Results of the Excavations of the La Tène Cemetery in Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje Cemetery in 2008

Zaštitna arheološka istraživanja groblja latenske kulture Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje nastavljena su 2008. godine na sjevernom dijelu uzvisine, gdje je pronađeno šest paljevinskih grobova koji se na osnovi brojnih priloga mogu pripisati mokronoškoj skupini latenske kulture, odnosno njezinom Mokronog IIB stupnju. Posebno se izdvaja nalaz dvojnog groba LT 74 s prilozima naoružanja keltskog ratnika i predmetima ženske nošnje te nalaz cjelovito očuvane staklene narukvice u grobu LT 70. Dio grobova djelomice je uništen intenzivnom obradom zemljišta, što ukazuje na potrebu istraživanja vrha sjevernog dijela uzvisine u cijelosti, kako bi se dokumentirali preostali grobovi.Archaeological rescue excavations of the La Tène cemetery Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje continued in 2008 in the northern part of the elevation, where six incineration graves (LT 69-LT 74) were found. Particularly worth mentioning is the find of a double grave LT 74 containing a Celtic warrior’s weapons and parts of a woman’s attire as burial goods (Fig 3). A whole glass armring made of colourless glass with a yellow foil on the inside, belonging to series 25, in grave LT 70 (Fig. 1) is an extraordinarily significant find. Also, among the pottery objects, a kantharos on a foot from grave LT 73 stands out, with two moulded, ribbonshaped handles, decorated with concentric circles motifs, connected with arch made of sequences of small imprints (Fig.2). The finds from graves LT 69-LT 74, situated in the northern part of the cemetery, can be dated to the older stage of LT C2 (Mokronog IIB), i.e. the late third and first half of the second centuries BC, which corresponds to the understanding of burial rites in that part of the cemetery thus far. Since a part of the graves is partially destroyed due to intense soil cultivation, it is necessary to continue excavations at the northern part of the elevation

Field Survey of Part of the Route of the Donji Miholjac-Slobodnica Natural Gas Main in Osijek-Baranja County

U terenskom pregledu dijela trase plinovoda Donji Miholjac-Slobodnica, na području Osječko-baranjske županije, zabilježena su 42 arheološka nalazišta, od kojih je tek manji broj bio poznat, također na osnovi prikupljenih površinskih nalaza. Rezultat terenskog pregleda pokazuje kako su nalazišta ravnomjerno raspoređena duž cijele trase plinovoda, kako u dravskoj ravnici, tako i na pitomim sjevernim brežuljcima Krndije. Otkrivena arheološka nalazišta u najvećem broju pripadaju razdobljima prapovijesti i srednjeg vijeka. Na najvećem broju nalazišta prikupljeni su površinski ulomci keramičkih posuda, opeka i kamenih artefakata koji omogućavaju njihovo okvirno kronološko i kulturološko određenje, dok će tek buduća zaštitna istraživanja preciznije definirati granice samih nalazišta.In a field survey of part of the route of the Donji Miholjac-Slobodnica natural gas main in Osijek Baranja County, 42 archaeological sites were registered (Fig. 1), of which only a smaller number were previously known, principally as a result of collected surface finds (Table 1). The field survey results demonstrate how the sites are evenly distributed along the entire natural gas main’s route: in the Drava valley, as well as the gentle hills of Krndija (Fig. 1). The archaeological sites mostly date to the periods of prehistory and the Middle Ages (Table 1). At most sites, fragments of ceramic vessels, bricks and stone artefacts were collected, which enable their approximate chronological and cultural determination, while future rescue excavations will enable a more precise definition of the boundaries of the sites. Some of the oldest archaeological sites dating from prehistoric times were registered in this region, belonging to the Starčevo culture. In the Bronze and Iron Ages, two cultural groups of different origin were in contact with each other in this territory, and their communication reached its peak in the Late Iron Age as Podravina, settled by Scordiscs and Andizetes, became an area of intense trans-European contact. In Classical Antiquity, an important route passed through Podravina, connecting the south-eastern Alps with the Danube region along one of the most important communication routes, the Poetovio-Mursa road. In the Middle Ages, Podravina and the slopes of Krndija remained important, as indicated by dense settlement, and the documented largest number of registered sites

Field Surveys of the Territories of the Municipalities of Ilok, Lovas and Tovarnik in 2008

