Rescue excavation of the burial mound 1 - Gomila in Jalžabet was carried out between 2017 and 2021. The project was financed by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia. Inside one of the largest burial monuments from the Eastern Hallstatt culture, researchers uncovered a complex burial chamber constructed from wood, stone, clay, and charcoal, situated in the center of a massive stone crepidoma. To the east, a ceremonial passage-dromos was discovered. Inside the burial chamber, a layer of cremated bones was placed simply on the chamber’s floor, which was paved with split stone tiles and lined with wood. Above this layer, several stratigraphic layers associated with a rest from the cremation pyre were identified. These layers contained abundant burned material, along with some artifacts that had survived the fire, indicating a specific burial rite. Additionally, a significant quantity of archaeologically sterile charcoal was deposited on the exterior walls of both the burial chamber and the dromos. This paper focuses particularly on analyzing the construction sequence of the monument and the materials employed in its building.
This paper explores the efficacy of different open-source software tools in analysing 3D photogrammetric models of Roman epigraphic monuments. The study, conducted on four monuments from Kremna, Serbia, reveals that advanced software processing significantly enhances the visibility of reliefs and inscriptions, making it possible to record previ-ously unreadable text. A key result is the identification of 27 new letters on one altar, showcasing the method’s poten-tial for further epigraphic research. The results show that, at this moment, the most suitable software visualization tool for recovering lost inscriptions is depth mapping in Blender software. The research illustrates the value of 3D mod-elling for archaeological interpretation and permanent digital preservation of endangered epigraphic monuments.
The Dinaric karst landscape presents challenging conditions for the implementation of standard field survey methods. The ubiquitous practices of intensive field clearance and a high level of parcellation of arable land resulted in various types of drystone walls and stone cairns at the edges of fields. In the Dalmatian hinterland, this practice was the main agency of intensive transformation of the landscape and thus the cause of alteration of the surface archaeological record. These factors resulted in a landscape fragmented into small drystone-bounded fields that are mostly uncon-nected and thus do not form continuous surfaces favourable for field survey practices. On the other hand, the recent general abandonment of agricultural activities, as a consequence of the continuous deruralisation of the Dalmatian hinterland, resulted in an increase in dense vegetation on abandoned fields, significantly reducing the surface soil’s availability and visibility.For these reasons, this paper presents an artefact-based field survey approach, adapted to the described conditions, simultaneously aimed at recording types of surveyed units (drystone wall, cairn, soil surface, scree, etc.) and their vis-ibility rate. The procedure was carried out in the area of Bristivica village, located in the hinterland of Trogir, where different types of surface archaeological material were recorded. As the collected assemblage is marked by the sig-nificant presence of lithic artefacts and chert raw materials, the objective is to present the potential of the employed approach for detecting lithic scatters in a Dinaric karst landscape, as well as the difficulties that arise in evaluating the spatial context of their appearance and a more specific chronological frame to which they could be determined.
The study presents the results of non-invasive (remote sensing and geophysical surveys) research conducted in a small area in Northeastern Bulgaria known as the Ludogorsko Plateau. These investigations are part of a broader research project that examines the spatial patterns and dynamics of settlement during the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Ludogorsko Plateau region.2The research includes the identification of archaeological sites through the analysis of satellite imagery. For this purpose, the “History” tool in Google Earth Pro was used, allowing users to view the same area across different years and seasons. The studied sites are clearly distinguishable from the surrounding terrain by the presence of crop marks and soil marks. The subsequent phase entails on-site verification through targeted field surveys.The archaeological materials were identified at the visited sites, usually pottery sherds, but in some cases also small finds such as spindle whorls, flints, and stone toolswere also present. Geophysical surveys were conducted at several of the recorded sites, revealing anomalies with varying characteristics. The data show a high concentration of soil marks in the Topchiyska River area, which appears to have played an important role in the past. This study discusses examples of sites identified through non-invasive methods, particularly in the vicinity of the villages of Medovene, Brestovene, Pobit kamak, and Kamenovo in the Razgrad region.
