Early medieval burial of woman and fox at the Slog necropolis in Ravna (Timacum Minus) in Eastern Serbia

Na istočnim padinama brda Slog u Ravni, oko 400 m zapadno od rimskog utvrđenja Timacum Minus, u periodu između 1994. i 1996. i između 2013. i 2015. godine, na višeslojnoj nekropoli sprovedena su arheološka istraživanja. Dva glavna horizonta korišćenja nekropole hronološki su opredeljena u kasnorimski i ranosrednjovekovni period. Kasnorimska nekropola sa tri faze datovana je u period od sredine 4. do sredine 5. veka, dok je za ranosrednjovekovnu nekropolu, na osnovu novih arheoloških iskopavanja, utvrđeno da je imala dve faze: raniju - datovanu u period 8-9. veka, i kasniju - od kraja 9. do početka 11. veka. Tokom iskopavanja 2014. godine, u starijem ranosrednjovekovnom horizontu nekropole otkriven je jedan zanimljiv grob (G 159), koji predstavlja jedinstven nalaz na čitavoj nekropoli. Žena u ovom grobu (G 159) bila je sahranjena u jednostavnoj ovalnoj raki, na leđima i s rukama ispruženim pored tela. Grob je bio orijentisan u pravcu zapad-istok, sa devijacijom manjom od 5º ka jugu. Ceo skelet žene bio je slabo očuvan - neke kosti su bile dislocirane, a neke su nedostajale. Posebno zanimljiv nalaz jeste skelet životinje koji je pronađen zapadno od ženine glave, u savijenom položaju, tako što je glava životinje bila naslonjena na levu stranu glave žene. Žena je bila sahranjena sa brojnim grobnim prilozima, na osnovu kojih je TA sahrana opredeljena u period 8-9. veka. Antropološka analiza je pokazala da je žena u trenutku smrti imala između 40 i 45 godina. Uočene patološke promene na njenim kostima svedoče da je patila od osteoartritisa. Te osteoartričine lezije, zajedno sa naglašenim pripojima mišića, upućuju na to da se tokom života bavila teškim fizičkim aktivnostima. Ante-mortem gubitak svih zuba iz njene donje vilice predstavlja veoma zanimljivu i još uvek nerazjašnjenu pojavu. S jedne strane, moguće je da je to stanje posledica nekog dentalnog oboljenja, dok je, s druge, možda i rezultat mutilacije - namernog sakaćenja pokojnice. Međutim, ovo tumačenje treba uzeti sa dozom rezerve budući da adekvatne analogije takve prakse još nisu pronađene. Arheozoološka analiza je pokazala da skelet životinje sahranjene u grobu sa ženom pripada odrasloj lisici, staroj između dve i četiri godine. Budući da se izračunata visina grebena ove jedinke od 41,3 cm nalazi u gornjem opsegu visina grebena lisica, može se pretpostaviti da skelet pripada mužjaku lisice, a nepostojanje tragova glodanja i raspadanja na skeletnim ostacima ukazuje na to da je životinja pohranjena brzo posle smrti. Ako se ima u vidu položaj lisice i njeno mesto u grobu u odnosu na sahranjenu ženu, može se zaključiti da se radi o istovremenom događaju, to jest sahrani. Na osnovu svih podataka kao i detaljne arheološke, antropološke i arheozoološke analize groba 159 (G 159) na nekropoli Slog u Ravni, može se zaključiti sledeće: da je ova sredovečna žena bila istaknutog društvenog statusa u ranosrednjovekovnom naselju u Ravni, da je imala antemortem gubitak svih zuba iz donje vilice (mutilacija ?), da je bila sahranjena sa odraslim mužjakom lisice, s kojim je verovatno imala neku posebnu vrstu veze, i da se ova pogrebna praksa možda može povezati sa šamanizmom. Jedina analogija za takvu pogrebnu praksu kod nas do sada je zabeležena na avarskoj nekropoli Pionirska ulica - Bečej (grob 16) u Vojvodini i datuje se u ranoavarski period. Sahrana u grobu 159 sa nekropole Slog mlađa je jedno stoleće i ukazuje na moguće uticaje stepsko-nomadskih zajednica, pre svega Bugara.On the Eastern slope of Slog Hill in Ravna, some 400 m to the West of the Roman fortification of Timacum Minus, a multilayered necropolis was investigated from 1994 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2015. There are two main horizons of the necropolis - Late Roman and Early Medieval. The late Roman necropolis has three phases dated from the middle of the 4th to the middle of the 5th century. The early medieval necropolis, according to the new excavations, has two phases, the earlier dated to the 8th - 9th centuries and the later from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century. An interesting grave (G 159), belonging to the earlier medieval phase of necropolis, was discovered in 2014. It is a unique burial of a woman and a fox, which has its only analogy in a disturbed woman and fox grave (grave 16) at the early Avar necropolis in Bečej. The burial with a fox could be interpreted in two ways - that the animal has a cult - ritual - magic meaning or that the fox was a pet of the deceased

