Books by Adam Crnobrnja
Jugoistočni deo Donje Panonije: topografija i prostorna organizacija do I do IV veka, 2020
The South Eastern Part of Pannonia Inferior: Topography and Spatial Organisation from the 1st to ... more The South Eastern Part of Pannonia Inferior: Topography and Spatial Organisation from the 1st to 4th Century
Researching of settlements, communications and fortifications in southeastern part of the province Lower Pannonia (Pannonia Inferior, in Late Antiquity Pannonia Secunda), initially consider collection and systematization of data of all known Roman sites on the explored (studied) area. The most extensive part of the work, a detailed catalog of sites, a total of 605, is described in a chapter The catalog of the Roman sites in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia. This chapter is located at the end of this dissertation, and contains detailed information for each site: type, location, description, dating and bibliography. All the sites are mapped and their ordinal numbers correspond to the numbers on the attached maps. The main goal of this paper was to comprehend the dynamics of occupation of landscape in the period of Roman domination, its purpose and relation of settlements, fortifications and communications in space and time. The introduction gives territorial and chronological framework, covering the territory of contemporary areas of Srem, Mačva, Pocerina, Posavina and Semberija, and during the period of Roman occupation from the beginning of 1st centuries. until 380 A.D. Special attention was paid to issues of the territories of Sirmium and Bassianae and southeastern borders of the province of Lower Pannonia. In the chapter The settlements in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia, the methodological problem of settlements classification was determined in detail, in order to make criteria that were used in this work.
The settlements from I to IV century are comprehended trough following aspects: positions of settlement, the size of settlements, rural settlements (with consideration of landscape distribution), and urban settlements. The settlements located along the military fortifications are treated as a special group. At the end of this chapter is given a detailed discussion of all aspects related to settlements, especially their landscape distributions and their relationships. In the chapter Fortifications in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia all fortifications are divided into three subcategories: system of fortifications on the Danube limes, the fortress in the hinterland of the Limes and smaller fortifications in the hinterland of the Limes. In each of these categories, all of the fortifications are analyzed. The discussion in this chapter especially considers spatial distribution of the fortress trough time. The land routes and waterways have been analyzed in the chapter The Roads and Communications. The land routes known from ancient itineraries and routes known only based on archaeological data are deeply analyzed. The possibilities of navigation on the main and smaller river courses and canals are also deliberated. In the discussion are identified certain new issues related to communication routes. Besides that, the aspects that have not been explored enough until now, such as dating and economic viability of the routes, are pointed out here.
In conclusion there is the overall attitude based on discussions in preceding three main chapters (settlements, communications and fortifications), and the chronological and space stratification and relationships between these three types of archaeological sites. It is also pointed to the methodological imperfections during the earlier field researches related to this work, which resulted in poor data quality. Also, the analysis of the field data was compared with data from roman literally sources and epigraphical notes. It is noticed the existence of a certain patterns in the spread of rural settlements.
The periods of increasing number of settlements are determined more precisely, as well as possible reasons for expansion. It is considered that some historical events may be associated with certain archaeological recordings. However, some disagreement with historiographical data are identified too, primarily those that testify intensity of life in certain periods, which can be interpreted as a consequence of insufficient or inadequate exploration of the observed area. Finally, the opportunities for further researches are recognized as well as researching issues identified in this paper, which can be resolved only by targeted and well-planned field research.
ISBN 978-86-7269-192-4
Kako sačuvati arheološko nasleđe - priručnik, 2020
Како сачувати археолошко наслеђе
http://arheologija.rs/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kako-sacuvati-a... more Како сачувати археолошко наслеђе
http://arheologija.rs/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kako-sacuvati-arheolosko-nasledje-prirucnik.pdf
Сагледавајући тренутну ситуацију, Српско археолошко друштво,
као репрезентативно удружење у култури за област непокретног културног наслеђа, одлучило се за покретање пројекта ''Подизање свести о значају археолошког наслеђа и унапређење рада Српског археолошког друштва''. Министарство културе и информисања је препознало важност тог пројекта, и континуирано га је финансирало од 2017. до 2020. године. Током прве три године реализације пројекта одржане су 33 презентације у 30 градова.
Намера нам је била да кроз сарадњу са доносиоцима одлука и
стручним службама локалних самоуправа започнемо ширу кампању подизања свести о значају очувања археолошког наслеђа. Подизањем свести о значају археолошке баштине, кроз упознавање с прописима и процедурама, као и кроз указивање на добре и лоше примере деловања локалних самоуправа, умногоме се може поправити однос шире заједнице према археолошком наслеђу.
Објављивањем Приручника који је пред Вама желимо да обезбедимо дугорочну одрживост пројекта и његову бољу делотворност, кроз сталну доступност информација о могућностима заштите археолошког
наслеђа најширој јавности.
Приручник је намењен како представницима локалних самоуправа, њихових стручних служби, припадницима полиције, тако и најширој јавности заинтересованој за очување археолошког наслеђа.
The monetary find described in the monograph A Hoard of Roman Silver Coins From the Mining Area o... more The monetary find described in the monograph A Hoard of Roman Silver Coins From the Mining Area of Metalla Tricornensia. An archaeological and numismatic study, by Bojana Borić-Brešković and Adam N. Crnobrnja, was discovered by chance in the village of Mirosaljci, 40 km to the south of Belgrade in 1995 and, after members of the Ministry of the Interior had promptly intervened, it was deposited in the National Museum in Belgrade. Its contents, 724 denarii of Rome and two drachmas of Lycia,
minted in the period from the reign of Nero to that of Commodus, were examined from the archaeological, historical and numismatic aspects, with special emphasis on the spacial aspect of the find.
The place where the coins were discovered, located on the fertile south-western slopes of the Parcanski Vis, in the border area of the provinces of Moesia Superior,
Dalmatia and Pannonia Inferior, was the reason for a new analysis of the presumed directions of the borders and for reconsidering what is already known about the mining
territory on Mount Kosmaj, its organization and attribution to a particular province.
In this light, proceeding from earlier assumptions based on epigraphic and, to a lesser extent, archaeological material, supplemented by new, primarily archaeological
and topographic data, it emerged that the Kosmaj mines were located in the province of Moesia Superior and its metalla Tricornensia, and that the locality where the hoard
was discovered belonged to the territory of the imperial domain of the mining area of Kosmaj. Its position on the fertile southern slopes of the Parcanski Vis, favourable for
working the land, with a registered facility in the immediate vicinity, and significant evidence as to the presence of settlements in the surrounding area, defined the agrarian character of the entire area, which supplied the numerous population of this mining area with wheat and other foodstuffs.
On the basis of an exhaustive analysis of the hoard, it was shown that the main part of the find was formed during the 2nd century, during the reign of Antoninus Pius and,
especially, Marcus Aurelius, exactly at the time when the exploitation of silver-bearing lead ore was intensified and when it was at its peak. With Commodus, the inflow of
coins in the hoard became very sporadic and one denarius belonging to him, dated to the period from January 1st to July, 192 AD, determined the terminus a quo of its burial.
The most probable cause for this was economic instability which, besides local trouble or reasons of an entirely personal nature, could have been caused by Commodus’ internal policy, which was particularly unpopular towards the end of his life and reign.
