Books by Jasna Vukovic
Osnovi terenske arheologije
Edited books by Jasna Vukovic
The main approaches for the study of Tripolye-Cucuteni painted ornaments Elena Starkova | Get int... more The main approaches for the study of Tripolye-Cucuteni painted ornaments Elena Starkova | Get into the groove: Decorative techniques and motifs on the Late Eneolithic pottery from the site of Adžine Njive (Western Serbia) Marija Svilar, Dragan Milanović, Miroslav Kočić | The development of ceramic decoration at the Late Bronze Age settlement of Hlyboke Ozero-2: Can we learn more with data mining methods? Anastasiia Korokhina | Apulo-Lucanian Hellenistic Ware. An entangled node between Aegean and Italic pottery production Carlo De Mitri | Ars ornamentum: Analysis of the decorative repertoire present on the tin-glazed wares of southern production from Cencelle (VT) Flora Miele
Craft production and its significance for understanding social relations are one of the essential... more Craft production and its significance for understanding social relations are one of the essential topics in prehistoric archaeology. Standardization of raw materials, products, and manufacturing procedures, and the presence or absence of specialized artisans still challenge scholars engaged in the studies of technology, social archaeology, exchange and distribution networks and economy in the past. In this volume, seven case studies covering a chronological span from the Neolithic to La Tène Europe explore the notions of standardization and specialization, the nature of their interrelationship, the methods for assessing their presence in the archaeological record, and their significance for the reconstruction of social relations and emergence of social complexity, while two ethnoarchaeological studies focus on the organization of production and methods of estimation of a number of artisans. This volume brings together research from prominent scholars, based on different theoretical perspectives, thus giving new insight into the fundamental issues related to artisans and their crafts.
Papers by Jasna Vukovic
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2025
Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology, 2023
Apstrakt: Od početaka arheologije kao discipline, kontrolisanje vremena, odnosno smeštanje pojedi... more Apstrakt: Od početaka arheologije kao discipline, kontrolisanje vremena, odnosno smeštanje pojedinih pojava u neki vremenski okvir predstavljalo je osnovu svakog istraživanja. Uprkos kritikama koncepta vremena u arheologiji kao ograničenog i linearnog, on je i dalje dominantan. Apsolutne metode datovanja, postajući sve preciznije i dostupnije, široko se primenjuju, pa gotovo da nema rada u kome se, bez obzira na temu, naširoko ne predstavljaju rezultati datovanja mnogobrojnih setova uzoraka. Istovremeno, metode relativnog datovanja ne gube na značaju, pa razmatranja tipologije i dalje predstavljaju osnovni metodološki postupak kojim se arheološki nalazi kulturno i vremenski opredeljuju. S druge strane, međutim, usložnjavaju se naučna pitanja o prošlosti. Mnogobrojni procesi (koji mogu biti dugotrajni ili, pak, relativno kratke epizode) neraskidivo su povezani s datovanjem, ali nije uvek jasno kako ono doprinosi njihovom potpunom razumevanju. Tu se posebno ističu procesi tehnološke inovacije i procesi kulturne transmisije, koji, osim vremenski, mogu biti i prostorno ograničeni. Zato je potrebno preispitati gotovo opšteprihvaćeno stanovište po kome metode datovanja imaju interpretativni potencijal, i s tim u vezi-da li su uvek ključne za razumevanje mehanizama kulturnih procesa. Drugim rečima, da li rezultati datovanja predstavljaju privid naučnosti kao zamene za slabosti u interpretaciji.
Zbornik Narodnog muzeja, 2023
Making Spaces into Places, edited by Nenad N. Tasić, Dushka Urem-Kotsou and Marcel Burić, 2020
The Late Neolithic/Early Eneolithic Building 01/06 at the site of Vinča-Belo Brdo on the
Danube ... more The Late Neolithic/Early Eneolithic Building 01/06 at the site of Vinča-Belo Brdo on the
Danube burned suddenly. The daub sealed the interior of the three-room structure and preserved its contents as they stood in the 46th century BC. The building was preserved so well that the details of its interior can be reconstructed. On the floor, under thick layers of destruction, ovens, querns, and deposits of artefacts and ecofacts were discovered, capturing a moment in time. The systematic retrieval of remarkably well-preserved plant macro-remains and other materials, and subsequent analyses, offer new information about practices such as food processing and storage and the use of space towards the end of the occupation of the site. In this article, we present a detailed examination of the interior architecture, and of finds of ceramics, stone, plant and animal remains within each of the three rooms of Building 01/06. Our detailed contextual analysis of the building’s internal configuration and of its contents, coupled with the precise dating of organic material, provides new data for the interpretation of a Vinča-style building and its use.
Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology, 2022
Building upon the idea of Douglass Bailey that prehistoric figurines represent actual individuals... more Building upon the idea of Douglass Bailey that prehistoric figurines represent actual individuals, it is suggested here that their makers represented people in the manner they perceived them, following the role models familiar from their own society. This further implies that, on the grounds of certain indicators, it may be possible to identify social differences depending on the age, sex/gender, and possibly other modes of inequality. An attempt is made here to define the criteria identifying the markers – indicators of inequality, such as: representations of hair style and jewellery, size of figurines, as well as the correlation between these indicators and the details on the figurines’ bodies pointing to their sex/gender or age. In the assemblage from the site Pavlovac-Čukar, the
correlation has been established between the representations ascribed as male and massive bangle bracelets and belts, indicating that adult male individuals of higher status were marked out by the number of bangles and the way of wearing the belt. A similar suggestion is proposed concerning the large-size figurines, marked with incisions perhaps representing tattoo marks, with looser breasts, indicating the possibility that older women obtained higher social status than the young ones. It is worth noting that in the case of the Vinča figurines little attention is paid to the representation of hair style, although it has been established
that in the preindustrial societies, hair is an important indicator of social
status, even more than jewellery. Hair length, specific hair styles, as well as various ornaments placed here, indicate sex/gender and social differences, various group and individual identities, as well as aesthetic ideas. Two heads from Čukar, as well as the one from Predionica, perform specific hair styles – hair shorter, reaching just below ears, and the crown is shaven. Bearing in mind that these figurines may show portrait characteristics, it may be suggested that these individuals may have achieved higher social status
Zbornik Narodnog muzeja XXV/1, 2021
Secondary use and recycling are well-known in archaeology, but in the case of ceramic
objects, on... more Secondary use and recycling are well-known in archaeology, but in the case of ceramic
objects, only vessels have been analyzed. Several figurines excavated at the site of Pavlovac-
Čukar, however, exhibit traces of use – damage in the form of different kinds of abrasion.
The traces on the leg of a realistically modeled figurine (fig. 1) are present in the form
of deep grooves of a triangular cross-section. The sides of the grooves are smooth and flattened.
According to the barely visible channels parallel to the vertical axis of the tool, the
movement in which the tool was used was in the up-down direction. Also, on the left lateral
side, the original surface is worn out and removed. Such damage does not exist on the right
side, suggesting that the tool was held slightly obliquely, so that the pressure of the abrasive
movement was higher on the left side of the tool. Another figurine leg (fig. 2) exhibits similar
grooves on its back side. The traces on both tools suggest that they were used in the process
of smoothing, finishing, and/or sharpening of wooden/bone tools, possibly awls. Small
grooves and channels (with pedestalled temper) on the upper part of a columnar figurine
(fig. 3) are harder to interpret. Fragment of a figurine representing a female with incised
clothes/ornaments (fig. 4) exhibits an abraded patch on its belly: at the beginning of the
damaged zone, the traces are especially intensive and are manifested by parallel deep diagonal
notches. The figurine tool could have been used in the processes such as scraping or flattening
some hard material. Finally, the small figurine shown in fig. 5 exhibits abraded base
and head, with flattened sand temper, indicating use over some hard material.
Five figurines from Pavlovac with traces of use open new questions related to the meaning
and function of the figurines during the Late Neolithic. They were recycled after the
breaking and were probably used in everyday activities. This further leads to the conclusion
that the primary function of the figurines (symbolic or ritual) was not long-lasting. This
further underlines the possibility that they were the objects with a single-use, or disposable
after they fulfilled their designated role. The considerations about the traces of use on the
figurines are still lacking, so the specimens from Čukar reveal an urgent need for further research
in this field.
Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology, 2021
Since the inception of the discipline of archaeology, figurines have been considered as the basis... more Since the inception of the discipline of archaeology, figurines have been considered as the basis for research into the praehistoric social order and religious ideas. In spite of the numerous critiques, the idea that they are the reflection of adoration of Mother Goddess and fertility cults, has persevered even to the present day, mainly thanks to the work of Maria Gimbutas. Her simplified approach to praehistory, apart from giving rise to pseudo-archaeological narratives, has induced severe criticism and polemics inside archaeology. The concept of the Goddess has migrated during the recent period from the academic writing to the realm of pseudo-science, daily politics and activism. In our country, the ideas
of the Golden Past, considered to be the origin of the European civilization, are particularly present in the „grey zone“: the public sphere, facilitated through media. All these narratives are based upon the preconception that in the Neolithic collections the representations of women dominate. The results of the preliminary analyses of gender representation in Neolithic assemblages have proven that the claims of women’s dominance are ill-founded, and emphasized
once more the significant presence, or even dominance of asexual figurines. On the other hand, the criteria for identification have shown to be unreliable, raising the question of usefulness of such attempts, as well as a number of new questions. Primarily, the role and meaning of the presence/absence of secondary sex attributes, their correlation to age, as well as possible regional differences in meaning and function of figurines are discussed.
Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology 15(3), 2020
Keramika i nesedentarne zajednice: poreklo, tehnologija izrade i upotreba Apstrakt: Od početaka a... more Keramika i nesedentarne zajednice: poreklo, tehnologija izrade i upotreba Apstrakt: Od početaka antropologije/arheologije kao discipline, veština izrade ke-ramike prepoznata je kao prelomni trenutak u ljudskoj prošlosti. Do skoro se keramika objašnjavala kao deo neolitskog paketa i dovodila u vezu sa počecima poljoprivrede i sedentarnog načina života. Keramika koja je otkrivena među lovcima-sakupljačima kasnog pleistocena na Dalekom istoku nesumnjivo je pokazala da ona predstavlja ino-vaciju koja je potpuno nezavisna od kultivacije biljaka i domestikacije životinja. To je izazvalo potrebu za preispitivanjem dosadašnjih saznanja. Iako su postojale različite hipoteze koje su objašnjavale pojavu najranije keramike, danas se čini da je invencija keramičke tehnologije izazvana po svoj prilici sasvim utilitarnim, praktičnim razlozima i da je najuže povezana sa pripremom i donekle skladištenjem namirnica životinjskog, najčešće akvatičkog porekla, i u nekim slučajevima orašastih plodova. S druge strane, međutim, uzroci i mehanizmi adopcije keramike kao nove tehnologije mogli su biti raznoliki i zavisili su od niza faktora. Jedna od karakteristika keramike mobilnih za-jednica je i njena veza sa tehnologijama izrade predmeta od pletenih struktura (kanap, korpe, vreće, prostirke, tkanine). Oni su mogli biti korišćeni u postupku oblikovanja keramičkih posuda, kao podupirači ili kalupi. Na kraju, razmotrena je starčevačka kera-mika. Uprkos tome što na Balkan "stiže" zajedno s drugim karakteristikama neolitskog paketa, ona pokazuje značajne sličnosti sa keramikom mobilnih zajednica, posebno u pogledu načina izrade u kalupima od propadljivih materijala ili upotrebom tkanina radi lakšeg odvajanja prosušene posude od kalupa. Sve ovo izaziva potrebu za daljim istraži-vanjima međuzavisnosti tehnologija pletenih struktura i keramike, ali i širih pitanja kao što su mehanizmi kulturne transmisije. Ključne reči: rana keramika, poreklo keramike, upotreba, mobilne zajednice, lovci-sakupljači, tekstil, "meke" tehnologije Od početaka antropologije/arheologije kao discipline, veština izrade kera-mike prepoznata je kao prelomni trenutak u ljudskoj prošlosti. Kao prva svesna upotreba hemije, odnosno prvi sintetički materijal u istoriji čovečanstva, koji u takvom obliku ne postoji u prirodi (Childe 1951, 76), keramika je posmatrana
Zbornik Narodnog muzeja, 2019
Апстракт: Тробојне посуде (black-topped) познате су са низа рановинчанских локалитета, али и из д... more Апстракт: Тробојне посуде (black-topped) познате су са низа рановинчанских локалитета, али и из других области југоисточне Европе. На локалитету Павловац-Чукар пронађено је неколико оваквих посуда, којe представљају добар пример за преиспитивање начина њихове израде и значаја у неолитском друштву. У раду су размотрене њихове технолошке карактеристике, односно технике израде, пре свега начин печења. С друге стране, трагови поправки и преправки указују на могућност да се ради о престижним предметима, који су, могуће је, осим утилитарне функције имали и посебан симболички значај.
Opuscula Archaeologica, 2018
The considerations about Late Neolithic Vinča pottery are numerous in archaeological literature, ... more The considerations about Late Neolithic Vinča pottery are numerous in archaeological literature, but the Neolithic technology, and especially firing procedures are still unknown. The main goal of conducted experiment was reconstruction of reduced firing in pits, but also open-air firing and intentional blackening of the vessels fired in oxidizing atmosphere. The results revealed advantages of pit-firing. From the point of view of technological choices, it was established that maintaining low temperatures of the firing was intentional decision of the potter in order to avoid cracking originated from calcium-carbonate decomposition.
