The Neolithic bone industry from Starčevo – Grad (Serbia)

26th EAA Virtual Annual Meeting, 2020

Studies of technology in general, and in particular bone technology were for a long time a neglected topic in the south-eastern European prehistoric archaeology. This began to change in past two decades, when several studies focused on lithic and bone technology in the Neolithic appeared, that included not only typological analyses, but also paid attention to the raw material selection, manufacturing procedures and use wear traces. In this paper will be provided an overview of the current results regarding the bone industries in the Late Neolithic, with focus on two large Vinča culture sites, Vinča-Belo Brdo in the vicinity of Belgrade, and Pločnik near Prokuplje. Industries at both sites show careful selection of raw material, with important ratio of antlers, which were systematically collected and used. Manufacturing techniques revealed high standardization and even suggest the possibility of early stages of specialization. Typological repertoire also revealed some of the culture-specific techno-types, but also some differences that could be regional and/or linked with economy – such as presence of hooks and harpoons at Vinča-Belo Brdo. Pločnik is also the site with early evidence of copper metallurgy, and the large amount of carefully made bone objects show that this was still an important raw material, despite the emergence of new technologies. Overall, bone technology also shows high level of standardisation and the presence of skilful craftspersons. Unfortunately, it was not possible to locate possible working / activity areas where bone and antler objects were produced, although the presence of manufacture debris shows this production was local.

2011

One of the less known aspects of Neolithic technology is bone industry. In this paper objects made of osseous materials from several Early and Middle Neolithic sites were analyzed – raw material selection, manufacturing techniques, forms offinal products and their possible use. The results revealed an industry with organized raw material selection and with uniform manufacture and types. Most of these artefacts were used for working with organic materials, such as hides or wood. Careful shaping and long use of some of these objects may suggest special meaning attributed to them. The same technological and stylistic traits were observed related to both Mesolithic and Neolithic bone industries in the region.

Journal of Serbian Archaeological Society 29 (2013), 2013

In this paper the results are given of revised analysis of the prehistoric bone industry from the site of Grivac. The assemblage comprises nearly 100 objects, most of them belonging to the Starčevo (Early/Middle Neolithic) and Vinča (Late Neolithic/Aeneolithic) cultures, although few pieces may be dated into later periods. Starčevo culture assemblage yielded several interesting items, including several decorative objects, most likely originating from a single context (subterranean dwelling). Vinča culture assemblage also provided several peculiar artefacts, such as one spoon made from antler. Both assemblages provided information regarding raw material managing, as well as manufacturing techniques.

Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Granada, 2019

Osseous raw materials were important raw material in the Early and Middle Neolithic Starčevo culture of the South-East Europe; they were widely used for production of everyday tools (awls, needles, scrapers, burnishers, chisels, hammers, etc.), other utilitarian objects (such as handles), weapons (projectile points) and ornaments (pendants, beads, buckles). In this paper will be presented the analysis of technological choices (raw material selection and manufacturing techniques). Raw material selection shows the predominance of bones at most of the sites, but with some exceptions, such as high ratio of antlers in the Iron Gates region. Mollusc shells are not numerous, yet present at several sites. Raw material selection was relatively strict, while the manufacturing techniques show high level of technological knowledge and familiarity with raw material. They also display some chronological-cultural specific traits, such as use of abrasion only for the production of metapodial awls, making or large perforations, etc.

Earliest Neolithic cultures brought significant changes in Southeast Europe – domesticated plant and animal species, new forms of material culture, innovations in settlement patterns, architecture. Completely new forms of economy and material culture (domesticated animals, pottery) attracted most attention from researchers, while less attention was paid on the changes among the already existing aspects of material culture. In this paper it will be attempted to observe the innovations in the Starčevo culture through the changes in technology, with special focus on the industry from osseous raw materials (bone, antler, teeth, mollusc shells). The comparison of the bone industries from the Mesolithic Iron Gates and Starčevo culture revealed some similarities, especially in manufacturing antler. Starčevo bone industry introduced some new techniques and some new types and variants of tools, which, in turn, give information on new aspects of everyday activities, importance of certain crafts, and also a changes in cultural attitude towards raw materials (related to their origin and/or final products and their tasks). Especially characteristic techno-types are those made from cattle metapodials, most notably carefully made and long-used spatula-spoons. Also, osseous materials are no longer used for artistic expressions, but they remain the dominant raw material for personal ornaments.

