Geoarchaeological analysis of settlement stratigraphy is key to understanding continuity and chan... more Geoarchaeological analysis of settlement stratigraphy is key to understanding continuity and change in economic, social and cultural spaces within complex (proto-)urban sites. Here, preliminary micromorphological and micro-refuse data from the Pungrt hillfort demonstrate the potential of a fine-scaled geoarchaeology-based approach for understanding the structuring and reuse of space, not just within settlements but within individual households, through time.
Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with con... more Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with contributions from Interreg Iron-Age-Danube project partners. <strong>Table of Contents</strong> Foreword 1. Settlement dynamics in the Sulm valley (Austria, Styria) –new results of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, Marko Mele and Daniel Modl. </em> 2. Landscape-studies of the micro-region Strettweg (Aichfeld/Murboden) in Austrian Styria in the framework of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Susanne Tiefengraber and Georg Tiefengraber.</em> 3. Architecture of power or demise: Gigantic burial mounds of Podravina as parts of the Early Iron Age landscape. The Iron-Age-Danube project in the Plitvica-Bednja rivers basin (NW Croatia), <em>Saša Kovačević.</em> 4. Study of the Kaptol micro-region,<em> Hrvoje Potrebica and Marta Rakvin.</em> 5. Before and after: investigations of prehistoric land use in relation to the Early Iron Age settlement and tumulus necropolis on the Érd/Százhalombatta-plateau, <em>Zoltán Czajlik, Eszter Fejér, Katalin Novinszki-Groma, László Rupnik, András Bödőcs, Rebeka Gergácz, Balázs Holl, András Jáky, Géza Király, Gabriella T. Németh, Sándor Puszta and Bence Soós.</em> 6. Traces of prehistoric land use on the Süttő plateau, <em>Zoltán Czajlik, Eszter Fejér, Katalin Novinszki-Groma, András Jáky,<br> László Rupnik, F. Zsófi a Sörös, András Bödőcs, Péter Csippán, Gabriella Darabos, Rebeka Gergácz, Dorottya Györkös, Balázs Holl, Géza Király, Dóra Kürthy, Boglárka Maróti, Mónika Merczi, Máté Mervel, Balázs Nagy, Sándor Puszta, Szilvia B. Szöllősi, Bíborka Vass and Szabolcs Czifra.</em> 7. Early Iron Age cultural landscapes: case studies from the Poštela and Cvinger (Eastern Slovenia), <em>Dimitrij Mlekuž and Matija Črešnar.</em>
NoCultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularl... more NoCultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly acute in regions where urbanising Mediterranean civilisations came into contact with ‘barbarian’ worlds. This volume presents preliminary work from the ENTRANS Project, which explores the nature and impact of such encounters in south-east Europe, alongside a series of papers on analogous European regions. A range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches are offered in an effort to promote dialogue around these central issues in European protohistory
The burial of multiple individuals within a single funerary monument invites speculation about th... more The burial of multiple individuals within a single funerary monument invites speculation about the relationships between the deceased: were they chosen on the basis of status, gender or relatedness, for example? Here, the authors present the results of aDNA and isotope analyses conducted on seven individuals from an Early Iron Age barrow at Dolge njive, south-eastern Slovenia. All seven individuals are close biological relatives. While the group composition suggests strict adherence to neither patrilineal nor matrilineal structures, the funerary tradition appears highly gendered, and family links through both the male and female lines seem important in structuring of the community. The results have implications for understanding of kinship and funerary practices in late prehistoric Europe.
Charred and burned human and animal skeletal remains are frequently found in archaeological recor... more Charred and burned human and animal skeletal remains are frequently found in archaeological records or can be a subject of forensic investigation. As exposure to heat causes specific changes to the physical and chemical characteristics of the remains, it presents a powerful source for a better understanding of the taphonomic history of the remains. FTIR spectroscopy is a commonly used technique when trying to understand these changes and through them the taphonomic history of the remains. Recently, density calculated from CT scans is also incorporated into this type of study. The main objective of here presented research is to establish a correlation between the chemometric indices obtained with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and density obtained with Multidetector CT. To the best of our knowledge, the correlation between the two was never explored before. For this purpose, the midsection of defleshed bovine femur diaphyses were exposed to different temperatures for various time spans and an...
V prispevku so predstavljeni rezultati multidisciplinarnih raziskav širših območij arheoloških na... more V prispevku so predstavljeni rezultati multidisciplinarnih raziskav širših območij arheoloških najdišč Poštela pri Mariboru in Novine/Bubenberg (ali Hoarachkogel) pri Šentilju. Obe ob utrjenem naselju sestavljajo še plana in gomilna grobišča ter ugreznjene poti, ki so pomembne za širše razumevanje vpetosti najdišč v njihovo okolico. Najdišči sta bili v starejši železni dobi regionalni središči med Alpami in Panonijo, v njihovi bližini pa so bile odkrite tudi druge naselbine, verjetno z drugačno funkcijo. Takšni sta Čreta pri Slivnici in Plački vrh/Platsch, ki sta prav tako vključeni v študijo. Nekatere raziskave so še v teku, zato pričujoči prispevek ne podaja zaključnih ugotovitev, kljub temu pa prinaša novosti, ki v nekaterih segmentih dopolnjujejo poznavanje starejše železne dobe v severovzhodni Sloveniji in v širšem kulturnem krogu. Za razumevanje gradišč so pomembna spoznanja o obsežnih zemeljskih delih zaradi preurejanja notranjosti naselbin. Predstavljamo tudi način, kako lah...
NoThe aim of this session was to explore the nature and impact of cultural encounters in Iron Age... more NoThe aim of this session was to explore the nature and impact of cultural encounters in Iron Age Europe. In particular, our focus was on those regions occupying the boundaries between the urbanising centres of Mediterranean Europe and the ‘barbarian’ societies to the north. The session drew on a core of papers from the current ENTRANS Project, funded by HERA and the European Commission, which is examining Iron Age cultural encounters in the East Alpine region from the perspectives of art, landscape and the body: these presentations outlined some of the new approaches and techniques being applied by the ENTRANS Project team, and discussed preliminary results
This contribution presents the results of multidisciplinary investigations of the wider areas of ... more This contribution presents the results of multidisciplinary investigations of the wider areas of the Poštela near Maribor and Novine/Bubenberg (or Hoarachkogel) near Šentilj archaeological sites. Both of them include a fortified settlement, cemeteries with flat graves and barrows, and sunken paths, which shed light on our understanding of the integration of the sites with their environment. During the Early Iron Age, Poštela and Novine/Bubenberg were two of the major regional centres between the Alps and the Pannonian Plain. Other settlements, probably of lower status, were discovered in their vicinity. Two of them are Čreta near Slivnica and Plački vrh/Platsch, and they are included in this study. This contribution does not summarize all the findings, since some investigations are still in progress. Nevertheless, it presents some innovations that complement our knowledge of certain segments of the Early Iron Age in the northeastern Slovenia and in a wider cultural circle. Our understanding of hillforts is aided by the new findings about the earthworks that transformed the interior of the settlements. It is presented how we can investigate barrow cemeteries and even their expansion with modern approaches, without having to resort to excavations. Two new flat cemeteries have been discovered, in addition to a form of burial previously unknown in cemeteries around hillforts – a grave, surrounded by a ditch and without a barrow.
Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with con... more Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with contributions from Interreg Iron-Age-Danube project partners. <strong>Table of Contents</strong> Foreword 1. Settlement dynamics in the Sulm valley (Austria, Styria) –new results of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, Marko Mele and Daniel Modl. </em> 2. Landscape-studies of the micro-region Strettweg (Aichfeld/Murboden) in Austrian Styria in the framework of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Susanne Tiefengraber and Georg Tiefengraber.</em> 3. Architecture of power or demise: Gigantic burial mounds of Podravina as parts of the Early Iron Age landscape. The Iron-Age-Danube project in the Plitvica-Bednja rivers basin (NW Croatia), <em>Saša Kovačević.</em> 4. Study of the Kaptol micro-region,<em> Hrvoje Potrebica and Marta Rakvin.</em> 5. Before and after: investigations of prehistoric land use in relation to th...
The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin),... more The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin), co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme, is focused on the research, protection and sustainable touristic use of the archaeological heritage from the Early Iron Age in the Danube region. In the frame of the project two strategies, one on research and heritage protection and other on heritage promotion and touristic usage of archaeological landscapes, have been adopted. The strategies are combining a bottom-up analytical approach by incorporating the SWOT analysis from the eight micro-regions in four countries with a to-down approach by integrating the recommendations of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Strategy 21). The analysis showed 24 major challenges faced by the Iron-Age heritage, which can be tackled by 12<br> recommendations in the field of research and monument protection and 9 recommendations in the field of sustainable cul...