The paper contains data on the building phases of the early Christian church complex at Bilice near Šibenik. Different chronological phases were already recognised during the first excavations of the complex at the beginning of the 20thcentury. In the new revision research at the site the existence of earlier and later structures has been confirmed by the position of walls and their connections.The determination of the phases is provided by radiocarbon mortar dating. In the case of the early Christian complex at Bilice, three mortar samples were radiocarbon dated. The samples originate from different parts of the church complex, two of them from additional structures and one sample from the wall of the triconch church. The paper brings a detailed account of the radiocarbon mortar dating of the Bilice samples, methods used and results in the context of archaeological data on the early Christian church complex in Bilice.
Archaeological research of the multi-layered site Lobor - Majka Božja Gorska in northwestern Croatia was mostly concentrated on the church complex and the cemetery belonging to it, which damaged earlier prehistoric, antique and late antique structures. Excavations were also carried out at several positions on the northern plateau outside the church complex. During the excavation, large quantities of late antique pottery were found, which can be dated from the second half of the 3rd to the first half of the 6th century. Although late antique pottery is very fragmented, several clusters of fragments were documented on the northern plateau of the late antique hilltop settlement, between the church complex and the northern rampart. Considering that the architectural remains are few and poorly preserved due to the mentioned damaging, during the late antique pottery research, quantitative analysis of fragments, analysis of spatial distribution and comparative analysis with the contemporary sites of the Noric-Pannonian border area were used in order to interpret the organization of the northern side of the late antique settlement, which was less destroyed by construction and erosion. The results of the research provide insight into the degree of destruction of the site due to the burial of medieval and post-medieval graves and the spread of late antique pottery, as well as how well the clusters of late antique pottery finds match the few remains of late antique architecture. Certain clusters point to the existence of destroyed structures, which indicate different construction techniques within the late antique settlement. The final interpretation of the possible organization of the northern part of the late antique settlement in Lobor based on the pottery finds, shows similarities with other hilltop settlements of the Noric-Pannonian border area and probably indicates the integration of the that settlement into the mentioned area.
The remains of the Cesargrad castle are located on a hill, on the left bank of the Sutla River gorge, overlooking the market town of Klanjec. The most famous historical event connected to it was the siege in 1573, during the Great Peas-ant Uprising. The archaeological research of the castle was centered around the core of the castle, where the standing structures are still visible above ground. In two excavation campaigns (2008 and 2010), the western tower and the palace were partially researched. During the 2018 campaign, the analysis of the standing structures was conducted through the application of the archaeology of standing structures. The results partially coincide with the known writ-ten documents, but also indicate an older date for the construction of the castle. The castle is composed of the inner core and the outer ward. Most of the structures of the presumed outer ward are partially recognizable in the terrain morphology. To trace these remains in 2021, a LiDAR survey was conducted. Lidar data were later processed and classi-fied to obtain a precise and detailed DTM of a wider area around the castle, which was then visualized and interpreted for archaeological remains. The newly found archaeological features can be interpreted as possible military installa-tions or siege positions erected during a strife.
The paper deals with the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of classification in Albanian studies of late prehistory.By focusing on the case of pottery analysis, I discuss to what extent research in the classification and typology of archaeological data contributes to interpretations within potential patterns of materials.In so doing I follow a twofold perspective.First, I discuss some notable scholarly contributions which for almost 10 decades have elaborated extensively on this matter.It must be stressed that in Albania and more broadly in southeastern Europe such agendas yet remain peripheral and not fully explored.Second, with a specific focus on Albania, I deal with the ramifications of a conceptual synthesis in the classification of pottery material and to what extent reconstructing the chaîne opératoire from the attributes of the end-product are beneficial in answering an array of scientific queries.The application of the conceptual approach shifts the analysis of late prehistoric pottery from a simple scheme of classification which at most serves as a data organizational tool, to a cohesive framework that intends to measure and evaluate the properties of pottery based on a specific research query.A classification scheme was created for every site and time period.Then, either the vessels grouped in the 'shared concepts' or vessels containing particular attributes categorized as 'individual concepts' were compared among sites in order to measure the quantitative representation of the network's models or potential connections in regional and intra-regional scale.The benefits of this scheme in pottery classification and to what extent potential patterns with weak quantitative profile impact comprehensive analysis to understand regional and intra-regional networks and beyond are some of the questions I address in the last section.