Apstrakt: U radu se na primeru jednog bronzanodopskog nalaza razmatra način na koji se na osnovu ... more Apstrakt: U radu se na primeru jednog bronzanodopskog nalaza razmatra način na koji se na osnovu sporne pseudonaučne ideje o vinčanskom pismu izmišlja kulturno nasleđe i kao takvo prihvata u javnosti. Minijaturni keramički pršljenak iz Vatina na kome se nalaze znaci se u obilju pseudonaučne literature često pominje kao predstavnik vinčanskog pisma sa dešifrovanom porukom: " život je ljubav " , " prevodom " koji se pri-pisuje Radivoju Pešiću, iako u njegovim radovima o postupku prevoda nema pomena. Zahvaljujući medijima, i posebno internetu, međutim, jedan bronzanodopski predmet postaje neolitski, a njegova različita (pseudonaučna) tumačenja dospela su u javni pro-stor, pa se stvorila slika o duboko duhovnoj i filozofski nastrojenoj vinčanskoj civiliza-ciji. Posebno je opasno to što se maksima " život je ljubav " i uopšte ideja o vinčanskom pismu ističu kao deo kulturnog nasleđa i reklamiraju, između ostalog, i u ponudi iz oblasti kulturnog turizma. S obzirom na to da se nasleđe posmatra kao upotreba proš-losti kao kulturnog, ekonomskog i političkog resursa, u našoj sredini se pitanje baštine dodatno usložnjava jer se nasleđe bukvalno izmišlja. Zbog toga je izuzetno važno da profesionalni arheolozi i naučnici više energije ulažu u domen javne arheologije, kako bi deljenjem informacija, edukacijom i aktivnim učestvovanjem u javnoj sferi uticali na formiranje svesti o kulturnoj baštini. Ključne reči: Vatinski pršljenak, vinčansko pismo, baština, pseudoarheologija, javnost. Od osamdesetih godina prošlog veka naovamo u pseudonaučnim krugovima se iznova promoviše ideja najstarije pismenosti koja potiče sa naših prostora i kojom se dokazuje kulturni kontinuitet, autohtonost Slovena na Balkanu i supe-* Ovaj članak je rezultat rada na projektu " Društvo, duhovno-materijalna kultura i komunikacije u praistoriji i ranoj istoriji Balkana " (br. 177012), koji finansira Ministar-stvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja Republike Srbije. Zahvaljujem se na pomoći koju su mi prilikom pisanja ovog rada pružili prof. dr Aleksandar Palavestra, doc. dr Marija Ljuština i mr Dragan Jovanović.
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Books by Jasna Vukovic
Edited books by Jasna Vukovic
Papers by Jasna Vukovic
Danube burned suddenly. The daub sealed the interior of the three-room structure and preserved its contents as they stood in the 46th century BC. The building was preserved so well that the details of its interior can be reconstructed. On the floor, under thick layers of destruction, ovens, querns, and deposits of artefacts and ecofacts were discovered, capturing a moment in time. The systematic retrieval of remarkably well-preserved plant macro-remains and other materials, and subsequent analyses, offer new information about practices such as food processing and storage and the use of space towards the end of the occupation of the site. In this article, we present a detailed examination of the interior architecture, and of finds of ceramics, stone, plant and animal remains within each of the three rooms of Building 01/06. Our detailed contextual analysis of the building’s internal configuration and of its contents, coupled with the precise dating of organic material, provides new data for the interpretation of a Vinča-style building and its use.
correlation has been established between the representations ascribed as male and massive bangle bracelets and belts, indicating that adult male individuals of higher status were marked out by the number of bangles and the way of wearing the belt. A similar suggestion is proposed concerning the large-size figurines, marked with incisions perhaps representing tattoo marks, with looser breasts, indicating the possibility that older women obtained higher social status than the young ones. It is worth noting that in the case of the Vinča figurines little attention is paid to the representation of hair style, although it has been established
that in the preindustrial societies, hair is an important indicator of social
status, even more than jewellery. Hair length, specific hair styles, as well as various ornaments placed here, indicate sex/gender and social differences, various group and individual identities, as well as aesthetic ideas. Two heads from Čukar, as well as the one from Predionica, perform specific hair styles – hair shorter, reaching just below ears, and the crown is shaven. Bearing in mind that these figurines may show portrait characteristics, it may be suggested that these individuals may have achieved higher social status
objects, only vessels have been analyzed. Several figurines excavated at the site of Pavlovac-
Čukar, however, exhibit traces of use – damage in the form of different kinds of abrasion.
