Evolution of the chipped stone industry in the Vinča culture in the territory of Serbia

Sinteza publikovanih podataka okresane industrije kamena omogućila je da se postavi niz pretpostavki koju su proveravane preko tri segmenta: petroarheoloških proučavanja, statističkih korelacije sa analizom kontekstualnih celina i putem analize upotrebe oruĎa uz izvoĎenje eksperimenata. Preliminarni rezultati su po prvi put konkretizovali litičku tehnologiju i produkciju za period vinčanske kulture. Kvantifikovanje sirovina za izradu oruĎa do količine žitarica neophodnih za ishranu prosečne porodice su podaci na teorijskom nivou koji su uticali na šira proučavanja kretanja ljudi, robe i ideja. Ukazali su na složeni socijalni program zajednice, od intervencija u prirodi do razmene artefakata i razvijanja uzajamnih praksi u bakru i kamenu. Tokom osam stoleća postojanja vinčanske kulture tehnologija okresanog kamena je visoko razvijena produkcija s promišljenom litičkom organizacijom. Stabilnost je osnovna karakteristika vinčanskog razvoja. Očekivanja da bi nastupilo smanjivanje produkcije u korist tehnoloških inovacija i prednosti metala pokazalo se da nisu opravdana. Definisana aktivnost koja premašuje sopstvene potrebe na pojedinim naseljima južno od Dunava i Save, uz primarno konzumske zajednice u Panonskoj niziji zavisne od produkcije spolja, s posebnim statusom Belog brda kao trgovačkog čvora je unutrašnja slika vinčanskog sveta. Industrijalizovani i specijalizovani koncept izrade uniformnih sečiva srednjih dimenzija se ne menja, uz istovremeno dizajniranje tipova oruĎa na odbitku koji će postati markeri razvijenog halkolita. Vitalnost zajednice počiva na energiji da integriše posebnosti u dugom vremenskom razdoblju. Vinčanska kultura je „uspela“ da održi primarnu tehnološku tradiciju i da se prilagodi novim zahtevima vremena, tako da je stav o njenoj izolovanosti u najmanju ruku diskutabilan.A synthesis of published data on the chipped stone industry allowed a series of assumptions checked by using three segments: petroarchaeological studies, statistical correlation with the analysis of contextual units and use wear analysis of tools with carrying out experiments on new assemblages. The preliminary results concretized lithic technology and tool production in the Vinča culture for the first time. Quantification of raw material for manufacturing tools or the quantity of grain necessary for feeding an average family are the data at the theoretical level which influenced broader studies of movements of people, goods and ideas. They indicated a complex social programme of the community, from interventions in nature to the exchange of artefacts and development of mutual copper-flint craft specializations. During eight centuries of existence of the Vinča culture, the chipped stone industry was highly developed tool production with sophisticated lythic organization. Stability is the main characteristic of the evolution of Vinča. It was shown that the expectations regarding the decrease of tool production in favour of technological innovations and advantages of metal had not been justified. A defined activity which surpassed its own needs in certain settlements to the south of the Danube and the Sava, primarily consumption-based communities in the Pannonian Plain which were dependent on the external tool production, and Belo Brdo having a special status of the trade node made the internal picture of the Vinča world. Industrialized and specialized concepts of manufacturing uniform blades of medium size did not change, and certain types of flake tools, which would become markers of the developed period of Chalcolithic, were simultaneously designed. The vitality of communities is based on their energy to integrate specificities during a long period of time. The Vinča culture „succeeded“ in keeping its primary technological tradition and adapting to new requirements of the time so that the attitude that it was isolated is at least disputabl

An archaeological experiment and new knowledge about the chipped stone industry from the Vinča culture

In order to examine the hypothesis of our knowledge on the Vinča chipped stone industry which was spreading on the territory of Serbia during the Late Neolithic until the Chalcolithic (the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 5th millennia BCE) and the previously noticed changes within it, we started from the question about the process of chipped stone tool production and the life cycle of artefacts. A series of preparatory activities in making replicas of flint sickles and the realization of a harvesting process contributed to gaining better knowledge on sequences of stone production technology, from the supply strategy to the production and utilization of artefacts. The main goal of the experiment was to obtain authentic traces of use on the working edges and creation of the first visual comparative database with examples from the region.Preliminary results essentially influenced our determination of the methods applied for reduction sequences during the Vinča culture. A significant result was achieved with the first quantifications of raw materials for making tools, such as a sickle and needs during one season, as well as with the precise definition of areas of sown land necessary for maintenance of an average Vinča family