Between 2014 and 2019 several geophysical prospection campaigns on archaeological sites in Northern and Eastern Croatia were realised.Survey layout, data and interpretation from the Hallstatt site of Jalžabet (Varaždin), from the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age site of Dolina (Nova Gradiška), and several prehistoric and Roman sites in Slavonia are presented and discussed in this paper.All data sets can be considered as incomplete since the investigations faced several serious ological fieldwork and research in today's "austerity societies" remain mere wishful thinking.Yet, couldn't we consider this kind of prospection campaigns as a full-value tool in archaeological research?Due to the wide availability of multi-channel equipment, data collection has become a standard procedure during the last 15 years.By contrast, the archaeological interpretation of the data is a matter of permanent epistemological development.The combination of the mentioned incomplete data sets and poor documentation of archaeological information on historical excavations and surveys present a challenge for both archaeologists and geophysicists.The presented examples prove that substantial archaeological information can be gathered even from limited data sets.Taking into account geological, geomorphological and archaeological information, prevents us from both, merely describing geophysical data as well as from over-interpreting.It is self-evident that all information is assembled and presented in GIS, so that continuous reworking of the data is possible for all involved parties.
Systematic archaeological excavations in the Velić village, near Trilj, began in 2013. By 2019 we revealed the remains of a rectangular ground plan building with a semicircular apse.It consists of the antechamber and three chambers: central chamber with an apse, south chamber, and north chamber with an east-west oriented barrel-vaulted tomb (Tomb 1), which was unfortunately quite devastated.In addition to this devastation, excavation campaigns have been characterized by the extreme poverty of small finds, which prevents accurate dating of the site.Nevertheless, the building can be roughly dated to the period of Late Antiquity and interpreted as an Early Christian memorial chapel.This assumption was reinforced in the 2019 excavation campaign when another barrel-vaulted tomb (Tomb 2) was detected below the central chamber with an apse.This time it was sealed and intact.It had a small square antechamber with a vertical stone slab serving as a door to the tomb.Its barrel-vaulted ceiling was completely preserved, and skeletal remains of four individuals were identified laying down on two flat stone plastered beds in the grave chamber.Although the tomb and its state of preservation were astonishing, the archaeological excavation faced a daunting task of documenting the buried structure and its content.Since image-based modeling has been used as a practical and detailed documentation tool on the site so far, it was only natural to approach this part of the excavation in the same manner.This paper will present difficulties and solutions that we came across during the documentation process of this barrel-vaulted tomb as well as some conclusions and interpretations of the tomb and the larger complex around it.
The great need for stone as a building material in Roman Istria is attested by a large number of quarries along the Istrian coast, and several in the interior.The more or less high-quality limestone from these quarries could have been used for the building of many villae rusticae scattered across the peninsula, or perhaps even for further distribution.In that regard, Roman Istria was connected by a system of roads, the precise heading of which we are today still uncertain.The road connecting Aquilea and Pola was called Via Flavia, and several authors suggest that a road of the same name connected Pola to Tarsatica.Nevertheless, a much cheaper system of transportation was by sea or river, and the Istrian coast is rich with many bays or coves that could have been useful to Roman sailors as safe havens or trading ports.
