Inventing Metallurgy in Western Eurasia: a Look Through the Microscope Lens

The quest for the ‘when’ and ‘where’ of the world's earliest metallurgy has been dominating scholarly research on this topic for decades. This paper looks beyond the question of origins by discussing ‘how’ and ‘why’ metallurgy was invented. It looks into choices and skills involved in selection, experimentation and processing of distinctively coloured copper minerals and ores throughout c. 2000 years in the Balkans. The body of evidence is built around the currently earliest evidence for copper smelting, dated at c. 5000 bc and discovered in the Serbian Vinča culture site of Belovode. The ‘microstructure’ of a metal invention process is explored through optical and compositional analyses of a selection of copper minerals and metal production evidence: ores, slags, slagged sherds and metal droplets recovered from seven settlements in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, altogether dated between the late seventh and the late fifth millennia bc. This research suggests an independent technological trajectory of the emergence of metallurgy in the Balkans based on a unique technological meme, black and green mineral, which follows the evolution of early metallurgy from mono- to polymetallic within the fifth millennium bc

ULOGA DIREKTORA U FINSKIM ŠKOLAMA

A change of the school principal’s role was marked as one of the most important catalysts in reforming Finnish educational system, the world leader in terms of learning results and students’ achievements. Two factors have influenced the change of principal’s role in schools in Finland: 1) rapid economic growth generated by technological innovation; and 2) the process of municipalization.Promena uloge direktora škole označena je kao jedna od najznačajnijih katalizatora refomre finskog obrazovnog sistema, koji je svetski lider kada su u pitanju rezultati učenja i postignuća učenika. Dva činioca su uticala na promenu uloga direktora u finskim školama: 1) rapidan ekonomski rast generisan tehnološkim inovacijama i 2) proces municipalizacije tj. opštinizacije

Evidence for early copper smelting in Belovode, a Vinča culture settlement in Eastern Serbia

In this thesis the author will discuss evidence for the earliest copper smelting in Europe, documented during excavations of Belovode, a Vinĉa culture site in Eastern Serbia. The remains of slags, malachite beads, ceramics with bone-ash lagging and ores associated with ancient mines found in the vicinity of the site, surface finding of a copper ingot, offer insight into the organization and technology of the exploitation of copper ores for jewellery and metal production, respectively, at the end of the 6th millennium BC; representing one of the earliest known cases for metal smelting in the Neolithic world. The microscopic and compositional analyses have revealed smelting activities carried out in Belovode throughout the occupational period. Furthermore, lead isotope and trace element analyses confirmed exploitation of several copper deposits in the vicinity, one of which is Rudna Glava, already confirmed as the Vinĉa culture mine. Overall, this study demonstrated the consistent copper production over 500 years of occupational period of Belovode, which involved specialized crafts at a time copper represented a crucial commodity. It has provided an insight into what was surely an advanced technology at the end of 6th millennium, clearly pointing at the necessity of revising modern understanding of the development of metallurgy in the Old World

Serbia, Italy's entrance into World War I, and the London Agreement: A new interpretation