Prispevek predstavlja dognanja interdisciplinarne raziskave človeških kostnih ostankov, odkriti... more Prispevek predstavlja dognanja interdisciplinarne raziskave človeških kostnih ostankov, odkritih leta 2011 na grobišču iz starejše železne dobe na Cesti Borisa Kidriča v Zagorju ob Savi. Študija je del obsežnejšega projekta osteoloških in izotopskih analiz kostnih ostankov iz bronaste in železne dobe (14–4. st. pr. n. št.) z območij Slovenije in Hrvaške. Osteološka raziskava šestih oseb je pokazala, da gre za ostanke enega mlajšega odraslega moškega, enega zrelega odraslega moškega in dveh zrelih odraslih žensk ter dveh otrok nedoločljivega spola. Pri vseh šestih osebah so bile na kolagenu, pridobljenem iz kosti in/ali dentina, opravljene analize stabilnih izotopov ogljika in dušika. Na podlagi rezultatov lahko pri vseh osebah sklepamo na kopensko prehrano, ki vključuje živalske proteine (meso in/ali mlečne izdelke) in rastlinske sestavine tako iz rastlin C3 kot C4.
A preliminary evaluation of the Soča Valley’s First and Second World War conflict landscapes has ... more A preliminary evaluation of the Soča Valley’s First and Second World War conflict landscapes has revealed the extraordinary preservation of archaeological and anthropological evidence. Adopting the multidisciplinary approach of “modern conflict archaeology”, study of written sources, field-walking, photography, geodetic and geophysical surveys, test-excavation, and interviews with museums and collectors have demonstrated the potential for a valley-wide investigation of a topographically diverse region which embodies in microcosm the war legacies of 20th century Europe. Archaeological investigations on Mengore and the Tolmin Plain, site visits to the Austro-Hungarian cemeteries on the Kras (Carso), interviews with representatives of institutions, carrying out the protection of this heritage, as well as collectors of war memorabilia, and high-altitude reconnaissance on Mt. Batognica show the uniqueness of the Soča Valley’s rich palimpsest of conflict-related heritage.
The Soča (Isonzo) Front was the southernmost section of almost 600 km long front line between Aus... more The Soča (Isonzo) Front was the southernmost section of almost 600 km long front line between Austro-Hungarian Empire and Kingdom of Italy. One third of the Soča frontline ran over of the Upper Soča Valley and Julian Alps; large parts of this conflict landscape are located in a remote and inaccessible terrain – either covered by dense forest or located in the mountains. This chapter focuses on the survey of the conflict landscape in the Upper Soča Valley, Slovenia. Conflict landscapes are often multi-temporal, where features that were used, reused and modified during conflicts form a complex palimpsest of traces. In order to understand the relations between individual features, structures and the surrounding landscape, an integrated approach using remote sensing methods (Airborne Laser Scanning) and field surveys was employed. This allowed us to approach the landscape as a whole. The landscape was not just a setting, nor was it an artefact resulting from human activity. Instead, the landscape played an active role in the life of people during conflicts. The close perspective offered by field survey brings additional insights to the vast quantity of remains, their preservation and post-abandonment processes, and the attrition of remains in the harsh environmental conditions and from scavenging and relic hunting. Integrating remote sensing and field survey allow us to approach a hostile landscape shaped by forces bigger than a single human life, but also to interrogate material practices that struggle to preserve the integrity and identity of bodies thrown into conflict.
Geoarchaeological analysis of settlement stratigraphy is key to understanding continuity and chan... more Geoarchaeological analysis of settlement stratigraphy is key to understanding continuity and change in economic, social and cultural spaces within complex (proto-)urban sites. Here, preliminary micromorphological and micro-refuse data from the Pungrt hillfort demonstrate the potential of a fine-scaled geoarchaeology-based approach for understanding the structuring and reuse of space, not just within settlements but within individual households, through time.
Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with con... more Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with contributions from Interreg Iron-Age-Danube project partners. <strong>Table of Contents</strong> Foreword 1. Settlement dynamics in the Sulm valley (Austria, Styria) –new results of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, Marko Mele and Daniel Modl. </em> 2. Landscape-studies of the micro-region Strettweg (Aichfeld/Murboden) in Austrian Styria in the framework of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Susanne Tiefengraber and Georg Tiefengraber.</em> 3. Architecture of power or demise: Gigantic burial mounds of Podravina as parts of the Early Iron Age landscape. The Iron-Age-Danube project in the Plitvica-Bednja rivers basin (NW Croatia), <em>Saša Kovačević.</em> 4. Study of the Kaptol micro-region,<em> Hrvoje Potrebica and Marta Rakvin.</em> 5. Before and after: investigations of prehistoric land use in relation to the Early Iron Age settlement and tumulus necropolis on the Érd/Százhalombatta-plateau, <em>Zoltán Czajlik, Eszter Fejér, Katalin Novinszki-Groma, László Rupnik, András Bödőcs, Rebeka Gergácz, Balázs Holl, András Jáky, Géza Király, Gabriella T. Németh, Sándor Puszta and Bence Soós.</em> 6. Traces of prehistoric land use on the Süttő plateau, <em>Zoltán Czajlik, Eszter Fejér, Katalin Novinszki-Groma, András Jáky,<br> László Rupnik, F. Zsófi a Sörös, András Bödőcs, Péter Csippán, Gabriella Darabos, Rebeka Gergácz, Dorottya Györkös, Balázs Holl, Géza Király, Dóra Kürthy, Boglárka Maróti, Mónika Merczi, Máté Mervel, Balázs Nagy, Sándor Puszta, Szilvia B. Szöllősi, Bíborka Vass and Szabolcs Czifra.</em> 7. Early Iron Age cultural landscapes: case studies from the Poštela and Cvinger (Eastern Slovenia), <em>Dimitrij Mlekuž and Matija Črešnar.</em>
NoCultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularl... more NoCultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly acute in regions where urbanising Mediterranean civilisations came into contact with ‘barbarian’ worlds. This volume presents preliminary work from the ENTRANS Project, which explores the nature and impact of such encounters in south-east Europe, alongside a series of papers on analogous European regions. A range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches are offered in an effort to promote dialogue around these central issues in European protohistory
The burial of multiple individuals within a single funerary monument invites speculation about th... more The burial of multiple individuals within a single funerary monument invites speculation about the relationships between the deceased: were they chosen on the basis of status, gender or relatedness, for example? Here, the authors present the results of aDNA and isotope analyses conducted on seven individuals from an Early Iron Age barrow at Dolge njive, south-eastern Slovenia. All seven individuals are close biological relatives. While the group composition suggests strict adherence to neither patrilineal nor matrilineal structures, the funerary tradition appears highly gendered, and family links through both the male and female lines seem important in structuring of the community. The results have implications for understanding of kinship and funerary practices in late prehistoric Europe.
Charred and burned human and animal skeletal remains are frequently found in archaeological recor... more Charred and burned human and animal skeletal remains are frequently found in archaeological records or can be a subject of forensic investigation. As exposure to heat causes specific changes to the physical and chemical characteristics of the remains, it presents a powerful source for a better understanding of the taphonomic history of the remains. FTIR spectroscopy is a commonly used technique when trying to understand these changes and through them the taphonomic history of the remains. Recently, density calculated from CT scans is also incorporated into this type of study. The main objective of here presented research is to establish a correlation between the chemometric indices obtained with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and density obtained with Multidetector CT. To the best of our knowledge, the correlation between the two was never explored before. For this purpose, the midsection of defleshed bovine femur diaphyses were exposed to different temperatures for various time spans and an...
V prispevku so predstavljeni rezultati multidisciplinarnih raziskav širših območij arheoloških na... more V prispevku so predstavljeni rezultati multidisciplinarnih raziskav širših območij arheoloških najdišč Poštela pri Mariboru in Novine/Bubenberg (ali Hoarachkogel) pri Šentilju. Obe ob utrjenem naselju sestavljajo še plana in gomilna grobišča ter ugreznjene poti, ki so pomembne za širše razumevanje vpetosti najdišč v njihovo okolico. Najdišči sta bili v starejši železni dobi regionalni središči med Alpami in Panonijo, v njihovi bližini pa so bile odkrite tudi druge naselbine, verjetno z drugačno funkcijo. Takšni sta Čreta pri Slivnici in Plački vrh/Platsch, ki sta prav tako vključeni v študijo. Nekatere raziskave so še v teku, zato pričujoči prispevek ne podaja zaključnih ugotovitev, kljub temu pa prinaša novosti, ki v nekaterih segmentih dopolnjujejo poznavanje starejše železne dobe v severovzhodni Sloveniji in v širšem kulturnem krogu. Za razumevanje gradišč so pomembna spoznanja o obsežnih zemeljskih delih zaradi preurejanja notranjosti naselbin. Predstavljamo tudi način, kako lah...