Tijekom proljeća i jeseni 2008. godine provedeni su terenski pregledi područja općina Ilok, Lovas i Tovarnik radi otkrivanja novih te dokumentiranja otprije poznatih arheoloških nalazišta na području gornjeg (zapadnog) Srijema. S obzirom da je veći dio ruba visoke, desne obale Dunava u općini Ilok pregledan u jesen 2003. godine, novi su terenski pregledi usmjereni na preostali dio ruba lesne zaravni kao i na prostor koji se nalazi u zaleđu ruba dunavske obale, sve do južnih padina vukovarskog ravnjaka kod Tovarnika. U terenskom pregledu zabilježen je niz novih arheoloških nalazišta iz svih razdoblja, od kojih se pojedina izdvajaju količinama i vrstama nalaza. Kako se radi o poljoprivredno intenzivno obradivom zemljištu, na pojedinim nalazištima potrebno je što prije poduzeti pokusna istraživanja, kako bi se provjerile pretpostavke o kronološkim i stratigrafskim zapažanjima koje počivaju na prikupljenim površinskim nalazima.During the spring and autumn of 2008, a field surveys of the territories of the municipalities of Ilok, Lovas and Tovarnik was conducted with the aim of uncovering new and documenting known archaeological sites in the area of Upper (western) Syrmia. Since the major part of the margin of the high, right bank of the Danube River in the Ilok Municipality was surveyed in the fall of 2003, new field surveys are primarily directed at the remaining part of the margin of the loess plateau, and the area in the hinterland of the Danube bank, up to the southern slopes of the Vukovar plateau near Tovarnik. In the field surveys, a number of new archaeological sites from all periods were registered, out of which some stand out for the quantity and type of finds. A total of 36 archaeological sites were documented, of which most were thus far unknown. The documented large number of archaeological sites is not at all surprising, if we consider the outstanding location of the western slopes of Fruška gora above the Danube and the southern slopes of the Vukovar plateau above the alluvial plain. An important European communication route passed along the margin of the high, right bank of the Danube, along which cultural influences streamed for millennia, connecting the Carpathian Basin in all directions. The border of the Roman Empire passed at the same point, with which a number of Roman sites between Ilok and Bapska are associated. Some of the oldest archaeological sites, dating from prehistoric times and belonging to the Starčevo and Sopot cultures, were registered in this region, while in the Bronze and Iron Ages cultural groups of various origins intermingled here, culminating in the Early Iron Age in numerous direct contacts between the Dalj and the Bosut groups at sites from Vukovar to Ilok. Numerous Late Iron Age sites testify the dense Scordisc population in Upper Syrmia. During Roman domination, Rome’s auxiliary troopers were stationed in the fortress of Cuccium. Near the fortress, a civilian settlement developed, to which smaller settlements and villas situated deeper in the hinterland or along the so-called Limes Road gravitated. The number of collected surface finds suggests dense population during Early and High Middle Ages. As a result of high-quality arable land, the densest population was documented in the Late Middle Ages with numerous, well-connected settlements. The reasons for conducting the field surveys of the municipalities of Ilok, Lovas and Tovarnik were fully justified by the results, with a large number of archaeological sites from all periods documented. Although the results of the field surveys rely upon collected surface finds, most sites can be chronologically and culturally defined. In view of the increasingly intense cultivation of permanent crops, and due to the development of infrastructure, this surveys needs to be continued in order to produce a map of archaeological sites in Upper Syrmia, an area with the largest number of sites in Northern Croatia. Also, since the land is subject to intensive agriculture, individual sites need to be test excavate as soon as possible in order to examine hypotheses regarding chronological and stratigraphic observations, which now rest on the collected surface finds

Results of Excavations of the Prehistoric cemetery in Belišće-Zagajci I Cemetery in 2008

U jesen 2008. godine provedena su pokusna arheološka istraživanja nalazišta Belišće-Zagajci I-II, na kojem su 1992. godine prikupljeni nalazi koji su ukazivali na postojanje groblja iz starijeg željeznog doba. Tipološko-kronološka analiza nalaza pokazala je kako se vjerojatno radi o predmetima iz uništenog ženskog kosturnog groba koji se može pripisati južnopanonskoj kasnohalštatskoj skupini, rasprostranjenoj između rijeka Kapos i Save, od sredine 6. st. pr. Kr. sve do keltskog naseljavanja krajem 4. st. pr. Kr. U istraživanjima 2008. godine na položaju Belišće-Zagajci I pronađena su dva paljevinska groba s prijelaza kasnog brončanog na starije željezno doba, dok mlađi prapovijesni grobovi nisu pronađeni.In autumn 2008, a test excavation was conducted on the Belišće-Zagajci I-II site, where in 1992 finds were collected that indicated the existence of an Early Iron Age cemetery. The typological and chronological analysis of finds indicate that we are dealing with artefacts from a destroyed skeletal burial of a woman that may be attributed to the south Pannonian Late Hallstatt group, found between the Kapos and Sava Rivers from the mid-sixth century BC to the Celtic settlement at the end of the fourth century BC. During excavations of the Belišće-Zagajci I site in 2008, two incineration burials dated to the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age were excavated, while no later prehistoric burial sites were found. These are burials in which the incinerated remains of the deceased were laid in ceramic vessels – pots functioning as urns. The urns were covered with bowls and laid in oval grave pits. On the basis of typological and chronological analysis of ceramic vessels, the burials could have been assigned to the later stage of the Urnfield culture, i.e. the transition to the Early Iron Age. In this period, the Dalj group was settled in the territory of Eastern Slavonia and Baranja; the Dalj group’s western border has not yet been defined, and in Podravina only several sites (Nova Bukovica, Delovi near Koprivnica, Sveti Petar Ludbreški) from this period were registered, still of uncertain cultural origin. That is why the results of the excavation of the prehistoric cemetery in Belišće-Zagajci I are the more important, although it is a pity for proto-historic archaeolog y that the excavations were not conducted earlier, at the time when finds from the skeletal burial were excavated, dated in the first half of the fourth century BC, since at the time a larger number of burials from the Late Bronze Age would have been found

Results of Rescue Excavations at the AN COKP Čepin site on a section of the VC Corridor in 2008