The traces on the leg of a realistically modeled figurine (fig. 1) are present in the form
of deep grooves of a triangular cross-section. The sides of the grooves are smooth and flattened.
According to the barely visible channels parallel to the vertical axis of the tool, the
movement in which the tool was used was in the up-down direction. Also, on the left lateral
side, the original surface is worn out and removed. Such damage does not exist on the right
side, suggesting that the tool was held slightly obliquely, so that the pressure of the abrasive
movement was higher on the left side of the tool. Another figurine leg (fig. 2) exhibits similar
grooves on its back side. The traces on both tools suggest that they were used in the process
of smoothing, finishing, and/or sharpening of wooden/bone tools, possibly awls. Small
grooves and channels (with pedestalled temper) on the upper part of a columnar figurine
(fig. 3) are harder to interpret. Fragment of a figurine representing a female with incised
clothes/ornaments (fig. 4) exhibits an abraded patch on its belly: at the beginning of the
damaged zone, the traces are especially intensive and are manifested by parallel deep diagonal
notches. The figurine tool could have been used in the processes such as scraping or flattening
some hard material. Finally, the small figurine shown in fig. 5 exhibits abraded base
and head, with flattened sand temper, indicating use over some hard material.
Five figurines from Pavlovac with traces of use open new questions related to the meaning
and function of the figurines during the Late Neolithic. They were recycled after the
breaking and were probably used in everyday activities. This further leads to the conclusion
that the primary function of the figurines (symbolic or ritual) was not long-lasting. This
further underlines the possibility that they were the objects with a single-use, or disposable
after they fulfilled their designated role. The considerations about the traces of use on the
figurines are still lacking, so the specimens from Čukar reveal an urgent need for further research
in this field.
of the Golden Past, considered to be the origin of the European civilization, are particularly present in the „grey zone“: the public sphere, facilitated through media. All these narratives are based upon the preconception that in the Neolithic collections the representations of women dominate. The results of the preliminary analyses of gender representation in Neolithic assemblages have proven that the claims of women’s dominance are ill-founded, and emphasized
once more the significant presence, or even dominance of asexual figurines. On the other hand, the criteria for identification have shown to be unreliable, raising the question of usefulness of such attempts, as well as a number of new questions. Primarily, the role and meaning of the presence/absence of secondary sex attributes, their correlation to age, as well as possible regional differences in meaning and function of figurines are discussed.
Danube burned suddenly. The daub sealed the interior of the three-room structure and preserved its contents as they stood in the 46th century BC. The building was preserved so well that the details of its interior can be reconstructed. On the floor, under thick layers of destruction, ovens, querns, and deposits of artefacts and ecofacts were discovered, capturing a moment in time. The systematic retrieval of remarkably well-preserved plant macro-remains and other materials, and subsequent analyses, offer new information about practices such as food processing and storage and the use of space towards the end of the occupation of the site. In this article, we present a detailed examination of the interior architecture, and of finds of ceramics, stone, plant and animal remains within each of the three rooms of Building 01/06. Our detailed contextual analysis of the building’s internal configuration and of its contents, coupled with the precise dating of organic material, provides new data for the interpretation of a Vinča-style building and its use.
correlation has been established between the representations ascribed as male and massive bangle bracelets and belts, indicating that adult male individuals of higher status were marked out by the number of bangles and the way of wearing the belt. A similar suggestion is proposed concerning the large-size figurines, marked with incisions perhaps representing tattoo marks, with looser breasts, indicating the possibility that older women obtained higher social status than the young ones. It is worth noting that in the case of the Vinča figurines little attention is paid to the representation of hair style, although it has been established
that in the preindustrial societies, hair is an important indicator of social
status, even more than jewellery. Hair length, specific hair styles, as well as various ornaments placed here, indicate sex/gender and social differences, various group and individual identities, as well as aesthetic ideas. Two heads from Čukar, as well as the one from Predionica, perform specific hair styles – hair shorter, reaching just below ears, and the crown is shaven. Bearing in mind that these figurines may show portrait characteristics, it may be suggested that these individuals may have achieved higher social status
objects, only vessels have been analyzed. Several figurines excavated at the site of Pavlovac-
Čukar, however, exhibit traces of use – damage in the form of different kinds of abrasion.
The traces on the leg of a realistically modeled figurine (fig. 1) are present in the form
of deep grooves of a triangular cross-section. The sides of the grooves are smooth and flattened.