NoThe aim of this session was to explore the nature and impact of cultural encounters in Iron Age... more NoThe aim of this session was to explore the nature and impact of cultural encounters in Iron Age Europe. In particular, our focus was on those regions occupying the boundaries between the urbanising centres of Mediterranean Europe and the ‘barbarian’ societies to the north. The session drew on a core of papers from the current ENTRANS Project, funded by HERA and the European Commission, which is examining Iron Age cultural encounters in the East Alpine region from the perspectives of art, landscape and the body: these presentations outlined some of the new approaches and techniques being applied by the ENTRANS Project team, and discussed preliminary results
This contribution presents the results of multidisciplinary investigations of the wider areas of ... more This contribution presents the results of multidisciplinary investigations of the wider areas of the Poštela near Maribor and Novine/Bubenberg (or Hoarachkogel) near Šentilj archaeological sites. Both of them include a fortified settlement, cemeteries with flat graves and barrows, and sunken paths, which shed light on our understanding of the integration of the sites with their environment. During the Early Iron Age, Poštela and Novine/Bubenberg were two of the major regional centres between the Alps and the Pannonian Plain. Other settlements, probably of lower status, were discovered in their vicinity. Two of them are Čreta near Slivnica and Plački vrh/Platsch, and they are included in this study. This contribution does not summarize all the findings, since some investigations are still in progress. Nevertheless, it presents some innovations that complement our knowledge of certain segments of the Early Iron Age in the northeastern Slovenia and in a wider cultural circle. Our understanding of hillforts is aided by the new findings about the earthworks that transformed the interior of the settlements. It is presented how we can investigate barrow cemeteries and even their expansion with modern approaches, without having to resort to excavations. Two new flat cemeteries have been discovered, in addition to a form of burial previously unknown in cemeteries around hillforts – a grave, surrounded by a ditch and without a barrow.
Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with con... more Early Iron Age Landcapes of the Danube Region is a book edited by M. Mele and M. Črešnar with contributions from Interreg Iron-Age-Danube project partners. <strong>Table of Contents</strong> Foreword 1. Settlement dynamics in the Sulm valley (Austria, Styria) –new results of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, Marko Mele and Daniel Modl. </em> 2. Landscape-studies of the micro-region Strettweg (Aichfeld/Murboden) in Austrian Styria in the framework of the Iron-Age-Danube project, <em>Susanne Tiefengraber and Georg Tiefengraber.</em> 3. Architecture of power or demise: Gigantic burial mounds of Podravina as parts of the Early Iron Age landscape. The Iron-Age-Danube project in the Plitvica-Bednja rivers basin (NW Croatia), <em>Saša Kovačević.</em> 4. Study of the Kaptol micro-region,<em> Hrvoje Potrebica and Marta Rakvin.</em> 5. Before and after: investigations of prehistoric land use in relation to th...
The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin),... more The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin), co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme, is focused on the research, protection and sustainable touristic use of the archaeological heritage from the Early Iron Age in the Danube region. In the frame of the project two strategies, one on research and heritage protection and other on heritage promotion and touristic usage of archaeological landscapes, have been adopted. The strategies are combining a bottom-up analytical approach by incorporating the SWOT analysis from the eight micro-regions in four countries with a to-down approach by integrating the recommendations of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Strategy 21). The analysis showed 24 major challenges faced by the Iron-Age heritage, which can be tackled by 12<br> recommendations in the field of research and monument protection and 9 recommendations in the field of sustainable cul...
Prispevek predstavlja dognanja interdisciplinarne raziskave človeških kostnih ostankov, odkriti... more Prispevek predstavlja dognanja interdisciplinarne raziskave človeških kostnih ostankov, odkritih leta 2011 na grobišču iz starejše železne dobe na Cesti Borisa Kidriča v Zagorju ob Savi. Študija je del obsežnejšega projekta osteoloških in izotopskih analiz kostnih ostankov iz bronaste in železne dobe (14–4. st. pr. n. št.) z območij Slovenije in Hrvaške. Osteološka raziskava šestih oseb je pokazala, da gre za ostanke enega mlajšega odraslega moškega, enega zrelega odraslega moškega in dveh zrelih odraslih žensk ter dveh otrok nedoločljivega spola. Pri vseh šestih osebah so bile na kolagenu, pridobljenem iz kosti in/ali dentina, opravljene analize stabilnih izotopov ogljika in dušika. Na podlagi rezultatov lahko pri vseh osebah sklepamo na kopensko prehrano, ki vključuje živalske proteine (meso in/ali mlečne izdelke) in rastlinske sestavine tako iz rastlin C3 kot C4.
A preliminary evaluation of the Soča Valley’s First and Second World War conflict landscapes has ... more A preliminary evaluation of the Soča Valley’s First and Second World War conflict landscapes has revealed the extraordinary preservation of archaeological and anthropological evidence. Adopting the multidisciplinary approach of “modern conflict archaeology”, study of written sources, field-walking, photography, geodetic and geophysical surveys, test-excavation, and interviews with museums and collectors have demonstrated the potential for a valley-wide investigation of a topographically diverse region which embodies in microcosm the war legacies of 20th century Europe. Archaeological investigations on Mengore and the Tolmin Plain, site visits to the Austro-Hungarian cemeteries on the Kras (Carso), interviews with representatives of institutions, carrying out the protection of this heritage, as well as collectors of war memorabilia, and high-altitude reconnaissance on Mt. Batognica show the uniqueness of the Soča Valley’s rich palimpsest of conflict-related heritage.
The Soča (Isonzo) Front was the southernmost section of almost 600 km long front line between Aus... more The Soča (Isonzo) Front was the southernmost section of almost 600 km long front line between Austro-Hungarian Empire and Kingdom of Italy. One third of the Soča frontline ran over of the Upper Soča Valley and Julian Alps; large parts of this conflict landscape are located in a remote and inaccessible terrain – either covered by dense forest or located in the mountains. This chapter focuses on the survey of the conflict landscape in the Upper Soča Valley, Slovenia. Conflict landscapes are often multi-temporal, where features that were used, reused and modified during conflicts form a complex palimpsest of traces. In order to understand the relations between individual features, structures and the surrounding landscape, an integrated approach using remote sensing methods (Airborne Laser Scanning) and field surveys was employed. This allowed us to approach the landscape as a whole. The landscape was not just a setting, nor was it an artefact resulting from human activity. Instead, the landscape played an active role in the life of people during conflicts. The close perspective offered by field survey brings additional insights to the vast quantity of remains, their preservation and post-abandonment processes, and the attrition of remains in the harsh environmental conditions and from scavenging and relic hunting. Integrating remote sensing and field survey allow us to approach a hostile landscape shaped by forces bigger than a single human life, but also to interrogate material practices that struggle to preserve the integrity and identity of bodies thrown into conflict.
Iron Age Danube Route magazine 49 Iron Age Stories Figural fibula with horse head, dated to the 5... more Iron Age Danube Route magazine 49 Iron Age Stories Figural fibula with horse head, dated to the 5 th century Bc.
Virtual archaeological landscapes of the Danube region (Danube´s Archaeological eLandscapes) is a... more Virtual archaeological landscapes of the Danube region (Danube´s Archaeological eLandscapes) is a project co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme. The project´s major goal is to regionally, nationally and internationally increase the visibility of the cultural heritage, and in particular the archaeological landscapes of the Danube region, making them more attractive for an integration into the region’s tourism offers. In order to achieve this goal, new technologies are employed throughout the project. Within the framework of the project, a strategy has been adopted by the partners from 10 countries of the Danube region. The strategy approaches the topic of archaeological heritage from an archaeological, social and a technological standpoint. By using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analyses conducted by the working groups, major challenges in the sector were defined, leading to two main strategy units. The first unit focuses on working processes from the archaeological discovery to a virtual visualisation, and the second on the potential of archaeological heritage in the digital world. To support the further adaptation and development of new technologies for the archaeological sector, the strategy concludes with 12 recommendations for heritage stakeholders. Priority lists are adopted for the implementation of the recommendations at national level for each participating country.
The book with an ambitious title of ‘Absolute dating of the Bronze and Iron Ages in Slovenia’ is ... more The book with an ambitious title of ‘Absolute dating of the Bronze and Iron Ages in Slovenia’ is a collection of contributions by various authors and presents a vast body of radiocarbon-dated archaeological finds. It aims to provide better starting points for the research, understanding and interpretation of the cultural phenomena and entities in this area, their beginnings, duration and transformation, in the space of almost three millennia, i.e. from the mid-3rd to the end of the 1st millennium BC. The currently valid chronological framework for this time span in Slovenia is based on the relative chronology that Stane Gabrovec developed in accordance with the conventional chronological system and published in the fourth and fifth volumes of Praistorija jugoslavenskih zemalja (in trans: Prehistory of Yugoslav lands) (1983, 1987). This was supplemented in the jubilee 50th volume of Arheološki vestnik (1999). The basis for his chronology is, more precisely, the central European chronological system for the Bronze and Iron Ages as it was established in the beginning of the 20th century by Paul Reinecke. This system was later subjected to numerous additions and subdivisions by other prominent scholars. In the last two or three decades, however, the advances in methodology and the newly developed investigation procedures, particularly radiocarbon and dendrochronological analyses of archaeological remains, brought about significant changes in the absolute dating of individual chronological phases of both the Bronze and the Iron Ages. It was this development in science that prompted us to conceive a project aimed at keeping in step with the advancements of the archaeological science in Europe and elsewhere, primarily in the field of absolute dating, but also at compensating for the paucity of such analyses of the Bronze and Iron Age material in Slovenia.