Following the Malta Convention/Valletta Treaty the preferable way for the physical protection of archaeological sites is in situ preservation. When planning in situ preservation, in addition to other issues, it is also necessary to consider changes in physical environment and their impact on in situ preserved remains. This is especially important when human interaction takes place. Recently, an increase in construction on the top of archaeological sites has occurred, thus the effects of heavy equipment compaction need to be studied in more detail.This paper presents research on the effects of the use of heavy equipment (e.g. rammers and rollers) compaction on archaeological remains. For the purpose of our research, laboratory testing has been performed. In a custom-made steel box, artificial archaeological sites were created using layers of sandy silt and gravel. A variety of archaeological and modern artefacts were placed in these created environments. Some of them were equipped with strain gauges for deformation recording. Through a series of tests a servo-hydraulic piston was used, which simulated the dynamic loading of the artificial sites. Humidity and temperature were recorded before, during, and after each test. Since layers and artefacts were three-dimensionally recorded before and after each test, compaction of layers and movements of artefacts could be studied. With attached strain gauges and visual inspection following each test, deformations and thus damage to artefacts during different stages of loadings was recorded. The goals of our laboratory tests were the development of a new methodological approach to study the effects of heavy equipment compaction to the archaeological sites, getting an insight into the problems of such tests, and the estimation of the applicability of their results. With the presented results, our research has been a step towards better understanding the effects of heavy equipment compaction on archaeological remains and thus to the preservation of archaeological sites in situ.
In this paper, the authors present Viminacium, an archaeological site from the Roman Era that was turned into an archaeological open-air museum. Ever since it was opened in 2006, this open-air museum was visited by an always in-creasing number of guests.Expert guides offer a unique experience of storytelling directly on the site, that contributes to the visitors' overall experience.
Bone remains can contain information of date of death, disease, nutrition habits and diet, location/movement, genealogy etc. of an individual and therefore bones represent a very interesting material for archaeological studies.Bones are composed of soft organic (collagen) and a mineral (bioapatite) tissue.Both tissues can be used for radiocarbon dating when certain conditions are satisfied.At the Zagreb Radiocarbon Laboratory, there are two techniques for radiocarbon dating: by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).The AMS technique enables dating of collagen from quite small bone fragments and also dating of bone apatite from cremated bones.Here we present our results of bone radiocarbon dating within the international radiocarbon intercomparison exercises and two case studies of 14 C-AMS bone dating from two archaeological sites in Croatia: the Sokol fortress from Konavle and the St. Stephen church in Pustijerna, Dubrovnik.
Methodology and Archaeometry (MetArh) is an annual scientific conference organized since 2013 by the Department of Archaeology of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, and the Croatian Archaeological Society. The goal of the conference is to entice interdisciplinarity, critical thinking, new insights and approaches as well as new theoretical frameworks in contemporary archaeological science. This, second edition of the conference Proceedings contains eight scientific papers from the 6th MetArh conference which was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, from 6th - 7th of December 2018. Papers are focused on different aspects of archaeological methodology and archaeometry, including case studies from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece and Russia. In order to create a volume of high scientific quality, each of the conference paper was reviewed in the peer review process in which the identity of both reviewers and authors, as well as their institutions, are respectfully concealed from both parties.
Recent advances in microscopy, scanning techniques and digital data processing have allowed image analysis of archaeological objects.In this study, 2D/3D image analysis will be applied for the main topics of ceramic pottery production: resource gathering, firing degree and shaping techniques.The basic images were acquired by the polarized light microscope, SEM and 3D µ-CT.The segmentation and parametrization of structural elements were performed by Matlab.In order to characterize ceramic pastes, shape parameters such as size distribution, circularity and sphericity of coarse sand grains provided quantitative information.Pore topology dominated by the clay/ceramic sintering can give qualitative and quantitative data for the pyrometamorphic degree of the ceramics.Sphericity, surface area, volume, Euler characteristic and curvature of open and closed pores are the possible parameters describing the topology and topological changes.They allow us to estimate the existence of various firing states.Shaping techniques of the ceramic body were identified by three-dimensional alignments of segmented pores and sand grains.A continuous and separate building of the structural part, hand shaping or wheel-shaping/thrown can be suggested by this method.Despite the heterogeneity in mineralogical and chemical composition, grain size distribution and firing state of most archaeological ceramics, it is expected that the direct measurement of the visual element and its parametrization enable us to identify various techniques employed for the prehistoric ceramic production.This method will contribute to reconstructing technological styles of prehistoric material production with easier and faster availability and accessibility.
