Food economy during and after the neolithiceneolithic transition in the central Balkans: Contextualising crops and domestic animals from Eneolithic Bubanj, southern Serbia

Druga polovina 5. i veći deo 4. milenijuma pre nove ere na centralnom Balkanu označava se kao period prelaza iz kasnog neolita (tj. vinčanske kulture) u rani eneolit, i eneolitski period. Na osnovu značajnih promena u obrascima naseljavanja i veličini naselja, u pogrebnoj praksi i u materijalnoj kulturi, smatra se da je tokom prelaznog perioda došlo do razvoja novih obrazaca u društvenim odnosima i organizaciji, u ekonomiji i proizvodnji i u ideologiji postvinčanskih zajednica, koje su, za razliku od prethodnih velikih, dugotrajnih naselja, počele da osnivaju manje, relativno kratkotrajne naseobine, uglavnom na prethodno nenaseljenim lokacijama. Različiti faktori su predloženi kao pokretači ovih transformacija - društveni sukobi, invazije sa strane, klimatske promene, te pad raspoloživih prirodnih resursa i nedovoljno hrane. Za razmatranje eventualnih klimatskih promena tokom eneolita ne postoje nikakvi podaci, a doskora se veoma malo znalo i o ekonomiji zasnovanoj na biljkama i životinjama u postneolitskom periodu. Najjasnije formulisan zaključak o uzrocima raspada kasnoneolitskog društva, koji nalazi i najviše potpore u arheološkim saznanjima, jeste taj da su vinčanske zajednice dostigle granice održivosti zajedničkog života (u sociološkom smislu), što je dovelo do "fisije" i fragmentacije velikih zajednica na manje grupe. Sličan model kasnoneolitsko-ranoeneolitskih društvenih promena predložen je i za Karpatski basen - "popuštanje" društvene kohezije kao odgovor na moguće društvene tenzije. Pored promena i novih trendova koje nastupaju početkom i tokom eneolita na centralnom Balkanu, primetan je i visok stepen sličnosti/kontinuiteta u pojedinim aspektima života; na primer, pored manjih, razvijaju se i velika, dugotrajna eneolitska naselja, poput onih na lokalitetima Bubanj i Velika Humska Čuka u južnoj Srbiji. Dok su ovi i drugi aspekti eneolitskih zajednica u izvesnoj meri poznati i istraženi, proizvodnja hrane je doskora bila velika nepoznanica. Do sada je pak zooarheološki i arheobotanički istraženo nekoliko eneolitskih lokaliteta, a nova iskopavanja na Bubnju donela su važne podatke o uzgajanju i upotrebi domaćih biljaka i životinja. Iako su podaci i dalje skromni, posebno oni o poljoprivrednim aktivnostima, sada je ipak moguć uvid u pojedine aspekte proizvodnje hrane. U ovom radu smo do sada prikupljene zooarheološke i arheobotaničke podatke sa Bubnja razmotrili u širem geografskom i hronološkom kontekstu tako što smo uporedili saznanja o uzgajanju i upotrebi životinja i biljaka sa do sada analiziranih kasnoneolitskih i eneolitskih nalazišta na teritoriji Srbije. Uporedna analiza pokazala je da su iste vrste domaćih životinja - goveda, ovce/koze i svinje - gajene i u neolitu i u eneolitu. S druge strane, ostaci ovaca i koza i svinja su, spram govečeta, zastupljeniji u uzorcima sa eneolitskih nalazišta. Utisak je, stoga, da je značaj ovaca i koza, kao i svinja, bio veći u eneolitu, što je važna razlika u odnosu na kasni neolit, tokom kog je goveče bilo dominantno. Postoje, međutim, i izuzeci od ovog