Within the framework of this project we strove to obtain the greatest possible set of samples of organic matter (wood charcoal, wood, bones, seeds, grain and so forth) to be subjected to radiocarbon analysis. These were taken from reliable archaeological contexts, such as graves or single settlement units (postholes, storage and refuse pits and others), that could be using the comparative archaeological method reliably determined both chronologically and culturally. From the beginning of the project in 2008 and until 2013, we were able to obtain 249 radiocarbon-dated samples from 55 archaeological sites in Slovenia. With these, we hope to have created a solid database for establishing a relevant chronological network based on absolute radiocarbon dates, primarily for the Bronze, but also for the Iron Age. Besides that, we hope it will provide a new starting point for the better understanding of various diachronic and synchronic phenomena, and their historic significance during the last three millennia BC in Slovenia, Europe and wider, across the Eurasian continent.
Rastline – živali – ljudje skozi tisočletja / Pflanzen – Tiere – Menschen durch die Jahrtausende, 2019
Arheologija, arheobotanika, kulinarika in obrt od prazgodovine do odkritja Novega sveta v povezav... more Arheologija, arheobotanika, kulinarika in obrt od prazgodovine do odkritja Novega sveta v povezavi s kulturnim turizmom avstrijske Štajerske in severovzhodne Slovenije. / Archäologie, Archäobotanik, Küche und Kunsthandwerk von der Vorgeschichte bis zur Entdeckung der Neuen Welt im Zusammenhang mit dem Kulturtourismus in der Steiermark und im Nordosten Sloweniens.
Arheološka dediščina je neskončen vir znanja in navdiha. To velja tudi za arheološke sledove razvoja kmetijstva in kulturne krajine med kameno dobo in koncem srednjega veka, ki so bili pod drobnogledom večletnega čezmejnega projekta PalaeoDiversiStyria – paleokrajina Štajerske in njena biodiverziteta od prazgodovine do odkritja Novega sveta. Ob kratki predstavitvi projekta sledi predstavitev nekaterih pomembnejših najdišč projektnega območja, ki časovno segajo od mlajše kamene oz. bakrene dobe do srednjega veka in v veliki meri vključujejo tudi rezultate analiz rastlinskih in/ali živalskih ostankov. A sledi še pomembnejši in zanimivejši (ter okusnejši) del pričujoče publikacije. V poglavju "Živa arheologija" so najprej predstavljene številne rastline, ki so bile na projektnem območju odkrite pri arheoloških izkopavanjih, nato pa so jih prepoznali paleobotaniki. Pod naslovom "Okusna in uporabna arheologija" pa se skriva tisto, kar je pri tem projektu pomembna novost. Arheološko dediščino smo poskušali prenesti v sedanjost in prihodnost ter jo narediti uporabno, otipljivo, dišečo in okusno. Čakajo vas torej jedi, pijače in drugi izdelki, ki jih je navdihnila arheologija. Ker knjiga prinaša tudi recepte, se na primer lahko v pripravi jedi preizkusite sami ali pa se odpravite do katerega izmed ponudnikov v Avstriji ali Sloveniji in se pustite razvajati z okusi preteklosti. Lahko pa si pri njih priskrbite sestavine in končne izdelke, ki imajo svoj izvor v arheoloških dognanjih in so zato označeni z znakom blagovne znamke HERITERRA. -------- Das archäologische Erbe ist eine unendliche Quelle des Wissens und der Inspiration. Dies gilt auch für archäologische Spuren der Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft und der Kulturlandschaft zwischen der Steinzeit und dem Ende des Mittelalters, die im Rahmen des mehrjährigen grenzüberschreitenden Projekts PalaeoDiversiStyria – Paläolandschaft der Steiermark und ihre Biodiversität von der Urgeschichte bis zu Entdeckung der Neuen Welt. Einige der Ergebnisse dieses Projekts werden in der vorliegenden Publikation zusammengefasst. Nach einer kurzen Vorstellung des Projekts werden einige der wichtigsten Fundorte des Projektgebietes, die sich über den Zeitraum von der jüngeren Steinzeit bzw. von der Kupferzeit bis zum Mittelalter erstrecken, und zu einem großen Teil auch die Ergebnisse von Analysen der Pflanzen- und/oder Tierreste vorgestellt. Aber der wichtigere und interessantere (und schmackhaftere) Teil dieser Veröffentlichung ist wohl folgender: Im Kapitel „Lebende Archäologie“ werden zunächst die zahlreichen Pflanzen vorgestellt, die bei archäologischen Ausgrabungen im Projektgebiet entdeckt und anschließend von Paläobotanikern/innen identifiziert wurden. Unter dem Titel „Geschmackvolle und nützliche Archäologie“ versteckt sich eine wichtige Innovation in unserem Projekt. Wir haben versucht, das archäologische Erbe auf die Gegenwart und die Zukunft zu übertragen und es nützlich, greifbar, duftend und lecker zu machen. Hier kann man von der Archäologie inspirierte Speisen, Getränke und andere Produkte finden. Da das Buch auch Rezepte enthält, können Sie selbst versuchen, die Gerichte zuzubereiten – oder Sie können zu einem unserer Anbieter in Österreich oder Slowenien gehen und dort die Aromen und Geschmackserlebnisse der Vergangenheit genießen. Sie erhalten dort auch Zutaten und Fertigprodukte, die ihren Ursprung in archäologischen Erkenntnissen haben und mit der Marke HERITERRA gekennzeichnet sind.
Plants–Animals–People. Lively archaeological landscapes of Styria and Northeastern Slovenia/Pflanzen–Tiere–Menschen. Lebendige archäologische Landschaften der Steiermark und Nordostslowenien Slowenien/Rastline–živali–ljudje. Žive arheološke krajine avstrijske Štajerske in severovzhodne Slovenije, Dec 2019
In the focus of this monographic publication are the cultural landscapes of Austrian Styria and n... more In the focus of this monographic publication are the cultural landscapes of Austrian Styria and north-eastern Slovenia and the changes that occurred since the introduction of farming. It includes archaeologically, archaeobotanically and archaeozoologically analyzed and collected data from numerous archaeological sites, stretching from the Late Neolithic period to the end of the Middle Ages. The selected case studies in this book are some of the most representative sites for individual epochs. Furthermore, the publication is closely connected to the database of the PalaeoDiversiStyria project (www.interarch-steiermark.eu), which is containing raw data on plant and animal remains from numerous archaeological sites in this region. Special attention was given to the changes in the landscape caused by human intervention into the environment, e.g. by the cultivation of new plants and the domestication of animals, by the building of larger settlements or metal production. Part of the research included the discovery and identification of different plant species as well as domesticated and wild animals in archaeological contexts. To reach these results it was necessary that archaeologists, botanists, archaeobotanists as well as archaeozoologists worked hand in hand to create a better understanding of the interaction between nature and humans. With this interdisciplinary cooperation, we built new knowledge of the circumstances that influenced the dietary habits of people in the past. The publication is one of the results of the interdisciplinary “PalaeoDiversiStyria” project, with the full name “Palaeolandscape of Styria and its Biodiversity from Prehistory to the Discovery of the New World”. It was a partnership between Universalmuseum Joanneum, the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, two botanical gardens led by the Universities of Maribor and of Graz, and two Municipalities, Grosklein in Austria and Hoče-Slivnica in Slovenia. The project was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the framework of the INTERREG Slovenia-Austria V-A 2014-2020 cooperation programme.
Early Iron Age Landscapes of the Danube region, 2019
The present publication is one of the main outcomes of the Iron-Age-Danube project (Interreg DTP)... more The present publication is one of the main outcomes of the Iron-Age-Danube project (Interreg DTP). In the focus of the project, as well as of the presented papers are archaeological landscapes and their visible as well as hidden monuments of the Early Iron Age. The published research took place in four countries (Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia) and focused on some of the most iconic sites of the Eastern Hallstatt circle, namely Großklein and Strettweg near Judenburg in Austria, on Jalžabet and Kaptol in Croatia, on Százhalombatta, Süttő and Sopron in Hungary and on Poštela and Dolenjske Toplice in Slovenia. The studies have a broad span in their interpretative approaches; however, they all bring important new results on the Early Iron Age landscapes of the Danube region and present a fundament for further research of archaeological landscapes in the region and beyond.
The Iron-Age-Danube project — its full title is “Monumental Landscapes of the Early Iron Age in the Danube Basin” — was initiated in 2017 by 20 partners and associated partners from five countries in the Danube region. The project was co-financed within the framework of the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme with EFRE funds in the amount of € 2,169,200. One of the major focuses of the project was the exploration of the rich archaeological heritage of the Early Iron Age (i.e. Hallstatt Period) in the Danube region using modern archaeological methods. For that purpose, a new format, the Archaeological Camps, was introduced to the region. This format for the first time combined various types of activities and comprised, in addition to research campaigns, a wide variety of heritage protection activities as well as actions to promote the inclusion of Iron-Age landscapes into the touristic offers of these regions. The camps were organized in four countries at selected locations within the nine preselected micro-regions and lasted one or two months. In this period, the institutions involved had the opportunity to combine their technologies, methodologies and expertise as well as to exchange their experiences and views. These chosen sites and their surrounding landscapes are embedded in a variety of environments of the Danube region, which in fact had a strong impact on the populations settling in these areas in the Early Iron Age, as well as on the archaeological research approaches. Combining their knowledge and specific skills, the experts have in this intensive cooperation established new strategies, which are tailored to each of the micro-regions. One of the results of this cooperation is also the monograph Researching Archaeological Landscapes across Borders (Budapest: Archaeolingua, 2019), which should help other researchers and heritage experts with planning their projects on archaeological landscapes.