Although the Kosmaj mines were in an administratively separate territory and had special economic status, they could not have remained isolated from the influence of
the rest of the province. Commodus’ repressive measures regarding taxation and fees were thus identified as being one of the possible causes for insecurity and destabilisation in the area of the Kosmaj mines, which did not necessarily have to leave a trace in written sources.
The site Crkvine is situated in the vicinity of the village Stubline in the borough of Obrenovac ... more The site Crkvine is situated in the vicinity of the village Stubline in the borough of Obrenovac around 40 km to the southwest of Belgrade (Serbia). In the first section of this work we present the comprehensive report about the investigations carried out so far. The geomagnetic prospection undertaken from 2006 to 2008 covered an area of 32,400 square meters and the obtained results indicate the existence of around 100 houses built in rows around the rather large open areas as well as the trenches surrounding the settlement. The investigations of the house 1/2008 dating from the Vinca culture D–2 period yielded
in addition to the data concerning its interior organization also a unique find of the group of 46 figurines with 11 models of miniature tools. In the second section of this work we discuss the prospects, which future investigations of this site and its environment could provide concerning the study of the social organization in the very end of the Vinca culture.
Key words. – Neolithic, Vinca culture, settlement, house, geomagnetic investigations, group of figurines, altar,
Stubline, Obrenovac, Belgrade, Serbia.
Belgrade is the city with a long and eventful past. It belongs among the earliest cities in Europ... more Belgrade is the city with a long and eventful past. It belongs among the earliest cities in Europe, the thread of urban life running uninterrupted for more than two thousand years. The pages of its history have been written by many cultures, civilizations and state formations, and all of them left a trace behind: streets, buildings, cemeteries – we keep discovering them; relics of the material culture – we keep gathering and
protecting them from complete ruin and oblivion.
Money has also survived. In the past 160 years since the beginning of the more or less regular recording of archaeological finds from Belgrade and its environs, a wealth of old coins has been discovered. From one
piece to another, the reader of this book will not only gain an insight into the two-millennium-long history of this city but also into the beauty of metallic and paper money circulating in the land between the Sava
and Danube rivers over the centuries.
Papers - Neolithic by Adam Crnobrnja
Starinar 64, 185-203, 2014
Bowls with protoma appear in almost all regions of the central Balkans populated by Vinča culture... more Bowls with protoma appear in almost all regions of the central Balkans populated by Vinča culture communities and we do not note them in the areas of the neighbouring Late Neolithic communities. These bowls appear in a very long and clearly defined time span and their usage lasts for exactly the same time as the Vinča culture itself, appearing at the same time and together disappearing. The first vessels with their protoma facing the inside, appear almost synchronously at the very beginning of the Vin~a culture, that is the Late Neolithic of the Balkans, in the centre of its area (Vinča and Grivac), but also in its furthermost peripheral areas (Röszke-
Lúdvár and Anza). Their abrupt disappearance, together with
the disappearance of the Vinča culture, that is to say the Late
Neolithic way of living, should not be surprising. The change
that comes along with the abandonment of the last Vinča settlements is not only perceptible in the material culture, but also, and above all, in the social system and the organisation of the community. Fundamental changes in the social structure in the middle of the 5th millennium BC, evidently led to the downfall and disappearance of many deep-rooted values of the communities of that time, as well as the very system of beliefs and sagas. This resulted in the disappearance of the vessels with protoma’s utilisation, one of the most steadfast material manifestations of the Vinča culture.
In: W. Schier and F. Draşovean (eds.), The Neolithic and Eneolithic in Southeast Europe ; New approaches to dating and cultural Dynamics in the 6th to 4th Millennium BC (PrähistorischeArchäologie in Südosteuropa ; Bd. 28), Rahden/Westf.: Leidorf 2014, 173-186., Dec 30, 2014
In this paper, analyzing results of geomagnetic mapping and excavation results, I consider the or... more In this paper, analyzing results of geomagnetic mapping and excavation results, I consider the organization of space in a large flat Late Vinča culture settlement at the site Crkvine-Stubline. Densely packed houses (in rows and clusters) almost premeditated the settlement organization, more like the top of a development, than the last decades of an epoch. The destruction and abandoning of this and similar settlements at the very end of the Vinča culture (phase D2) in northwestern Serbia resulted in the disappearance of such social organization. At the end, instead of giving an answer, I am trying to find out new and different questions of this transitional period.
by Lazarovici Gheorghe, Adam Crnobrnja, Nerantzis Nerantzis, Krisztián Oross, Wolfram Schier, Diaconescu Dragos, Gaal Istvan, Marko Sraka, mirjana blagojevic, Florin Drasovean, Zsuzsanna Siklósi, Anett Osztás, and Lea Čataj
Starinar LXII, 2012
The Crkvine site is situated around 40 km southwest of Belgrade (Serbia) in the vicinity of the v... more The Crkvine site is situated around 40 km southwest of Belgrade (Serbia) in the vicinity of the village of Stubline, in the borough of Obrenovac. Extensive geophysical investigations were carried out during the 2010 campaign and, based on the results, we started investigations of the Late Vin~a house 01/2010. The following comprehensive report details the method of construction and organisation of life in that house, which dates from the Vinca culture phase D. The house was very well preserved and we paid special attention to two large ovens inside the house as well as to some interesting portable finds (a clay table, a clay millstone structure and three large clay heads).
In this working paper, I present a unique assemblage of 43 figurines and 11 miniature tool models... more In this working paper, I present a unique assemblage of 43 figurines and 11 miniature tool models discovered at the Late Vinca culture site at Crkvine, Stubline in Serbia. The distinctiveness of this find is that it was discovered in it original context, where the figurines were used, and that the objects were found in their original arrangement. I also discuss to what extent it is possible, considering the figurines arrangement, to understand hints of social structure and organisation of communities in the final phase of Vinca culture.
KEY WORDS – Vinca culture; Late Neolithic; figurines; settlements; social structure
Documenta Praehistorica XXXIX, 2012
"The final period of Neolithic Vinca culture, which occupied wide areas in the Balkans, is charac... more "The final period of Neolithic Vinca culture, which occupied wide areas in the Balkans, is characterised by large settlements, which were built, judging by the most recent investigations according to premeditated plan. What was their purpose? Were they autonomous or part of some wider communities? How large was the territory within which people of that time defined themselves as ‘we’ and where did communities of ‘others’ begin? The objective of this work is to indicate the possibilities for studying the complexity of group identities in the Late Vinca societies. We take as a starting point the micro-region of Drenski Vis in north-western Serbia, where five Late Vinca settlements have been discovered."
Starinar, Jan 1, 2010
The site Crkvine is situated in the vicinity of the village Stubline in the borough of Obrenovac ... more The site Crkvine is situated in the vicinity of the village Stubline in the borough of Obrenovac around 40 km to the southwest of Belgrade (Serbia). In the first section of this work we present the comprehensive report about the investigations carried out so far. The geomagnetic prospection undertaken from 2006 to 2008 covered an area of 32,400 square meters and the obtained results indicate the existence of around 100 houses built in rows around the rather large open areas as well as the trenches surrounding the settlement. The investigations of the house 1/2008 dating from the Vinca culture D–2 period yielded in addition to the data concerning its interior organization also a unique find of the group of 46 figurines with 11 models of miniature tools. In the second section of this work we discuss the prospects, which future investigations of this site and its environment could provide concerning the study of the social organization in the very end of the Vinca culture.