The workshop of the bone and antler items in the Roman fortress of Timacum minus

Na lokalitetu Timacum minus je tokom iskopavanja 1998. godine otkrivena, u Sloju A, velika građevina od lakog materijala koja je datovana u poslednju četvrtinu IV - prvu polovinu V veka, odnosno najmlađu fazu života na sektoru južne kapije ovog utvrđenja. Na osnovu količine poluproizvoda i sirovina za izradu predmeta od kosti i roga, nađenih u istraženom objektu, pretpostavili smo postojanje radionice za njihovu proizvodnju. Publikovanjem radionice za izradu predmeta od kosti i pora sa utvrđenja Timacum minus, skrećemo pažnju kolega na problem ove zanatske delatnosti, koji treba imati u vidu u budućim arheološkim iskopavanjima.During the September 1998. archaeological investigation of the site Timacum minus by the village Ravna near Knjaževac were continued on the section of the Southern gate of the fortification. Inside the rampart, behind the Southern gate, the youngest phase of living in the fortification of Timacum minus was explored. The large building laying E - W, 12, 50 m long, made of packed earth on the stone foundation was discovered. The walls of the construction running N - S in sq. Q XXVI - Q XXVII and O XXVI were leaning on the East and West tower of the Southern gate, which was on this level closed by the stone wall. The building was destroyed in fire. The explored section of this building consisted of two rooms (fig. 1). In the room 1, leaning on the towers of the Southern gate, a demolished owen of the rectangular shape made of stone plastered with yellow clay, was discovered with two ceramic vessels above it, a deep conical bowl with the horizontal rim and an amphora with the ribbed ornament (fig. 2). From the corresponding layer in this room derived four ceramic lamps made on the potters' wheel (fig.3, 1 - 2), a bronze plate of the belt buckle (fig. 3, 3), a grindstone (fig. 3, 5), an iron knife (fig. 3, 6), a semiproduct of a handle made of bovid antler (fig. 4, 2) and semiproducts of comb plates made of red - deer antler (fig. 4, 1 6). In the room 2, on the level of the floor, level a, three large pots pitoi, of the spherical recipient with the horizontal rim were found in situ. From the corresponding layer A derived a fragment of a glass bracelet (fig. 3, 4), semiproducts of a handle and a pointed tool (harpoon) made of red deer antler (fig. 4, 3 - 4), a bone awl (fig. 4, 5) as well as a red deer and a bovid antler with the working traces (fig. 6). On the floor of this room destroyed in fire a coin of Theodosius II (408. - 459) was found. According to the stratigraphy of the cultural layers and archaeological finds, the building behind the Southern gate and corresponding level a and layer A could be dated in the last quarter of the 4th - the first half of the 5th century A. D. On the basis of the amount of semiproducts and row material for the production of the bone and antler items we assumed the existence of the workshop in the room 2 of the building. There were also working places on the stone blocks, the owen and nearby three pitoi in situ, in which the row material could have been cooked or stored, found. The iron knife with crescent blade and the light-grey grindstone from the room 1, as well as the iron chisel and drill (fig. 3, 5 - 8) could have been used in this workshop. It is interesting that the raw material and semiproducts of the bone and antler items and iron tools were found in situ by the working places in the room 2, and the antler objects and tools from the room 1 had been thrown away from the workshop as useless before the building was destroyed in fire

Traces of metallurgical activities in late Roman romuliana: Results of recent investigations

During the recent archaeological investigations in 2002 – 2005, on Gamzigrad – Romuliana, the palace of emperor Gallerius from the beginning of 4th century A.D, traces of metallurgical activities in Late Roman horizons, from the end of 4th to 6th century A. D. were noticed. Some preliminary physical and chemical analysis of the ore, slag and charcoal from the large smelting furnace was done by Prof. Dragana Živković and Prof. Nada Štrbac with associates on Technical faculty in Bor