Raw material studies of West Central Serbia

This paper deals with raw material problems in the territory of West Central Serbia geologically determined as the Čačak-Kraljevo (or West Morava) basin. Our research is presented through the most striking case studies, Lojanik, Vlaška Glava and Lazac.  The Lojanik hill is a silicified forest by origin. It has occasionally been in use from the earliest periods of prehistory until today as a source of black and ochre-coloured flint, opal and silicified wood. A detailed prospection, including the mapping of surface finds using square nets, was conducted during two research campaigns.The Vlaška Glava is an open-air Palaeolithic site at which artefacts made of white, ochre, red, brown and black chert, silicified magnesite, volcanic and metamorphic rocks were found. Our research of primary and secondary geological deposits in the vicinity of the site showed equivalent raw material. We also found an interesting primary deposit of high quality bluish grey flint with outcrop activities (Workshop 1).The Lazac shaft is a contemporary magnesite mine, recently abandoned because of the high percentage of silicon-dioxide. We determined the same raw material in collections found at nearby Neolithic sites. Certain similarities between the wooden support systems of ore exploration in the Middle Ages and modern times were established at the entrance of the shaft.Our research in the territory of the West Morava basin resulted in reconstruction of some links between geological deposits and settlements and also creation of a relevant base for future raw material studies

The becoming of a Prehistoric Landscape: Palaeolithic Occupations and Geomorphological Processes at Lojanik (Serbia)

Accomplishing long-term plans to harvest and modify natural resources has been a crucial skill for the survival of our species since early Prehistory. Research on this first step of production mostly focuses on the provenience study of lithic artifacts uncovered at archaeological sites, using petrographic and geochemical analyses to correlate the artifacts with potential geological outcrops. Although fundamental for understanding key aspects of landscape use and mobility, regional raw material economy, and extraction technology, Palaeolithic raw material sources have been less intensively investigated, as they are often difficult to locate and challenging to tackle with traditional archaeological approaches. Lojanik in the Central Balkans is one of the largest Prehistoric quarrying areas known in Europe, showing numerous lithic raw material outcrops exploited from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Chalcolithic periods, over an area of 18 hectares. In this paper, we present the results from our renewed research program in this region. Combining airborne LIDAR mapping, geomorphological and archaeological survey, and techno-typological analysis of lithic artifacts, we were able to reconstruct the geomorphological evolution of the landscape and its use by prehistoric societies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Grey zones of production: Discussing the technology of tools at the Lojanik quarry in west-central Serbia

Flaked stone artefacts found on the quarry Lojanik in west-central Serbia are good examples of how the function of non-diagnostic pieces could be determined through technological and use-wear analysis. In this study, we present the examples of surface clusters and artefacts from stratigraphic layers. Our attention is focused on the prevailing category of fragmented raw materials in the initial phase of knapping, preforms, debris, shattered pieces of anthropogenic origin and an immense number of artefacts and geofacts. The study of mines and quarries, as well as distribution of the raw materials that come from the central Balkans is an understudied phenomenon. Flaked stone artefacts found on the outcrops of the Lojanik hilltop is a good example of how we can apply technological, petrological and use-wear analysis on this type of site. Keeping in mind the loose context of the finds, as well as the lack of any datable material, this issue has to be approached with a lot of caution, since the locality itself seems to show human presence during Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic. The main focus of the study was put on the prevailing categories linked to the initial extraction of raw material on the site, as well as initial steps of shaping the raw material into cores. Samples were collected from several outcrops and so-called workshops from two localities of the hilltop: Lojanik 1 and Lojanik 2. The focal points of interest are categories that include waste, shatter, technical or shaping flakes. Worked pieces of raw material are now in the central position, and the study of these pieces have opened new grounds for this and similar occurrences - the study of so-called “grey zones” of production

The process of harvesting of cultivated cereals in the late neolithic of Serbia - experimental research