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Papers - Numismatic by Adam Crnobrnja
Numizmatičar, 2019
A hoard of coins, containing 32 specimens of antoninians was obtained for the National Museum in ... more A hoard of coins, containing 32 specimens of antoninians was obtained for the National Museum in Belgrade in 1951. However, the spot where it was discovered is unknown. It consists of coins minted in the period from the reign of Caracalla (217 AD), to Gallienus (254 AD). The latest specimen was minted for Gallienus in the third issue of the mint in Viminacium. The contents of the hoard correspond with the already known hoards deposited in the year 254.
Proceedings of the International Numismatic Symposium Circulation of the Antique Coins in Southeastern Europe, Viminacium, Serbia, September 15th - 16th 2017, 2018
Systematic excavations in the municipium of Brigetio have been carried out since 1992. More than ... more Systematic excavations in the municipium of Brigetio have been carried out since 1992. More than twenty years of research have yielded sufficient numismatic material to analyze monetary circulation of one of the most important cities on the Pannonian limes. The coin finds cover a time span from end of the 2nd to the middle of the 3rd century, which is not surprising in itself. It is interesting to observe the end of circulation, with a complete lack of coins of Valerian and Gallienus, otherwise so numerous elsewhere.
Another interesting fact is the absence of any destruction layer whatsoever. Monetary circulation within
the municipium is in strong contrast to a coin hoard found nearby and also ending in the middle of the 3rd
century. However, this unexplained abrupt break in the monetary circulation seems not to be just of local
character, but a rather widespread sensation that led to a considerable reshaping of civil settlements in the
north of the province
Numizmatičar 36, 2018
In this paper, new information is published about the hoard which contained tetradrachmae of Phil... more In this paper, new information is published about the hoard which contained tetradrachmae of Philip II and their early imitations, some of which have already been published (Crnobrnja 2012). Thanks to an acquisition by the National Museum in Belgrade and gaining insight into a private collection, on this occasion we are publishing data about 33 new specimens from that hoard. The paper also provides an integral presentation of the preserved part of the hoard (a total of 78 specimens published in this and the previous paper, Table 1). New data about the appearance of the vessel in which the hoard was found (the situla with handles with attachments in the shape of lions’ heads) are an additional indicator of the possibility that early imitations of the tetradrachmae of Philip II in this hoard (Crnobrnja 2012, cat. No. 43-45; in this paper cat. No. 32 and 33) were minted either in the zone of contact between Macedonia and Thracia, or in the area between Mount Stara Planina and the Carpathian mountains.
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Books by Adam Crnobrnja
Researching of settlements, communications and fortifications in southeastern part of the province Lower Pannonia (Pannonia Inferior, in Late Antiquity Pannonia Secunda), initially consider collection and systematization of data of all known Roman sites on the explored (studied) area. The most extensive part of the work, a detailed catalog of sites, a total of 605, is described in a chapter The catalog of the Roman sites in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia. This chapter is located at the end of this dissertation, and contains detailed information for each site: type, location, description, dating and bibliography. All the sites are mapped and their ordinal numbers correspond to the numbers on the attached maps. The main goal of this paper was to comprehend the dynamics of occupation of landscape in the period of Roman domination, its purpose and relation of settlements, fortifications and communications in space and time. The introduction gives territorial and chronological framework, covering the territory of contemporary areas of Srem, Mačva, Pocerina, Posavina and Semberija, and during the period of Roman occupation from the beginning of 1st centuries. until 380 A.D. Special attention was paid to issues of the territories of Sirmium and Bassianae and southeastern borders of the province of Lower Pannonia. In the chapter The settlements in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia, the methodological problem of settlements classification was determined in detail, in order to make criteria that were used in this work.
The settlements from I to IV century are comprehended trough following aspects: positions of settlement, the size of settlements, rural settlements (with consideration of landscape distribution), and urban settlements. The settlements located along the military fortifications are treated as a special group. At the end of this chapter is given a detailed discussion of all aspects related to settlements, especially their landscape distributions and their relationships. In the chapter Fortifications in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia all fortifications are divided into three subcategories: system of fortifications on the Danube limes, the fortress in the hinterland of the Limes and smaller fortifications in the hinterland of the Limes. In each of these categories, all of the fortifications are analyzed. The discussion in this chapter especially considers spatial distribution of the fortress trough time. The land routes and waterways have been analyzed in the chapter The Roads and Communications. The land routes known from ancient itineraries and routes known only based on archaeological data are deeply analyzed. The possibilities of navigation on the main and smaller river courses and canals are also deliberated. In the discussion are identified certain new issues related to communication routes. Besides that, the aspects that have not been explored enough until now, such as dating and economic viability of the routes, are pointed out here.
In conclusion there is the overall attitude based on discussions in preceding three main chapters (settlements, communications and fortifications), and the chronological and space stratification and relationships between these three types of archaeological sites. It is also pointed to the methodological imperfections during the earlier field researches related to this work, which resulted in poor data quality. Also, the analysis of the field data was compared with data from roman literally sources and epigraphical notes. It is noticed the existence of a certain patterns in the spread of rural settlements.
The periods of increasing number of settlements are determined more precisely, as well as possible reasons for expansion. It is considered that some historical events may be associated with certain archaeological recordings. However, some disagreement with historiographical data are identified too, primarily those that testify intensity of life in certain periods, which can be interpreted as a consequence of insufficient or inadequate exploration of the observed area. Finally, the opportunities for further researches are recognized as well as researching issues identified in this paper, which can be resolved only by targeted and well-planned field research.
ISBN 978-86-7269-192-4
http://arheologija.rs/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kako-sacuvati-arheolosko-nasledje-prirucnik.pdf
Сагледавајући тренутну ситуацију, Српско археолошко друштво,
као репрезентативно удружење у култури за област непокретног културног наслеђа, одлучило се за покретање пројекта ''Подизање свести о значају археолошког наслеђа и унапређење рада Српског археолошког друштва''. Министарство културе и информисања је препознало важност тог пројекта, и континуирано га је финансирало од 2017. до 2020. године. Током прве три године реализације пројекта одржане су 33 презентације у 30 градова.
Намера нам је била да кроз сарадњу са доносиоцима одлука и
стручним службама локалних самоуправа започнемо ширу кампању подизања свести о значају очувања археолошког наслеђа. Подизањем свести о значају археолошке баштине, кроз упознавање с прописима и процедурама, као и кроз указивање на добре и лоше примере деловања локалних самоуправа, умногоме се може поправити однос шире заједнице према археолошком наслеђу.
Објављивањем Приручника који је пред Вама желимо да обезбедимо дугорочну одрживост пројекта и његову бољу делотворност, кроз сталну доступност информација о могућностима заштите археолошког
наслеђа најширој јавности.
Приручник је намењен како представницима локалних самоуправа, њихових стручних служби, припадницима полиције, тако и најширој јавности заинтересованој за очување археолошког наслеђа.
minted in the period from the reign of Nero to that of Commodus, were examined from the archaeological, historical and numismatic aspects, with special emphasis on the spacial aspect of the find.
The place where the coins were discovered, located on the fertile south-western slopes of the Parcanski Vis, in the border area of the provinces of Moesia Superior,
Dalmatia and Pannonia Inferior, was the reason for a new analysis of the presumed directions of the borders and for reconsidering what is already known about the mining
territory on Mount Kosmaj, its organization and attribution to a particular province.
