikaže najučestalije primere upotrebe glačanih i abrazivnih alatki u sekundarnom kontekstu u kasnom neolitu Srbije. Fokus je pre svega stavljen na oruđe za „svakodnevnu upotrebu“ i načine na koje se ono preusmeravalo kroz razčličite segmente operativnog lanca

Application of Remote Sensing in Rescue Archaeology: The Results of the Test Geomagnetic Survey on the Site of Marjansko Brdo in 2023

During the 2022-2023. rescue excavation campaign on the route of the future Požarevac-Veliko Gradište-Golubac motorway, conducted by the Institute of Archaeology from Belgrade, standard practice included geophysical survey preceding excavations. This strategy proved to be time and cost efficient, improving decision making in opening trenches. Shortly before the start of the three-month-long large-scale excavations at the site of Marjansko brdo, the team from Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, acquired a Bartington Grad601 fluxgate magnetic gradiometer and immediately began testing the device. Several testing grids were surveyed in the zones that were not previously prospected or excavated. The following article presents the data recorded in the survey compared with the results of the subsequent excavations in an attempt to better understand basic interpretative principles of magnetogram

New finds of pechiera fibulae in the Iron Gates region

Throughout his successful career, Petar Popović dedicated more than 10 years to the research of the Bronze and Iron Age settlements and necropolises in the Iron Gates region. His extensive knowledge and field experience, as well as long-lasting friendships with colleagues from the National Museum in Belgrade, have all contributed to the greater degree of research at the site of Konopište in Mala Vrbica near Kladovo. The renewed excavations at the site were initiated by A. Đorđević, curator of the National Museum in Belgrade, back in 2015. The excavations resulted in new finds of the so-called violin-bow fibulae (Violinbogenfibeln), or the Peschiera type of fibulae, which represent a prominent piece of the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age attire. New insight into the funeral ritual and the double-natured function of Peschiera fibulae are the focus of this pape

Two Iron Swords from the lower course of the South Morava

The paper analyses two iron swords that represent chance finds from the valley plains between the present-day cities of Niš and Aleksinac, within the lower course of the South Morava river. Both examples are well preserved double-edged swords utilised during two different periods. The first sword belongs to the collection of the Hometown Museum in Aleksinac. It was discovered during gravel extraction on the left bank of the South Morava river, between the villages of Lužane and Tešica. Without a doubt, the sword represents an early Celtic type, positioned into the LT B2/C1 period, based on existing analogies, or the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The other sword comes from the collection of the National Museum in Niš, where it was stored as a chance find from the village of Draževac. For years, the sword has been interpreted as a Late La Téne example. An audit analysis has shown that this sword, a long-term exhibition piece of the prehistoric collection, in fact, represents a solidly preserved Roman spatha. In conclusion, several military campaigns across the territory of the Central Balkans, along with their archaeological records, are analysed, in order to provide a comparison with the Celtic campaigns towards the southern Balkans in 279 BC, and provide a possible interpretation for the uncommon location of the sword

Flesh and bone: Unraveling the story of animal exploitation in the territory of present-day Serbia during Late Antiquity – an archaeozoological overview

Previous archaeozoological research indicates that in the area of present-day Serbia during Late Antiquity (4th to the beginning of the 7th century AD), animal exploitation strategies and nutritional practices were primarily focused on the breeding of domestic animals, with hunting and fishing playing a secondary role. Alongside a few remains of species that were kept as pets, the predominant economically significant species – cattle, caprines, and pigs – are frequently found at archaeological sites. Biometric data reveals changes in the size of animals through time, indicating that animal husbandry experienced transformations. The degeneration of animal breeds can be attributed to general poverty and frequent conflicts in the region between “barbarian forces” and Eastern Roman Empire during the period in question. Other factors influencing the development of animal husbandry include population density, settlement size and duration, which dictated the demand for meat and the need for working animals based on agricultural practices. Unlike domestic animals, remains of the game are rare and primarily consist of frequently hunted species. While fishing was practiced by the inhabitants of the Late Antique settlements, fish remains are scarce, likely due to the manual collection of archaeofaunal remains. Despite the limited extent of archaeozoological research on the Late Antique settlements, the findings offer valuable insights into the methods of animal exploitation and indicate the presence of regional variations, particularly between Vojvodina and the territory south of the Sava and Danube rivers. This paper aims to provide insight into animal exploitation strategies in different settlement types by bringing together archaeozoological data. The comparisons of the relative distributions of their remains, their body part profiles, age and sex data, pathological changes, butchery marks between different archaeological sites, and site types will be used to explore plausible diachronic and contextual differences in animal exploitation strategies

Kotlina – sustavno arheološko istraživanje naselja lenđelske kulture u Hrvatskoj. U Tisućljeća među rijekama. Arheologija Međurječja

Kotlina je naselje smješteno na južnim obroncima Banskoga brda, nedaleko od Kneževih Vinograda. Arheološki lokalitet na položaju Szuzai Hegy potvrđen je arheološkim rekognosciranjem 2009. godine, a sustavno arheološko istraživanje provodi se kontinuirano od 2018. godine u sklopu programa pod nazivom „Kotlina, prapovijesno nalazište“. Magnetometrijskim snimanjem koje je provedeno u prvoj fazi istraživanja, otkriveni su ostaci nepravilnog opkopa i veliki broj jama koje su se protezale oko njega. U dosadašnjim istraživanjima, otvorene su četiri sonde ukupne površina od 180 m² i na relativno maloj površini pronađeni su ostaci naselja lenđelske populacije. Potvrđeni su ostaci stambenog objekta, otpadne jame i ukupno 12 kosturnih ukopa u zgrčenom položaju. Ukopi su sadržavali kosturne ostatke odraslih individua i ukope djece s raznovrsnim grobnim prilozima, a čine ih keramičke posude, nakit od Spondylusa te lomljene i glačane izrađevine. U jamama je pronađen bogat keramički materijal, uključujući i slikanu keramiku, kao i alatke od kostiju, lomljenog i glačanog kamena. Apsolutnim arheološkim datiranjem, naselje je smješteno u razdoblje između 4800. i 4500. godine pr. Kr. S arheološkim istraživanjem, kontinuirano se provode različite analize materijala, na čemu radi čitav niz stručnjaka, a dio rezultata biti će predstavljen u ovom predavanju.[http://www.hrvatskoarheoloskodrustvo.hr/dokumenti_files/HAD_Beli%20Manastir_2023_knjiga-sazetaka_web.pdf