Dendrochronological investigations in Založnica - the latest known Eneolithic pile dwelling at Ljubljansko barje

Investigations in wood and archaeological artefacts collected during rescue excavations in the drainage ditches on the location of copper-age, i. e. Eneolithic pile dwelling Založnica at Ljubljansko barje (Ljubljana Moors, Slovenia) are presented. 35% of 1315 samples were dendrochronologically investigated. We constructed three tree-ring chronologies, two of ash-wood (Fraxinus sp.) and one of oak (Quercus sp.), and reconstructed the building activities that occurred in the period of 90 years. We found out that the activities in Založnica coincided with those in another pile dwelling Parte, which existed in the same period and was located 10 km away from Založnica. Based on radiocarbon dating, the activities in Založnica ended in the 25th century BC. The last 40 years of the settlement delineate the youngest Copper Age settlement at Ljubljansko barje and in Slovenia. We describe how the dated wood and its relation to other archaeological artefacts helped us to place Zloznica in the Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture. This cultural classification constitutes a new interpretation of settlement activities before the Bronze Age began at Ljubljansko barje, in Slovenia in general, and in the neighbouring countries

Comparing different sampling methods in order to reconstruct plant economies at the Eneolithic lake dwelling site Stare gmajne, Slovenia

The results of plant macroremains studies of the Eneolithic (c. 3160–3100 cal BC) lakeshore settlement at Stare gmajne on the Ljubljansko barje in Slovenia are presented. Archaeobotanical material was collected in two different ways: (1) systematic surface sampling from the cultural layer, and (2) judgement sampling from an incompletely burnt large loom-weight. The preservation state and the spectra of plant macroremains were different in both types of samples. The first study primarily deals with the waterlogged plant remains of various types and taxa, while the second deals with carbonised and half-carbonised cereal macroremains, mostly chaff. Both studies confirm the cultivation of main crops: emmer, einkorn and barley.Predstavljeni so rezultati analiz rastlinskih makroostankov z eneolitskega (ok. 3160– 3100 cal BC) kolišča Stare gmajne z Ljubljanskega barja, Slovenija. Material za arheobotanične raziskave smo pridobili po dveh metodah: (1) sistematično površinsko vzorčenje iz kulturne plasti in (2) vzorčenje po presoji iz nepopolno žgane velike glinene uteži. Ohranjenost in spekter rastlinskih makroostankov iz obeh vzorcev se bistveno razlikujeta. Prva študija se ukvarja predvsem z ne-zoglenelimi in z vodo prepojenimi makroostanki različnih tipov in taksonov, medtem ko druga proučuje v glavnem zoglenele in pol-zoglenele ostanke žit, predvsem plev. Obe študiji potrjujeta gojenje glavnih kulturnih rastlin: dvozrnice, enozrnice in ječmena

Kronološki odnos med lasinjsko kulturo in kulturo keramike z brazdastim vrezom v severovzhodni Sloveniji

The article critically discusses interpretations based exclusively on the use of radiocarbon dates in Neolithic and Eneolithic studies in Slovenia. A multidisciplinary approach is presented here – the chronological relationship between the Lasinja culture and the Furchenstich pottery culture is determined with the aid of the classical archaeological comparative method and radiocarbon dates from the Prekmurje region and at the eastern edges of the Slovenske gorice region. Radiocarbon dating confirms the results of the typological analysis. The results of radiocarbon dating reveal that in Prekmurje and eastern Slovenske gorice the Lasinja culture was a predecessor of the Furchenstich pottery culture. These two cultures did not exist simultaneously, therefore, dates of the samples from the earlier one do not coincide with the dates of the later one.Članek kritično obravnava interpretacije, ki slonijo izključno na uporabi radiokarbonskih datumov v neolitskih in eneolitskih študijah v Sloveniji. Predstavljen je multidisciplinarni pristop – s pomočjo klasične arheološke primerjalne metode in z radiokarbonskimi datumi ugotavljamo kronološki odnos med lasinjsko kulturo in kulturo keramike z brazdastim vrezom v Prekmurju in na vzhodnih obronkih Slovenskih goric. Radiokarbonsko datiranje potrjuje rezultat tipološke analize. Iz rezultatov radiokarbonskega datiranja izhaja, da je bila v Prekmurju in na vzhodnih Slovenskih goricah lasinjska kultura predhodnica kulture keramike z brazdastim vrezom. Kulturi nista živeli sočasno, zato se datacije vzorcev starejše ne prekrivajo z datumi mlajše