Novija istaživanja poznoneolitskog naselja na lokalitetu Vinča–Belo (1998–2007) pružila su mogućnosti detaljnog proučavanja međusobne dispozicije artefakata u prostoru i strukturu radnih operacija u najpoznijoj fazi života vinčanske zajednice. Stoga su izvršeni eksperimenti kao komplementarni segment standardnom paketu tehnološko–tipoloških i petroarheoloških analiza okresanih kamenih artefakata. Prikazani su etape i rezultati eksperimenata vezanih za dva aspekta istraživanja: 1) izrada dve replike praistorijskog kompozitnog srpa i mikroskopske analize tragova upotrebe nakon žetve; 2) eksperimentalno gajenje i žetva starih vrsta žitarica koristeći replike praistorijskih srpova. Snimci sečiva replike srpova posle svakog radnog ciklusa su analizirani u odnosu na arheološke primerke. Eksperimentalno napravljeni srpovi pokazali su se kao efikasno i trajno orudje za žetvu žitarica koje može da se koristi više od jedne sezone. Naša istraživanja daju kvantifikovane podatke za proces izrade srpa, proces setve, žetve i vršidbe žitarica, donoseći niz novih informacija o ljudskim aktivnostima koje mobilišu veći broj ljudi, ključnih za bolje razumevanje delatnosti i organizacije praistorijskih zajednica.The recent investigations at the late Neolithic settlement at Vinča-Belo Brdo (1998–2007) in Serbia provided an opportunity for a detailed study of the special disposition of artefacts, and work operations from the latest phase of the Vinča community. We conducted series of experiments as a complementary segment to the standard package of technological-typological and petro-archaeological analyses of chipped stone artefacts recovered from the latest archaeological campaigns. We present the stages and the results of the experiments related to two aspects of our research: 1) production of two replicas of the prehistoric composite sickles and microscopic analysis of use-wear left after harvesting of cereals; 2) experimental cultivation and harvesting of ancient cereal species/varieties using replicas of prehistoric sickles. Images of blades were taken after each recorded work cycle, used to study traces and use-wear observed on archaeological specimens. The sickle replicas proved to be effective and durable tools that could be used for more than one season of harvesting. The quantifiable data of all stages of growing and harvesting of cereals with prehistoric tool replicas, provide important new information about activities involving mobilization of a larger number of people, essential for a better understanding of the activities and organization of prehistoric communities

А medieval burial from the site of Сupska: an anthropological and contextual analysis of the skeletal remains from grave 1

In 1956, the Institute of Archaeology and the National Museum in Belgrade carried out excavations at the site of Supska, near Ćuprija, in Central Serbia. Based on the material culture findings, the site is mostly known as a Late Neolithic one; however, archaeological findings from other periods were discovered too. In the 1956 excavations, the cultural layers, and archaeological features with the Vinča culture archaeological materials were examined, as well as one grave, marked as Grave 1. The results of this excavation have been previously published in one monograph; however, an anthropological analysis of the individual found in Grave 1 has not been conducted before. In this paper, we present the results of contextual, bioanthropological, stable isotopes and C14 analyses of human skeletal remains found in Grave 1. The results showed that a young adult, who had experienced nonspecific metabolic stress during childhood, as evidenced by traces of linear enamel hypoplasia and porotic hyperostosis, was buried in this grave. AMS date revealed that this individual lived between 1280–1390 cal. AD, while the results of the stable isotope analyses suggested that it had mixed diet based on C4 plants (such as millet) and/or C3 plants, with larger amounts of animal protein, possible deriving from freshwater fish

Wszystko co świeci w PET nie jest nowotworem złośliwym! Wychwyt 18F-deoksyglukozy a biologia nowotworu: incidentaloma przysadki mózgowej u chorego, który przebył dwie niezwiązane choroby nowotworowe