Pregovori Italije sa Antantom otpočeli su neposredno po izbijanju Prvog svetskog rata. Inicijativu za pridobijanje jedine preostale države sa statusom velike sile koja se nalazila van sukoba, preuzeo je ruski ministar inostranih dela, Sergej Sazonov, pomalo preuranjeno, početkom avgusta 1914. godine. U Rimu, u tom trenutku, još uvek nisu bili spremni da naprave tako veliki iskorak. Za italijansku reakciju bilo je potrebno da razvoj događaja na frontovima, u korist jedne od dve strane, uzme dovoljno značajan obrt. To se desilo u februaru naredne godine, sa početkom operacije francusko-britanske flote u Dardanelima. Italija nije časila sa predlogom da se priključi Antanti, ali su se ostvarile zebnje ruske i srpske diplomatije - ona je postavila ogromne teritorijalne zahteve na Jadranskoj obali. Rusija je nakon napornih dvomesečnih pregovora uspela da donekle ograniči italijanske pretenzije i obezbedi dovoljne kompenzacije za Srbiju i Crnu Goru. Londonskim ugovorom od 26. aprila 1915. srpske države imale su da dobiju, u perspektivi, uz određen broj dalmatinskih ostrva, prostran izlaz na more od rta Planka do ušća reke Drim, sa opcijom da deo koriste i u vojne svrhe. Uprkos manipulisanju sa njegovim tekstom u jugoslovenskoj istoriografiji, po uvidu i izvorni dokument, ustanovljeno je da su Srbiji bili namenjeni značajni teritorijalni dobici. Ratne okolnosti u prvo vreme nisu uticale na dobru saradnju između nje i Italije. Prve pukotine u prijateljskom odnosu javile su se pod uticajem propagande emigranata Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca iz Austro-Ugarske, pod egidom vlade u Nišu; italijanske okupacije Valone i suprotstavljanje nameri da i Srbija, iz bezbednosnih razloga, zauzme deo zemljišta nemirnog suseda, krajem 1914. godine. Glasovi o tajnim pregovorima, iza leđa srpske vlade, pokrenuli su pravu lavinu. Ne obazirući se na osetljivost Italije, srpska vlada je činila dramatične predstavke kod država Trojnog sporazuma, podsticala propagandu delatnost i rad jugoslovenskih političara u inostranoj javnosti. Nesagledavanjem šire slike - upornim insistiranjem na "srpsko-hrvatsko-slovenačkom" ujedinjenju - vođena težnjom da izazove Italiju na reviziju Londonskog ugovora u uzajamnom sporazumu, ustvari, ušla je u neskriveno konfrontiranje sa njom. Na drugoj strani, ni iz Rima nisu pokazivali dovoljno blagonaklonosti prema interesima malog saveznika u Albaniji i obazrivosti u odnosu sa crnogorskim kraljem Nikolom. Na to se nadovezao nedostatak volje za činjenje ustupaka, radi zadobijanja dobre volje Srbije, prilikom pregovora sa neutralnim državama. Rascep u budućnosti postajao je neizbežanThis paper follows the Entente Powers negotiations with Italy from the beginning of World War I up to the signing of the London Agreement. Simultaneously, this paper follows Serbian relations towards the negotiations and Italy entering the conflict from the standpoint of its national pretensions. Due to the important role of Russia, as Serbia's closest ally and the traditional protector of Slavic interests, special attention has been dedicated to its position and reasons for relenting in diplomatic initiative for Italy entering the war. This paper contains an analysis and a new interpretation of the London Agreement. In addition to this, the paper sheds light on the beginning of deteriorating relations between the governments in Rome and Belgrade/Niš, which used to be friendly before the Great War, as well as the circumstances which influenced the situation

The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia

"The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia is a landmark study in the origins of metallurgy. The project aimed to trace the invention and innovation of metallurgy in the Balkans. It combined targeted excavations and surveys with extensive scientific analyses at two Neolithic-Chalcolithic copper production and consumption sites, Belovode and Pločnik, in Serbia. At Belovode, the project revealed chronologically and contextually secure evidence for copper smelting in the 49th century BC. This confirms the earlier interpretation of c. 7000-year-old metallurgy at the site, making it the earliest record of fully developed metallurgical activity in the world. However, far from being a rare and elite practice, metallurgy at both Belovode and Pločnik is demonstrated to have been a common and communal craft activity. This monograph reviews the pre-existing scholarship on early metallurgy in the Balkans. It subsequently presents detailed results from the excavations, surveys and scientific analyses conducted at Belovode and Pločnik. These are followed by new and up-to-date regional syntheses by leading specialists on the Neolithic-Chalcolithic material culture, technologies, settlement and subsistence practices in the Central Balkans. Finally, the monograph places the project results in the context of major debates surrounding early metallurgy in Eurasia before proposing a new agenda for global early metallurgy studies.

Sketches for understanding the contemporary: digital culture as a research framework in the anthropological perspective

