Page 60 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 6(1) (2018)
P. 60
dia universitatis her editati, letnik 6 (2018), številk a 1 60skih tokov prvih poljedelcev v Pelagoniji in je znatnola. It is assumed that the location of Školska Tumba was
prispevala k učvrstitvi ekonomskih standardov in sim- only one integral part of a larger settlement, which is
hereditatiboličnih principov zgodnje neolitskega obdobja.also confirmed by the exceptional similarity of the Ne-
olithic material found during the excavations at Tumba
Summary Sredselo in 1975.
Archaeological probing in 2014 showed that four differ-
The area of Pelagonia (North Macedonia) settlement ent settlement phases can be defined on the periphery
has been known as an area of intensive Neolithic to the of the Školska Tumba location. The oldest phase (first
archaeological scientific community for quite some settlement phase) belongs to the early Neolithic, which
time. A great research interest for Pelagonian prehis- is confirmed by architectural remains and uncovered ar-
toric sites emerged only after WWII. The first excava- chaeological finds, especially ceramic material. Radio-
tions were then carried out by Josip Korošec at Grgur carbon dating confirms the established time span. The
Tumba; also, first basic archaeological excavation at the site was inhabited for the first time somewhat after the
Tumba near Porodin has to be pointed out. The “gold- beginning of the sixth millennium, and the settlement
en age” of prehistoric studies of Pelagonia occurred in was also confirmed at the transition between the sixth
the 1970’s, when systematic surveys as well as test prob- and the fifth millennium BC. Such a date complete-
ing were carried out at a number of locations in the cen- ly corresponds with the beginning of settlement at the
tral part of Pelagonia. At that time, systematic archae- locations of Veluška Tumba and Tumba near Porodin,
ological research was carried out at the sites of Veluška as well as Čuka near Topolčani. The earliest stage of the
Tumba near Porodin, Mogila, Optičati, Trn, Karamani, settlement is characterized by vessels with white paint-
Dobromiri, Radobor and elsewhere. ed ornamentation in the form of complex composition
As a specific archaeological phenomenon, Pelagonia is motifs of elongated lines, trace that has been already no-
now again becoming the focus of interest of the wider ticed in uncovered finds of previous excavations, and
professional community. In the framework of this initi- at the same time there are also vessels decorated with
ative, archaeological test probing was conducted in 2014 so-called sigma motives. Vessels are of rather globular
in the outskirts of Školska Tumba location in Mogila, forms and pots have a pronounced biconic shape, the
in cooperation with the Macedonian - Slovenian team, more open forms of the containers are rare. The coarse
aimed at recognizing the stratification of the settlement pottery is predominantly decorated by stamping, and
itself. Probing to a large extent confirmed the findings also with so-called barbotine. Second settlement phase
and results of the research, conducted in 1977 at the of the Neolithic settlement was already significantly
same location. The difference is only in identifying and damaged by medieval pits and other interventions. Ac-
defining the sequence of individual phases of the set- cording to radiocarbon dating, this phase should be-
tlement, or so-called cultural horizons, namely anoth- long to the period between the 6th and 5th millennium
er later phase has been recognised, which is objectified BC, however it also includes material that can be dated
through the upper layers of the settlement. In this sense, to the middle of the 6th millennium BC. Although the
we can confirm that we are dealing with a tumba (tell set- previous ceramic tradition continues with this phase, it
tlement) that has been formed in the Early Neolithic is also necessary to emphasize the production of fine,
and lasted until its final phases. The site was also re-set- black polished biconical vessels with a short sputtered
tled in the Middle Ages. We did not find any archaeo- mouth. During the 1970s excavations , the third Neo-
logical remains of younger phases of prehistory or an- lithic cultural phase was also defined, in which medie-
tiquity. val ceramics was documented. During archaeological
Near the site of Mogila, a dozen of prehistoric settle- probing in 2014, it was shown again that the layers of the
ments – tumbae has been recognised; some of them, 3rd settlement phase were significantly damaged by sub-
e.g. Tumba Sredselo, Tumba Selska Crkva and Školska sequent medieval interventions, which caused the abun-
Tumba can be considered as a part of a single large set- dance of medieval finds within the layers of this phase. In
tlement, which has been broken down into several mi-
cro locations by the modernization of the village Mogi-
prispevala k učvrstitvi ekonomskih standardov in sim- only one integral part of a larger settlement, which is
hereditatiboličnih principov zgodnje neolitskega obdobja.also confirmed by the exceptional similarity of the Ne-
olithic material found during the excavations at Tumba
Summary Sredselo in 1975.