opšteg zapažanja; na primer, na nalazištu Vinča - Belo brdo, relativni odnos ekonomski najznačajnih domaćih životinja je manje-više isti tokom oba perioda. Takođe, na kasnoeneolitskom nalazištu Kudoš-Šašinci, većina ostataka pripada domaćem govečetu. Preliminarni zaključak je da generalno ujednačena slika karakteristična za kasni neolit postaje raznovrsnija tokom eneolita i javljaju se jasne regionalne i hronološke razlike u pogledu značaja domaćih životinja. Arheobotanički podaci pokazuju da se spektar gajenih vrsta na nalazištima kasnog neolita i eneolita u Srbiji uveliko preklapa, te da osnovne kulture poznate iz neolita - jednozrna i dvozrna pšenica - ostaju osnov poljoprivredne proizvodnje i tokom eneolita. I ovde se, međutim, kao i kod domaćih životinja, uočavaju moguće razlike između lokaliteta. Recimo, u kasnoeneolitskom sloju Gomolave zabeležena je veća količina ječma, što je za sada jedini slučaj kako za neolit tako i za eneolit, jer se ječam na drugim analiziranim lokalitetima iz ovih perioda javlja samo u tragovima. Podaci sa Bubnja ukazuju na mogući rast u važnosti mahunarki, tačnije sočiva, od ranog ka kasnom eneolitu, te manje značajnu ulogu dvozrne pšenice kroz vreme, ali je broj ostataka izuzetno Mali za čvrste zaključke. Dok relativno nepromenjen izbor gajenih vrsta kroz kasni neolit i eneolit ističe kontinuitet, donekle su vidljive potencijalne razlike između lokaliteta u stepenu proizvodnje pojedinih poljoprivrednih kultura. Moguće je da dolazi do promene u metodama i intenzitetu zemljoradnje, a vrlo verovatno u vezi sa promenama u stočarstvu, recimo u pogledu potrebe za proizvodnjom stočne hrane ili varijacijama u veličini površina pod usevima ili onim namenjenim za ispašu. Uvid u ove i slične aspekte proizvodnje hrane u eneolitu zahteva znatno veću količinu podataka od one koja je sada na raspolaganju.In the central Balkans, the period from the second half of the 5th through the mid-3rd millennium BC is known as the Eneolithic. The earlier part of this period has been described as the transition between the Late Neolithic and Early Eneolithic and the time of transformations-societal, economic and ideological. Prevailing understanding of the archaeological record from this period is that the remarkable shifts in the settlement system reflect disintegration of the Neolithic society. What effect did this have on food economy? This question has not yet been addressed using the direct evidence of food production and consumption from archaeological sites. Although such evidence is scarce, it has in recent years been enlarged through new excavations, including those at the long-lasting site of Bubanj in southern Serbia. This paper combines the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological datasets from Bubanj and examines the integrated evidence from a broader chronological and geographical perspective using the information from other Eneolithic and, also, Late Neolithic sites in Serbia. A picture of agricultural diversity emerges, perhaps reflecting diachronic changes in the production methods and choices. These may have been driven by the social and ecological factors that led to the cultural transformations during and after the transitional period