In this light, proceeding from earlier assumptions based on epigraphic and, to a lesser extent, archaeological material, supplemented by new, primarily archaeological
and topographic data, it emerged that the Kosmaj mines were located in the province of Moesia Superior and its metalla Tricornensia, and that the locality where the hoard
was discovered belonged to the territory of the imperial domain of the mining area of Kosmaj. Its position on the fertile southern slopes of the Parcanski Vis, favourable for
working the land, with a registered facility in the immediate vicinity, and significant evidence as to the presence of settlements in the surrounding area, defined the agrarian character of the entire area, which supplied the numerous population of this mining area with wheat and other foodstuffs.
On the basis of an exhaustive analysis of the hoard, it was shown that the main part of the find was formed during the 2nd century, during the reign of Antoninus Pius and,
especially, Marcus Aurelius, exactly at the time when the exploitation of silver-bearing lead ore was intensified and when it was at its peak. With Commodus, the inflow of
coins in the hoard became very sporadic and one denarius belonging to him, dated to the period from January 1st to July, 192 AD, determined the terminus a quo of its burial.
The most probable cause for this was economic instability which, besides local trouble or reasons of an entirely personal nature, could have been caused by Commodus’ internal policy, which was particularly unpopular towards the end of his life and reign.
Although the Kosmaj mines were in an administratively separate territory and had special economic status, they could not have remained isolated from the influence of
the rest of the province. Commodus’ repressive measures regarding taxation and fees were thus identified as being one of the possible causes for insecurity and destabilisation in the area of the Kosmaj mines, which did not necessarily have to leave a trace in written sources.
in addition to the data concerning its interior organization also a unique find of the group of 46 figurines with 11 models of miniature tools. In the second section of this work we discuss the prospects, which future investigations of this site and its environment could provide concerning the study of the social organization in the very end of the Vinca culture.
Key words. – Neolithic, Vinca culture, settlement, house, geomagnetic investigations, group of figurines, altar,
Stubline, Obrenovac, Belgrade, Serbia.
protecting them from complete ruin and oblivion.
Money has also survived. In the past 160 years since the beginning of the more or less regular recording of archaeological finds from Belgrade and its environs, a wealth of old coins has been discovered. From one
piece to another, the reader of this book will not only gain an insight into the two-millennium-long history of this city but also into the beauty of metallic and paper money circulating in the land between the Sava
and Danube rivers over the centuries.
Papers - Neolithic by Adam Crnobrnja
Lúdvár and Anza). Their abrupt disappearance, together with
the disappearance of the Vinča culture, that is to say the Late
Neolithic way of living, should not be surprising. The change
that comes along with the abandonment of the last Vinča settlements is not only perceptible in the material culture, but also, and above all, in the social system and the organisation of the community. Fundamental changes in the social structure in the middle of the 5th millennium BC, evidently led to the downfall and disappearance of many deep-rooted values of the communities of that time, as well as the very system of beliefs and sagas. This resulted in the disappearance of the vessels with protoma’s utilisation, one of the most steadfast material manifestations of the Vinča culture.
KEY WORDS – Vinca culture; Late Neolithic; figurines; settlements; social structure
Papers - Numismatic by Adam Crnobrnja
Another interesting fact is the absence of any destruction layer whatsoever. Monetary circulation within
the municipium is in strong contrast to a coin hoard found nearby and also ending in the middle of the 3rd
century. However, this unexplained abrupt break in the monetary circulation seems not to be just of local
character, but a rather widespread sensation that led to a considerable reshaping of civil settlements in the
north of the province
Researching of settlements, communications and fortifications in southeastern part of the province Lower Pannonia (Pannonia Inferior, in Late Antiquity Pannonia Secunda), initially consider collection and systematization of data of all known Roman sites on the explored (studied) area. The most extensive part of the work, a detailed catalog of sites, a total of 605, is described in a chapter The catalog of the Roman sites in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia. This chapter is located at the end of this dissertation, and contains detailed information for each site: type, location, description, dating and bibliography. All the sites are mapped and their ordinal numbers correspond to the numbers on the attached maps. The main goal of this paper was to comprehend the dynamics of occupation of landscape in the period of Roman domination, its purpose and relation of settlements, fortifications and communications in space and time. The introduction gives territorial and chronological framework, covering the territory of contemporary areas of Srem, Mačva, Pocerina, Posavina and Semberija, and during the period of Roman occupation from the beginning of 1st centuries. until 380 A.D. Special attention was paid to issues of the territories of Sirmium and Bassianae and southeastern borders of the province of Lower Pannonia. In the chapter The settlements in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia, the methodological problem of settlements classification was determined in detail, in order to make criteria that were used in this work.
The settlements from I to IV century are comprehended trough following aspects: positions of settlement, the size of settlements, rural settlements (with consideration of landscape distribution), and urban settlements. The settlements located along the military fortifications are treated as a special group. At the end of this chapter is given a detailed discussion of all aspects related to settlements, especially their landscape distributions and their relationships. In the chapter Fortifications in the southeastern part of Lower Pannonia all fortifications are divided into three subcategories: system of fortifications on the Danube limes, the fortress in the hinterland of the Limes and smaller fortifications in the hinterland of the Limes. In each of these categories, all of the fortifications are analyzed. The discussion in this chapter especially considers spatial distribution of the fortress trough time. The land routes and waterways have been analyzed in the chapter The Roads and Communications. The land routes known from ancient itineraries and routes known only based on archaeological data are deeply analyzed. The possibilities of navigation on the main and smaller river courses and canals are also deliberated. In the discussion are identified certain new issues related to communication routes. Besides that, the aspects that have not been explored enough until now, such as dating and economic viability of the routes, are pointed out here.
In conclusion there is the overall attitude based on discussions in preceding three main chapters (settlements, communications and fortifications), and the chronological and space stratification and relationships between these three types of archaeological sites. It is also pointed to the methodological imperfections during the earlier field researches related to this work, which resulted in poor data quality. Also, the analysis of the field data was compared with data from roman literally sources and epigraphical notes. It is noticed the existence of a certain patterns in the spread of rural settlements.
The periods of increasing number of settlements are determined more precisely, as well as possible reasons for expansion. It is considered that some historical events may be associated with certain archaeological recordings. However, some disagreement with historiographical data are identified too, primarily those that testify intensity of life in certain periods, which can be interpreted as a consequence of insufficient or inadequate exploration of the observed area. Finally, the opportunities for further researches are recognized as well as researching issues identified in this paper, which can be resolved only by targeted and well-planned field research.
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Сагледавајући тренутну ситуацију, Српско археолошко друштво,
као репрезентативно удружење у култури за област непокретног културног наслеђа, одлучило се за покретање пројекта ''Подизање свести о значају археолошког наслеђа и унапређење рада Српског археолошког друштва''. Министарство културе и информисања је препознало важност тог пројекта, и континуирано га је финансирало од 2017. до 2020. године. Током прве три године реализације пројекта одржане су 33 презентације у 30 градова.
