Page 14 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 9(1) (2021)
P. 14
ied, whereby the quality of studies has beenstudia universitatis her editati, letnik 9 (2021), številk a 1 / volume 9 (2021), number 1 14the Neolithic is relatively well studied and ap-
enhanced, taking into account the interdisci- propriately presented. However, one should bear
plinarity, which is a direct result of the joint in-hereditati in mind that Bulgarian literature abounds with
ternational research, headed by: Merpert, Hiller, more bibliographic units, unlike the Macedoni-
Lichardus, Pavúk and others. an one. I think that this is due to two decisive
conditions, longer traditions of research (and
During the last forty years, the results of a therefore continuous publication in several sci-
large number of archaeological investigations entific journals, edited books and monographs)
were published in several important monographs and the scope of the research itself (many Neo-
mainly on concrete sites and reviews on Bulgarian lithic sites are explored in full or on a large scale).
Neolithic: Kapitan Dimitrievo (Nikolov 1999а),
Balgarčevo (Pernicheva-Perets, Grębska-Kulow The material
and Kulov 2011), Ohoden (Ganecovski 2009), The large number of Neolithic sites (and cul-
Yabalkovo (Roodenberg, Leshtakov and Petro- tures) in the Balkans, in order to get more ob-
va 2014), Ново-каменната епоха в България jective evaluation of their characteristics and
(New Stone Age in Bulgaria) (Todorova and properties they carry with them, require equal
Vaysov 1993), and other volumes. This period is scientific treatment. The deliberate “exclusion”
marked by many works in Bulgarian and foreign of a large number of related sites from Greece,
scientific publications and especially active par- Albania, Serbia and Romania has been made in
ticipation in scientific meetings, symposia, con- order to preserve the core of the topic i.e., pre-
ferences, etc. Apart from the regular publication venting the spread of the focus towards the larg-
of the journals Arheologiya (Archaeology), Arhe- er Central Balkans’ area. In other words, fur-
ološki otkritija i razkopki (Archaeological discov- ther in my work, I will pay full attention only
eries and excavations), Razkopki i proučvanija to specific Macedonian sites (Pelagonia, Skop-
(Excavations and studies), reaffirmation of one of je and Ovče Pole Plains) and Western Bulgaria
the most important scientific journals of the last (Sofia and Pernik Plains as well as Struma Val-
century, Studies of Prehistory (Studia praehistori- ley), minimally touching other sites important
ca) is of key importance. Also the publication of for the topic from the rest of Bulgaria and the
several edited books from several scientific meet- wider Balkan regions.
ings – namely in honor of the older generation
prehistorians and scientific conferences, such as: Bearing in mind the state of Macedonian
Karanovo (Hiller and Nikolov 1997; Hiller and and Bulgarian knowledge of the Neolithic in
Nikolov 2000; Hiller and Nikolov 2002; Hiller this area (explained in the chapter above), in the
and Nikolov 2005), Praistoričeska Trakiya (Pre- paper below I will make a selection of a total of
historic Thrace) (Nikolov, Băčvarov and Kalčev 11 sites from North Macedonia and Bulgaria. In
2004), In the Steps of James Harvey Gaul Vols. 1 North Macedonia, I will focus on five sites: Ba-
and 2 (Stefanovich, Todorova and Hauptmann rutnica-Amzabegovo, Cerje-Govrlevo, Veluška
1998; Todorovа, Stefanovich and Ivanov 2007), Tumba-Porodin, Čuka-Topolčani and Vrbjan-
Von Domica bis Drama, Gedenkschrift für Jan ska Čuka-Slavej, and in Bulgaria on six: Slati-
Lichardus (Nikolov and Băčvarov 2004), Prae in na-Sofia, Krajnici, Galabnik, Vaksevo, Rakito-
Honorem Henrieta Todorova (Stefanovich and vo and Kovačevo. In addition, I emphasize that
Angelova 2007), Southeast Europe and Anatolia I will analyze exclusively the sites, not cultures,
in prehistory: Essays in honor of Vassil Nikolov on cultural zones, blocks and complexes, for one
his 65th anniversary (Bacvarov and Gleser 2016) reason – the large number of cultures and oth-
and others. er social categories by themselves bear more am-
biguity rather than explanations (see the chap-
In short, it can be concluded that in the ter below).