Poslednjih decenija, nagli razvoj novih informaciono komunikacionih tehnologija transformisao je fundamentalne segmente modernog života – načine na koje radimo i zabavljamo se, načine na koje komuniciramo i trošimo, načine na koje stvaramo znanja i učimo, te naše razumevanje politike i učestvovanje u javnom životu. Time je digitalno postalo ne samo ključna reč savremene, globalne kulture u čijim okvirima živimo, već i življeno iskustvo, vid bivstvovanja u svetu, kao i vid percepcije sopstva i sveta. Ovaj sveprožimajući karakter digitalnog inicirao je da se u javnom diskursu, ali i u akademskom svetu sve češće govori o postojanju digitalne kulture kojom su implicirane mogućnosti i ograničenja proistekla iz novih digitalnih tehnologija. Oslanjajući se na antropološku i sinhronijsku perspektivu, i ukrštajući procese i događaje u sferi nauke, politike i ekonomije, ovaj rad preispituje nastanak, ulogu i značaj digitalnih tehnologija, posmatrajući ih kao zajednički imenitelj fluidne savremenosti i (sa)učesnike u različitim aspektima svakodnevnog života kakve su u industrijskoj modernosti bile tehnologije poput železnice, štampe, električne struje ili televizije. Dalje, kroz identifikovanje, istraživanje i imenovanje ključnih pojmova i fenomena savremenosti, rad traga za odgovorima na pitanja šta je digitalna kultura, koje su njene odlike, te kako je možemo istraživati, sa idejom da ponudi koncept digitalne kulture kao mogući kontekstualni okvir istraživanja i razumevanja savremenog sveta i fenomena u njemucommunication technologies has transformed the fundamental segments of modern life – the ways we work and have fun, the ways we communicate and spend, the ways in which we create knowledge and learn, our understanding of politics and participation in public life. Thereby, ’digital’ become not only the key word of the contemporary global culture in which we live, but also the living experience, the form of being in the world, as well the form of perception of the self and the world. In public but also in the academic discourse, this all-pervading character of digital initiated more discussions about the subsistence of a digital culture, as well discussions about opportunities and constraints stemming from new digital technologies. Relying on the anthropological and synchronic perspective, but also cross-cutting processes and events in the sphere of science, politics and economics, this paper reviews the emergence, role and significance of digital technologies. Technologies are seen as a common denominator of fluid contemporary and (co)participants in various aspects of everyday life in the same way as the technologies like rail, press, electricity or television in industrial modernity. Through the identification, research and appointment of key concepts and phenomena of contemporary, the paper further seeks answers to what digital culture is, what are its features, and how we can explore it

Традиционална вокална музика Влаха у Хомољу у заоставштини Оливере Младеновић

Olivera Mladenović researched Vlach culture in the 1980s. Recordings preserved in the archive of the Institute of Ethnography SASA also contain examples of vocal practice of the Vlachs from Homolje region (Northeast Serbia). The material was recorded on six audio cassettes, which were later digitized. As ethnomusicological studies of this area are very scarce, the recorded material certainly represents a valuable testimony to the musical culture of the Vlach ethnic community. The aim of this article is to determine the particularities of the recorded examples, based on ethnomusicological analysis and transcription, as well as to isolate the vocal genres found on these audio cassettes. Vocal examples from the recordings of Olivera Mladenović will be paired with existing examples from the literature, as well as examples of current practice recorded by the author of this article. In this way, at least a partial picture of the Vlachs’ musical life in Homolје from the 1980s to the present day will be established, and the comparison will allow us to observe continuity and change.Оливера Младеновић се бавила истраживањем влашке културе осамдесетих година прошлог века. На снимцима који се налазе у архиву Етнографског института САНУ забележена је и вокална пракса Влаха из Хомоља (североисточна Србија), а материјал је снимљен на шест аудио-касета, које су дигитализоване. Будући да су етномузиколошка проучавања поменуте области веома оскудна, забележена грађа свакако представља драгоцено сведочење о музичкој култури влашке етничке заједнице. Циљ рада јесте утврђивање специфичности забележених примера, на основу етномузиколошке анализе и транскрипције, као и издвајање вокалних жанрова који се налазе на тим аудио касетама. Вокалним примерима са снимака Оливере Младеновић биће придружени постојећи примери из литературе, као и примери актуелне праксе које је забележила ауторка овог рада. На овај начин формираће се барем делимична слика музичког живота Влаха у Хомољу од осамдесетих година прошлог века до данас, а њиховом компарацијом сагледаће се континуитет и промене.С обзиром на чињеницу да су записи влашке музике Хомоља веома скромни, заоставштина Оливере Младеновић је недвосмислено драгоцен прилог тој материји. Звучни материјал снимљен је на шест аудио касета, које се налазе у архиву Етнографског институтта САНУ у Београду, а заведене су као „кутија 39, касета 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 23“. Љубазношћу колега из поменутог института, добила сам свих шест касета на коришћење, које сам најпре дигитализовала у Фоноархиву Музиколошког института САНУ, а потом и приступила обради снимака, анализи и транскрипцији. На снимцима О. Младеновић налази се укупно 18 примера вокалне праксе, међу којима су песме везане за годишњи и животни циклус обичаја (посмртни ритуал, Бадње вече и паљење обредне ватре), као и песме опште намене и један пример певања без речи. Велика вредност снимака лежи и у самим разговорима о песмама и певању, будући да је О. Младеновић инсистирала да јој се текстови песама и терминологија везана за певање говоре на влашком језику. Тим примерима биће придружени примери из литературе, као и 27 примера из личне архиве ауторке студије, а захваљујући њиховој компарацији може се пратити (дис)континуитет вокалног наслеђа Влаха из Хомоља. Иако је звучни материјал из заоставштине О. Младеновић од изузетне важности, интерпретација туђег теренског рада није нимало лак ни захвалан посао. Разлог томе јесу на првом месту изостанак личног доживљаја теренског рада и личног контакта с казивачима, као и оскудни подаци о сакупљеном материјалу. Ипак, и поред свих недостатака, захваљујући снимцима О. Младеновић вокална пракса хомољских Влаха из осамдесетих година XX века реконструисана је у великој мери. Увид у материјал употпуњује сазнања не само о вокалној пракси Хомоља у једном историјском тренутку, већ и целокупна сазнања о влашкој музици у Србији. Примери на касетама потврђују одлике влашког певања о којем је до сада писано и одражавају многе карактеристике до сада забележене влашке музике. Међутим, на основу њих се могу издвојити и локалне специфичности вокалне праксе хомољског краја.The study was conducted within the Scientific Research Organization Institute of Musicology SASA, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. Also, the study was presented in one version at the international symposium Vlado Milošević: Ethnomusicologist, Composer and Educator – Tradition as Inspiration, held in Banja Luka, from 12 to 14 April 2019. Apart from the aforementioned, this study is also part of the author’s research within the scope of doctoral academic studies at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade

The influence of the singer’s personality on traditional singing practice: Young vs. old

This case study focuses on two active interpreters of the traditional folk song in Serbia: the first is a member of the older generation (71 years old), a self-taught singer who grew up in the countryside; the other belongs to the younger generation (20 years old), a state educated singer who grew up in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. We compare their views on traditional singing and styles of interpretation (singing technique, gesture, dressing, etc.) in order to determine what elements of personality connect these two singers, and what elements distinguish them. The aim is to map the current state of traditional singing practice as it relates to urban society as well to outline the personalities of the singers, who are bearers of singing tradition. This mapping, along with a diachronic perspective of Serbian traditional singing, helps us to perceive the potential for development and survival, especially among members of the younger generation, on whom, of course, the tradition depends most directly

Paint It Black: The Rise of Metallurgy in the Balkans

This paper integrates archaeological, material, microstructural and compositional data of c. 7,000 years old metallurgical production evidence with the aim to address the knowledge of the world’s earliest metalworkers. The main focus is placed on copper minerals, ores, slags, slagged sherds and metal droplets coming from four Vinča culture settlements in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina: Belovode, Pločnik, Vinča and Gornja Tuzla, all dated between c. 5400 and 4400 BC. Chemical study of copper minerals throughout all sites points at striking uniformity in selecting black and green minerals from the early days of the settlements’ occupation, some of which predate the metal smelting events. Microstructural examination of metal production debris showed convincing technological similarity throughout c. six centuries of copper making in the studied sites, as well as a consistent choice of black and green ores for metal extraction. We argue that black and green ores were intentionally selected as ingredients for the metal smelting ‘recipe’ in the early stages of Balkan metallurgy based on the knowledge related to their characteristic visual aspects. This finding demonstrates how important the adequate combination of colours was for the early copper metalworkers and suggests a unique technological trajectory for the evolution of metallurgy in this part of the world. It also illustrates the capacity that micro-research carries in addressing the how and why of the emergence of metallurgy, and outlines a methodology for future studies of early metallurgies worldwide

The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia

"The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia is a landmark study in the origins of metallurgy. The project aimed to trace the invention and innovation of metallurgy in the Balkans. It combined targeted excavations and surveys with extensive scientific analyses at two Neolithic-Chalcolithic copper production and consumption sites, Belovode and Pločnik, in Serbia. At Belovode, the project revealed chronologically and contextually secure evidence for copper smelting in the 49th century BC. This confirms the earlier interpretation of c. 7000-year-old metallurgy at the site, making it the earliest record of fully developed metallurgical activity in the world. However, far from being a rare and elite practice, metallurgy at both Belovode and Pločnik is demonstrated to have been a common and communal craft activity. This monograph reviews the pre-existing scholarship on early metallurgy in the Balkans. It subsequently presents detailed results from the excavations, surveys and scientific analyses conducted at Belovode and Pločnik. These are followed by new and up-to-date regional syntheses by leading specialists on the Neolithic-Chalcolithic material culture, technologies, settlement and subsistence practices in the Central Balkans. Finally, the monograph places the project results in the context of major debates surrounding early metallurgy in Eurasia before proposing a new agenda for global early metallurgy studies.