Roman item made of mammoth tusk from Romuliana

In 2005 an interesting bone object, a fragment of carved head of an elephant, was discovered during systematical archaeological excavation in Romuliana. It was found in the south-east part of fortified imperial palace in the cultural layer dated in the end of 4th and the beginning of 5th centuries. The analysis of material of this item unexpectedly showed that the figure of elephant was carved out from a mammoth tusk. So far, this is the unique Roman object identified to be made of mammoth tusk. The head of the elephant was a part of a figurine of the armored animal, often presented in Hellenistic art. This figurine could be a part of luxurious furniture or chariot, and probably derives from the horizon of life in imperial residence of Galerius

Fibulae and the Roman Army on the Danube in Moesia Superior

During the Roman period, fibulae, beside their primary function of fastening clothes, also functioned as jewellery and status symbols and, hence, were richly and diversely decorated. For this reason, the fibula exposed on the right shoulder, fastening a military cape sagum, pallium or paludamentum, could denote the military unit, rank or a kind of a decoration in the Roman army. The military fibulae from the Danube Limes of Upper Moesia (later Limes of the provinces of Moesia Prima and Dacia Ripensis) also have traits related to this region, specifically: the military character of this border province is reflected in the number and variety of types of military fibulae, most of these types were produced locally, while some also originated from the Danube Limes of Moesia Superior. The local production, intended for the army, began as early as the 2nd century and continued until the end of Antiquity, that is, until the first quarter/middle of the 7th century. Consequently, half a millennium of production of military fibulae in the lower Danube basin left a rich archaeological heritage in the area of present-day Serbia

Roman Necropolis with Cremation in Davidovac near Vranje – Contribution to Study of Mala Kopašnica – Sase Type Graves

In 2011, at the site Davidovac - Gradište, archaeological rescue excavations were performed by a team from the Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade, conducted by Soija Petković. he excavations were performed in the expropriation zone, along the route of the new highway Е 75 - Coridor 10, to the south-west from the Davidovac village, at the site Gradište, on both sides of the road from Vranje to Bujanovac. In this zone a trace of Roman road Naissus - Scupi, Via publica, was discovered, as well as a Roman settlement formed along the communication, which lasted from the 4th to the mid-5th century, probably mansium. Necropolisеs of this settlement were also discovered - the cremation necropolis from the 2nd -3rd centuries (39 graves) and an inhumation necropolis from the second half of the 4th and the irst half of the 5th century (67 graves). he graves of Mala Kopašnica - Sase type were discovered at the cremation necropolis, as well as shallow graves with or without an urn. In this necropolis ive types of burials were conirmed, diferentiated by the form of the grave and by funeral ritual

Bone fibulae as grave gifts in Upper Moesia

This paper deals with the bone specimens of Roman ibulae in Moesia Superior. Although, some parts of some types of Roman brooches were made of bone or ivory, it is quite unusual that whole ibula, or its major part is manufactured of osseous material. Generally, bone ibula would not be functional – it could easily break or bend, especially considering the composite construction of Roman brooches. he reason for the use of bone material for the production of ibulae may be their ritual character. Namely, in Upper Moesia Roman bone brooches were discovered only in burial context, as grave gits

Davidovac – Gradište zaštitna arheološka istraživanja na deonici autoputa E75 koridor 10 – Južni krak

Zaštitna arheološka istraživanja na lokalitetu avidova – Gradište obavio je Arheološki institut i Beograda od 22. avgusta do 1 . dee bra 2011. pod rukovodstvo dr Soije etković sa stručni ti o od 20 članova i 0 – 0 i ičkih radnika i okolnih sela opština Vranje i Bujanova . straživanja su obavljena u oni ekspropria ije na trasi novog autoputa – oridor 10 jugoapadno od sela avidova na loka iji Gradište. užina istraživane one bila je 102 a širina u proseku – 0 . stražena je površina od 2 0 2 sa kulturni sloje debljine u proseku od 1 sl. 1 a brdu koje se nala i u severoapadno delu lokaliteta sa desne strane puta Vranje – Bu janova otkrivena je kasnoantička nekropola. potpunosti je istražen deo nekropole u oni ekspro pria ije na površini od 00 2 pri če u su otkrivena groba tipa iste od tegula organi ovanih u redovi a orijenta ije apad – istok. Većina grobova nije i ala pokrivač jer je opljačkana još u antičko doba. pak na osnovu oskudnih nalaa nakita kopče i nova onstan ija nekropola se ože da tovati u drugu polovinu V – prvu polovinu V veka. ani ljive su dve dečje sahrane jedna sa konje ispod iste i druga sa bodežo – siko položeno pored desne nadlakti e pokojnika sl.

