Bronze Age funerary practice in the Western Morava basin

Област Западног Поморавља, дефинисана током истоимене реке и појединих притока, представља природну спону између западне и централне Србије...Defined by the flow of the river and its tributaries, the region of the Western Morava basin represents a natural connection between western and central Serbia, which in wider sense links the Dinarides of the western Balkans and the Morava Vardar route. A significant number of funeral sites originate from the Bronze Age, and they are mostly concentrated in the northern part of this area, while the settlements are rare and insufficiently known despite very intensive field surveys. During several decades of the intensive research, a significant amount of the material was collected from the necropolises, which provided an opportunity to reconsider the previous attitudes and knowledge, especially the ones regarding some recent archeological research and the ones compared to the contemporaneous analysis from the neighboring regions. Examining the different types of the necropolises used through the various phases of the Bronze Age, we can infer that the barrows are always noticed in the northern part of the Western Morava basin bordered by the valley. Downstream of Kraljevo, the basic concept is rather different, primarily due to the fact that flat necropolises were used without preserving any grave mark, thus hindering their identification. This type of necropolis distribution has remained almost unchanged during the whole period of the Bronze Age development, which consequently has provided a reliable opportunity to define a bordering are The basic concept for the material systematization has been primarily determined by the necropolis type, and the following characteristics type of material, shape, decoration and function, whereby the material traces of the executed rituals that followed the funeral were not omitted. The characteristics, amount and place of finding of the material traces..

Contribution to the Study of Spectacle-shaped Pendants in Western Serbia

This paper discusses spectacle-shaped pendants made of bronze wire representing relatively frequent grave goods found under the Middle Bronze Age tumuli in the western Serbian region. Within these finds, based on the manufacturing details, it is possible to distinguish exceptional pieces representing a unique phenomenon characteristic exclusively to this region. By comparing them with the objects found in the nearby territories, as well as in a wider area of distribution of metallic products from Central Europe and the Carpathian Basin, it can be concluded that these pieces of jewelry, together with the different types of torcs, pins and bracelets, as well as the used decorative patterns, were quite possibly manufactured in local workshops operating most probably in Western Serbia