U zaštitnim arheološkim istraživanjima nalazišta AN COKP Čepin na trasi koridora VC, dionica Đakovo-Osijek, na blagom uzvišenju jugozapadno od Čepina, istraženi su ostaci srednjovjekovnog nizinskog naselja s ukopima jama, kanala, rovova i stupova. Manji broj cjelina vjerojatno pripada naselju lasinjske kulture. Velika istražena površina nalazišta omogućila je prepoznavanje infrastrukture srednjovjekovnog naselja, od koje se izdvajaju ukopi, kanali koji su zatvarali središnju površinu s ostacima objekata koji svjedoče o vjerojatno obiteljski strukturiranom naselju sa skupinama objekata raspoređenih u manje cjeline. Od pokretnih arheoloških nalaza, u najvećem su broju pronađeni ulomci keramičkog posuđa, zatim slijede nalazi kućnog lijepa, dok su u manjem broju izdvojeni nalazi metalnih i kamenih predmeta. Od funkcionalnih oblika keramičkog posuđa prepoznaju se različiti oblici lonaca S-profilacije s ukrasima valovnica i vodoravnih linija, koji datiraju naselje u razdoblje 9.-11. st.During archaeological rescue excavations conducted at the AN COKP ČEPIN site on a section of the VC corridor, Đakovo-Osijek route, on a mild elevation south-west of Čepin (Fig. 1), the remains of a medieval lowland settlement were examined with sunken pits, channels, ditches and pillars. The minor number of finds probably belongs to a Lasinja culture settlement. The large excavated surface of the site made it possible to identify the infrastructure of the medieval settlement, in which sunken channels used to close the central surface with the remains of structures that testify to a settlement that probably had a familial structure, with groups of structures distributed in smaller units (Fig. 2). The largest number of archaeological finds consists of pottery fragments, followed by house daub, while only a smaller number of metal and stone artefacts could be excavated. Among the functional forms of pottery, various types of pots with an S-profile and decorative wavy and horizontal lines were identified, dating the settlement in the period from the ninth to eleventh centuries (Fig. 5)

Gräber der La-Tène-Kultur von Veliko polje in Zvonimirovo – Ergebnisse der Forschungen 1993-1995

Tijekom prve faze istraživanja, između 1993.-1995. godine, ranosrednjovjekovnoga groblja na redove bjelobrdske kulture na Velikom polju u Zvonimirovu, nedaleko Virovitice u Podravini, pronađena su i tri paljevinska groba latenske kulture. U grobovima žena LT 1 i LT 3 pronađeni su funkcionalno-dekorativni predmeti nošnje i nakit te keramičke posude, dok su se u grobu muškarca LT 2 nalazili prilozi oružja koji ga defi niraju kao pokop istaknutog ratnika. Na osnovi pronađenih nalaza, posebno oružja, grobovi su datirani u LT C2 stupanj i dokumentiraju, prema analizi predmeta ženske nošnje, pripadnost groblja u Zvonimirovu prostoru rasprostiranja Tauriska koji su u 3.-2. st. pr. Kr. kontrolirali područje srednje Podravine. Također, pojedini nalazi oružane opreme iz ratničkog groba LT 2, kao što su mač u koricama, koplje i pojasna garnitura, ukazuju na povezanost sa srednjo- i zapadnoeuropskim nalazištima latenske kulture, što svjedoči o kontaktima između različitih i daljenih keltskih zajednica koje su dijelile mnoge zajedničke oblike materijalne ostavštine, posebno predmete naoružanja.Während der ersten Forschungsphase - von 1993 bis 1995 – wurden auf dem frühmittelalterlichen Reihengräberfeld der Bjelobrdo-Kultur in Veliko polje, in Zvonimirovo, unweit von Virovitica in der Podravina, unter anderem auch drei Brandgräber der La-Tène-Kultur entdeckt. In den Frauergräbern LT 1 und LT 3 wurden funktional-dekorative Gegenstände gefunden - Tracht, Schmuck und Keramikgefäße -, während im Männergrab LT 2 Waffenbeigaben entdeckt wurden, die auf die Beisetzung eines herausragenden Kriegers schließen lassen. Aufgrund der freigelegten Funde - besonders der Waffenfunde - wurden die Gräber in die LT C2-Stufe datiert und dokumentieren – der Analyse der Frauentracht zufolge – die Tatsache, dass das Gräberfeld in Zvonimirovo dem Verbreitungsgebiet der Taurisker zuzuordnen ist, die im 3.-2. Jh. v. Chr. das Gebiet der mittleren Podravina kontrollierten. Außerdem weisen einige Waffenfunde aus dem Kriegergrab LT 2 – wie z.B. das Schwert in der Scheide, die Lanze und die Gürtelgarnitur – darauf hin, dass hier Verbindungen zu mittel- und westeuropäischen Fundstätten der La-Tène-Kultur existierten, was von den Kontakten zwischen unterschiedlichen, voneinander weit entfernten Keltengemeinschaften zeugt, die viele gemeinsame Formen materieller Hinterlassenschaft teilten, insbesondere Waffen

Women from the Middle La Tène culture cemetery Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje who made the spinning threads and clothes