    Introduction: 18F-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is routinely used in the detection of malignant disease based on the property of malignant cells to fuel their growth and replication by increased glucose uptake. Malignant lesions are rare in the sellar region, while pituitary adenomas are the most common pathology. These are benign neoplasms with insidious onset and low proliferation activity, and therefore are only exceptionally detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT. Studies that compare the biology of pituitary adenomas and their radiological properties using PET/CT are still lacking. Case report: We investigate and discuss tumour biology in light of increased 18F-FDG avidity in a symptom-free, 70-year-old male patient, previously treated for two different malignancies (lung and rectal). Increased tracer accumulation in the sellar region was incidentally detected on a follow-up 18F-FDG PET/CT scan. Additional MRI disclosed pituitary adenoma. Normal hormonal status was found, consistent with the diagnosis of non-functioning pituitary adenoma. Analysis of tumour tissue after pituitary surgery confirmed a silent gonadotroph adenoma with low proliferation index. Low expression of oncogene-induced senescence markers did not support senescence as the explanation for the tumour’s low proliferative activity although it was in consonance with the hormonal activity. Conclusions: Pituitary adenomas can manifest as hypermetabolic foci on 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging with increased tracer uptake even in indolent, clinically silent pituitary adenomas with low mitotic activity. Special attention should be paid to evaluation of 18F-FDG avid pituitary adenomas in patients with multiple malignancies, bearing in mind that avidity does not always mirror its biological behaviour.Wstęp: Pozytonowa tomografia emisyjna sprzężona z tomografią komputerową przy użyciu 18F-deoksy-glukozy (18F-FDG PET/CT) to metoda stosowana rutynowo do wykrywania nowotworów złośliwych, opierająca się na właściwościach komórek nowotworowych, których wzrost i replikacja wiąże się ze zwiększeniem wychwytu glukozy. Zmiany złośliwe występują rzadko w okolicy siodła tureckiego, natomiast do najczęstszych patologii należą gruczolaki przysadki mózgowej. Są to łagodne nowotwory z podstępnym początkiem choroby i małą aktywnością proliferacyjną, dlatego też są wykrywane wyjątkowa rzadko za pomocą badania 18F-FDG PET/CT. Nie przeprowadzono dotychczas badania porównującego cechy biologiczne gruczolaków przysadki mózgowej i ich właściwości radiologiczne z zastosowaniem techniki PET/CT. Opis przypadku: Autorzy zbadali i omówili biologię nowotworu w aspekcie zwiększonego wychwytu 18F-FDG u 70-letniego chorego bez objawów, leczonego wcześniej z powodu dwóch różnych nowotworów (płuca i odbytnicy). Zwiększony wychwyt znacznika w okolicy siodła tureckiego wykryto przypadkowo podczas kontrolnego badania 18F-FDG PET/CT. Wykonane dodatkowo badanie MRI ujawniło gruczolaka przysadki mózgowej. Stężenia hormonów u chorego były w normie, co było zgodne z rozpoznaniem nieczynnego gruczolaka przysadki mózgowej. Badanie tkanki guza po resekcji chirurgicznej potwierdziło diagnozę niemego klinicznie gruczolaka gonadotropowego o niskim wskaźniku proliferacji. Niska ekspresja markerów starzenia się indukowanego onkogenami nie potwierdziła hipotezy, że starzenie się może tłumaczyć małą aktywność proliferacyjną nowotworu, natomiast była zgodna z aktywnością hormonalną. Wnioski: Gruczolaki przysadki mózgowej mogą być widoczne w badaniu 18F-FDG PET/CT jako ogniska hipermetaboliczne o zwiększonym wychwycie znacznika nawet w przypadku nieczynnych, niemych klinicznie guzów przysadki o małej aktywności mitotycznej. Należy zwrócić szczególną uwagę na ocenę 18F-FDG-awidnych gruczolaków przysadki u chorych z wieloma nowotworami, pamiętając, że intensywność wychwytu znacznika nie zawsze odzwierciedla biologię nowotworu

History and current studies of petroarcheological data from the Neolithic and Eneolithic in Serbia: Петро-археологически изследвания на неолита и халколита на Сърбия – история и състояние на проучванията

The petrological identification of raw materials and their provenance has been carried out at only a small number of the Neolithic and Eneolithic sites in Serbia until the last three decades. Owing to the progress in the field of petroarchaeological investigation and the absence of uniformity in published works in recent years, the need for systematization appeared. The paper presents the history of research and a proposal for systematization the petroarchaeological database for Serbia