Contributions to research on metalworking in Ljubljansko barje

Ljubljansko barje je vlažna ravnica, ki leži jugozahodno od Ljubljane, v Sloveniji. V arheologiji je poznano predvsem po ostankih prazgodovinskih koliščarjev, ki območje prvikrat poselijo v 5. tisočletju (46. stoletje), nato sledijo poselitveni ciklusi v 4. (med 37. in 32. stoletjem), 3. (med 28. in 24. stoletjem), ob koncu 3. in v prvi polovici 2. tisočletja pr. Kr. Razmeroma številne najdbe, tudi novoodkrite in prvič predstavljene, kalupov, talilnih posod in drugih metalurških pripomočkov, kažejo, da je bila koliščarska poselitev Ljubljanskega barja tesno povezana z metalurško dejavnostjo. Najstarejša najdba te vrste je sicer datirana v 36. stoletje in izvira z najdišča Hočevarica pri Verdu. Metalurška dejavnost je zahtevala veliko znanja. Po značaju je bila magijska. Ob tem pa je predstavljala stalno grožnjo naselbini in ljudem. Zdi se, da so kovači imeli zelo pomemben položaj v družbi, kar se odraža tudi v izpostavljenosti livarskih delavnic. Na Ljubljanskem barju je njih lega ožje locirana na območju treh koliščarskih naselbin iz 4. in 3. tisočletja pr. Kr.: Maharski prekop, Stare gmajne in Založnica. Gre za čas, ko na podlagi arheoloških virov na Ljubljanskem barju prvikrat lahko govorimo o delitvi dela in o pojavu družbenih elit.Ljubljansko barje is a wet plain which lies to the south-west of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In archaeology, it is primarily known for the remains of prehistoric pile-dwellings, which appeared in this region for the first time in the 5th millennium (46th century). The later settling cycles took place in the 4th millennium (between the 37th and 32nd century), 3rd millennium (between the 28th and 24th century), in the late 3rd millennium and in the first half of the 2nd millennium B.C. The relatively numerous finds of moulds, melting pots and other metalworking utensils – both those recently discovered and those that have already been presented – indicate that the pile-dwelling settlements of Ljubljansko barje were closely connected to the metalworking activity. The oldest find of this kind has been dated to the 36th century B.C. and it was discovered on the site of Hočevarica near Verd. The metal processing demanded a great deal of knowledge and skill. It had magical implications. For this reason it presented a constant threat for settlements and people. It seems that metal workers held a very special position in the society, which was also reflected in the exposed location of their workshops. In Ljubljansko barje, their position is narrowly located in the area of three pile-dwelling settlements from the 4th and 3rd millennium B.C.: Maharski prekop, Stare gmajne and Založnica. Now for the first time, on the basis of the archaeological sources, in Ljubljansko barje we can talk about the division of labour and appearance of a social elite

Archaeological finds from the cave of Ciganska jama near Kočevje from the period after the Ice Age

V prispevku večji del predstavljamo holocenske arheološke najdbe iz Ciganske jame, najpomembnejše gravettienske postaje na Slovenskem, ki je del sistema vodno aktivnih Željnskih jam. Med najdbami prevladuje keramika. Razvrstili smo jo na prazgodovinsko, ki je predmet detajlne obravnave, in na keramiko iz zgodovinskih obdobij. Analiza kaže, da je Ciganska jama služila kot občasno zatočišče človeku tudi v treh obdobjih mlajše prazgodovine: v času savske skupine, v obdobju lasinjske kulture in v obdobju horizonta keramike z brazdastim vrezom (HKBV). V rovu pri Stranski jami (del sistema Želnjskih jam) pa je bila morda tudi nekropola, grob oz. sakralni prostor, katere starosti, čeprav najdbe kažejo na neoeneolitik, brez radiometričnega datiranja fragmenta človeške lobanje ni mogoče podrobneje opredeliti.The article primarily presents the Holocene archaeological finds from the cave of Ciganska jama, the most important Gravettian station in Slovenia, which is part of the Željnske jame system of water active caves. Pottery prevails among the finds. It has been divided into prehistoric pottery, which is the subject of the detailed analysis, and pottery from the historical periods. The analysis reveals that Ciganska jama served as an occasional shelter for humans also in three periods of younger prehistory: at the time of the Sava group, the Lasinja culture, and the horizon of pottery with furrowed incisions (HKBV). The tunnel near Stranska jama (which is part of the Željnske jame cave system) could also have been a necropolis, a grave or a sacral area, the age of which, regardless of the fact that the finds point to the Neolithic-Eneolithic, cannot be defined in detail without radiometric dating of the human skull fragment