Rediscovering the Great War - Archaeology and Enduring Legacies on the Soča and Eastern Fronts, 2019
The Great War was a turning point of the twentieth century, giving birth to a new, modern, and in... more The Great War was a turning point of the twentieth century, giving birth to a new, modern, and industrial approach to warfare that changed the world forever. The remembrance, awareness, and knowledge of the conflict and, most importantly, of those who participated and were affected by it, altered from country to country, and in some cases has been almost entirely forgotten.
New research strategies have emerged to help broaden our understanding of the First World War. Multidisciplinary approaches have been applied to material culture and conflict landscapes, from archive sources analysis and aerial photography to remote sensing, GIS and field research. Working within the context of a material and archival understanding of war, this book combines papers from different study fields that present interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches towards researching the First World War and its legacies, with particular concentration on the central and eastern European theatres of war.
Edited by IAN ARMIT, HRVOJE POTREBICA, MATIJA ČREŠNAR, PHILIP MASON and LINDSEY BÜSTER Front Cove... more Edited by IAN ARMIT, HRVOJE POTREBICA, MATIJA ČREŠNAR, PHILIP MASON and LINDSEY BÜSTER Front Cover Digital image showing detail of face of female fi gure on the Vače situla (produced by Adrian Evans and Rachael Kershaw, and reproduced courtesy and copyright of the National Museum of Slovenia /Bradford Visualisation/ENTRANS). Back Cover Lidar image showing the Iron Age hillfort of Poštela near Maribor in Slovenia, and its surrounding landscape (prepared by Dimitrij Mlekuž, and reproduced courtesy of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia).
Cultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly ... more Cultural encounters form a dominant theme in the study of Iron Age Europe. This was particularly acute in regions where urbanising Mediterranean civilisations came into contact with ‘barbarian’ worlds. This volume presents preliminary work from the ENTRANS Project, which explores the nature and impact of such encounters in south-east Europe, alongside a series of papers on analogous European regions. A range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches are offered in an effort to promote dialogue around these central issues in European protohistory.
Call for Paper, 27th EAA annual meeting, Kiel, 8-11 sept. 2021, session #417
Recent scientifi... more Call for Paper, 27th EAA annual meeting, Kiel, 8-11 sept. 2021, session #417
Recent scientific and methodological advances have reshaped our understanding of ancient mobility. Although patterns of far-reaching contact have long been hypothesised, DNA and isotope analyses have demonstrated that mobility was much more widespread than has traditionally been supposed, and that these networks were complex and diverse. Furthermore, artefact studies (including the more routine implementation of materials science and provenance studies) are demonstrating the ubiquity of long-distance trade networks, and the different ways trade (here defined as any peaceful way of exchanging materials, commodities or services) was made. Such strong and sustained levels of connectivity between different regions for varying durations could only have been achieved with a certain degree of agreement over common social and economic rules, which must have been achieved on the basis of an enduring shared practice, particularly in pre-literate societies where written laws did not exist. As such, informal institutions-i.e. those not enforced by law but based on a common sense of honour and trust-must have been sufficiently strong to allow for swift travel and convenient interaction, within or outwith a formal economic framework. This session invites contributions examining the materiality of long-distance networks across Continental, Atlantic, Northern and pre-classical Mediterranean Europe, from the beginning of the Bronze Age until the appearance of written law. Papers examining patterns of trade, exchange and mobility through systems of material exchange or distribution, the transmission of ideas (related to, for example, technological or symbolic activities) and bioarchaeological methods are welcome, as are those which consider these processes from a range of perspectives: theoretical models, case studies, regional synthesis, etc.
IRON-AGE-DANUBE – CALL FOR PAPERS: EAA BARCELONA
Please join our session about the protection ... more IRON-AGE-DANUBE – CALL FOR PAPERS: EAA BARCELONA
Please join our session about the protection and promotion of archaeological landscapes at the 24th annual meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in Barcelona, Spain, 5 - 8 September 2018!
This will be the largest convention of archaeologists in Europe this year, an excellent platform for your projects or studies about managment of archaeological landscapes.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is 19 February.
From Strategies to Practice in the Protection and Promotion of Archaeological Landscapes
New tec... more From Strategies to Practice in the Protection and Promotion of Archaeological Landscapes
New technologies and methodological advances of the last few decades have radically changed the potentials of archaeological research. The focus has shifted from investigations of single sites to studies of broader archaeological landscapes. In particular, remote sensing technologies and geophysics have yielded vast amounts of new archaeological data, opening new avenues to the better understanding of archaeological sites, landscapes, regions and beyond. This process has however raised also two important issues, which call for discussion: (1) the often (too) superficial interpretations of the data, and (2) the long-term impact of the new data on decision-making processes in European heritage management. Both issues are closely connected. The lack of depth in interpretation often means that we fail to realize the broader potentials in the use of the data collected. The missing awareness of these possibilities also constrains the process of developing new, more efficient heritage management tools. However, it also due to the lack of closer cooperation between science, heritage protection and politics that is hindering more profound advances. As a response, several initiatives are focusing on development of new approaches and strategies to tackle the present situation. Unfortunately, these strategies are often solely restricted to a project’s research area or/and its duration and are not implemented on any political or legislative level. In this session, we would like to hear from your positive as well as the negative experiences and practices in the strategic planning and implementation processes, dealing in the broadest sense with the management of archaeological landscapes.
Later prehistoric Europe has traditionally been studied in relation to a series of boundaries. Th... more Later prehistoric Europe has traditionally been studied in relation to a series of boundaries. These include the bounded chronological horizons which divide Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age communities; geographical boundaries created through the development of separate national traditions of archaeological research; boundaries between perceived ethnic groups such as the Celts, Iberians, Veneti, Illyrians etc; and disciplinary divisions which separate ‘humanities’ from ‘scientific’ approaches. In recent years however this picture has begun to change. New research agendas seek to break down chronological horizons, with particular attention paid to transitional periods; more nuanced understandings of cultural identity are promoting cross-border collaboration, with a focus on zones of interaction between communities traditionally viewed as monolithic and bounded; interdisciplinary research frameworks are demonstrating the benefits of integrating scientific with more traditional approaches; and increasingly collaborative projects are fostering relationships and knowledge exchange on an international scale.
This session will draw on a number of papers from the ENTRANS Project (2014-16); a HERA-funded collaborative project between the Universities of Bradford (UK), Ljubljana (SLO) and Zagreb (CRO), which explores cultural identities and encounters across the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age transition in the East Alpine region- a zone of interaction and encounters between Mediterranean societies and their traditionally perceived ‘barbarian’ neighbours. We also invite papers which seek to break down chronological, geographical or disciplinary boundaries within other parts of later prehistoric Europe (broadly, the Bronze and Iron Ages).
Katalog razstave v Galeriji Spomeniškovarstvenega centra ZVKDS od 12.1.2012 do 17.3.2012 (2. nat... more Katalog razstave v Galeriji Spomeniškovarstvenega centra ZVKDS od 12.1.2012 do 17.3.2012 (2. natis)/ Catalogue of exhibition, held in the Gallery of the Spomeniškovarstveni center ZVKDS from 12.1.2012 to 17.3.2012.
In the framework of the session we will discuss illicit circulation of archaeological objects. Th... more In the framework of the session we will discuss illicit circulation of archaeological objects. The problem is going to be observed in particular through the perspective of fluid networks, i.e. interchangeable participants (such as looters, smugglers, antiquity dealers, experts, auction houses, collectors, museums), which are connected through single interactions. They often perform highly specific roles at each network node and simultaneously dilute responsibility. We will discuss functions and tasks of these network participants, including but not limited to looting, smuggling, trading, document falsification, provenance generation, antiquity marketing, and object verification. A special focus will be the understanding of how monetary value is created and increased. Consequently, we encourage discussions on illegal business strategies at different nodes of fluid networks, on assessing risk awareness and risk behaviour of market participants, and on the effectiveness of counteraction policies. Particular attention will be paid to the political and juridical side of illegal obtaining and trade of archaeological artefacts, and different strategies discussed. We would like to identify knowledge gaps and future avenues of research in order to find new possibilities to reduce the damage being inflicted upon our shared cultural heritage and discuss how to increase awareness not only of market participants but local communities about the devastating effects on cultural heritage and economic growth caused by looting and trading of archaeological objects.