Early medieval burial of woman and fox at the Slog necropolis in Ravna (Timacum Minus) in Eastern Serbia

Na istočnim padinama brda Slog u Ravni, oko 400 m zapadno od rimskog utvrđenja Timacum Minus, u periodu između 1994. i 1996. i između 2013. i 2015. godine, na višeslojnoj nekropoli sprovedena su arheološka istraživanja. Dva glavna horizonta korišćenja nekropole hronološki su opredeljena u kasnorimski i ranosrednjovekovni period. Kasnorimska nekropola sa tri faze datovana je u period od sredine 4. do sredine 5. veka, dok je za ranosrednjovekovnu nekropolu, na osnovu novih arheoloških iskopavanja, utvrđeno da je imala dve faze: raniju - datovanu u period 8-9. veka, i kasniju - od kraja 9. do početka 11. veka. Tokom iskopavanja 2014. godine, u starijem ranosrednjovekovnom horizontu nekropole otkriven je jedan zanimljiv grob (G 159), koji predstavlja jedinstven nalaz na čitavoj nekropoli. Žena u ovom grobu (G 159) bila je sahranjena u jednostavnoj ovalnoj raki, na leđima i s rukama ispruženim pored tela. Grob je bio orijentisan u pravcu zapad-istok, sa devijacijom manjom od 5º ka jugu. Ceo skelet žene bio je slabo očuvan - neke kosti su bile dislocirane, a neke su nedostajale. Posebno zanimljiv nalaz jeste skelet životinje koji je pronađen zapadno od ženine glave, u savijenom položaju, tako što je glava životinje bila naslonjena na levu stranu glave žene. Žena je bila sahranjena sa brojnim grobnim prilozima, na osnovu kojih je TA sahrana opredeljena u period 8-9. veka. Antropološka analiza je pokazala da je žena u trenutku smrti imala između 40 i 45 godina. Uočene patološke promene na njenim kostima svedoče da je patila od osteoartritisa. Te osteoartričine lezije, zajedno sa naglašenim pripojima mišića, upućuju na to da se tokom života bavila teškim fizičkim aktivnostima. Ante-mortem gubitak svih zuba iz njene donje vilice predstavlja veoma zanimljivu i još uvek nerazjašnjenu pojavu. S jedne strane, moguće je da je to stanje posledica nekog dentalnog oboljenja, dok je, s druge, možda i rezultat mutilacije - namernog sakaćenja pokojnice. Međutim, ovo tumačenje treba uzeti sa dozom rezerve budući da adekvatne analogije takve prakse još nisu pronađene. Arheozoološka analiza je pokazala da skelet životinje sahranjene u grobu sa ženom pripada odrasloj lisici, staroj između dve i četiri godine. Budući da se izračunata visina grebena ove jedinke od 41,3 cm nalazi u gornjem opsegu visina grebena lisica, može se pretpostaviti da skelet pripada mužjaku lisice, a nepostojanje tragova glodanja i raspadanja na skeletnim ostacima ukazuje na to da je životinja pohranjena brzo posle smrti. Ako se ima u vidu položaj lisice i njeno mesto u grobu u odnosu na sahranjenu ženu, može se zaključiti da se radi o istovremenom događaju, to jest sahrani. Na osnovu svih podataka kao i detaljne arheološke, antropološke i arheozoološke analize groba 159 (G 159) na nekropoli Slog u Ravni, može se zaključiti sledeće: da je ova sredovečna žena bila istaknutog društvenog statusa u ranosrednjovekovnom naselju u Ravni, da je imala antemortem gubitak svih zuba iz donje vilice (mutilacija ?), da je bila sahranjena sa odraslim mužjakom lisice, s kojim je verovatno imala neku posebnu vrstu veze, i da se ova pogrebna praksa možda može povezati sa šamanizmom. Jedina analogija za takvu pogrebnu praksu kod nas do sada je zabeležena na avarskoj nekropoli Pionirska ulica - Bečej (grob 16) u Vojvodini i datuje se u ranoavarski period. Sahrana u grobu 159 sa nekropole Slog mlađa je jedno stoleće i ukazuje na moguće uticaje stepsko-nomadskih zajednica, pre svega Bugara.On the Eastern slope of Slog Hill in Ravna, some 400 m to the West of the Roman fortification of Timacum Minus, a multilayered necropolis was investigated from 1994 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2015. There are two main horizons of the necropolis - Late Roman and Early Medieval. The late Roman necropolis has three phases dated from the middle of the 4th to the middle of the 5th century. The early medieval necropolis, according to the new excavations, has two phases, the earlier dated to the 8th - 9th centuries and the later from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century. An interesting grave (G 159), belonging to the earlier medieval phase of necropolis, was discovered in 2014. It is a unique burial of a woman and a fox, which has its only analogy in a disturbed woman and fox grave (grave 16) at the early Avar necropolis in Bečej. The burial with a fox could be interpreted in two ways - that the animal has a cult - ritual - magic meaning or that the fox was a pet of the deceased

Archaeozoological aspects of social and cultural changes in the Central Balkans during the fifth millenium BC