Three Roman bronze vessels from the National Nuseum in Čačak

Rimske bronzane posude: dve situle i kaserola, otkrivene su slučajno prilikom izgradwe porodične kuće u centru Čačka 1960. Vedra su opredeljena u poznate tipove Bargfeld i Hemoor, koji su široko rasprostranjeni u Rimskom carstvu, a posebno duž rajnskog i dunavskog limesa, gde se, mahom, nalaze kao uobičajeni delovi vojničke opreme, dok kaserola pripada vrlo retkom tipu sa pomičnom drškom, takođe nošenom u vojničkom prtljagu kao posuda za pripremanje hrane, a posebno za pečenje hleba. Sve tri posude mogu se opredeliti u period II-III v., kada su na mestu današnjeg Čačka, tada graničnoj oblasti provincija Gornje Mezije i Dalmacije, bile stacionirane jedinice Cohors VIII voluntariorum, Cohors II Delmatorum, kao i beneficijariji iz redova Legio XI Claudia.Three Roman copper alloy vessels, rare in western Serbia, were found in 1960 in central Čačak. Two buckets (situlae) and one pan (trulla), were discovered by chance, during construction work, in the vicinity of a massive Roman wall built of stone and mortar. The first bucket (fig. 1/1), (Reg. No. A 721) well preserved, has a bi-conical body with the rim turned on the outer side (dimensions: rim diameter 20-20.5 cm; base diameter 14.5 cm; height 17 cm). The shoulder of the vessel is positioned at 2/3 of its height which identified this situla as the Barfeld type dating from 1st to 2nd century A.D. Several finds of buckets belonging to this popular type have been made in Serbia, mostly dredged from the river Sava at Sremska Rača near Sirmium. Nevertheless, it resembles most closely the situla from the National Museum at Vršac, probably found in the vicinity of Stara Palanka. The second bucket (fig. 1/2) (Reg. No. A 722) identified as a Hemoor type situla is partially preserved (dimensions: rim diameter 16 cm; height 8 cm; handle diameter 0.8 cm). The upper body of the vessel is adorned with two pairs of parallel incised lines. The vessel is made of copper tin alloy (thickness: 1.5-2 mm) and has a greenish patina. Hemoor type buckets were found in great numbers both within the Roman empire and outside its borders. They were dated to 200-300 A.D. and divided into two variants. Samples from Serbia belong to the Pannonian variant with shallower recipient, low ring-like foot and almost circular handle holders. Analogies from the territory of the Sava and Danube valleys are known from Osijek (Mursa) in Croatia and the site Groblje at Šetjernej in Slovenia, as well as from some Pannonian urban centres (Sophiana, Intercisa, Vindobona). The third vessel (fig. 2), (Reg. No. A 723) exceptional in shape, was beaten from a copper alloy sheet with a high percentage of copper which gives the alloy its intensive red color (dimensions: base diameter 24 cm; height 4 cm; handle length of 14 cm; handle width 2.5 cm). It is made in the shape of a round shallow recipient with vertical sides and single folding handle positioned horizontally. Vessels of this peculiar shape resembling modern frying pans, were certainly used for food processing, most probably for bread baking (Bratpfanne). The chronology of these vessels, made of copper alloy or iron, spans the period from the middle of 2nd to the end of the first third of the 3rd century A.D. They have been found all over the Roman empire: Britain, France, Southern Italy Austria, Germany and all the way to Egypt. The pan belongs to the unusual type of Roman bronze vessels rare both in the Central Balkans and over a broader territory. The only analogy from Serbia that is known to us comes from the limes in the Iron Gates gorge. It was found in a hoard of bronze vessels uncovered at the Roman fortress Campsa near Ravna, dated to the first half of the 3rd century A.D. The copper alloy vessels from Čačak should be connected most probably to the presence of the Roman army in this territory already confirmed by several votive inscriptions. These inscriptions mention a centurion of Cohors VIII voluntariorum, beneficiarii from Legio XI Claudia and even the military tribune of Cohors II Delmatorum. According to epigraphic data, a Roman military fortification of ca. 5 ha should be expected in the vicinity of Čačak, dated as early as the end of the 2nd and with more certainty during the 3rd century. A camp of that size would have been large enough to accommodate the cohors milliaria equitata garrison mentioned in votive inscriptions. The presence of a Roman garrison of such a considerable number and character in the vicinity of Čačak can be explained by the strategic importance of this territory on the crossroads of important Roman land communications between the provinces of Upper Moesia and Dalmatia as well as the importance of the Roman silver mines at Kosmaj and Rudnik nearby

The Late Antique dietary habits in Western Serbia: a case study of the Čačak – Dvorište Gimnazije site

The analysed faunal material was collected during the rescue archaeological campaigns conducted between 2014 and 2018 by the National Museum Čačak at the Dvorište Gimnazije site in Čačak (Western Serbia). The Late Antique building remains, constructed in the 3rd–4th century, preserved at the foundation level were discovered at the site. After its destruction, building was reused during the late 4th and the 5th century but in a more primitive manner. Remains of a few pits, hearths, and probably primitive dwellings belong to this horizon. The 3rd horizon at this site dates to the Late Medieval period (the 15th and the first half of the 16th century), and it is represented by a Christian necropolis dug into the Roman building. Faunal material is more abundant in the Late Antique period than in the Late Medieval context. The remains of mammals form the majority of the faunal sample. Domestic species are more frequent within the assemblage and include cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, horses, dogs, and cats. Furthermore, wild species are represented by wild boar, red deer, roe deer, fox, and hare. The most common are the remains of cattle, followed by pigs and caprines. Among wild mammals, the most numerous remains belong to wild boar and red deer. The greater importance of domestic mammals is expected for the Late Antique and Medieval archaeological sites in Serbia. In addition, the bird remains were confirmed as well. Among them, the remains of chicken were the most numerous. Since this is a newly discovered site, additional archaeological excavations in the vicinity are needed to create a broader picture of this site and its role within the currently unnamed ancient settlement that lasted throughout the centuries by the Western Morava River. Moreover, new zooarchaeological research will enable a better understanding of human–animal relationships of the inhabitants of this settlement in the past