According to the barely visible channels parallel to the vertical axis of the tool, the
movement in which the tool was used was in the up-down direction. Also, on the left lateral
side, the original surface is worn out and removed. Such damage does not exist on the right
side, suggesting that the tool was held slightly obliquely, so that the pressure of the abrasive
movement was higher on the left side of the tool. Another figurine leg (fig. 2) exhibits similar
grooves on its back side. The traces on both tools suggest that they were used in the process
of smoothing, finishing, and/or sharpening of wooden/bone tools, possibly awls. Small
grooves and channels (with pedestalled temper) on the upper part of a columnar figurine
(fig. 3) are harder to interpret. Fragment of a figurine representing a female with incised
clothes/ornaments (fig. 4) exhibits an abraded patch on its belly: at the beginning of the
damaged zone, the traces are especially intensive and are manifested by parallel deep diagonal
notches. The figurine tool could have been used in the processes such as scraping or flattening
some hard material. Finally, the small figurine shown in fig. 5 exhibits abraded base
and head, with flattened sand temper, indicating use over some hard material.
Five figurines from Pavlovac with traces of use open new questions related to the meaning
and function of the figurines during the Late Neolithic. They were recycled after the
breaking and were probably used in everyday activities. This further leads to the conclusion
that the primary function of the figurines (symbolic or ritual) was not long-lasting. This
further underlines the possibility that they were the objects with a single-use, or disposable
after they fulfilled their designated role. The considerations about the traces of use on the
figurines are still lacking, so the specimens from Čukar reveal an urgent need for further research
in this field.
of the Golden Past, considered to be the origin of the European civilization, are particularly present in the „grey zone“: the public sphere, facilitated through media. All these narratives are based upon the preconception that in the Neolithic collections the representations of women dominate. The results of the preliminary analyses of gender representation in Neolithic assemblages have proven that the claims of women’s dominance are ill-founded, and emphasized
once more the significant presence, or even dominance of asexual figurines. On the other hand, the criteria for identification have shown to be unreliable, raising the question of usefulness of such attempts, as well as a number of new questions. Primarily, the role and meaning of the presence/absence of secondary sex attributes, their correlation to age, as well as possible regional differences in meaning and function of figurines are discussed.
The importance of this report, apart from the fact that until now it was not known to the academic community, lies in the fact that it was written by one of the direct participants in these “excavations”. This makes it more reliable than one other report, which was, until now, the only source of information about these diggings and therefore broadly cited in the literature. Based on the notes of another participant, Milutin Popović, it was published eight years later by Vojin H. Popović in his paper dedicated to 1915. diggings at Banjska. Both reports mention the discovery of two precious medieval rings dated in late 13th and 14th centuries. First ring (Fig. 6) was made of solid gold with rich nielo ornamentation and the inscription in Serbian: May God help the one who is wearing this, and it later became famous as the ring of queen Teodora. The second ring, later attributed to queen Theodora,as well, was made of gilded silver with Roman gemma bearing engraved bearded head crowned with laurel wreath on the top. Both reports reveal that so-called Teodora's ring was found in a grave in the central part of the narthex, while the other one was unearthed in the vicinity: while Popović's notes were not clear concerning the direct context of this find, Matić's report was more specific – the second ring was found in the separate grave placed alongside the former one. There is one other difference between these two reports: Matić unequivocally states that the grave with golden ring was positioned in the part of the narthex where there was no floor, but according to Popović, it was found under the floor made of "brick slabs". Both reports were agreed about the tomb in northern chapel of the narthex, which contained a skeleton without a skull, and was lacking any portable finds.
The conclusions of the article written by Vojin H. Popović later caused great confusion regarding the context of the find of "Teodora's ring". In contrast to the notes of the participant of the excavations, published in his own article, he concluded that both rings were found in one grave, assuming that it was queen Teodora‘s burial place. This assumption years later was taken as a fact in the works of Đ. Bošković and A. Deroko. In later articles, it was also taken as a fact that the rings were found in the tomb in northern chapel, and until the 90's these rings were undoubtedly considered as Teodora's.
In his report Matić advocated the necessity to continue the research in Banjska under the supervision of an expert, and brought the proposal that the gold ring with a two-headed eagle should be given to the Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević for his collection. This letter was forwarded by Ministry to Miloje M. Vasić, the keeper of the National Museum at the time. In his reply, Vasić expressed deep concern about the frequent occurrence of improper and illegal excavations in the "new territories" liberated from the Turks and merged to Serbia after the end of the Balkan wars (1913). He requests necessary and urgent legal measures in order to stop and prevent further devastation. In addition, he categorically rejects the possibility that rings from Banjska, being solely the state property, might be given to anyone, refusing to take responsibility or provide any instructions or orders in that matter. With such a principled stand Vasić was certainly on his way to gain enemies in high places. Even though his recommendation was not accepted at the time, eventually, the "Teodora's Ring" reached the National Museum eleven years later.