Grobišče Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje v srednji Podravini blizu Virovitice je edino sistematično raziskano grobišče latenske kulture v severni Hrvaški. Na osnovi najdb ga lahko datiramo v fazo LT C2. Poleg bojevniških grobov izstopajo pokopi žensk z značilno nošo in nakitom ter pridano hrano. V tem prispevku sta obravnavana ženska grobova LT 90 in LT 91 s posebnimi predmeti vsakdanje rabe, kot so železni noži, keramična vretenca in železne šivanke, ki kažejo na ženska opravila v gospodinjstvu. Izjemna najdba v grobu LT 91 je še železna igla z živalsko glavico. Podobna je bila odkrita na grobišču Kapiteljska njiva v Novem mestu, v prav tako v ženskem grobu, ki je datiran v LT C1. Železne in bronaste igle s povešeno glavico in gladkim ali tordiranim vratom so bile najdene na območju srednje in vzhodne Evrope v poznolatenskih naseljih. Konec 2. st. pr. n. št. se podobne igle pojavljajo tudi na grobiščih ob Baltiku. Prav tako so znane iz rimske dobe, predvsem iz naselij, redkeje iz ženskih grobov ter izjemoma iz moških. Iglo iz Zvonimirova, najdeno skupaj s keramičnim vretencem v groba LT 91, lahko povezujemo s predenjem oz. pripravo niti za tkanje in jo interpretiramo kot kavelj vretena. S pripravo preje in izdelavo oblačil povezani pridatki v ženskih grobovih v Zvonimirovem so značilni za določen spol in starost, na simbolni ravni pa prikazujejo različne vloge žensk v družini in skupnosti.The Zvonimirovo-Veliko polje cemetery, located in the Middle Drava valley, close to Virovitica, is the only systematically researched cemetery of the La Tène culture in northern Croatia. On the basis of its finds, it can be dated to LT C2 phase. Aside from the warrior’s graves, there are notable female burials with distinctive costume and jewellery and food offerings. The article deals with the female graves LT 90 and LT 91 contained particular everyday objects such as iron knives, ceramic spindle-whorls and iron sewing needles. These items indicate everyday household work done by women. An exceptional find in the grave LT 91 is an iron pin with a zoomorphic head. Similar pin was found in the Kapiteljska njiva cemetery at Novo mesto, also in a female grave dated to LT C1. Iron and bronze pins with a curved head and smooth or twisted body are known from the Late La Tène settlements in Central and Eastern Europe. Similar pins appeared toward the end of the 2nd century BC in the cemeteries along the Baltic Sea. They are also known from the Roman period contexts, mostly from settlements and rarely from female graves, and only exceptionally in male graves. The pin from the grave LT 91 in Zvonimirovo, together with a spindle whorl, could be associated with spinning as a spindle-hook. The finds associated with the production of spinning threads and clothes in the female graves in Zvonimirovo are characteristic of a certain gender and age. At the symbolic level they show the roles of women in the family and the community

A Contribution to Understanding Continuous Habitation of Vinkovci and its Surroundings in the Early Iron Age