Lost and Found: Animal Management Throughout the Roman and the Late Antique Periods Within the Settlement(s) Under the Modern City of Čačak (Western Serbia)

Even though archaeozoology of the Roman and the Late Antique periods is a young discipline that has gained momentum in Serbia in recent decades, there is still modest information originating from the area of Western Serbia. So far, the data from the archaeological site Jerinin grad – Brangović has been published (Kukić, Mladenović 2014). However, in the last two years, analyses of archaeofaunal material from the area of present-day Čačak, which includes three sites/locations – Courtyard of the Gymnasium, Courtyard of the National Museum, and Courtyard of the Church of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin – dating back to the Roman and Late Antique periods, have gotten underway. This paper aims to provide an insight into animal management within the same landscape at three different locations through time by comparing taxa ratios, body part profiles, age and sex data, pathological changes, as well as butchery mark patterns between various sites/locations to reveal plausible diachronic and contextual differences in the strategies of animal exploitation

Some Light in the Dark Ages: Remarks on Cultural Continuity during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in West Morava Basin

The West Morava River Basin located in western Serbia has a long tradition of archaeological investigation and is best known for the long lasting prehistoric tradition of burials under tumuli. In contrast to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, both characterised by cemeteries with both inhumations and cremations, our knowledge of the Late Bronze Age funerary practice is fragmentary and insufficient to reconstruct the events at the turn of the 2nd and the 1st millennia BCE in the region. In the middle part of the basin, it seems that burial customs during this period maintained the basic form common in the previous phases, including the use of burial mounds, cremation, and deposition of ashes of the deceased in urns. The site of Baluga-Katovac is the only one in this part of the Morava Basin where grave finds belong to the so-called transitional period from the Bronze to the Iron Age. In the upper part of the basin, the mountainous area of western Serbia, the indigenous Late Bronze Age population inhumed their dead in supine position, as indicated by the finds from the cemetery Stapari near Užice. The evidence for the end of this insufficiently investigated period is presented by the graves from the Kalakača phase of the so-called Bosut group, found in the mound cemetery in Mojsinje, and several ceramic sherds from nearby hillforts. The graves with inhumations from Mojsinje, along with those in the Stapari cemetery and possibly Dobrača near Kragujevac, represent a rare phenomenon of this period, shared in the area south of the Danube and Sava Rivers. Our methodological framework for the examination of the character of contacts and influences from the north has been based on the recognition of imitations on the frequent archaeological material, mainly pottery, and on the assumption that it was connected to the presence of indigenous people. Archaeology of the period at the turn of the 2nd and the 1st millennia BCE, when communities from the West Morava Basin lived at the most remote edge of the “Urnfield world”, has not provided us with sufficient data to know what happened with the Bronze Age populations who cremated their dead. The only connecting link with the Early Iron Age is the use of tumuli as part of burial practice, which leads us to presume that the Late Bronze Age populations went through substantial changes during the centuries immediately preceding the Iron Age, when the region became for a short time integrated into the Danubian world of the Bosut group. It can also be expected that in this area, far from the leading cultural centres, prolonged adherence to older cultural patterns changed only slowly, and populations consistently kept most of long-established funerary practices.Il bacino della Morava Occidentale ha una lunga tradizione di scavi archeologici ed è meglio conosciuta per la lunga durata della sepultura sotto i tumuli. Al contrario della prima e della media età del bronzo, tutte e due caratterizate dalle necropoli birituali, la nostra conoscienza dei rituali funebri della tarda età del bronzo è frammentaria e non basta per ricostruire gli eventi alla svolta dal II al I millenio a.C. nella regione. Nella parte media del bacino, sembra che i riti funebri durante questo periodo hanno mantenuto la loro forma originale dai periodi precedenti, al primo posto per quanto riguarda l’uso dei tumuli funebri, incinerazione e