A New Bronze Age Mega-fort in Southeastern Europe: Recent Archaeological Investigations at Gradiste Idos and their Regional Significance

A newly discovered network of later Bronze Age fortified sites of unusually large size are discussed, with a primary focus on results of excavations at the site of Gradiste Idos. Closely associated with the rivers Mures, Tisza, and Danube, these sites are located in the southeast of the Carpathian Basin in central Europe. On current evidence, the main period of construction and occupation took place between 1400-1100 b.c., probably constituting successor communities of the tell-centred societies of the Middle Bronze Age. Geophysical survey and excavation results from Gradiste Idos, the largest site in this network in Serbia, are presented in this paper within their regional context. We discuss preliminary insights into the structural development of the site, alongside a correlation of new C-14 dates with relative ceramic chronological markers and the results of faunal analysis. These results provide new perspectives on settlement systems at the dawn of Urnfield cultural traditions in this region

First Results of a Bilateral Research Project

Seit 2009 führt die Römisch-Germanische Kommission des DAI in enger Zusammenarbeit mit archäologischen Institutionen der Republik Kosovo geophysikalische Prospektionen durch. Die vielfältige und denkmalreiche Kulturlandschaft des westlichen Balkans bietet ein breites Fundstellenspektrum. Das umfangreiche Prospektionsprogramm zielt in erster Linie auf Stätten neolithischer bis römischer Zeitstellung. Der großflächige Einsatz geophy- sikalischer Messsysteme ermöglicht eine wirkungsvolle Bewertung einer Fundstelle in ihrer Ausdehnung und Vielschichtigkeit sowie ihrer landschaftlichen Einbettung. Neben den bekannten und bereits teilweise archäologisch untersuchten Stätten wie Gllamnik- Vindenis und Graçanicë-Ulpiana/Iustiniana Secunda wurden vor allem die bisher nur durch Oberflächenfunde oder kleine Suchschnitte erfassten Fundstellen von Runik, Boka e Përçevës, Korishë, Lubozhdë und Poslishtë gezielt untersucht. Die geophysika- lischen Messbefunde ganzer Grablandschaften und Siedlungen erweitern und verdichten das Bild einer dynamischen Kulturlandschaft in einer hochfrequentierten Kontaktzone Südosteuropas in prähistorischer und historischer Zeit.Since 2009 the Roman-Germanic Commission of the DAI has conducted geophysical surveys in cooperation with the archaeological institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. The cultural landscape of the Western Balkans encompasses a variety of archaeological monuments and sites. An extensive survey programme mainly aims at sites from the Neolithic to the Roman period. The large-scale use of geophysical measurement systems enables effective evaluation of a site in terms of size, complexity and its integration into the landscape. Apart from well-known and partially excavated sites like Gllamnik-Vindenis and Graçanicë-Ulpiana/Iustiniana Secunda, survey areas at Runik, Boka e Përçevës, Korishë, Lubozhdë and Poslishtë were formerly known by surface finds or small test trenches only. The results of the geophysical survey both at burial landscapes and settlements help to perceive and archaeologically consolidate a dynamic prehistoric and historic cultural landscape within a highly frequented region of contact in South-Eastern Europe