Archaeological probing in 2014 showed that four differ-
The area of Pelagonia (North Macedonia) settlement ent settlement phases can be defined on the periphery
has been known as an area of intensive Neolithic to the of the Školska Tumba location. The oldest phase (first
archaeological scientific community for quite some settlement phase) belongs to the early Neolithic, which
time. A great research interest for Pelagonian prehis- is confirmed by architectural remains and uncovered ar-
toric sites emerged only after WWII. The first excava- chaeological finds, especially ceramic material. Radio-
tions were then carried out by Josip Korošec at Grgur carbon dating confirms the established time span. The
Tumba; also, first basic archaeological excavation at the site was inhabited for the first time somewhat after the
Tumba near Porodin has to be pointed out. The “gold- beginning of the sixth millennium, and the settlement
en age” of prehistoric studies of Pelagonia occurred in was also confirmed at the transition between the sixth
the 1970’s, when systematic surveys as well as test prob- and the fifth millennium BC. Such a date complete-
ing were carried out at a number of locations in the cen- ly corresponds with the beginning of settlement at the
tral part of Pelagonia. At that time, systematic archae- locations of Veluška Tumba and Tumba near Porodin,
ological research was carried out at the sites of Veluška as well as Čuka near Topolčani. The earliest stage of the
Tumba near Porodin, Mogila, Optičati, Trn, Karamani, settlement is characterized by vessels with white paint-
Dobromiri, Radobor and elsewhere. ed ornamentation in the form of complex composition
As a specific archaeological phenomenon, Pelagonia is motifs of elongated lines, trace that has been already no-
now again becoming the focus of interest of the wider ticed in uncovered finds of previous excavations, and
professional community. In the framework of this initi- at the same time there are also vessels decorated with
ative, archaeological test probing was conducted in 2014 so-called sigma motives. Vessels are of rather globular
in the outskirts of Školska Tumba location in Mogila, forms and pots have a pronounced biconic shape, the
in cooperation with the Macedonian - Slovenian team, more open forms of the containers are rare. The coarse
aimed at recognizing the stratification of the settlement pottery is predominantly decorated by stamping, and
itself. Probing to a large extent confirmed the findings also with so-called barbotine. Second settlement phase
and results of the research, conducted in 1977 at the of the Neolithic settlement was already significantly
same location. The difference is only in identifying and damaged by medieval pits and other interventions. Ac-
defining the sequence of individual phases of the set- cording to radiocarbon dating, this phase should be-
tlement, or so-called cultural horizons, namely anoth- long to the period between the 6th and 5th millennium
er later phase has been recognised, which is objectified BC, however it also includes material that can be dated
through the upper layers of the settlement. In this sense, to the middle of the 6th millennium BC. Although the
we can confirm that we are dealing with a tumba (tell set- previous ceramic tradition continues with this phase, it
tlement) that has been formed in the Early Neolithic is also necessary to emphasize the production of fine,
and lasted until its final phases. The site was also re-set- black polished biconical vessels with a short sputtered
tled in the Middle Ages. We did not find any archaeo- mouth. During the 1970s excavations , the third Neo-
logical remains of younger phases of prehistory or an- lithic cultural phase was also defined, in which medie-
tiquity. val ceramics was documented. During archaeological
Near the site of Mogila, a dozen of prehistoric settle- probing in 2014, it was shown again that the layers of the
ments – tumbae has been recognised; some of them, 3rd settlement phase were significantly damaged by sub-
e.g. Tumba Sredselo, Tumba Selska Crkva and Školska sequent medieval interventions, which caused the abun-
Tumba can be considered as a part of a single large set- dance of medieval finds within the layers of this phase. In
tlement, which has been broken down into several mi-
cro locations by the modernization of the village Mogi-