Razdoblje starijega željeznog doba na prostoru Vinkovaca i okolice obilježile su svojim pojavama daljska, bosutska i srijemska kultura. Na početku starijega željeznog doba primjetni su utjecaji s prostora dolenjske i grupe Martijanec - Kaptol, uz koje se povezuju slučajni nalazi fibula iz Vinkovaca i Orolika te pojava tumula u Starim Jankovcima, Ilači i Gabošu. Utjecaji ovih grupa kao i s prostora glasinačkoga kulturnoga kruga prisutni su i u mlađoj fazi starijega željeznog doba kojoj pripadaju ravna groblja s kosturnim ukopima srijemske kulture u Vinkovcima i Novim Jankovcima. U završnu fazu starijega željeznog doba datiraju se naselja Damića gradina u Starim Mikanovcima i Dirov brijeg u Vinkovcima koja predstavljaju najzapadnija do sada poznata nalazišta najmlađe faze bosutske kulture. Keramički nalazi s tih naselja ujedno dokumentiraju kulturnu i etničku osnovu koju su Kelti zatekli pri naseljavanju prostora srednjeg Podunavlja krajem 4. st. pr. Kr.The Early Iron Age is one of the least investigated and little known prehistoric periods in the region of Vinkovci, as well as in eastern Slavonia and western Srijem. On the territory of the town of Vinkovci and its surroundings, intensive rescue excavations were conducted in the past three decades, in which settlements and cemeteries were uncovered which enable a more clear cultural and chronological picture of the Early Iron Age in the broader south-Pannonian area (Fig. 1.). Apart from the results of the excavations, the understanding of the material heritage is supported by isolated and chance finds from the Early Iron Age, preserved in the City Museum in Vinkovci, as well as in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, on the basis of which it is possible to assume the continuous habitation of the area of Vinkovci and its surroundings from the very beginning of the Early Iron Age in the 8th century BC up until the settlement of the Celts by the end of the 4th century BC. The older phase of the Late Bronze Age in the Vinkovci area is marked by the Belegiš II culture, known on the basis of the excavations of settlements in Vinkovci and Privlaka. From the period of the younger phase of the Late Bronze Age only isolated finds are known, which do not make possible their clear cultural classification. Thus the basis for the coming period of the Early Iron Age, to whose initial phase the chance find of a fragment of a bronze fibula of the Vače type from Vinkovci is dated, remains unknown. According to the classification by S. Gabrovac, the Vinkovci fibula belongs to the type Va of two-looped arched fibulae with an iron core and a bronze coating. The dissemination center of those fibulae was in the areas of Bela Krajina, Dolenjska and Gorenjska. A fibula of the Vače type (type Vb) was found on the cemetery Lijeva bara in Vukovar in the skeleton grave 269, in which a man with a spear and a sharpening iron was buried, whose handle was fashioned in the Thraco- Cimmerian style. On the sites of the Martijanec-Kaptol group, those fibulae appear throughout the first horizon, belonging to the end of the 8th and the beginning of the 7th century BC, into which period the Vinkovci fibula should be dated as well. Two fibulae chance finds from the area of the village of Orolik testify to the existence of links between the Vinkovci area in the early phase of the Early Iron Age and the dissemination area of the Dolenjska and Martijanec-Kaptol groups. On the site Rajterovo Brdo a fragment of a bronze fibula with a boat-shaped arch was found, whose terminals are decorated with engraved lines (T. 1., 3), whereas on the neighboring site called Zadružno dvorište (Cooperative Yard) a small bronze boat-shaped fibula with a transversal rip on its arch was unearthed, which is also decorated with engravings (T. 1., 1). Boat-shaped fibulae with transversal rips are characteristic of the eastern Alpine-Pannonian Region, and they belong to the first half or the middle of the 7th century BC. The fibula from Orolik can probably be dated into the same period. The existence of tumuli, uncovered already by the end of the 19th century, and systematically recorded in the Vinkovci area in 1951, testify to the links of the eastern Slavonian and the Srijem regions with the dissemination area of the Martijanec-Kaptol group in the West during the early phase of the Early Iron Age. The largest group, consisting of five tumuli, was uncovered near Stari Jankovci, whereas one tumulus was registered between the villages Ostrovo and Gaboš, northwest from Vinkovci. In the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb objects from the destroyed earth tumulus in Ilača are preserved, in which an iron spear, a bronze knob as part of horse-riding equipment, a rounded wether-bell and a part of a doublethreaded wire were found. Considering the excavation results in Stari Jankovci, where cremation and possibly skeleton burials were registered, we should look for analogies in the first place within the framework of the neighboring Martijanec-Kaptol group. The find of a bronze knob as part of horse-riding equipment from the destroyed tumulus in Ilača testifies to the dating of eastern Slavonian and Srijem tumuli, dating the knob into the 8th century BC, when on the right Danube bank a concentration of hoards containing horse-riding equipment is registered. The Dalj culture finds, uncovered in 1951 during the leveling of the southern part of the prehistoric multi-layer settlement on Tržnica (the Market) in the center of Vinkovci, belong to the earlier phase of the Early Iron Age. On this occasion, a pot with an S profiled body was unearthed with a striped grip and a shoulder decorated by vertically set cannelures divided into metopes. On the basis of the shape and the ornaments, the pot is classified as belonging to the Dalj culture and dated in the period from the year 700 until 600 BC. In trial excavations on the same site in 1962 in the surface strata new pottery finds of the Dalj culture were registered, collected also on Borinci near Jarmina. The early phase of the Early Iron Age in the Vinkovci area is represented by a larger number of sites (Fig. 1.), consisting of settlements as well as grave sites with skeleton burials, testifying to the complex ethnic and cultural activities going on in the region of southern Pannonia from the beginning of the 6th century BC until the Celtic settlement at the end of the 4th century BC. In the site Silos on Ervenica in the southeastern part of Vinkovci, in rescue excavations in 1972 two skeleton graves were unearthed. Grave 1 contained a woman’s burial with rich vaults representing Late Hallstatt I southern Pannonian costume, consisting of a bronze astragalar belt with 73 pieces preserved; a bronze Certosa fibula of the V group, decorated on its arch with the engraved motif of a firbranch; and a necklace with 24 beads. In grave 2 there was a biconical pot, which on the spot where the shoulder enters into the body is decorated with four knob-shaped protrusions, between which there are transversal cannelures. On the basis of vaults, the graves are dated into the devel- oped 5th century BC and classified as belonging to the Srijem culture of the western Balkan cultural complex. A richly vaulted female burial, which