past period in North Macedonia and Bulgaria
enhanced, taking into account the interdisci- propriately presented. However, one should bear
plinarity, which is a direct result of the joint in-hereditati in mind that Bulgarian literature abounds with
ternational research, headed by: Merpert, Hiller, more bibliographic units, unlike the Macedoni-
Lichardus, Pavúk and others. an one. I think that this is due to two decisive
conditions, longer traditions of research (and
During the last forty years, the results of a therefore continuous publication in several sci-
large number of archaeological investigations entific journals, edited books and monographs)
were published in several important monographs and the scope of the research itself (many Neo-
mainly on concrete sites and reviews on Bulgarian lithic sites are explored in full or on a large scale).
Neolithic: Kapitan Dimitrievo (Nikolov 1999а),
Balgarčevo (Pernicheva-Perets, Grębska-Kulow The material
and Kulov 2011), Ohoden (Ganecovski 2009), The large number of Neolithic sites (and cul-
Yabalkovo (Roodenberg, Leshtakov and Petro- tures) in the Balkans, in order to get more ob-
va 2014), Ново-каменната епоха в България jective evaluation of their characteristics and
(New Stone Age in Bulgaria) (Todorova and properties they carry with them, require equal
Vaysov 1993), and other volumes. This period is scientific treatment. The deliberate “exclusion”
marked by many works in Bulgarian and foreign of a large number of related sites from Greece,
scientific publications and especially active par- Albania, Serbia and Romania has been made in
ticipation in scientific meetings, symposia, con- order to preserve the core of the topic i.e., pre-
ferences, etc. Apart from the regular publication venting the spread of the focus towards the larg-
of the journals Arheologiya (Archaeology), Arhe- er Central Balkans’ area. In other words, fur-
ološki otkritija i razkopki (Archaeological discov- ther in my work, I will pay full attention only
eries and excavations), Razkopki i proučvanija to specific Macedonian sites (Pelagonia, Skop-
(Excavations and studies), reaffirmation of one of je and Ovče Pole Plains) and Western Bulgaria
the most important scientific journals of the last (Sofia and Pernik Plains as well as Struma Val-
century, Studies of Prehistory (Studia praehistori- ley), minimally touching other sites important
ca) is of key importance. Also the publication of for the topic from the rest of Bulgaria and the
several edited books from several scientific meet- wider Balkan regions.
ings – namely in honor of the older generation
prehistorians and scientific conferences, such as: Bearing in mind the state of Macedonian
Karanovo (Hiller and Nikolov 1997; Hiller and and Bulgarian knowledge of the Neolithic in
Nikolov 2000; Hiller and Nikolov 2002; Hiller this area (explained in the chapter above), in the
and Nikolov 2005), Praistoričeska Trakiya (Pre- paper below I will make a selection of a total of
historic Thrace) (Nikolov, Băčvarov and Kalčev 11 sites from North Macedonia and Bulgaria. In
2004), In the Steps of James Harvey Gaul Vols. 1 North Macedonia, I will focus on five sites: Ba-
and 2 (Stefanovich, Todorova and Hauptmann rutnica-Amzabegovo, Cerje-Govrlevo, Veluška
1998; Todorovа, Stefanovich and Ivanov 2007), Tumba-Porodin, Čuka-Topolčani and Vrbjan-
Von Domica bis Drama, Gedenkschrift für Jan ska Čuka-Slavej, and in Bulgaria on six: Slati-
Lichardus (Nikolov and Băčvarov 2004), Prae in na-Sofia, Krajnici, Galabnik, Vaksevo, Rakito-
Honorem Henrieta Todorova (Stefanovich and vo and Kovačevo. In addition, I emphasize that
Angelova 2007), Southeast Europe and Anatolia I will analyze exclusively the sites, not cultures,
in prehistory: Essays in honor of Vassil Nikolov on cultural zones, blocks and complexes, for one
his 65th anniversary (Bacvarov and Gleser 2016) reason – the large number of cultures and oth-
and others. er social categories by themselves bear more am-
biguity rather than explanations (see the chap-
In short, it can be concluded that in the ter below).
past period in North Macedonia and Bulgaria