recorded in Late Neolithic Vinča. The first is represented by partly damaged vessels
used as molds in pottery forming sequence. Re-use refers to the vessels with shape modifications made after they lost their primary function. Recycling is considered as usage of pottery sherds: as tools, building material for oven foundations, and as temper for pottery making. Since the pottery was used in a variety of activities, their life-cycles were discussed and it is assumed that special disposal areas existed in the Neolithic settlement.
interpreted from rock art in a prehistoric Holocene context and
a beeswax find in a pre-agriculturalist site. However, when and
where the regular association of A. mellifera with agriculturalists emerged is unknown. One of the major products of A. mellifera is beeswax, which is composed of a complex suite of lipids including n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and fatty acyl wax esters. The composition is highly constant as it is determined genetically through the insect’s biochemistry. Thus, the chemical ‘fingerprint’ of beeswax provides a reliable basis for detecting this commodity in organic residues preserved at archaeological sites, which we now use to trace the exploitation by humans of A. mellifera temporally and spatially. Here we present secure identifications of beeswax in lipid residues preserved in pottery vessels of Neolithic Old World farmers. The geographical range of bee product exploitation is traced in Neolithic Europe, the Near East and North Africa, providing the palaeoecological range of honeybees during prehistory. Temporally, we demonstrate that bee products were
exploited continuously, and probably extensively in some regions, at least from the seventh millennium cal BC, likely fulfilling a variety of technological and cultural functions. The close association of A. mellifera with Neolithic farming communities dates to the early onset of agriculture and may provide evidence for the beginnings of a domestication process.
Authors: Roffet-Salque, M., Regert, M., Evershed, R. P., Outram, A. K., Cramp, L. J. E., Decavallas, O., Dunne, J., Gerbault, P., Mileto, S., Mirabaud, S., Pääkkönen, M., Smyth, J., Šoberl, L., Whelton, H. L., Alday-Ruiz, A., Asplund, H., Bartkowiak, M., Bayer-Niemeier, E., Belhouchet, L., Bernardini, F., Budja, M., Cooney, G., Cubas, M., Danaher, E. M., Diniz, M., Domboróczki, L., Fabbri, C., González-Urquijo, J. E., Guilaine, J., Hachi, S., Hartwell, B. N., Hofmann, D., Hohle, I., Ibáñez, J. J., Karul, N., Kherbouche, F., Kiely, J., Kotsakis, K., Lueth, F., Mallory, J. P., Manen, C., Marciniak, A., Maurice-Chabard, B., Mc Gonigle, M. A., Mulazzani, S., Özdoğan, M., Perić, O. S., Perić, S. R., Petrasch, J., Pétrequin, A.-M., Pétrequin, P., Poensgen, U., Pollard, C. J., Poplin, F., Radi, G., Stadler, P., Stäuble, H., Tasić, N., Urem-Kotsou, D., Vuković, J. B., Walsh, F., Whittle, A., Wolfram, S., Zapata-Peña, L. and Zoughlami, J.
This session brings together examples of culturally mixed Neolithic and Eneolithic assemblages from throughout Europe, to map their occurrence and discuss how they are interpreted, and what opportunities and difficulties arise when studying mixed assemblages. Issues such as trade, imitation, migration and conflict arise, but also national research traditions. For example, are mixed assemblages studied primarily to support chronological correlations, to investigate long-distance movements of people or materials, or, using historic or ethnographic analogies of cultural interaction, to study dynamics of cultural integration and differentiation? What are the common features of mixed assemblages? Do they represent ephemeral or ongoing contacts between cultures? Does one culture eventually replace the other, or does hybridisation emerge? Can we study interaction between locals and incoming people? Is more than one chaîne opératoire represented in mixed assemblages? Do sites with culturally mixed pottery also have mixed lithic assemblages? Do we need to apply more techniques, or modify sampling strategies, to understand the development of artefacts in mixed assemblages? Do mixed assemblages recur in all phases of the Neolithic and Copper Ages, or are they more frequent within a particular timeframe?
We are aware of numerous examples, such as sites with both Starčevo pottery and Impressed Ware, or Vinča and Tisza, or Impressed Ware and Linearbandkeramik pottery, but we suspect that the phenomenon is more widespread and welcome contributions from archaeologists working in other regions.