il deposito dei resti del defunto nelle urne cinerarie. La località di Baluga-Katovac è l’unica nel bacino della Morava Occidentale, la quale svela i ritrovamenti tombali appartenenti al cosiddetto periodo di transizione dall’età del bronzo al quello del ferro. Nella parte superiore del bacino, nell’aerea montagniosa della Serbia occidentale, la popolazione indigena dell’età del bronzo seppeliva i suoi morti in posizione supina, come è stato verificato nella necropoli di Stapari accanto alla città di Užice. Quest’insufficientemente conosciuto periodo termina con le tombe di Kalakača fase del gruppo di Bosut, trovate nelle necropoli sotto i tumuli in Mojsinje e parecchi frammenti di ceramiche trovate sulle coline fortificate nelle vicinanze. Le sepolture con i defunti inumati da Mojsinje, insieme con la necropoli di Stapari e possibile di Dobrača presso la città di Kragujevac, rapresentano il raro fenomeno di questo periodo conosciuto al sud dei fiumi Sava e Danubio. Contare alla presenza delle popolazioni indigene, la nostra struttura metodologica, determinata all’esaminazione del carattere dei contatti e di riflessi dal nord, ha la sua base sul ricognoscimento dell’immitazione sui ritrovamenti frequenti, a partire dalla ceramica. L’archeologia dei secoli alla svolta dal II al I millenio a.C., quanto le communità di bacino del fiume Morava Occidentale hanno visuto sui margini remoti del mondo dei campi di urne, non ci ha fornito informazioni sufficenti per rivendicare cosa è successo con le popolazioni dell’età del bronzo le quali incinerevano i suoi morti. L’unico collegamento con la prima età del ferro sarebbe l’usanza dei tumuli nel rito funebre, la quale ci offre un presupposizione che la popolazione della tarda età del bronzo ha passato cambiamenti sostanziali durante i secoli che precedevano l’età del ferro sensu stricto, quando la regione era, per il breve periodo integrato in mondo danubiano della cultura di Bosut. Può anche essere previsto che nella zona, lantano dai principali centri culturali, i precedenti modelli culturali sono lentamente cambiati e mantenevano costantemente la maggior parte della loro pratica funeraria.Basen reke Zapadne Morave, koji se nalazi u zapadnoj Srbiji, poznat je po dugotrajnoj praksi sahranjivanja pod tumulima u praistoriji, čija arheološka istraživanja imaju veoma dugu tradiciju. Za razliku od ranog i srednjeg bronzanog doba, za koje su karakteristične nekropole sa inhumacijama i kremacijama, naše znanje o pogrebnim običajima kasnog bronzanog doba je fragmentarno i nedovoljno za rekonstruisanje događaja na prelazu 2. u 1. milenijum pre nove ere u ovom regionu. Stiče se utisak da su u tom periodu, u srednjem delu basena, pogrebni običaji zadržali osnovnu formu uobičajenu u prethodnim fazama, koja podrazumeva upotrebu grobnih humki, kremacije i polaganja pepela pokojnika u urne. Lokalitet Baluga-Katovac jedini је u ovom delu Pomoravlja sa grobnim nalazima iz takozvanog prelaznog perioda od bronzanog ka gvozdenom dobu. U gornjem toku, planinskom području zapadne Srbije, autohtone kasnobronzanodopske populacije skeletno su sahranjivale svoje pokojnike u ispruženom položaju, na šta ukazuju nalazi sa nekropole Stapari kod Užica. Svedočanstvo o završetku ovog nedovoljno istraženog razdoblja predstavljaju grobovi Kalakača faze takozvane bosutske grupe, otkriveni na nekropoli pod tumulima u Mojsinju, kao i nekoliko keramičkih fragmenata sa obližnjih gradina. Grobovi sa inhumacijama iz Mojsinja, zajedno sa grobovima iz nekropole Stapari i potencijalno Dobrače kod Kragujevca, predstavljaju redak fenomen za ovaj period, u zoni južno od Save i Dunava. Naš metodološki okvir za ispitivanje karaktera kontakata i uticaja sa severa zasnovan je na prepoznavanju imitacija na arheološkom materijalu sa učestalom frekvencijom nalaza, uglavnom keramici, i na pretpostavci da je ta pojava povezana sa prisustvom autohtonog stanovništva. Arheologija perioda prelaza 2. u 1. milenijum pre nove ere, kada su zajednice iz zapadnog Pomoravlja živele na najudaljenijem rubu ‘sveta polja sa urnama’, nije nam obezbedila dovoljno podataka za saznanje o tome šta se dogodilo sa bronzanodopskim populacijama koje su spaljivale svoje pokojnike. Jedini povezujući faktor sa starijim gvozdenim dobom jeste upotreba tumula kao deo pogrebne prakse, što nas dovodi do pretpostavke da su populacije kasnog bronzanog doba prošle kroz korenite promene tokom vekova koji su neposredno prethodili gvozdenom dobu, kada je ovaj region postao za kratko vreme integrisan u podunavski svet bosutske grupe. Takođe se može očekivati da se u ovoj oblasti, daleko od vodećih kulturnih centara, produžena privrženost starim kulturnim modelima menjala samo polagano, i da je stanovništvo dosledno zadržalo većinu davno uspostavljenih pogrebnih praksi