Predmet proučavanja ovog istraživanja su arheozoološki aspekti društvenih i kulturnih promena na centralnom Balkanu u petom milenijumu p.n.e. U tu svrhu detaljno je analiziran faunalni materijal sa tri eponimna arheološka nalazišta – Vinča-Belo Brdo, Pločnik i Bubanj. Kako bi se uočilo u kojoj meri se novi podaci uklapaju u postojeća saznanja o ekonomskim strategijama na centralnom Balkanu u ovom periodu, dobijeni rezultati upoređeni su i sa dostupnim podacima iz literature. Cilj istraživanja bio je definisanje ekonomskih strategija eksploatacije domaćih i divljih životinja koje su praktikovane u naseljima Vinča-Belo Brdo, Pločnik i Bubanj; potom, da se istraži da li postoje razlike u ekonomskim strategijama i ulogama najznačajnijih domaćih životinja između ovih naselja, i na kraju, da li se mogu uočiti izvesni dijahroni trendovi i razlike na regionalnom nivou. Istraživanje je ukazalo da se generalno mogu izdvojiti dva tipa strategija u stočarstvu na centralnom Balkanu u petom milenijumu p.n.e. Prvi tip, – koji se zasnivao na uzgajanju govečeta, uočen je samo u velikim kasnovinčanskim naseljima iz prve polovine petog milenijuma p.n.e. (npr. Pločnik, Divostin II, Stubline), dok je drugi tip stočarstva praktikovan u naseljima iz druge polovine petog milenijuma p.n.e. (Bubanj, Velika humska čuka), i kasnije. On se uglavnom zasnivao na uzgajanju ovikaprina, i u značajnoj meri domaćeg govečeta i domaće svinje. Ovakav tip stočarstva verovatno je bio više prilagođen manjim zajednicama iz druge polovine petog milenijuma p.n.e., čiji su proizvodni potencijali bili manji, usmereni ka zadovoljavanju sopstvenih potreba, smanjenju rizika i povećanju bezbednosti uzgajanih stada. S druge strane, stočarstvo u velikim komunalno orijentisanim zajednicama iz prve polovine petog milenijuma p.n.e., bilo je usmereno isključivo ka uzgajanju velikih stada goveda, koje je podrazumevalo drugačiji vid organizacije, veće proizvodne kapacitete i društvene pobude.This thesis addresses archaeozoological aspects of social and cultural changes in the Central Balkans during the fifth millennium BC. For this purpose, detailed analysis of the faunal material from three archaeological type-sites – Vinča-Belo Brdo, Pločnik i Bubanj, was conducted. The obtained results were compared with the available published data, in order to recognize the extent to which these new data fit into the existing knowledge of the economic strategies in the central Balkans during this period. The aim of this research was to define economic strategies for the exploitation of domestic and wild animals that were practiced in the settlements of Vinča-Belo Brdo, Pločnik and Bubanj; then, to detect whether there were changes in the economic strategies and roles of the most important domestic animals among these settlements, and finally, whether certain diachronic trends and differences can be noticed on the regional level. The research has shown that in general, two types of animal husbandry strategies can be distinguished in the central Balkans during the fifth millennium BC. The first type, based on the cattle herding, was only observed in the large late Vinča culture settlements dated to the first half of the fifth millennium BC (f.e. Pločnik, Divostin II, Stubline), while the second type of animal husbandry was practiced in the settlements from the second half of the fifth millennium BC (Bubanj, Velika humska čuka), and onward. It was oriented towards caprines herding, while domestic cattle and domestic pig were also significant. This type of animal husbandry was probably more adapted by smaller communities from the second half of the fifth millennium BC, whose production potentials were smaller, oriented to meet their own needs, to risk reduction and to increase the herd stability. On the other hand, animal husbandry in large communal-oriented settlements from the first half of the fifth millennium BC was oriented to the large cattle herding, which implies a different form of organization, larger production capacities and social incentives