Намера нам је била да кроз сарадњу са доносиоцима одлука и
стручним службама локалних самоуправа започнемо ширу кампању подизања свести о значају очувања археолошког наслеђа. Подизањем свести о значају археолошке баштине, кроз упознавање с прописима и процедурама, као и кроз указивање на добре и лоше примере деловања локалних самоуправа, умногоме се може поправити однос шире заједнице према археолошком наслеђу.
Објављивањем Приручника који је пред Вама желимо да обезбедимо дугорочну одрживост пројекта и његову бољу делотворност, кроз сталну доступност информација о могућностима заштите археолошког
наслеђа најширој јавности.
Приручник је намењен како представницима локалних самоуправа, њихових стручних служби, припадницима полиције, тако и најширој јавности заинтересованој за очување археолошког наслеђа.
minted in the period from the reign of Nero to that of Commodus, were examined from the archaeological, historical and numismatic aspects, with special emphasis on the spacial aspect of the find.
The place where the coins were discovered, located on the fertile south-western slopes of the Parcanski Vis, in the border area of the provinces of Moesia Superior,
Dalmatia and Pannonia Inferior, was the reason for a new analysis of the presumed directions of the borders and for reconsidering what is already known about the mining
territory on Mount Kosmaj, its organization and attribution to a particular province.
In this light, proceeding from earlier assumptions based on epigraphic and, to a lesser extent, archaeological material, supplemented by new, primarily archaeological
and topographic data, it emerged that the Kosmaj mines were located in the province of Moesia Superior and its metalla Tricornensia, and that the locality where the hoard
was discovered belonged to the territory of the imperial domain of the mining area of Kosmaj. Its position on the fertile southern slopes of the Parcanski Vis, favourable for
working the land, with a registered facility in the immediate vicinity, and significant evidence as to the presence of settlements in the surrounding area, defined the agrarian character of the entire area, which supplied the numerous population of this mining area with wheat and other foodstuffs.
On the basis of an exhaustive analysis of the hoard, it was shown that the main part of the find was formed during the 2nd century, during the reign of Antoninus Pius and,
especially, Marcus Aurelius, exactly at the time when the exploitation of silver-bearing lead ore was intensified and when it was at its peak. With Commodus, the inflow of
coins in the hoard became very sporadic and one denarius belonging to him, dated to the period from January 1st to July, 192 AD, determined the terminus a quo of its burial.
The most probable cause for this was economic instability which, besides local trouble or reasons of an entirely personal nature, could have been caused by Commodus’ internal policy, which was particularly unpopular towards the end of his life and reign.
Although the Kosmaj mines were in an administratively separate territory and had special economic status, they could not have remained isolated from the influence of
the rest of the province. Commodus’ repressive measures regarding taxation and fees were thus identified as being one of the possible causes for insecurity and destabilisation in the area of the Kosmaj mines, which did not necessarily have to leave a trace in written sources.
in addition to the data concerning its interior organization also a unique find of the group of 46 figurines with 11 models of miniature tools. In the second section of this work we discuss the prospects, which future investigations of this site and its environment could provide concerning the study of the social organization in the very end of the Vinca culture.
Key words. – Neolithic, Vinca culture, settlement, house, geomagnetic investigations, group of figurines, altar,
Stubline, Obrenovac, Belgrade, Serbia.
protecting them from complete ruin and oblivion.
Money has also survived. In the past 160 years since the beginning of the more or less regular recording of archaeological finds from Belgrade and its environs, a wealth of old coins has been discovered. From one
piece to another, the reader of this book will not only gain an insight into the two-millennium-long history of this city but also into the beauty of metallic and paper money circulating in the land between the Sava
and Danube rivers over the centuries.
Lúdvár and Anza). Their abrupt disappearance, together with
the disappearance of the Vinča culture, that is to say the Late
Neolithic way of living, should not be surprising. The change
that comes along with the abandonment of the last Vinča settlements is not only perceptible in the material culture, but also, and above all, in the social system and the organisation of the community. Fundamental changes in the social structure in the middle of the 5th millennium BC, evidently led to the downfall and disappearance of many deep-rooted values of the communities of that time, as well as the very system of beliefs and sagas. This resulted in the disappearance of the vessels with protoma’s utilisation, one of the most steadfast material manifestations of the Vinča culture.
KEY WORDS – Vinca culture; Late Neolithic; figurines; settlements; social structure
Another interesting fact is the absence of any destruction layer whatsoever. Monetary circulation within
the municipium is in strong contrast to a coin hoard found nearby and also ending in the middle of the 3rd
century. However, this unexplained abrupt break in the monetary circulation seems not to be just of local
character, but a rather widespread sensation that led to a considerable reshaping of civil settlements in the
north of the province
The fact that the location of the discovery for each specimen is known is of particular value. Fifty-eight (among them, two minted for Iulia Mamea) belong to the
coinage of Alexander Severus, and 35 specimens, to the coinage of Gordianus III.
Nine new variants of reverse images were noted as bearing military signs (Fig. 1), and there was a curiosity in the form of one tiny coin of Alexander Severus, the
reverse of which was partly re-minted using an obverse die (cat. 26).
The second part of the paper gives a presentation of all the so far documented finds of coins from the Nicaea mint in the territory of Belgrade, of which there are 171,
discovered on 18 archaeological sites (Table 2). The majority of hitherto finds in the territory of Belgrade originated from the south-eastern part of the province of
Lower Pannonia (163 pieces), whereas only 8 specimens were found in the territory of the province of Upper Moesia. The largest concentration of finds was recorded on the Ušće archaeological site, in the Roman municipium of Spodent […], where 112 specimens of the coins of Nicaea were unearthed, in other words, 65.5%
of all the specimens in the territory of Belgrade. The archaeological finds indicate that in the first half of the 3rd century, besides coins of the Bithynian mint of Nicaea, a new population from the East began settling in the regions of Upper Moesia and the south-eastern part of Lower Pannonia, bringing with them new cults and
new iconographic forms. Such abrupt changes observed in the archaeological record point to a complex process that unfolded between our soil and the East, and so one should perhaps also seek the immediate reasons for the appearance of large quantities of coins from the Nicaea mint in Bithynia.
The obverse type on our coin belongs to the original coinage of S. Mamilius Limetanus from 82 BC. The obverse representation with Mercury appears very rarely on forgeries of Roman republican denarii. On our specimen, the image of Mercury was very carefully produced and its appearance bears a much closer resemblance to the original coinage. The representation is poorly preserved because the silver coating was worn away from most of the surface, and the relief on the bronze core of the coin was worn down. The weight of the coin is 2.27 gr. and the diameter is 18 mm. On the
obverse is an image of Victoria in a quadriga, holding a wreath, which is the typical reverse representation on the money of Q. Antoninus Balbus. The inscription on the reverse of our coin, one can see, is inaccurately imitated and poorly forged (I ANTOBAV - A, N and T are in a ligature, while the V at the end can actually be assumed to be a rotated L), and it was found on the original coinage of the coin-producer Q. Antoninus Balbus, from 83-82 BC.