Textile in archaeology has long been seen as an unreliable source of data due to the lack of methods that deal with the processing of such findings.Only during the last couple of years, serious analyses have begun to take place.It was often possible to reconstruct the look of fabrics and decorative objects, while searching for color traces in fibers has rarely been done.Since the first traces of dyed textiles were found, the process itself had already been developed, yet the experimental stage of selection and development of the dyeing process stays unknown.In that case, answers to a variety of questions can be offered by experimental archaeology and interdisciplinary approach.As a starting point, some experiments that have already been done involving fabric dyeing will be used and mentioned later in work (Cardon 2007;Vajanto 2011;Grömer 2016).It took several steps, such as collecting and processing wool, selecting natural dye sources, dyeing the wool and analyzing the obtained samples.In collaboration with other branches of natural and human sciences, information about the past becomes more complete, and the interpretation itself more accurate.
The study of pottery has historically served as a testing ground for archaeological theories, both due to its abundance in the archaeological record and its multifaceted use in the development of various methodological tools for the in vestigation of issues of exchange and external influence, technological tradition, social organisation, economic trends, and other cultural associations in past societies. Nevertheless, ceramic studies have largely extended the range of tools and techniques beyond traditional approaches that focus on stylistic, morphological, and typological attributes aiming at constructing chronological sequences or reconstructing large-scale networks of interaction. In fact, recent years in Aegean studies have witnessed an increasing concern towards the technological significance of pottery and its social context from a rather scientific-processual perspective. The project of Early Bronze Age (EBA/EB) Heraion on Samos Island, east Aegean (Greece) has successfully demonstrated that questions of ceramic production, consumption, and distribution can be meaningfully approached through the integration of different scales and levels of analytical en -quiry. This has been achieved following a chaîne opératoire approach and the combination of various levels of analysis from typology, phasing, and contextual study of the entire ceramic assemblages covering the third millennium BC, with macroscopic analysis, thin section petrography, and microstructural analysis. This paper provides a brief overview of specific aspects of this project with the aim to highlight the significance of adopting a holistic approach in ceramic studies of well-defined, insular prehistoric environments.
The paper analyses methodological possibilities of retrospective monitoring and value loss assessment on the archaeological records continuously subjected to harmful impacts using an example of prehistoric archaeological record preserved on Sutilija (St.Elijah's) hill in Seget Gornji above Trogir, Croatia, which is continuously subjected to stone mining that resulted in the vast devastation of the landscape, as well as the destruction of the archaeological features.This was the stimulus for the project focused on monitoring of the site with the objective to document its present state and to collect the data about changes in the landscape.Through comparison of the data collected by topographic survey and high-resolution 3D photogrammetry of the entire hill with the available archival spatial data (aerial photographs, cadastral maps etc.) a set of information was obtained that enables analysis of the changes caused by anthropogenic activities in different periods.Results of this type of analysis are suitable for the valorisation of the site, as well as a value loss assessment through different periods of contemporary stone exploitation.As the collected data enables chronological separation of the harmful impacts, the authors will present a methodological approach to the reconstruction of their effects and the possibilities that this type of analysis has for the assessment of value loss on continuously endangered archaeological sites.
The technology of processing hard animal material is an important segment in the study of prehistoric societies.This paper's main focus is on the exploitation of hard animal material, especially antlers from the Vučedol eponymous site (Late Copper Age).It deals with antlers as raw material, as well with the osseous industry of Vučedol culture, more specifically with its manufacturing technology.Findings from both old and recent excavations show well-known manufacturing techniques of processing osseous material.Interestingly, findings from recent excavations at Vučedol -Kukuruzište Streim show new elements in the manufacturing process -use of metal tools.