Animal remains from medieval fortress Gradina-Trešnjevica near Ivanjica

Životinjske kosti pronađene u srednjovekovnom utvrđenju Gradina-Trešnjevica kod Ivanjice, podignutom u drugoj polovini XIV veka, predstavljaju ostatke hrane, na šta ukazuje veliki broj tragova kasapljenja, kao i starost ubijenih životinja. Stanovnici ovog utvrđenja su u ishrani najviše koristili meso ovaca i koza, a zatim goveda i svinja. Kosti jelena, zeca, srne i divlje svinje svedoče da se i meso divljači ponekad nalazilo na trpezi.In this paper the results of archaeozoological analysis of animal remains collected during excavations of the medieval fortress Gradina-Trešnjevica (second half of the 14th century) near Ivanjica are presented. The aim of this study was the reconstruction of diet, strategy of using different animal species by the fort inhabitants, and comparing differences in animal husbandry in relation to other medieval sites in the territory of Serbia. Nine species were identified (table 1). Domestic animals include: sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), cattle (Bos taurus), pig (Sus domesticus) and chicken (Gallus domesticus), and the wild: deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and hare (Lepus europeus). Domestic animals outnumber wild (97% NISP). Caprines (sheep and goats) are the most frequent taxa at Gradina-Trešnjevica (51%), followed in abundance by domestic cattle (27%) and domestic pigs (16%). Caprines also played a major role in the economy of fortress Ras (Blažić 1999a: 440), while in rural settlements cattle are economically most important species (Blažić 1995: 343-344). The age structure of sheep/goats, domestic cattle and domestic pig based on the state of fusion of the epiphyses of postcranial skeleton is shown in Figure 1. Slaughter of cattle was focused on individuals between 24 and 42 months of age. The age profile of pig indicates that besides individuals mostly slaughtered were those between 12 and 36 months of age, pigs younger than 12 months were also exploited. On the other hand, majority of caprines are older than 36 months indicating that besides meat exploitation, they were also herded for milk and wool (sheep) production. Arhaeozoological study of the sample from the fortress Gradina-Trešnjevica provided important information concerning distribution of various animal species and ways of their exploitation. However, in order to gain insight into animal husbandry strategies and possible links with contemporary indigenous breeds of domestic animals, it is necessary to include larger number of medieval sites in archaeozoological researches

The prediction of criminal recidivism in male juvenile delinquents

Rezultati dosadašnjh istraživanja su ukazali na jaku vezu između kriminalnog ponašanja maloletnih delinkvenata sa jedne strane i crta ličnosti i odnosa u porodici sa druge strane. Međutim, još uvek se malo zna o tome koliko su odnosi unutar porodice i karakteristike ličnosti povezani sa kriminalnim recidivizmom. Cilj istraživanja bio je da ispita ove odnose koristeći kraću verziju skale Velikih pet + dva (Neuroticizam, Ekstraverzija, Otvorenost za iskustvo, Savesnost, Prijatnost, Pozitivna valenca, Negativna valenca), Skalu kvaliteta porodičnih interakcija (zadovoljstvo porodicom, prihvatanje/odbacivanje od strane majke/oca) i zvanične podatke iz kriminalnih dosija. Istraživanje je sprovedeno na 61 institucionalizovanom delinkventu i 64 ne-delinkventa, uzrasta od 15 do 18 godina. Neuroticizam, Otvorenost za iskustvo, Savesnost, Negativna valenca, prihvatanje od strane oca i odbacivanje od strane majke su statistički značajni prediktori kriminalnog recidivizma maloletnih delinkvenata. Delinkventi su pokazali statistički značajno više skorove na Neuroticizmu, kao i niže na Savesnosti i prihvatanju od strane majke u odnosu na ne-delinkvente.Previous studies have demonstrated a strong association of criminal behavior of juvenile delinquents with delinquents' personality traits and family interactions. However, little is known about the extent to which family interactions and personality traits are associated with criminal recidivism. The present study aimed to examine these relationships, using the Velikih pet plus dva (Big Five Plus Two) - short version (assessing Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Aggressiveness, Positive Valence, Negative Valence), the Quality of Family Interaction Scale (Satisfaction with family, Mother and Father Acceptance/Rejection), and official data from criminal records. The study included 61 institutionalized delinquents and 64 non-delinquents, 15 to 18 years of age. Neuroticism, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Negative valence, acceptance by father and rejection by mother are statistically significant predictors of criminal recidivism in juvenile delinquents. Delinquents showed higher Neuroticism, lower Conscientiousness and acceptance by mother compared to non-delinquents

First results of rescue archaeological excavations at the site of Belo brdo in Vinča in 2019