Datiranje arheološkega najdišča Maharski prekop na Ljubljanskem barju

This paper critically evaluates the article Houses, pots and food: the pottery from Maharski prekop in context, authors Dmitrij Mlekuž, Andreja Žibrat Gašparič, Milena Horvat and Mihael Budja, which was published in 2012, in the journal Documenta Praehistorica vol. 39.V prispevku je kritično ovrednoten članek Houses, pots and food: the pottery from Maharski prekop in context, avtorjev Dimitrija Mlekuža, Andreje Žibrat Gašparič, Milene Horvat in Mihaela Budja, ki je izšel leta 2012 v reviji Documenta Praehistorica 39

Svakodnevica stanovnika sojenica u Ljubljanskom Barju

Ljubljansko barje is best known in archaeology for the remains of the lives of the pile-dwellers who settled it, albeit with intermissions, from approximately the middle of the 5th until the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. These remains are an exceptional source of information about life in prehistory, and it is planned to carry out interdisciplinary research to enable a relatively reliable insight into the daily routine of the time.U arheologiji je Ljubljansko barje poznato po sojenicama i stanovnicima koji su tamo obitavali, doduše s prekidima, negdje od polovine 5. tisućljeća do druge polovine 2. tisućljeća pr. Kr. Njihovi tragovi izniman su izvor informacija o životu u prapovijesti, ali jedino planska interdisciplinarna istraživanja omogućuju razmjerno pouzdan uvid u svakodnevicu vremena u kojem su živjeli

Koliščarji

This popular-science publication describes the pile-dwellings of the Ljubljansko barje, which were created in the first half of the 5th millennium BC. However, when the lake was completely overgrown with swamps and marshes (at the latest around the middle of the 2nd millennium), the construction of such settlements stopped. From then on, new settlements were built on the outskirts of the lake banks, where the fields were previously. There they also farmed livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. They were accompanied by dogs. Hunting and fishing were also important economic activities~they harvested fruits in the forests. They made pottery vessels. Findings of copper and metallurgical articles, however, prove that at least since the 4th millennium BC they were engaged in copper metallurgy. Logboats were used to navigate the lake and in the second half of the 4th millennium even for routes outside the Ljubljansko barje. In short, they were very resourceful and were able to adapt well to the environment in which they lived.Only in SlovenianKnjiga na poljuden način opisuje kolišča Ljubljanskega barja, ki so nastala okvirno v prvi polovici 5. tisočletja pr. Kr. Ko pa sta takratno jezero v celoti prerasla močvirje in barje (najpozneje okoli sredine 2. tisočletja), se je gradnja takšnih naselij ustavila. Odtlej so nova bivališča gradili na trdinskem obrobju, kjer so bile dotlej njive. Tam so se koliščarji ukvarjali tudi z rejo domačih živali, kot so govedo, ovce, koze in svinje. Spremljali so jih psi. Pomembni gospodarski dejavnosti sta bili tudi lov in ribolov. V skoraj nedotaknjeni pokrajini so nabirali gozdne sadeže. Izdelovali so keramične posode. Najdbe predmetov iz bakra in metalurških pripomočkov pa dokazujejo, da so se vsaj od 4. tisočletja pr. Kr. dalje ukvarjali tudi z metalurgijo bakra. Za plovbo po jezeru so uporabljali drevake, ki so jih dolbli iz ogromnih hrastovih debel. V drugi polovici 4. tisočletja pa so za poti zunaj Ljubljanskega barja uporabljali tudi vozove. Skratka, bili so zelo iznajdljivi in so se znali dobro prilagoditi na okolje, v katerem so živeli

Archaeobotanical investigations at the pile-dwelling site Stare gmajne, dated on the basis of wood investigations

We investigated 932 samples of wood from the prehistoric pile-dwelling site Stare gmajne at Ljubljansko barje. With the help of dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating and wiggle matching method we established that the dwelling was settled in two periods from approximately 3350 until 3330, and from 3160 until 3110 cal. BC. We introduced an archaeobotanical method which is widely used in other European laboratories and identified macrobotanical remains (seeds and fruits) from both settlement periods. Most important cultural plants were: einkorn, emmer, barley, opium poppy, flax and peas. Most frequent gathered plants were: apples, pears, strawberries, blackberries, bladder cherries, cornelian cherries, hawthorns, blackthorns, grapes, dog-rose berries and nuts (acorn, hazel nut and water chestnut). While a widely accepted method was used, we identified for the first time flax and einkorn / emmer wheat on the basis of chaff remains at a Slovenian prehistoric site. We compared plant economy habits between Stare gmajne and some contemporaneous lake dwellings around the Alps; the most important cultivated wheats at Stare gmajne were emmer and einkorn, while at the sites north of the Alps naked wheat was often found. Corenlian cherry, water chestnut, and grape vine were frequent at Stare gmajne, but they were rare or were not found on the sites north of the Alps