according to its inventory completely corresponds to grave 1 from Ervenica, was found near Novi Jankovci during railway construction works in 1890. Of the vaults, 11 bronze pieces of the astragalar belt, a bronze Certosa fibula of the V group and 4 beads made of yellow glass paste were preserved. On the basis of the find of the astragalar belt, J. Brunšmid ascribes the burial from Novi Jankovci to a man, but other contemporaneous burials with astragalar belts in the area of southern Pannonia suggest that we are dealing with female burials with characteristically extraordinarily rich costumes. Graves from Vinkovci and Novi Jankovci are dated on the basis of Certosa fibulae of the V group, which was one of the leading forms in the 5th century BC. On an unknown location in Vinkovci two astragalar belt pieces were found (T. 1., 8-9), whereas a fragment of another piece (T. 1., 4) was found during rescue excavations in Duga Street 23 in the center of Vinkovci. J. Brunšmid mentions a piece and a buckle of an astragalar belt with three loops and a fibula with two spirals and a plateshaped arch. The large number of chance finds of pieces of astragalar belts and other artifacts of the earlier phase of the Early Iron Age testify to the existence of a larger number of graves from this period on a couple of sites in Vinkovci. Chance finds of beads made of yellow glass paste with an ornamentation in the shape of a white-andblue eye-motif, found on Rajterovo brdo in Orolik (T. 1., 5-6) and in Vinkovački Banovci (T. 1., 7), most probably belong to the same period to which the graves from Ervenica and Novi Jankovci are dated. Graves from Ervenica and Novi Jankovci, as well as other chance finds from the same period from the Vinkovci area belong to the Srijem culture of the western Balkan cultural complex. Of particular significance for the understanding of the complex cultural and ethnic picture of the southern Pannonian area at the end of the Early Iron Age was the uncovering of the cemetery on the site of the department store Nama in the western, peripheral part of the multilayer prehistoric settlement on Tržnica in Vinkovci. In the rescue excavations in 1976 and 1977 eight skeletal burials and three horse burials were unearthed. In the graves of men, women and children bronze Certosa fibulae of the XIII group were found, as well as bronze and iron crossbow fibulae with a slightly bowed foot and a bronze fibula with a drum-shaped arch. An iron lance with a narrow web and a long sheath belongs to weapon finds. In grave 1 a bronze scepter was found, decorated with incised geometrical motifs. Among objects intended for every-day use there are finds of iron knives, whereas bracelets made of glass paste beads were worn around the neck. Vaults of pottery vessels were registered in the graves too, including a cantharus from grave 3 with a smoothed surface covered by miniature graphite particles. Burials of two horses contained parts of bronze horse-riding equipment. One piece of equipment consisted of bronze phalera produced in three sizes and of radially bowed parts of bronze metal sheet originating from the dissemination area of phase Early La Tène culture. The burial of the other horse contained forged bronze equipment with Thraco-Scythian characteristics, consisting of appliqués stylized in the shape of a griffin or a deer and of two polygonal sheets that served as metal fittings at rein endings. On the basis of the described vaults, the cemetery is dated into the late 5th and the first half of the 4th century BC, and it testifies to various influences from the territory of the lower Danube area and from the northern parts of the Pannonian Valley. The find of a bronze Certosa fibula of group XIII (T. 1., 2), found in 1977 on the southern part of the prehistoric tell Tržnica, is dated to the same period. The results of the rescue excavations of the prehistoric multi-layer settlement Damića gradina in Stari Mikanovci, conducted in 1980, are of particular importance for the understanding of the typology of pottery shapes of the younger phase of the Early Iron Age on the territory of eastern Slavonia and western Srijem. The greatest concentration of finds was registered in quadrant 20 and those surrounding it, where the remains of a house with a burned-down clay floor were found at 1.40 m, in which there were pottery fragments laid as terrazzo. The house was destroyed in a vigorous fire, as evident from large lumps of burned daub, as well as from finds of pottery fragments which were almost totally misshaped due to exposure to high temperature. Among the most interesting finds from Damića gradina is certainly that of the bronze Dux fibula, for which there are no exact data as to the location and depth of the find. Since the La Tène culture settlement is dated into the younger stage of Middle La Tène phase and the Late La Tène phase, i.e. into the second half of the 2nd and the 1st century BC, the fibula most probably belongs to the Early Iron Age layer, which, used in conjunction with the analysis of pottery finds, plays a significant role in the final dating of the settlement. In order to determine a clear cultural and chronological position of the Early Iron Age settlement on Damića gradina, a detailed typological-statistical processing of all pottery finds was carried out, on the basis of which basic functional forms were isolated with their respective types and versions. In a descriptive analysis a total of 5,109 fragments were processed, out of which number it was possible to define the functional form for 1,361 (26.64%), whereas this was not possible with 3,748 fragments (73.36%). When defining the typological table of functional forms, the basic criterion was sorting the forms based on the outline of the vessel, followed by the defining of the versions, which were sorted according to different rim shape and according to different decorating techniques (T. 2.-4.). Out of 1,361 distinct forms, 632 were pots (46.44%), 642 were bowls (47.17%), 22 canthari (1.62%), in one case a jug was registered (0.07%), and cups are represented with 34 samples (2.50%), whereas vessels of small dimensions with one grip were recognized as spoons and registered in 30 cases (2.20%). On Damića gradina 703 functional forms or fragments were sorted, which makes 13.76% of the total number of processed frag-ments, which are decorated in seven various decorating techniques appearing in different combinations on a single vessel. The largest number of forms and fragments is ornamented in the combination of the application of a plastic ribbon, on which fingerprints are applied (T. 2., 2, 5; T. 3., 4). Next come imprinting, engraving (T. 4., 4), appliqué, gouge (T. 4., 1) and modeling. The smallest number of forms and fragments is decorated with canneluring or a smoothed ornament (T. 2., 6). On the surface of a couple of fragments miniature graphite particles were registered. Characteristics similar to Damića gradina in selecting the position for constructing a settlement are also evident with Dirov brijeg in Vinkovci, where, during rescue excavations, pottery finds were unearthed which according to their forms and ornaments completely correspond with the finds from Damića gradina. Dirov brijeg is