The Abundance Revealing Status? First Iron Age Princely Necropolises in Western Serbia and their Relation to the Common Funerary Practice

The paper treats different features of grave inventories in the First Iron Age graves in western Serbia. The number of objects in grave inventory and quality of each item are set as the main criteria for determination of groups. It is supposed that the quantity and quality of the grave goods, as well as massiveness of the grave structure and its position, represent the features that reveal status of the deceased

The Role of Amber in Forming the Social Identity of the Bronze Age Communities in Western Serbia Revealed through Funerary Practices

Appearance of amber artefacts in the territory of Serbia can be connected with the Middle Bronze Age, which is later in comparison with the earliest finds of the Baltic amber in south Europe and the Mediterranean. The sites which yielded the amber products are neither numerous nor with even spatial distribution. The Middle Bronze Age finds are grouped inside borders of two geographical units of the central Balkans: the one in Western Serbia, comprising the basins of the rivers Drina and West Morava (sites Belotić-Šumar, Bela Crkva-Cerik Bandera, Banjevac-Jovanin Breg, Brezjak-Paulje, Vranjani-Veliki Lug and Jančići-Ravnine) and the other in the region of Kosovo and Metohija. In all of the cases, the amber finds have funerary context. Reflection of events at the turn of the Middle to Late Bronze Age can be easily recognised in funerary practices, with amber as an important part of grave inventory. The role of amber in forming the social identity of the local communities in Western Serbia can be comprehended having in mind that the rest of the grave inventory is opulent, comprising pottery, bronze jewellery and accessories. It is presumed that the amber decorated the attire of the individuals, possibly socially prominent, but certainly belonging to connected cultures and cultural groups. It is possible that placing the amber in the grave is actually putting the emphasis on the connectivity. The amber, albeit present in small amounts, reveals the importance of this precious resin, the procurement of which was not an easy and safe assignment

Remarks on Tumular Necropolises and “Invisible“ Settlements in Western Serbia in the First Iron Age