This year's Round Table of the Committee on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material focusses on th... more This year's Round Table of the Committee on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material focusses on the selling of archaeological objects at auction houses and antiquity dealers in Europe. Though several objects demonstrably have a more than doubtful provenance, they can be sold, or, if withdrawn from the auction, sold later on without much consequences or confiscation. We would like to discuss different strategies how to reduce such practice, and shed also light on the role of archaeologists in this field: how much do we as archaeologists contribute to such sales (for instance as experts for auction houses), how much do we as archaeologists act against it? Another important point is the practice of museums, or the archaeologists in charge for the museums, to buy such items directly from the dealer, or the auction house itself. This is congruent with our statute on 'Commercialisation': raise public awareness of the legal consequences of the damage and destruction of cultural heritage, and the resulting loss of information; report any illegal activity, or trade of potentially illegally-acquired material culture; never act as an expert or advisor for auction houses, antiquaries, or private collectors if the object or collection of objects concerned are not going to be part of a collection open to public and research, and does not have a legitimate provenance; contribute in any form to discourage commercialisation of archaeological material.
During the last EAA-meeting in Glasgow, the idea rose to recreate an EAA commission on illicit tr... more During the last EAA-meeting in Glasgow, the idea rose to recreate an EAA commission on illicit trafficking of archaeological heritage. Our round table is organised by the Working group of this commission. Antiquities as the 'hottest invest' (TIME-Magazine, 12/2007) are one of the biggest problems of archaeology. Finds deriving from unauthorised excavations, metal detectoring, robberies of museums/public collections, appear on the market with faked provenience, and are legally sold. The majority of illegal/illicit finds that enter the market, seemingly entirely legally, go unacknowledged by archaeologists. Only rarely do such finds later surface and only few, like the spectacular find of the Bronze Age Nebra-disc, are acknowledged by the wide public. In the case of more mundane finds this rarely ever occurs.
APPLY TO PARTICIPATE WITH A PRESENTATION UNTIL MARCH 1st, 2016 here: eaavilnius2016.lt
LBI ArchPro Symposium in cooperation with the Danube University Krems, Austria 2. – 3. April 2019... more LBI ArchPro Symposium in cooperation with the Danube University Krems, Austria 2. – 3. April 2019 at Danube University Krems The main objective of the symposium is to offer a multidisciplinary forum to discuss relevant topics and specific issues in cultural heritage protection and management and the application of digital methods for this purpose. The program shall encourage the scientific exchange and strengthen collaborative ties between participating institutions as well as increase the awareness of non-invasive methods in cultural heritage protection among stakeholders and the interested public. Session 3: Raising Awareness for digital methods for cultural property protection and cultural heritage management
Book of Abstracts of the International conference on the legislation, strategies and principles f... more Book of Abstracts of the International conference on the legislation, strategies and principles for the inclusion of the amateur archaeologists & metal detectorists into the scientific research and heritage protection schemes, and consolidation of the legal framework and practical measures for the prevention of looting and illegal trade in antiquities.
From an archaeological point of view, "public space" can be understood as a specific location str... more From an archaeological point of view, "public space" can be understood as a specific location structurally and functionally devoted to social interaction, the negotiation of identity and "institutionalized" meetings and performances. Such spaces are quite recent in human history. This session examines different perspectives on the definition, structure and function of public space in later prehistoric Europe. It includes case studies examining the ways in which how public space is organized and understood in different communities and regions, as well as papers explaining transformation of public space within individual communities over time. Particularly important in that sense are the transformations and negotiation of such spaces that occur in transitional periods when Iron Age communities are becoming part of Hellenistic or Roman world.
Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 2017
The project „Palaeolandscape of Styria and its biodiversity from prehistory till the discovery of... more The project „Palaeolandscape of Styria and its biodiversity from prehistory till the discovery of the New World” (PalaeoDiversiStyria) is conducted by the Universalmuseum Joanneum together with Slovenian and Austrian partners, and is funded by the Interreg program SI-AT 2014-20. It combines scientific data from archaeology, archaeozoology, and archaeobotany with modern sustainable farming and tourism. The main objective of the project, which runs from October 2016 until October 2019, is to promote the understanding of the cultural heritage including agricultural traditions of the Styrian-Slovenian border region. The collaboration of different disciplines will allow us to increase the knowledge about regional nutritional habits in different periods. Following the identifi cation of domestic animals and cultivated plant species in archaeological contexts, the recultivation of ancient crops shall lead to a greater biodiversity. Furthermore, it should enable local companies to offer “new” and attractive products for tourism which refer to local archaeological heritage.
The concept of a La Tène period – soon conceptualised in terms of a ‘culture’ and frequently equa... more The concept of a La Tène period – soon conceptualised in terms of a ‘culture’ and frequently equated with an alleged ‘Celtic’ ethnicity – has been a fundamental element of archaeological narratives for over a century. As the EAA annual meeting moves for the first time to Switzerland, the home of the eponymous archaeological site of La Tène, it is a good occasion to revisit this influential concept and how it has shaped (and still shapes) Iron Age interpretations and practices. This session invites proposals that rethink some of the main elements linked to the La Tène concept, from chronologies to migrations and models of cultural contact. In particular – but not exclusively –, we invite papers that take a critical look at the concept from the ‘margins’, i.e. areas such as south-eastern Europe, northern Germany, Britain and Iberia that have traditionally been regarded as peripheral. How can we move away from these core-periphery models? How did artistic styles spread and develop? What do we mean by “latènisation”, and how did it work (if it did)? And what lessons can we learn from the margins in order to reconceptualise the very foundations of the La Tène concept and to develop alternatives?
M-CPA 8: MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS , 2018
Archaeological heritage is, by its very definition, fragmented, hidden, and not easily recognizab... more Archaeological heritage is, by its very definition, fragmented, hidden, and not easily recognizable. The identification, documentation, evaluation, and protection of archaeological heritage – unlike other types of heritage – demand a series of complex technical procedures. Hence, the development of the methodologies and procedures of archaeological work is paramount for the successful protection of archaeological heritage. In the new volume of the Monographs of the Centre for Preventive Archaeology, we present the minimum standards for the implementation of the research methods, which have been incorporated into daily work process on the field of preventive archaeology in our Institute.
Arheološka dediščina je že po svoji definiciji fragmentirana, zakrita in slabo prepoznavna. Za ra... more Arheološka dediščina je že po svoji definiciji fragmentirana, zakrita in slabo prepoznavna. Za razliko od drugih vrst dediščine, prepoznavanje, dokumentiranje in varovanje arheološke dediščine zahteva vrsto zahtevnih tehničnih postopkov, ki dediščino prepoznajo, dokumentirajo, overdnotijo in varujejo. Prav zato je razvoj metodologij in postopkov arheološkega dela ključen za uspešno varovanje arheološke dediščine. V novem zvezku Monografij Centra za preventivno arheologijo predstavljamo minimalne standarde izvedbe raziskovalnih metod, ki so na področje preventivne arheologije pri nas vključene v vskodnevni procesa dela.
Na bronastih posodah, ki jih imenujemo situle, so skrivnostne zgodbe v risbah, ki spominjajo na s... more Na bronastih posodah, ki jih imenujemo situle, so skrivnostne zgodbe v risbah, ki spominjajo na stripe.
This session explores the current state of studies of chronology in European prehistory. The typo... more This session explores the current state of studies of chronology in European prehistory. The typo-chronologies of the past with their culturally specific terminology are being challenged through a variety of scientific approaches. Here we offer the opportunity for researchers to present and compare the results of their own chronological research both locally and internationally focussed. Papers are invited that assess the impact of scientific dating methods on our understanding of the chronology of a period or region, artefact, structure or site type. Studies may be focussed on types of structures such as roundhouses or site forms such as hillforts; they may examine the dating of technologies or types of objects or revisit chronological frameworks; they may explore the chronology of a specific region and how this
Arheološko najdišče Rogoza je bilo raziskano ob gradnji avtoceste Slivnica–Miklavž. Odkritih je b... more Arheološko najdišče Rogoza je bilo raziskano ob gradnji avtoceste Slivnica–Miklavž. Odkritih je bilo več poselitvenih faz. Poselitev v času zgodnje bronaste dobe dokazuje lončenina, ki jo povezujemo s kulturnim krogom skupine Kisapostag. V čas pozne bronaste dobe sodi 33 objektov, grajenih z navpičnimi stebri oz. sohami. Za trdnost konstrukcije so bile pogosto uporabljene kamnite zagozde. Po kosih prežganega stenskega ometa in odtisih zabitih kolov v vrstah jam za sohe lahko sklepamo, da je jedro sten oblikoval preplet iz vejevja z navpičnim ali vodoravnim vpetjem, ki je bil nato zamazan z glino. Drobne najdbe ustanovitev rogoške naselbine postavljajo v čas prehoda Bd D/Ha A, njeno opustitev pa v mlajšežarnogrobiščno stopnjo Ha B1. Takšen relativno-kronološki razpon glede na trenutne absolutne datacije v srednji Evropi pomeni trajanje poselitve od približno 1200 pr. n. št. do pribl. 950 pr. n. št. V čas starejše železne dobe avtor uvršča štiri gomile z žganimi pokopi. Skromno srednjelatensko in poznolatensko gradivo izhaja verjetno iz naselbine v neposredni bližini. Tudi rimskodobno gradivo, ki sodi v čas od druge polovice 1. do konca 3. stoletja n. št., je bilo verjetno prineseno iz bližnje okolice, bodisi z geološkimi procesi bodisi s kmetijsko obdelavo.