a prehistoric hillfort on the confluence of the Nevkoš Stream and the Bosut River. During rescue excavations in 1951 a fragment of a cup with a grip was found, on whose top there is a plastic protrusion decorated with a smoothed ornament (T. 1., 8). In conservation excavations in 1996 in J. Kozarca Street 74, which runs through the eastern part of Dirov brijeg, a trench was investigated, in whose filling, apart from plenty of La Tène pottery, pottery fragments were found which are dated into the younger phase of the Early Iron Age (T. 5.). A settlement form the Early Iron Age was uncovered in a survey in 1954 on the site Gradac, situated on the Bosut River near the village Podgrađe. It is a multi-layer settlement, from which a find of a cup with a rounded body and a grip with two plastic protrusions on the top is known (T. 1., 11). The find of a cup with an identically shaped grip is known from Gradina on Bosut, which is not surprising considering the fact that the settlement in Podgrađe is situated some ten kilometers to the west of the eponymous site of the Bosut culture. The comparatively closest functional forms and decorating techniques and motifs to pottery finds from Damića gradina and Dirov brijeg may be found on sites of the horizon of cannelured pottery in Srijem, i.e. phase III of the Bosut culture. This relates particularly to the rich and various pottery repertoire sorted in layers belonging to the settlement horizon Bosut IIIc of the eponymous Gradina on Bosut. In the youngest phases of the horizon IIIc fragments decorated with net-like or ribbon-like smoothed ornaments were registered, thus forming a base for the dating of identical fragments from Damića gradina and Dirov brijeg. Certain pottery forms may be compared to finds from other sites form the Early Iron Age in eastern Slavonia, as well as in a broader southeastern Alpine Pannonian area. Pottery finds from Damića gradina have numerous corresponding forms, decoration motifs and techniques in the finds from settlements in Osijek, as well as in the phases IIc and IIIa of Donja Dolina according to the classification by Z. Marić, i.e. with finds of the phases 3a-2 and 3b according to the classification by B. Čović. Correspondences with certain forms from Damića gradina may be found on the hillfort Klinac southern from Petrinja, as well as the hillfort Kiringrad. Considering numerous described comparisons, the pottery finds from Damića gradina, Dirov brijeg and Gradac in Podgrađe can be dated into the younger phase of the Early Iron Age. The mentioned settlements according to the typological characteristics of pottery forms as well as decoration motifs and techniques belong to the dissemination area of the phase III of the Bosut culture, i.e. the horizon of cannelured pottery. In order to support the suggested dating of settlements we can take the finds of pots with a rounded body and the grips overtopping the rim (T. 4., 6), which have one or two differently shaped plastic protrusions on the top, out of which the two from Dirov brijeg are decorated with a smoothed ornament (T. 1., 8; T. 5., 8). The fragment of a grip from Damića gradina with a somewhat clearer presentation of two small animal heads proves that we are dealing with highly stylized presentations of animal protomes. Significant for the dating of the settlements Damića gradina and Dirov brijeg are also fragments of cups with a rounded body whose inner surface is decorated with a smoothed ornament. Direct comparisons as to the form of the cup and the decoration technique and motifs are found on Gradina on Bosut, where the described form belongs to the horizon of cannelured pottery. Decorating by smoothing is to become characteristic of the ceramography of La Tène culture of the Scordiscs. In determining the chronology of the Early Iron Age strata from Damića gradina and recognizing the base of certain cultural influences, the appearance of a jug and of fragments with rippled decorations is significant (T. 4., 5). The appearance of the rippled ornament on Damića gradina points to the existence of cultural influences from the west, from the dissemination area of the Dolenjska and the Martijanec-Kaptol groups, which were already registered in the younger phase of the Early Iron Age in the description of the finds from the graves of the Srijem culture. Certain differences between the pottery finds from Damića gradina and Gradina on Bosut are visible in the first place in the small number of forms and fragments, which on Damića gradina are cannelured, and an entire phase of the Bosut culture was named after this decorating technique. The described difference, as well as the fact that only a slightly larger number of fragments from Damića gradina was decorated in similar gouge technique, probably corresponds to certain chronological differences, i.e. it is supposed that the settlements Damića gradina and Dirov brijeg belong to the younger part of phase III of the Bosut culture, when decorating by canneluring, after which the entire phase was named, was not that common any longer. Pottery became mostly undecorated, and even if there was an ornament, it was mostly a combination of a plastic ribbon and a set of stamps. The assumptions on dating are supported also by the lack of finds of horizontally facetted everted pot rims, as well as of bowls with a rounded body and an inverted rim, transversally or horizontally cannelured and facetted on Damića gradina, from where a significant quantity of pottery material originates, as well as on Dirov brijeg. The Early Iron Age sites in Vinkovci and its surroundings offer a possibility for studying the relationship of the Bosut and the Dalj culture, two neighboring cultural phenomena that in the central Danube Region marked the period of the Early Iron Age. In settlements and grave sites of the Dalj culture from the early phase of the Early Iron Age in Dalj and Vukovar the appearance of pottery fragments of Bessarabian style was registered, which belong to phase II of the Bosut culture, whereas fragments of Dalj pottery are known from Gradina on Bosut. The appearance of skeletal burials on cremation grave sites of the Dalj culture in Vukovar and Dalj reflects the influence of the neighboring Bosut culture, as well as the eastern Alpine and the northern Balkan area, of which the inhumation rite is characteristic. The southern border of the Dalj culture dissemination was mainly drawn along the line Ilok-Vukovar-Županja or Vukovar-Vinkovci, with the penetration of the Dalj culture up to the western slopes of Fruška gora near Ilok and Šid. Thus the area between Vukovar and Šid might have been a transitional zone between the Bosut and the Dalj cultures, and the basis for making a distinction was pottery, whereas metal finds such as horse-riding equipment appear on sites of both cultures. The supposed differentiation could thus be related to the early phase of the Early Iron Age, into which pottery finds of the Dalj culture from Tržnica in Vinkovci are dated. In the younger phase of the Early Iron Age the Bosut culture was spread to the west in its phase III or the horizon of cannelured pottery, to which the settlements Dirov brijeg in Vinkovci and Damića gradina in Stari Mikanovci belong. This assump