DETECTING AND EXPLAINING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN PREHISTORY, 2020

The Neolithic period is marked with numerous and dramatic changes in all aspects of life. Changes in subsistence, namely domestication of plants and animals and introduction of agriculture and animal herding, are the most important, but not the only changes; different mode of subsistence affected different aspects of daily life – shelter making, tool production, technologies, as well as the perception of the environment, and many more. In this paper, traditions, changes and innovations will be analysed among osseous industries in the south-eastern Europe within the early Neolithic Starčevo and the late Neolithic Vinča culture. Osseous industries went through considerable changes in the Neolithic: introduction of domestic animals brought in modifications in raw material choices and methods of acquiring; changes in economy – new crafts and new activities, which influenced the typological repertoire. Furthermore, we may note some new manufacturing techniques, connected with changes in lithic industries, such as the introduction and wider use of abrasion techniques. Finally, we may observe differences in the cultural attitude towards these raw materials – they are no longer used for the figurines, objects of art, etc., although they remain the most important raw materials for personal ornaments.

Abstract: The Iron Gates area (Serbia and Romania) is well known for its extraordinary Mesolithic finds, first discovered almost fifty years ago, which initiated still ongoing debate on the relations between foragers and farmers and the very origin of Neolithic communities in this region. The questions regarding relative and absolute chronology and social relations have received the most attention, while some aspects of the material culture are still not analysed in detail, especially when it comes to the sites on the right (Serbian) bank of the Danube. Most sites are situated in the Upper and Lower Gorge, and the only site with an excavated Mesolithic sequence downstream from the Gorge is Kula near Mihajlovac. In this paper a small collection of about fifty bone and antler artefacts from Kula is analysed. This is the first analysis of the material from the right bank of Danube to be focused on the bone industry only. The analysis incorporates the questions of raw material choice, technique of manufacture and typological classification. Antler was the dominant raw material, but also large and medium-sized ungulate bones were used for making pointed tools, projectile tips, chisels, wedges, percussion tools, hafts and sleeves. They were made at the site and most were used for hunting and woodworking. Decorative or non-utilitarian objects were not discovered. The limited tool-type range, along with other archaeological evidence, suggests that Mesolithic settlement at Kula may have had a different character from those in the Upper Gorge.

2021

The study of bone tools is one of the branches that take the first true steps in Georgia today. This explains the fact that the bone tools discovered on this territory are fragmentarily studied. Therefore, I faced the problem of terminology and typology even for well-studied Shomu- Shulaveri Culture. This research is an attempt to eradicate this problem of lacking the basic aspects around bone tools assemblage. Here, in this thesis, I will present the typology of bone tools which is the main core of my research and it was implemented based on the largest collection of Khramis Didi Gora site. The proposed typology encompasses several aspects like examining the raw materials, technology and techniques, and use wear. These research issues have formed the main idea of the thesis and provided some striking results. Particularly, several basic types of bone tools were identified in the typology – edged tools, cutting tools, pointed tools, diverse tools, and waste/preform/undetermined tools, which in turn indicates that the assemblage is represented by the diversity of the materials where the total number of the tools was 1766. This demonstrates the importance and richness of this collection and the site itself. Use-wear analyses revealed a functional variety of bone tools where that were used for agricultural activities, building work, textile and leather processing, wood and stone industry. I believe this research provides new and important information for the study of Shomu-Shulaveri Culture, as well as the study of bone tools in the Caucasus and neighbouring regions in general.

Quaternary International , 2018

The methods of fishing and hunting in prehistory are a complex subject that needs to be analysed from different perspectives. Comprehensive analysis may enable reconstruction not only of subsistence and economy, but also of technology, social organization and cultural attitude towards the environment. Such studies must include various perspectives and also combine diverse data available from the archaeological record. The identification of fishing and hunting gear is not always easy or straightforward; some artefacts may have had another function, some parts may have been made from perishable materials. Among the Neolithic communities in South-East Europe, hunting and fishing preserved a certain role in the economy after the introduction of domesticated plants and animals. However, findings of hunting and fishing gear are not particularly rich, thus raising questions on the raw materials used and adequate identification of these items. In this paper, an overview will be offered of osseous artefacts identified as hunting and fishing gear recovered from Starčevo culture sites in Serbia; their techno-typological traits will be discussed, as well as their general place within the osseous industry and in the wider context of these communities.