EAA BELFAST 2023, SESSION #502:
CORING IS NOT BORING! Drillings in combination with other non or... more EAA BELFAST 2023, SESSION #502: CORING IS NOT BORING! Drillings in combination with other non or minimal-invasive methods for investigating archaeological monuments [COMFORT].
This session is dedicated to multi-method approaches in archaeological investigations, that involve the use of drilling. Especially monuments like fortifications with their often enormous rampart-and-ditch systems, terraces, slopes and thick occupation layers full of archaeological and biological relicts, but also burial mounds or settlement tells, offer the perfect playground for hand augering and mechanical coring. Quick and cheap, drillings serve as an endoscope into the past of such monuments. Drillings in modern times have become an omnipresent, but not en-vogue tool on excavations to verify geophysical results, to distinguish occupation phases, and to answer palaeo-environmental questions. Yet systematic coring strategies are lacking standards.
The often multi-layered cores may contain soil material and hence information about the entire life span of the monuments. They are used for dating hillforts and other monuments by radiocarbon analysis or micromorphological studies of the soil and the relicts it contains, which provide information about the age and function of the site and its parts. Combined with (p)XRF measurements or pollen and phytolyth analysis they add information about the environment and the human impact; susceptibility measurements and other geophysical methods help to understand the geomagnetic images or ERT and GPR data. Hence there is a bouquet of methods, which can be applied to drilling cores themselves to make them speak about the history of the site.
We invite archaeologists, soil scientists, geologists, and those from related disciplines to present their method and strategy of drillings used for investigating fortifications, burial mounds or settlement tells with massive earthen elements. Reports about technical challenges, problems, limitations or successful new ideas are welcome, as are presentations on best practice examples of different methods combined with drillings and especially the results we can gain from systematic interdisciplinary coring strategies.
Contact for paper proposals or questions:
Timo Ibsen, Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology, Schleswig (ZBSA) [email protected] Or Matija Črešnar, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana / Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology (CIRA) [email protected]
Largescale excavation at the Iron Age and Roman period Pungrt hillfort (8th century BC to 2nd cen... more Largescale excavation at the Iron Age and Roman period Pungrt hillfort (8th century BC to 2nd century AD) has revealed a distinctly urban character of the settlement in its best preserved Late Hallstatt phase from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. This study provides an important contribution to the understanding of the settlement’s internal organization and its socioeconomic development. By examining the previously unaddressed phenomena of settlement nucleation, population aggregation and urbanism along with the possibility of earlystate formation, the paper broadens the narrative on the fundamental social and political development in the southeastern Alpine region during the Early Iron Age and contributes to the wider field of early urbanism research.
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Papers by Matija Črešnar
Within the framework of the project, a strategy has been adopted by the partners from 10 countries of the Danube region. The strategy approaches the topic of archaeological heritage from an archaeological, social and a technological standpoint. By using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analyses conducted by the
working groups, major challenges in the sector were defined, leading to two main strategy units. The first unit focuses on working processes from the archaeological discovery to a virtual visualisation, and the second on the potential of archaeological heritage in the digital world. To support the
further adaptation and development of new technologies for the archaeological sector, the strategy concludes with 12 recommendations for heritage stakeholders. Priority lists are adopted for the implementation of the recommendations at national level for each participating country.
Within the framework of this project we strove to obtain the greatest possible set of samples of organic matter (wood charcoal, wood, bones, seeds, grain and so forth) to be subjected to radiocarbon analysis. These were taken from reliable archaeological contexts, such as graves or single settlement units (postholes, storage and refuse pits and others), that could be using the comparative archaeological method reliably determined both chronologically and culturally. From the beginning of the project in 2008 and until 2013, we were able to obtain 249 radiocarbon-dated samples from 55 archaeological sites in Slovenia. With these, we hope to have created a solid database for establishing a relevant chronological network based on absolute radiocarbon dates, primarily for the Bronze, but also for the Iron Age. Besides that, we hope it will provide a new starting point for the better understanding of various diachronic and synchronic phenomena, and their historic significance during the last three millennia BC in Slovenia, Europe and wider, across the Eurasian continent.
Arheološka dediščina je neskončen vir znanja in navdiha. To velja tudi za arheološke sledove razvoja kmetijstva in kulturne krajine med kameno dobo in koncem srednjega veka, ki so bili pod drobnogledom večletnega čezmejnega projekta PalaeoDiversiStyria – paleokrajina Štajerske in njena biodiverziteta od prazgodovine do odkritja Novega sveta. Ob kratki predstavitvi projekta sledi predstavitev nekaterih pomembnejših najdišč projektnega območja, ki časovno segajo od mlajše kamene oz. bakrene dobe do srednjega veka in v veliki meri vključujejo tudi rezultate analiz rastlinskih in/ali živalskih ostankov. A sledi še pomembnejši in zanimivejši (ter okusnejši) del pričujoče publikacije. V poglavju "Živa arheologija" so najprej predstavljene številne rastline, ki so bile na projektnem območju odkrite pri arheoloških izkopavanjih, nato pa so jih prepoznali paleobotaniki. Pod naslovom "Okusna in uporabna arheologija" pa se skriva tisto, kar je pri tem projektu pomembna novost. Arheološko dediščino smo poskušali prenesti v sedanjost in prihodnost ter jo narediti uporabno, otipljivo, dišečo in okusno. Čakajo vas torej jedi, pijače in drugi izdelki, ki jih je navdihnila arheologija. Ker knjiga prinaša tudi recepte, se na primer lahko v pripravi jedi preizkusite sami ali pa se odpravite do katerega izmed ponudnikov v Avstriji ali Sloveniji in se pustite razvajati z okusi preteklosti. Lahko pa si pri njih priskrbite sestavine in končne izdelke, ki imajo svoj izvor v arheoloških dognanjih in so zato označeni z znakom blagovne znamke HERITERRA.
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Das archäologische Erbe ist eine unendliche Quelle des Wissens und der Inspiration. Dies gilt auch für archäologische Spuren der Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft und der Kulturlandschaft zwischen der Steinzeit und dem Ende des Mittelalters, die im Rahmen des mehrjährigen grenzüberschreitenden Projekts PalaeoDiversiStyria – Paläolandschaft der Steiermark und ihre Biodiversität von der Urgeschichte bis zu Entdeckung der Neuen Welt. Einige der Ergebnisse dieses Projekts werden in der vorliegenden Publikation zusammengefasst. Nach einer kurzen Vorstellung des Projekts werden einige der wichtigsten Fundorte des Projektgebietes, die sich über den Zeitraum von der jüngeren Steinzeit bzw. von der Kupferzeit bis zum Mittelalter erstrecken, und zu einem großen Teil auch die Ergebnisse von Analysen der Pflanzen- und/oder Tierreste vorgestellt. Aber der wichtigere und interessantere (und schmackhaftere) Teil dieser Veröffentlichung ist wohl folgender: Im Kapitel „Lebende Archäologie“ werden zunächst die zahlreichen Pflanzen vorgestellt, die bei archäologischen Ausgrabungen im Projektgebiet entdeckt und anschließend von Paläobotanikern/innen identifiziert wurden. Unter dem Titel „Geschmackvolle und nützliche Archäologie“ versteckt sich eine wichtige Innovation in unserem Projekt. Wir haben versucht, das archäologische Erbe auf die Gegenwart und die Zukunft zu übertragen und es nützlich, greifbar, duftend und lecker zu machen. Hier kann man von der Archäologie inspirierte Speisen, Getränke und andere Produkte finden. Da das Buch auch Rezepte enthält, können Sie selbst versuchen, die Gerichte zuzubereiten – oder Sie können zu einem unserer Anbieter in Österreich oder Slowenien gehen und dort die Aromen und Geschmackserlebnisse der Vergangenheit genießen. Sie erhalten dort auch Zutaten und Fertigprodukte, die ihren Ursprung in archäologischen Erkenntnissen haben und mit der Marke HERITERRA gekennzeichnet sind.
Special attention was given to the changes in the landscape caused by human intervention into the environment, e.g. by the cultivation of new plants and the domestication of animals, by the building of larger settlements or metal production. Part of the research included the discovery and identification of different plant species as well as domesticated and wild animals in archaeological contexts. To reach these results it was necessary that archaeologists, botanists, archaeobotanists as well as archaeozoologists worked hand in hand to create a better understanding of the interaction between nature and humans. With this interdisciplinary cooperation, we built new knowledge of the circumstances that influenced the dietary habits of people in the past.