Several facts prove that this coin is a forgery: the coin is made of bronze coated in silver; the weight of the coin is far below the standard weight of Roman republican
denarii; the inscription on the reverse is imprecise; the obverse and reverse belong to different coin-producers (it is a so-called hybrid). The reverse, identical to the one on our coin, is also to be found on one more ancient hybrid forgery with silver coasting which is kept in a private collection in North America, but the coinage of C. Claudius Pulcher was used as the template for the obverse of that coin (fig. 2). The production date of our coin can be chronologically determined in the middle and the second half of the 1st century BC.
the coins belonging to the second quarter of the 3rd century. Attention should also be drawn to the fact that the analysis of the coins indicated the likelihood that most of the published coins from Ušće, which belonged to the 4th century, originated from scattered hoards, which may have been linked with the uncertain times that prevailed in 374/375, with the incursions by the Quadi and the Sarmati into Pannonia, and in the year 378, with the raids by the Goths, which were also registered in the immediate neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the failure to adequately protect the Roman settlement at Ušće resulted in its almost complete devastation. And so, we can now research the life of this settlement during the Roman period only by examining the small portion of preserved movable finds. For the present, the coins that were in circulation in the settlement remain the most reliable source for studying the events of that period.
The earliest specimen in the preserved part of the hoard was minted in Pella between 354/3 and 349/8 BC. After that, the tetradrachmae were minted in Amphipolis between 384/7 and 343/2 BC, while two coins from Pella and one from Amphipolis belong to the final years of Philip’s reign (342/1-337/6 BC). The majority of coins, a total of 34, belong to the posthumous coinage of tetradrachmae of Philip II. Of these, 14 pieces originate from the period between 323/2-316/5 BC and 20 from the period 315/4-295/4 (BC). Three tetradrachmae belong to the earliest Celtic imitations of money of Philip II, although it is possible that some of the coins which I determined as originals are also faithful copies of Philip’s money.
I proposed the period between 180 and 250 BC as the time frame in which our hoard was deposited. It must be noted that the hoard from Ušće has no analogy on our soil in terms of its composition, and that it is the northernmost hoard that can be dated in
this period.
exploration, and the precise context of the find is known for only one of them. Other specimens belong to the category of chance finds, but the data about the locations where they
were found is known. The text covers only one of the aspects of finds of Nicaean money in the territory of the city of Belgrade, their archaeological topography, without the numismatic
classification of individual finds. In order to simplify the work of researchers who use the data from this paper, each locality is accompanied by a brief description and references to literature that contain detailed data about them. Also used in the text is unpublished data about the localities, which I obtained during archaeological reconnoitering in the work of the Museum of the City of Belgrade.
In this work, special atention was refered to latest data given by study of Empress Salonines coinage, especialy an explicit representation of cross on one of the coins, as well as the presence of Plotin on royal court in attempt to give an answer
not only on the question of Empress Salonines religious orientation, but, most of all, on a new aspect of Plotins philosophy interpretation. That is why we confronted data about Plotin’s position on the court of Emperor Galien and Empress Salonine, his philosophy, coin with cross representation which
points to possibility that Salonine was a christian, as well as the circumstances in which Plotin’s work came to us(in Porfi rys reduction, for whom there is a reference that he was big opponent of christians). As a daring presupposition, instead of conclusion, a question is imposed, was Plotin only a role model to later christian fathers or true early christian philosopher?
On the basis of accessible data, the time of the storage of the hoard is chronologically marked at the time before Aurelianus monetary reform, that is before February-March of AD 274.
As the more recent corpora of lead icons points to the conclusion that a significant number originates from the area of the province of Pannonia Inferior, especially its south-eastern part (today`s Srem, Mačva and Posavina), in this paper we have tried to establish at least the widest context they belonged to. Thus, based on the place where they were found, and considering the basic features of the site where it was possible, we investigated whether they belonged to a settlement, necropolis or military setting.
Consequently, we concluded that the civil context was dominant in this geographic area in the case of the finds of the so-called Danubian Horseman cult, while we also determined which type of icons were the most prevalent. As the concentration of the lead plaques in this area surpasses the other Danubian provinces, we recognise new possibilities for the interpretation of their function as well as the dating of particular series.
horsemen lead plaques, coming from the territory of Serbia, primarily from the area of Srem, which are ending up, in large numbers, on European antiques market and in private collections. Thus, by reviewing three large synthetic corpora of these findings, as well as relevant data in recent literature, we came to an approximate number of 1300-1450 pieces belonging to private collections, whether published or not. Such a situation was caused, among other things, by decades of inaccuracy and lack of interest by competent authorities regarding the questions of looting of archaeological heritage. Therefore, we should not be surprised that foreign analyses state that the search and trade of archaeological artefacts in Serbia have reached “industrial proportions”. One part of this “industry” resulted in the situation that approximately 85% of Danubian horsemen lead plaques are in private collections, and about 74% of them are abroad, while only around 100 of them are kept in Serbia’s museums.
Accordingly, on this occasion, we drew attention to the ways of their
distribution, and the likely existence of developing chains for such a trade, with a special reference to the growing role of the Internet and various types of online communication in these processes. Considering that the biggest consequence of illegal searchers’ activities is the devastation of archaeological sites, which causes the lack of valuable knowledge that an archaeological context itself can provide us in terms of this cult’s perceptions, we considered the extent to which this situation has contributed to the loss of scientific discourse. Since the number of unpublished findings of lead icons from private collections is quite high, the question arises as to how realistic it is at the moment to talk about a final typology, iconographic variants or chronic lack of inscriptions which are the source of many doubts for researchers of this mysterious cult. With another reminder of the obligations of the authorities and heritage professionals, and the legal framework related to the issues presented here, we hope that this paper can be a kind of appeal about the need to stop the negative trends presented here in terms not only of the Danubian horsemen lead icons “export’, but also other archaeological findings from the territory of Serbia.
Stamp EX B NAISS probably marks the place of manufacture also being the confirmation of more than hundred years old assumption about the existence of fabrica armorum in Naissus. Existence of fabrica armorum has not been ascertained so far neither archaeologically nor epigraphically, so the stamp on this spatha is first genuine confirmation of such activities besides mentioning of the workshop of unspecified character in the Notitia Dignitatum. In addition, that inscription on the stamp on the spatha provides important information about the organization of activities in the imperial workshops. Mark B on the stamp indicates that spatha was made in second officina of the section for weaponry production in Naissus.
Stamp IOVIANA on the other side of the blade denotes by all appearances the army unit for which it had been forged. Use of the formulation Ioviana has not been registered so far on the epigraphic monuments and in literary sources. It remains an open question whether Ioviana relates to legio V Ioviana (as alteration of the name Iovia) or to some unit from the corpus numero Iovianorum. There is an assumption suggested that removing the spatha from use could be associated with the Licinius’ flight after the battle of Cibalae in 316 as he was retreating from Sirmium via Spodent towards Singidunum along the route to the south of the Sava river.
Morphological traits date the spatha to the 3rd century and stamps on it suggest the very end of the 3rd century or the beginning of the 4th century. Possible connecting of its use for a single specific event (flight of Licinius) looks tempting, but such assumption should be taken with considerable reservation. Most important values provided by the chance find of this spatha could be considered the unique data obtained by the stamps on its blade about military unit for which it had been produced and about the activity of fabrica armorum in Naissus.
After reviewing the available data that originates from the Kosmaj mining area, preserved documentation from the explorations and published material, we realised that in order to understand this complex area it was necessary to resort to new, more extensive archaeological
field survey. A significant number of registered and excavated archaeological sites had no precise data about their locations, and it is impossible to consider the spatial organisation of the mining area without that category of data.