Ilok - Castle of the Dukes of Ilok. 2004 Excavation Results

Sustavna arheološko-konzervatorska istraživanja u Iloku u kontinuitetu se već četiri godine provode na prostoru sjevernog dijela kasnosrednjovjekovnog dvora Iločkih. Iskopavanja su 2004. godine obuhvatila prostor sjeverozapadno od utvrđene osnove dvora knezova Iločkih, pri čemu je istražena arhitektonska veza sjeverozapadnog dijela dvora s danas vidljivim sklopom obrambenih zidina koje se pružaju prema zapadu. Osim arhitekture, istrženi su slojevi i strukture zapadno od palače Iločkih koji svjedoče o kontinuiranoj naseljenosti Gornjega grada u Iloku od prapovijesti do danas. Brojni pokretni nalazi, posebno kao što su antički i kasnosrednjovjekovni novac te luksuzni kasnosrednjovjekovni pećnjaci, pomoći će pri dataciji stratigrafski istraženih struktura i slojeva.In the northern part of the late medieval Castle of the Dukes of Ilok, systematic archaeological conservation excavations in Ilok have been conducted for four years. In 2004 excavations covered the area north-west of the fortified base of the Castle of the Ilok Dukes, with examination of the architectural link between the north-western part of the Castle and the currently visible complex of defensive walls in the west. Investigation of late medieval archi- tecture encompassed the western faces of the piers on the western side of the investigated Castle, whereas it was concluded that the northern pier, along with the furthest northern pier, belongs to a cross-like organized post of the north-western corner of the late medieval Castle. Apart from the architecture, layers and structures west of the Castle of the Ilok Dukes were investigated, which testify to the continued settlement of the Upper Town of Ilok since prehistoric times. The late medieval trench for the western wall of the Ilok Castle was excavated. The trench cut the Late Antiquity pit that was sunken into the prehistoric layer. A Late Hallstatt semidwelling pit was found as well. Numerous finds, particularly those of Antiquity-period and Late Medieval coins and luxurious Late Medieval stove-tiles, will help date the stratigraphically investigated structures and layers. A surprising aspect about the excavations conducted so far is the lack of layers from the early or high Middle Ages, which can be ascribed to the preparation of the terrain for construction of the magnificent Late Medieval Castle of the Ilok Dukes that had to have its foundations on solid, compact earth, i.e. a loess layer. This notable building, which altered the appearance of the western part of the Ilok Plateau once and for all, was a turning point for the position of the site at which it was erected in the middle of the fifteenth century, as it gained residential status. Interventions during construction of the late medieval Castle paid no attention to stratigraphic layers and structures of the rich past of the area, which - according to the remains of remains - was rich since the Early Bronze Age. Numerous questions remain open: archaeological remains, i.e. layers of one hundred and fifty years of the Ottoman presence, are missing, as is the picture of the architectural complex of the Late Medieval Castle and its links with the simultaneous defensive walls and the central courtyard. Also, the excavations shall present the settlement of this area before building the Castle, in the Middle Ages, as well as in Antiquity and the prehistoric period. Some issues could be partly explained by the present excavations, and they will probably be largely resolved after excavations in the entire western part of the plateau chosen by the Dukes of Ilok as the construction site for their Castle

Sotin, 2008 Field Survey

Tijekom ožujka 2008. godine obavljen je terenski pregled na području današnjeg sela Sotin. Pregledana je zona od sjeverozapada prema jugoistoku područja sjeverno od ceste Vukovar-Ilok, pri čemu su obuhvaćeni položaji od kojih su neki već otprije poznati u literaturi. Pri terenskom pregledu uočena je gusta naseljenost ovog prostora, gotovo tijekom svih razdoblja prapovijesti, antike i srednjeg vijeka.In a field survey of part of the village Sotin, the sites known from the literature (Ilkić 1999; Ilkić 2003) were inspected, some of which were registered earlier. Besides several small-scale rescue excavations (digs of house foundations, etc.) in the Sotin area in the 1970s, conducted by the curator of the Vukovar City Museum, A. Dorn, there were no archaeological excavations in this area before. In view of the periods to which the finds belong (prehistory, Antiquity, Middle Ages) and their significance, Sotin needs to be sorted out in the archaeological map of Croatia. Besides finds from the Neolithic and the Eneolithic periods, the Middle Bronze Age, the Late Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, Sotin was a military fortress on the limes of the Roman Empire. Individual finds from the Migration Period and the Middle Ages are also known. Regarding the return of the population after the 1990s Homeland War, and the reconstruction and development of the presentday settlement on the territory of past settlements and cemeteries, it is necessary to preserve the entire archaeological zone of the Sotin area, and to conduct trial excavations in order to confirm the individual micro-locations