Rescue excavations conducted in 2011 at the site of Pavlovac - Čukar, near Vranje in southern Serbia, revealed new evidence about Early/Middle - Late Neolithic transition. The main characteristics of the archaeological material found at the site are: the presence of mixed Early and Late Neolithic pottery in the same layers; hybridization of Early and Late Neolithic features (fabric, forming and ornamental techniques and design execution on ceramic objects); and finally, frequent presence of roughly finishing, suggesting careless manufacture or lack of experience.
The examination of the ceramic objects leads to considerations related to different aspects of identity: mixing and hybridization in material culture may imply mixing of people; careless finishing of objects may suggest the presence of unexeperienced novices in the craft or newcomers unaware of local traditions; the variability of ornamental techniques and design motifs may imply lack of social pressure in learning frameworks, suggesting shift in the relations between teachers and apprentices. Evidence, therefore, strongly supports the second scenario. Consequently, in the interpretation of Early/Middle - Late Neolithic transition process we must consider the possibility that the spatial and social boundaries between Starčevo and Vinča communities collapsed and a new, shared group identity emerged.
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brojne u arheološkoj literaturi, ali su pitanja tehnologije, a posebno
procedure pečenja još uvek nepoznanica. S obzirom na činjenicu da je vinčanska grnčarija tamnosive i crne boje, jedan od osnovnih ciljeva eksperimenta bio je rekonstrukcija procedura redukcionog pečenja - u jamama, ali i na otvorenoj lomači, uz primenu tehnika naknadne redukcije. Rezultati su pokazali prednosti jamskog pečenja u odnosu na druge tehnike: kraće traje, ekonomičnije je, zahteva manje angažovanje majstora, vatra se lakše kontroliše, što za posledicu ima malu količinu ili poptuno odsustvo škarta. Sa stanovišta "tehnoloških izbora", eksperiment je pokazao i to da su niske temperature pečenja (ispod 800o C) posledica svesne odluke majstora. Temperaturu su održavali niskom da bi sprečili pojavu pukotina koje nastaju razgradnjom školjki, tj. kalcijum karbonata u fakturi na višim temperaturama.
Functional analysis of Central Balkans Neolithic pottery assemblages was conducted; it was focused on identification, distribution and frequency of use-wear traces and surface accretion on the walls of ceramic vessels. Special attention has been given to the issues concerning vessel shapes and their relation to function. The weaknesses of traditional typologies were revealed. Early Neolithic assemblages showed that bowls were used as cooking pots or even as storage vessels; vessels for food processing were also identified; more important, it was revealed that vessels of the same shape from different sites served for different functions; therefore, pottery reflects differences in food habits, or even economy and subsistence strategies. On the other hand, Late Neolithic assemblages showed very few traces and complete absence of cooking pots, with an exception of shallow pans, interpreted as baking vessels. Also, traditional typologies rarely deal with vessel size: containers of the same shape, but different dimensions usually reflect different function and vice versa, so the importance of identification of dimensional classes was pointed out.
Finally, statistical data concerning frequency of pottery types are proved to be misleading, since traditional typologies do not take into consideration formation processes and importance of vessel use-lives, breakage and replacement rates and discard patterns. Differences in frequencies of certain pottery features in Early and Late Neolithic assemblages are explained by different use-lives, exposure to risks of breakage and (un)frequent manipulation. Some vessels entered archaeological record as completely worn-out and therefore not suitable for further use; others were reshaped, reused and recycled. Presence of these different kinds of secondary uses of pots and sherds in Late Neolithic Vinca assemblage leads us to reexamine the contents and meaning of many archaeological contexts, as well as to reconsider possibility of existence of specialized disposal areas.
Transitional periods usually are very intriguing issues in archaeology. In traditional research, archaeological “cultures” are seen as distinct entities, manifested primarily by differences in material culture, and are distinguished mainly by using various typologies.
However, this approach blurs the transitional and contact periods, which are still poorly understood. This session aims at exploring how transitional periods in prehistory can be detected and explained in material record, i.e. among artifacts made of various materials (ceramics, bone and antler, metal, stone). Some of the topics this session is addressing at
• Technological changes and innovation, and their relations to social
organization
• Methods of assessing variability in archaeological material in contrast
to reduced variability generated by traditional approaches based on typology
• Hybridization of technological and stylistic traits
• Cultural transmission mechanisms and the processes of knowledge transfer
• “Mixed” assemblages –assemblages containing features that can be related to different cultures or traditions
• Changes in lifestyle reflected by different artifact types
• Coexistence of two or more cultures/traditions.
Speakers are invited to present some of the following issues:
• Case studies with a wide range of materials belonging to transitional prehistoric periods
• Archaeometric analyses aimed at revealing technological changes
• Theoretical considerations about transition and cultural transformation periods
• Methodology procedures and techniques for detecting cultural transition.