The publication is one of the results of the interdisciplinary “PalaeoDiversiStyria” project, with the full name “Palaeolandscape of Styria and its Biodiversity from Prehistory to the Discovery of the New World”. It was a partnership between Universalmuseum Joanneum, the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, two botanical gardens led by the Universities of Maribor and of Graz, and two Municipalities, Grosklein in Austria and Hoče-Slivnica in Slovenia. The project was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the framework of the INTERREG Slovenia-Austria V-A 2014-2020 cooperation programme.
The studies have a broad span in their interpretative approaches; however, they all bring important new results on the Early Iron Age landscapes of the Danube region and present a fundament for further research of archaeological landscapes in the region and beyond.
The Iron-Age-Danube project — its full title is “Monumental Landscapes of the Early Iron Age in the Danube Basin” — was initiated in 2017 by 20 partners and associated partners from five countries in the Danube region. The project was co-financed within the framework of the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme with EFRE funds in the amount of € 2,169,200. One of the major focuses of the project was the exploration of the rich archaeological heritage of the Early Iron Age (i.e. Hallstatt Period) in the Danube region using modern archaeological methods. For that purpose, a new format, the Archaeological Camps, was introduced to the region. This format for the first time combined various types of activities and comprised, in addition to research campaigns, a wide variety of heritage protection activities as well as actions to promote the inclusion of Iron-Age landscapes into the touristic offers of these regions. The camps were organized in four countries at selected locations within the nine preselected micro-regions and lasted one or two months. In this period, the institutions involved had the opportunity to combine their technologies, methodologies and expertise as well as to exchange their experiences and views. These chosen sites and their surrounding landscapes are embedded in a variety of environments of the Danube region, which in fact had a strong impact on the populations settling in these areas in the Early Iron Age, as well as on the archaeological research approaches. Combining their knowledge and specific skills, the experts have in this intensive cooperation established new strategies, which are tailored to each of the micro-regions. One of the results of this cooperation is also the monograph Researching Archaeological Landscapes across Borders (Budapest: Archaeolingua, 2019), which should help other researchers and heritage experts with planning their projects on archaeological landscapes.
New research strategies have emerged to help broaden our understanding of the First World War. Multidisciplinary approaches have been applied to material culture and conflict landscapes, from archive sources analysis and aerial photography to remote sensing, GIS and field research. Working within the context of a material and archival understanding of war, this book combines papers from different study fields that present interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches towards researching the First World War and its legacies, with particular concentration on the central and eastern European theatres of war.
Recent scientific and methodological advances have reshaped our understanding of ancient mobility. Although patterns of far-reaching contact have long been hypothesised, DNA and isotope analyses have demonstrated that mobility was much more widespread than has traditionally been supposed, and that these networks were complex and diverse. Furthermore, artefact studies (including the more routine implementation of materials science and provenance studies) are demonstrating the ubiquity of long-distance trade networks, and the different ways trade (here defined as any peaceful way of exchanging materials, commodities or services) was made. Such strong and sustained levels of connectivity between different regions for varying durations could only have been achieved with a certain degree of agreement over common social and economic rules, which must have been achieved on the basis of an enduring shared practice, particularly in pre-literate societies where written laws did not exist. As such, informal institutions-i.e. those not enforced by law but based on a common sense of honour and trust-must have been sufficiently strong to allow for swift travel and convenient interaction, within or outwith a formal economic framework. This session invites contributions examining the materiality of long-distance networks across Continental, Atlantic, Northern and pre-classical Mediterranean Europe, from the beginning of the Bronze Age until the appearance of written law. Papers examining patterns of trade, exchange and mobility through systems of material exchange or distribution, the transmission of ideas (related to, for example, technological or symbolic activities) and bioarchaeological methods are welcome, as are those which consider these processes from a range of perspectives: theoretical models, case studies, regional synthesis, etc.
Please join our session about the protection and promotion of archaeological landscapes at the 24th annual meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in Barcelona, Spain, 5 - 8 September 2018!
This will be the largest convention of archaeologists in Europe this year, an excellent platform for your projects or studies about managment of archaeological landscapes.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is 19 February.
Willing to present? Please submit your abstracts via the EAA Barcelona 2018 website: https://eaa.klinkhamergroup.com/eaa2018/
More information on the EAA Conference: http://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2018
New technologies and methodological advances of the last few decades have radically changed the potentials of archaeological research. The focus has shifted from investigations of single sites to studies of broader archaeological landscapes. In particular, remote sensing technologies and geophysics have yielded vast amounts of new archaeological data, opening new avenues to the better understanding of archaeological sites, landscapes, regions and beyond.
This process has however raised also two important issues, which call for discussion: (1) the often (too) superficial interpretations of the data, and (2) the long-term impact of the new data on decision-making processes in European heritage management. Both issues are closely connected. The lack of depth in interpretation often means that we fail to realize the broader potentials in the use of the data collected. The missing awareness of these possibilities also constrains the process of developing new, more efficient heritage management tools. However, it also due to the lack of closer cooperation between science, heritage protection and politics that is hindering more profound advances.
As a response, several initiatives are focusing on development of new approaches and strategies to tackle the present situation. Unfortunately, these strategies are often solely restricted to a project’s research area or/and its duration and are not implemented on any political or legislative level.
In this session, we would like to hear from your positive as well as the negative experiences and practices in the strategic planning and implementation processes, dealing in the broadest sense with the management of archaeological landscapes.
This session will draw on a number of papers from the ENTRANS Project (2014-16); a HERA-funded collaborative project between the Universities of Bradford (UK), Ljubljana (SLO) and Zagreb (CRO), which explores cultural identities and encounters across the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age transition in the East Alpine region- a zone of interaction and encounters between Mediterranean societies and their traditionally perceived ‘barbarian’ neighbours. We also invite papers which seek to break down chronological, geographical or disciplinary boundaries within other parts of later prehistoric Europe (broadly, the Bronze and Iron Ages).
held in the Gallery of the Spomeniškovarstveni center ZVKDS from 12.1.2012 to 17.3.2012.
Antiquities as the 'hottest invest' (TIME-Magazine, 12/2007) are one of the biggest problems of archaeology. Finds deriving from unauthorised excavations, metal detectoring, robberies of museums/public collections, appear on the market with faked provenience, and are legally sold. The majority of illegal/illicit finds that enter the market, seemingly entirely legally, go unacknowledged by archaeologists. Only rarely do such finds later surface and only few, like the spectacular find of the Bronze Age Nebra-disc, are acknowledged by the wide public. In the case of more mundane finds this rarely ever occurs.
APPLY TO PARTICIPATE WITH A PRESENTATION UNTIL MARCH 1st, 2016 here: eaavilnius2016.lt
The main objective of the symposium is to offer a multidisciplinary forum to discuss relevant topics and specific issues in cultural heritage protection and management and the application of digital methods for this purpose. The program shall encourage the scientific exchange and strengthen collaborative ties between participating institutions as well as increase the awareness of non-invasive methods in cultural heritage protection among stakeholders and the interested public.
Session 3: Raising Awareness for digital methods for cultural property protection and cultural heritage management
In the new volume of the Monographs of the Centre for Preventive Archaeology, we present the minimum standards for the implementation of the research methods, which have been incorporated into daily work process on the field of preventive archaeology in our Institute.
V novem zvezku Monografij Centra za preventivno arheologijo predstavljamo minimalne standarde izvedbe raziskovalnih metod, ki so na področje preventivne arheologije pri nas vključene v vskodnevni procesa dela.
CORING IS NOT BORING! Drillings in combination with other non or minimal-invasive methods for investigating archaeological monuments [COMFORT].
This session is dedicated to multi-method approaches in archaeological investigations, that involve the use of drilling. Especially monuments like fortifications with their often enormous rampart-and-ditch systems, terraces, slopes and thick occupation layers full of archaeological and biological relicts, but also burial mounds or settlement tells, offer the perfect playground for hand augering and mechanical coring. Quick and cheap, drillings serve as an endoscope into the past of such monuments. Drillings in modern times have become an omnipresent, but not en-vogue tool on excavations to verify geophysical results, to distinguish occupation phases, and to answer palaeo-environmental questions. Yet systematic coring strategies are lacking standards.
The often multi-layered cores may contain soil material and hence information about the entire life span of the monuments. They are used for dating hillforts and other monuments by radiocarbon analysis or micromorphological studies of the soil and the relicts it contains, which provide information about the age and function of the site and its parts. Combined with (p)XRF measurements or pollen and phytolyth analysis they add information about the environment and the human impact; susceptibility measurements and other geophysical methods help to understand the geomagnetic images or ERT and GPR data. Hence there is a bouquet of methods, which can be applied to drilling cores themselves to make them speak about the history of the site.
We invite archaeologists, soil scientists, geologists, and those from related disciplines to present their method and strategy of drillings used for investigating fortifications, burial mounds or settlement tells with massive earthen elements. Reports about technical challenges, problems, limitations or successful new ideas are welcome, as are presentations on best practice examples of different methods combined with drillings and especially the results we can gain from systematic interdisciplinary coring strategies.
Contact for paper proposals or questions:
Timo Ibsen, Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology, Schleswig (ZBSA)
[email protected]
Or
Matija Črešnar, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana / Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology (CIRA)
[email protected]