New Finding of a Part of The Belt Set Decorated with Openwork from Ravna (Timacum Minus)

Приликом археолошких истраживања централне грађевине (principia) у унутрашњости утврђења Timacum Minus у Равни код Књажевца, 2020. године откривен је део појасне гарнитуре, оков од легуре бакра, украшен у техници ажурирања. Мрежасти украс средишњег дела правоугаоног окова, с волутама и палметом на једном крају, састоји се од крстастих перфорација. Налаз потиче из слоја нивелације старијег хоризонта, који је претходио грађевинским активностима у IV веку. На простору данашње Србије, аналогни налази су ретки и углавном потичу с некропола Виминацијума, а по два примерка су из Сингидунума и утврђења Равна – Campsa на дунавском лимесу. Ти предмети су већином откривени у археолошким целинама из друге половине II и прве половине III века. Занимљиво је да из једног гроба кремираног покојника из Тимакум Минуса (гроб I, некропола Ропински поток) потиче уникатна коленаста сребрна фибула, с луком украшеним мотивом врежа у техници opus interrasile, док су у Нишевцу (Timacum Maius) илегални копачи открили аналогну фибулу с луком на који је уметнута сребрна, позлаћена плочица, украшена у истој техници мотивом саћа. Фибула из гроба у Равни датује се у другу половину III века. Све то показује да су лични предмети украшени у техници ажурирања и opus interrasile били омиљени у III веку међу локалном елитом у области Горњег Тимока. Тако луксузне делове одеће, појасне гарнитуре и фибуле, могли су да приуште само припадници вишег социјално-економског статуса, који су били из војничког сталежа. Може се претпоставити да су делови појасних гарнитура, фибуле и накит украшени ажурирањем били израђивани у неком већем занатском центру Горње Мезије, највероватније у Наису.During archeological excavations of the central building (principia) in the interior of the Timacum Minus fortification in Ravna near Knjaževac in 2020 (Figs. 1-2, 4), a part of the belt set, a copper alloy fitting, decorated in the technique of openwork (opus interrasile), was discovered. The openwork decoration of the central part of rectangular fitting, with volutes and palmetto at one end, consists of cross perforations (Fig. 9). The find originates from the leveling layer of the earlier horizon of the building (layer C), which preceded the construction activities in the 4th century (Figs. 5-8). This layer contained the findings dated in the period from the 2nd to 4th centuries, like fragments of ceramic and glass vessels from the 3rd - the beginning of 4th century, a fragment of the antler double-row comb from the 4th century, a part of a marble tombstone (pinia) and a brick fragment with a stamp of cohors I Cretum, which was probably stationed in Timacum Minus in the first half of 2nd century (Fig. 3). In the area of today’s Serbia, analogous finds are rare and mostly originate from the necropolis of Viminacium, and two specimens each are from Singidunum and the fortification of Ravna - Campsa on the Danube Limes and one from Rakovac in Srem. These finds were mostly discovered in archeological units from the second half of 2nd and the first half of 3rd century. The most luxurious belt set with the fittings analogous to the specimen from Timacum Minus, decorated in openwork cross motives originate from „Više grobalja“ necropolis in Viminacium. The openwork fittings had a golden foil in the background. It comes from a disturbed grave of cremated individual. According to the belt buckle type with volutes of the set, this finding is dated to the 2nd – the beginning of 3rd crntury. It is interesting that from one grave of a cremated individual from Timacum Minus (grave I, necropolis Ropinski potok) comes an unique elbow-shaped silver fibula, with the arc decorated in opus interrasile with a vine motif, while in Niševac near Svrljig (Timacum Maius) illegal diggers discovered an analogous fibula with the arc with an inserted silver, gilded sheet, decorated in the same technique with a honeycomb motif (Fig. 10). The fibula from the tomb in Ravna dates back to the second half of 3rd century. All this indicates that personal items decorated in openwork and opus interrasile technique were popular in the 3rd century among the local elite in the area of Gornji Timok. Such luxurious pieces of clothing, belt sets and fibulae could only be afforded by members of higher socio-economic status, who belonged to the military class. It can be assumed that parts of belt sets, fibulae and jewelry decorated in the openwork were produced in a larger craft center of Upper Moesia, most likely Naissus