U radu su predstavljeni preliminarni rezultati arheoloških istraživanja obavljenih 2019. godine na delu nalazišta koje je zahvaćeno klizištem. Iskopavanja su izvršena na površini od oko 250 m2, u cilju zaštite srednjovekovne nekropole koja predstavlja najfragilniji deo kulturnih slojeva u Vinči. Na istraženoj površini je dokumentovana 91 grobna celina. Prema predmetima nađenim u grobovima vreme sahranjivanja okvirno je opredeljeno u razdoblje 13-14. veka. Na prostoru nekropole otkriveni su i ostaci tri peći, koje su takođe pripisane srednjovekovnom periodu, ali su starije od istraženih grobova. Najstarije horizonte na površini obuhvaćenoj iskopavanjima činila su dva gorela, ruševinska sloja neolitskih objekata.This paper presents the preliminary results of recent fieldwork conducted in the part of the site of Vinča - Belo Brdo that is endangered by a landslide. In order to excavate the rich archaeological remains before the situation with the sediment movements worsens, rescue excavations took place in the second half of 2019. The focus of this campaign was to investigate the level of destruction of this part of the site, as well as to excavate the human remains from the medieval necropolis that represents the final phases of occupation at the site. Since the first excavations of Vinča in 1908, and especially in the early campaigns of 1911 and 1912, medieval material and presence of inhumations was noted in large numbers. Systematic excavations in the period 1978-1983 were, among other things, focused on the excavation of the necropolis. According to the material in the National museum in Belgrade that originates from the site of Vinča without any specific context, the chronological span of the necropolis was divided into four horizons, ranging, very widely, from the 8th up to the 17th century. Available documentation from these excavations shows the presence of three stratigraphic horizons. At the end of these excavations, the total number of inhumations was well over 1000. In 2011, the focus of research at the site was on the area endangered by the landslide. In a trench with dimensions of 4 x 20 metres, additional 71 graves were excavated, sometimes containing several burials. During the 2019 campaign, a surface of ca. 250 square meters was investigated, with 91 defined and documented graves that sometimes contained several burials. Contrary to the earlier excavations, the number of burials of juveniles is much higher. There were 36 juvenile and 59 adult burials. Among the burials, remains of three medieval ovens were discovered, and one of them was excavated (Oven 3). Up to now, no medieval structures were documented at Belo Brdo. Oven 3 contained two substructions with pottery sherds, stone and brick fragments. Pottery fragments originated both from prehistory and from the medieval period as well. Most of them could not be more precisely dated due to their small size, but those with ornaments could be dated into the period between the 9th and 11th century. As for small finds from the graves, they could be dated into the period of the 13th and 14th century. The most notable one is a bronze belt found in situ. The horizon with ovens is older than the inhumations, as shown not only by the material but also by Grave 87 cutting and damaging Oven 3. The excavations stopped at the level of Neolithic burnt daub. Two Neolithic burnt structures (houses) were detected, in the south-western and south-eastern part of the trench. Faunal remains from all contexts were analysed. Since most of the material originates from disturbed layers due to recent gardening, vegetation and landslide, the distribution of various animal taxa was documented only for Sector K

Regional Absolute Chronologies of the Late Neolithic in Serbia. The case study of At near Vršac

The paper presents the concept, methodology and preliminary results of the project Regional Absolute Chronologies of the Late Neolithic in Serbia that started in 2020 using a case study from the site of At near Vršac in northeast Serbia. The aim of the project is to create multiple new regional chronological strands consisting of Bayesian modelled radiocarbon dates from sites with material culture belonging to the tradition of the Late Neolithic period Vinča culture. Combining statistical seriation of pottery assemblages and the Bayesian statistical modelling framework of several case studies from various regions of Serbia, new regional chronological anchor points will be created, thus avoiding constant comparison with the assemblage and dating of the eponymous site of Belo Brdo in Vinča. This approach will overcome the effects of the regionalization of material culture evident in most ceramic assemblages located further than 100 kilometres away from the type site. Using archival archaeological records from previous excavations will enable an establishment of a geography of chronological reference points which would then provide new insights into the dynamics of the evolution of the Late Neolithic Vinča societies and changes that occurred throughout its territory during the late sixth and the larger part of the fifth millennia BCE