Because of the above said, we have decided to continue, after an almost three-decade long pause, the field archaeological explorations of the Kosmaj mining area, the first phase of which was new archaeological field survey. Based on the consideration of the spatial distribution
of the registered Roman sites, the character of movable finds and papers about the organisation of the Roman mining areas, we divided the Kosmaj mining area into three parts: 1) military fortification with the central mining settlement, 2) core zone of the mines, 3) broader zone of the mines. During the revised field survey that has been performed so far, we directed our attention to accomplishing two goals. The first was to precisely locate the already registered archaeological sites, with the aim of establishing their current condition, to assess their exploration potential and secure sufficient data to create a report for declaring
the site a cultural monument. The second goal was to inspect as much of the mining area as possible, to gain an insight into its state of preservation and whether it was in jeopardy, and to collect data needed for planning further systematic field survey. Newly discovered sites
were also registered during this process. Because of limitations regarding the length of this paper, described are only the sites from the core zone of the mine area: the military fortification, the zone of the civilian settlement, certain buildings from the Roman period and the
exploitation zone (slag deposits, pinges, mineshafts). Particular attention was paid to establishing the shape of the Roman castel in Gradište (a polygonal shape with a circumference of around 600 m, with a ‘small town’ within it, on an oval elevation with a diameter of 55 m,
surrounded by a trench), and all the existing and newly registered mineshafts (Table 1, six existing and five newly registered mineshafts). Besides a critical review of the existing studies of this area and a warning about the intense devastation of the archaeological sites, the
paper provides basic guidelines for further investigation and protection treatment of the Roman mining complex.
IVENSIANAS LEG I NOR. The brick also contains the footprint of a barefoot child no more than five years of age.
The brick with the stamp of the legion I Noricorum, formed in the late 3rd century by Diocletian for the purpose of defending the frontiers on the Danube in Noricum, with permanent camps at Mautern (Faviana) and Wallsee (Ad Iuvense) in Austria. Bricks with the stamp of the unit with the full text Figulinas Ivensianas Leg I Nor have been found at mutually rather distant places along waterways, most commonly in forts and settlements along the Danube and the Sava, in the provinces of Noricum (Faviana, Asturis), Pannonia Prima (Rajka in Hungary), and Pannonia Secunda (Cornacum, Cuccium, Sirmium). This type of inscription is dated to the first decades of the 4th century. The bricks of the legion I Noricorum were produced by the Figulinas Ivensianas workshop at Ad Iuvense. The locations of the finds of
bricks with the stamp Figulinas Ivensianas Leg I Nor along the banks of the Danube and the Sava suggest that the bricks were probably transported along the waterways. However, given the distance to be covered from Ad Iuvense to Ušće or Sirmium (over 1,000 km), such an assumption is questionable. This leads to the assumption that, instead of transporting bricks over hundreds or even thousands of kilometres, which was uneconomical, brick-makers, rather than finished products, were sent to help build military infrastructure by establishing
new brickworks at suitable places. The brick-makers brought with them the stamps of their original workshops and performed their duties in local brickworks. This is further s supported by the fact that brick-making workshops/kilns have been discovered along the Sava: at Sirmium, Vranje near Hrtkovci, and Progar.
(Opeka sa žigom Legio I Noricorum iz Ušća kod Obrenovca)
Key words:
Serapis, cult, Roman period, Severan dynasty, funerary context, Pannonia Inferior
to the south of Bassianae in the territory of Pannonia Inferior province, we tried to identify its possible location. The settlement at Ušće near Obrenovac which with nearby fortification and the necropoles covers an area of over 70 hectares is considered the largest Roman settlement in that province to the south of the Sava river. This settlement was situated on two important roads in the Roman times, on the land road Sirmium – Singidunum and on the bank of the Sava river, which was important waterway. Large number of Roman settlements in the Sava valley tells about intensive life in the given period and suggests the existence
of an administrative center to which they all gravitated, while the
inscription from Krušedol indicates that municipium Spodent( ) was almost certainly located in that area. After considering the date, position and size of the settlement at Ušće as well as other Roman sites in its vicinity the assumption was suggested that just this settlement could be municipium Spodent( ).
Taurunum (modern Zemun) and at one mile from Singidunum (Belgrade), which has led to the assumption that it was located on the left side of the Sava, at the point this river joins the Danube. As the area where statio Confluentes is presumed to have been was devastated more than once in the past, confirmation can only be looked for in cartographic sources, and therefore plans and maps of the 17th to 19th centuries have been looked up. These data narrow the search to a limited area at the
very confluence of the two rivers. The exact location of statio Confluentes requires further and more thorough research into the land and river communications connecting Sirmium and Singidunum. The former brook Galovica (Dunavac) stands out as an important waterway used for shallow-draught navigation until the middle of the 19th century.
Considering the vulnerability of archaeological heritage, the Serbian Archaeological Society has launched the
project Raising Awareness of the Importance of Archaeological Heritage, whose implementation was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 2017, 2018 and 2019. This paper provides a brief overview of the project’s implementation and its effects to date, as well as plans for future activities of the Serbian Archaeological Society in this field. The goal of the project is to start working towards a more comprehensive awareness raising campaign on the importance of preservation of archaeological heritage through cooperation with decision-makers and professional agencies at local level, as well as with relevant museums. Primary target groups included the following: decision-makers in local self-government units, professional agencies (urban planning and construction, construction inspection services, tourism, culture), the police, courts, prosecutor’s offices, school representatives. Over the course of three years there were 33 presentations in 30 cities across Serbia,
which received media coverage in about 150 reports. The representatives of the target groups were acquainted with the working processes in archaeology, specificities of archaeological heritage, international conventions, legislation, frameworks and procedural possibilities for their active participation in the processes of protection, conservation, promotion and use of archaeological heritage. The presentations emphasised concrete examples of potential threats
to archaeological heritage due to the lack of information and/or lack of communication with the agencies providing protection, but there were also concrete examples showing that local authorities within their mandates can have a significant impact on providing more adequate protection of archaeological heritage. Initial steps were taken even during the very implementation of the project in order to create cross-sectoral linkages in local self-government units with the aim of protecting archaeological heritage. The attitude of the wider community to archaeological heritage may be greatly improved through raising awareness of the importance of archaeological heritage, learning about regulations and procedures and pointing to good and bad examples.
Besides direct follow-up with local self-government units, plans for the forthcoming period include the publication of the Handbook on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage, providing detailed advice and instructions and possible action points regarding protection and ways of engaging archaeological heritage in sustainable development of local communities. The publishing of the Handbook will give a new lease of life to the project and ensure accessibility of its results to the largest number of future eneficiaries. The other course of action will be focused on training junior colleagues and students on procedures and ways of reporting illegal archaeological investigations and earthworks which damage archaeological sites, as well as on monitoring the drawing up of planning documents
and taking action in the event of inept handling of archaeological heritage. As a result, there will be more trained individuals who will be able to take an active part in the prevention and protection of archaeological heritage.
Any activity resulting in partial or complete destruction of an archaeological environment may be regarded as destruction of archaeological heritage. Sadly enough, a host of unfortunate circumstances in Serbia have provided fertile ground for the destruction of its archaeological heritage. This paper sheds light on a number of aspects regarding the ways in which Serbia’s archaeological heritage is being destroyed and endangered:
- Organised looting of sites by rogue prospectors. The activities of rogue prospectors who devastate hundreds of archaeological sites each year is just one of the notorious examples.
