Multimetal smithing : An urban craft in rural settings?

Multimetal smithing should be defined as the use of more than one metal and/or different metalworking techniques within thesame crafts-milieu. This complex metalworking has long been linked to centrality, central places and urbanity in Scandinavia.It has been extensively argued that fine casting and smithing, as well as manufacture utilizing precious metals was exclusivelyundertaken within early urban settings or the “central places” pre-dating these. Furthermore, the presence of complex metalcraftsmanship has been used as a driving indicator of the political, social and economic superiority of certain sites, therebyenhancing their identity as “centralities”.Recent research has come to challenge the universality of this link between urbanity, centrality and complex metalworkingas sites in rural settings with evidence of multimetal smithing are being identified. This shows that the relationship between thecraft and centrality (urbanity) must be nuanced and that perhaps multimetal craftsmanship should be reconsidered as an urbanindicator.The thesis project “From Crucible and onto Anvil” started in 2015 and focuses on sites housing remains of multimetalcraftsmanship dating primarily from 500-1000 AD. Within the project a comprehensive survey of sites will be used to evaluate thepresence of multimetal craftsmanship in the landscape. Sites in selected target areas will also be subject to intra-site analysisfocusing on workshop organisation, production output, metalworking techniques and chronological variances.A key aim in the project is to elucidate the conceptual aspects of complex metalworking. The term multimetality is used toanalytically frame all the societal and economic aspects of multimetal craftsmanship. Through this inclusive perspective both thecraftsmanship and the metalworkers behind it are positioned within the overall socioeconomic framework. The metalworkers,their skills and competences as well as the products of their labour are viewed as dynamic actors in the landscape and on thearenas of political economy of the Late Iron Age.The survey has already revealed interesting aspects concerning multimetal smithing and urbanity. Although the multimetalsites do cluster against areas of early urban development there are also other patterns emerging. Multimetal craftsmanship – both as practice and concept – was well represented in both rural peripheral settings and urban crafts-milieus. This means that therole of multimetality as part of an “urban conceptual package” is crucial to investigate. Such an approach will have the dual endsof properly understanding the craft and its societal implications, but also further the knowledge of the phenomenon of urbanityas a whole. Was multimetal smithing part of an “urban package” that spread into the rural landscape? Did the multimetality differbetween urban and rural crafts-milieus? How does early urbanity relate to the chronology of multimetal craftsmanship?This paper aims to counter these questions using examples from the survey of multimetal sites conducted within the thesisproject. A comparison between selected sites will be presented. The purpose of this is to evaluate the role of multimetality withinthe “urban package” and discuss the role of complex metalworking in the establishment of urban arenas of interaction in LateIron Age Scandinavia

IMPACT OF GRAZING ON SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF A FLUVISOL IN NORTWEST SERBIA

The effects of long-term (>20 yr) grazing on the selected physical properties of a non carbonated silty-clay Fluvisols were studied in the region of the Kolubara Valley, Northwest Serbia. Two adjacent land-use types (native deciduous forest and natural pasture soils converted from forests for more than 20 years) were chosen for the study. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from three sites at each of the two different land-use types from the depths of 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm. In relation to the soil under native forest, soil organic matter content, total porosity and air-filled porosity were significantly reduced after long-term of grazing. The bulk density (0.99–1.48 g cm–3) and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (6.9.10–2–3.2.10–4 cm s–1) were significantly lower in forest compared to the adjacent pasture (ex-forest) soil (1.49–1.55 g cm–3 and 3.4.10–4–5.5.10–4 cm s–1, respectively). In addition, forest had significantly lower dry mean weight diameter (7.0–9.2 mm) and greater wet mean weight diameter (2.0–2.6 mm) for 0–45 cm depth compared with the pasture (8.8–9.4 mm and 1.8–2.3 mm, respectively). The decrease of soil organic matter content and reduction in aggregate stability under long-term grazing rendered the soil more susceptible to compaction. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that removal of permanent vegetation in the conversion process from forest areas to pasture land may lead to loss of soil productivity and serious soil degradation. Obviously, there is a need for greater attention to developing sustainable land use practices in management of these ecosystems to prevent further degradation of pasture soils in the region

ЕSTIMATION OF YIELD STABILITY OF ZP MAIZE HYBRIDS USING DIFFERENT STATISTICAL MODELS

Eight ZP maize hybrids, belonging to FAO 300-400 maturity groups, were tested during the 2018 year at six different environments in Serbia. All examined hybrids have been recently registered in Serbia. The aim of the study was to identify hybrids with the highest grain yield, as well as with high yield stability over different environments. The experiment was conducted according to Randomized Complete Block Design in three replications. For the estimation of yield stability, different statistical analyses were done: regression coefficient (bi), deviation from regression (S2 di), Shukla stability variance (ri2 ), and cultivar superiority measure (Pi). Maize hybrids ZP 4540 and ZP 4077 showed the highest yield potential, but they also had high moisture content in harvest. Hybrid ZP 4567 had above average yield and also high stability, while hybrid ZP 3536 had average yield, good stability and the lowest moisture content in the harvest. Although hybrid ZP 4540 obtained the highest grain yield in trial, it performed unstable according to the results of stability analysis. Based on the results obtained in the experiment, hybrids ZP 4567 and ZP 3536 are recommended for further testing in 2019 and initial commercializatio

Variation of Soil Structure in the Foot and Toe Slopes of Mt. Vukan, East-central Serbia

This paper presents the variation of soil structure along the foot and toe slopes of Mt. Vukan, East-Central Serbia. The analysis of aggregate size distribution and structure indices were conducted by means of soil units, characteristic soil horizons and elevation differences along the study area. Soils of Great Field located at different elevations were found to have significant variation in ASD and soil structure indices. Topsoil horizon of Eutric Cambisols have higher MWD after dry sieving, but at the same time it has the highest variation in MWD after wet sieving, indicating low water stability, which is opposite to the coefficient of aggregability. We share an opinion that change in MWD better depicts soils structure stability to water. The results of correlation analysis indicated that clay content is correlated more to structure indices compared with SOM content. SOM is significantly correlated with ASD and soil structure indices only in Calcomelansols, whereas the significant correlation of clay content and soil structure is more evident in Eutric Cambisols and Non-calcaric Chernozems, compared with other soil units. Soil structure variation along the lowest chain of Catena might be strong, and that it has to be analyzed from the point of view of soil unit and their corresponding soil horizons