Research history of tumular necropolises in Western Serbia provided us with sufficient data to define the basic characteristics and regularities in funerary practice, particularly for the Bronze and Iron Ages. Majority of the First Iron Age graves in this part of the Balkans can be firmly tied with the strong influence of the Glasinac or Glasinac – Mati culture/cultural complex. Its population practiced both inhumation and cremation of the deceased, accompanied by typical elements of attire, with tumular grave marks. In contrast to the well explored necropolises, settlement sites in Western Serbia are still under a question mark. Our knowledge is restricted to some multilayered hill-fort sites, whose poorly preserved stratigraphical sequence comprises First Iron Age material, too. The material confirmation of settlement activities can be treated as a testimony to the specific settlement strategy during the period. However, seven decades of intensive field surveys as well as many sondages, have not provided definite regularities of Iron Age settlements.Istoria cercetărilor necropolelor tumulare din vestul Serbiei ne oferă date suficiente pentru a determina caracteristicile și regularitățile de bază în practica funerară, cu precădere pentru Epoca Bronzului și Epoca Fierului. Majoritatea mormintelor din Prima Epocă a Fierului din această zonă a Balcanilor poate fi strâns legată de influența dominantă a culturii Glasinac sau a complexului cultural Glasinac-Mati. Aceste populații practicau atât înhumarea, cât și incinerarea defuncților, însoțite de elemente specifice veșmintelor, cu markere de mormânt tumular. În contrast cu necropolele bine documentate, poziția așezărilor din vestul Serbiei este încă sub semnul întrebării. Cunoștințele noastre se restrâng la câteva așezări fortificate multi-stratificate, a căror secvență stratificată slab conservată cuprinde material din Prima Epocă a Fierului. Confirmarea materială a activităților din așezare poate fi considerată ca mărturie a unei organizări specifice a așezărilor din această perioadă. Cu toate astea, șapte decenii de cercetări intensive de teren, precum și multe sondaje, nu au definit sistematizarea așezărilor din epoca fierului

Green urban policies –the case of Belgrade [Tenth International Landscape Architecture Exhibition]

Рад студената мастер програма је био усмерен на боље разумевање теме ''политике, као намере да се нешто заиста учини'', и као део савремених напора на пољу повезивања и планирања са реалним изворима финансирања, који су утврђени мерама, како УН и ЕУ политика (Париски договор, Циљеви одрживог развоја, Нова ЕУ Кохезиона политика 2021-27, Зелени договор за Западни Балкан), националним и локалним политикама урбаног развоја (Стратегија развоја Града Београда, Стратегија пошумљавања Града Београда, План одрживе урбане мобилности, Акциони план за одрживу енергију и климу за Град Београд, Акциони план за зелени град). Фокус је био на пројектима које Град реализује у сарадњи са међународним програмима и банкама, уз подршку националних институција, градске управе, организација и установа, невладиних организација. Приказ мапираних пројеката није коначан. У питању је модел за приказивање, праћење реализације и евалуацију пројеката од значаја за урбани развој урбаних насеља. Анализа указује на значајан број реализованих пројеката у домену Зелене агенде - заштите животне средине и климатских промена.The work of the master's students was aimed at better understanding the topic of "policy as an intention to actually do something", as part of contemporary efforts to connect planning with real sources of funding outlined in UN and EU policy (Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals, New EU Cohesion Policy 2021-27, Green Deal for the Western Balkans), as well as national and local urban development policies (Development Strategy of the City of Belgrade, Afforestation Strategy of the City of Belgrade, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate for the City of Belgrade, Action Plan for a Green City). The focus was on projects that the city implements through cooperation with international programs and banks, with the support of national institutions, city administration, organizations and institutions, and non- governmental organizations. The display of mapped projects is not final, and it represents a model for presenting, monitoring the implementation and evaluating projects of importance for the urban development of urban settlements. The analysis indicates a significant number of implemented projects in the field of the Green Agenda - environmental protection and climate change