- Ignoring the importance of archaeological heritage and its destruction by professionals themselves and state authorities. Quite a few archaeological sites have disappeared due to the lack of interest in enforcing legislation at all governance levels. This paper presents a few examples in Belgrade, which prove the existing problem as well as the problem of avoiding the possibility of preserving and presenting the findings in situ even after all the preventive archaeological examinations have been carried out.
- Conscious announcements of the government concerning their inept handling of archaeological heritage and its destruction. More often than not inappropriate planning serves as an open announcement of the devastation of archaeological heritage (Students’ Square in Belgrade – the area of the Roman Singidunum; The Fortress in Smederevo – the medieval fortification, which is on the Tentative List for inscription in the WHL).
- Е-75 and Е-80 motorway routes. The lack of will of those in power to make plans early on not only for protective archaeological examinations themselves (which have been done quite well), but for making decisions about what should be done with the exposed sites, has inevitably led to the situation that along the entire motorway route not one, of a few dozen examined archaeological sites, has been preserved for presentation purposes.
The section entitled Who are the guardians of the archaeological heritage in Serbia?, points to the fact that few archaeologists employed at cultural heritage protection institutions can hardly provide answers to the challenges which they have been faced with.
Devastation of archaeological sites has reached such a scale in Serbia that saying it has become a chronic problem would be a vast understatement. Serbia’s archaeological heritage has become so endangered that one is more inclined to think that there is a plan and a systemic approach in its destruction than there is any such plan aimed at its protection. A total lack of interest on the part of the State, accompanied by disappearing archaeological heritage, poses a question of whether such a situation is really coincidental.
Looking at numerous problems one is faced with in an attempt to salvage Serbia’s archaeological heritage, it seems that the light at the end of the tunnel is hard to see. The only true way ahead would be possible if the majority of the representatives of our not so big profession truly came together and reached a consensus on what vision of archaeology we have at least for the foreseeable future. Neither of the groups of professionals within our institutions (researchers from institutes and faculties or employees in museums and institutes dealing with protection) covers all the areas in the field of archaeology. If we keep waiting for others to determine the development paths and guidelines for work, or if this is done by each group of professionals in institutions on their own, I am afraid we are going to stay trapped in the vicious circle we are currently in. We will carry on doing our best in our jobs, but the fact is that the core subject of our profession – archaeological heritage itself, which is not an inexhaustible resource – will also keep disappearing faster and more comprehensively than ever.
with Medieval fi nds) sites. Neolithic fi nds were detected on seven sites (one belonging to Starčevo culture, two have both Starčevo and Vinča fi nds and four belong to Vinča culture), one site can be dated to Hallstatt period, five to La Tene, twenty one to Roman and one to Medieval period, with three sites being chronologically undetermined.
Belgrade, Serbia
the territory of Obrenovac municipality was undertaken, focused on the right bank of River Kolubara. Instantaneously, certain sites on the left bank of the named river were also visited, with
several new sites being registered. On the right bank of Kolubara River, in the municipality of Obrenovac, 30 archaeological
sites were evidenced, with additional 9 found on the left bank (previously not discovered in the 2004 survey campaign, or no data were available about their location at the time) –
sites 52-60. The second phase of the Archaeological sites in Obrenovac municipality project is also the final phase of this surveying, resulting in an estimation of the current state of preservation of known sites, their exact positions and the degree of endangerment and the discovery of several new, previously unknown sites. Looking back at the area around the right bank of
Kolubara River we would like to point out to the site of Bačevica (num. 64 in this article). The dominant position of the site (Fig. 1), results of trench excavations and aerial photographs (Fig. 2) suggest that this site should be among the first candidates for systematic archaeological excavations, with geophysical measurements as a mandatory step.
stand out. Urns were discovered on a relative depth varying from 80 cm to 1.4 meters, at the same level as the foundation levels of Roman walls, whilst one urn was cut in half by a sewage duct dated to the 4th century AD. Based on the results of earlier research, these excavations were expected to uncover the remains of the Southeast rampart of the Roman military camp in Singidunum, but no traces were found during the campaign. It is also worth noticing that aside two stone sewage ducts no other significant architectural remains were discovered. The discovery of a part of the Roman necropolis with cremation burials raises a question whether this area was even within the walls of the military camp between mid 1st and mid 2nd century AD? The remains of the late Bronze Age necropolis is as significant find as others, suggesting the existence of a settlement of the same period somewhere close by.
establish the exact locations of the already registered archaeological sites, to record the extent to which they are currently endangered, and to register the potential new sites. The second goal of this phase of work was to gain insight into the characteristics of the terrain in order to plan more thoroughly
the systematic fi eld survey of the territory of Obrenovac municipality, which is to follow in the third year of the mentioned project. In order to establish precisely the exact locations of the archaeological sites, their coordinates and dimensions were determined by the GPS. This method provided lasting data on the positions of the sites, unlike the changeable categories that are predominantly used in our country (the name of the owner, the number in cadastral register, et cetera). On this occasion
fi fty-one sites were visited and carefully mapped, thirteen of which are stratifi ed (three with Neolithic, two with Bronze Age, two with Hallstattian, nine with La Tène and three with Medieval fi nds).
Seven sites are purely Neolithic (one Starčevo, two Starčevo-Vinča and four Vinča), one is Hallstattian, fi ve La Tène, twenty-one Roman and one Medieval, while three sites could not be chronologically defi ned. The maps included in this paper are at the scale of 1:50,000, and the numbers of the sites in them correspond to the numbers of sites in the text.
horsemen lead plaques, coming from the territory of Serbia, primarily from the area of Srem, which are ending up, in large numbers, on European antiques market and in private collections. Thus, by reviewing three large synthetic corpora of these findings, as well as relevant data in recent literature, we came to an approximate number of 1300-1450 pieces belonging to private collections, whether published or not. Such a situation was caused, among other things, by decades of inaccuracy and lack of interest by competent authorities regarding the questions
of looting of archaeological heritage. Therefore, we should not be surprised that foreign analyses state that the search and trade of archaeological artefacts in Serbia have reached “industrial proportions”. One part of this “industry” resulted in the situation that approximately 85% of Danubian horsemen lead plaques are in private collections, and about 74% of them are abroad, while only around 100 of them are kept in Serbia’s museums.
Accordingly, on this occasion, we drew attention to the ways of their
distribution, and the likely existence of developing chains for such a trade, with a special reference to the growing role of the Internet and various types of online communication in these processes. Considering that the biggest consequence of illegal searchers’ activities is the devastation of archaeological sites, which causes the lack of valuable knowledge that an archaeological context itself can provide us in terms of this cult’s perceptions, we considered the extent to which this situation has contributed to the loss of scientific discourse. Since the number
of unpublished findings of lead icons from private collections is quite high, the question arises as to how realistic it is at the moment to talk about a final typology, iconographic variants or chronic lack of inscriptions which are the source of many doubts for researchers of this mysterious cult. With another reminder ofthe obligations of the authorities and heritage professionals, and the legal framework
related to the issues presented here, we hope that this paper can be a kind of appeal about the need to stop the negative trends presented here in terms not only of the Danubian horsemen lead icons “export’, but also other archaeological findings from the territory of Serbia.