Page 15 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 9(1) (2021)
P. 15
ia universitatis The focus of this work will be directed to obtained about the social aspects of mankind –
only one important segment of pottery, ani- whether it is today, 1,000 or 10,000 years ago.
ear ly neolithic in north macedonia and bulgar ia: geogr aphical and cultur al r elations 15 mal husbandry and architecture. As I have stat-
ed above, due to possible (unwanted) spreads in Territory
different directions, the scope will be limited to Within the Balkans prehistoric archaeology sev-
stated social, economical and cultural categories eral views on the pathways under which the first
as the basic characteristics of the Balkans Neo- Neolithic settlers moved, where they original-
lithic communities. However, I am fully aware ly settled and how they continued the process-
of all possible comments because of not discus- es of neolithization of Europe, are relevant. The
ing the largely discovered so-called coarse pot- most important region for the emergence of the
tery, the various symbolic ceramic objects, fu- EN in the Balkans is Thessaly, because from here
neral practices and the economy. Part of these probably through different pathways, the rest
aspects will get their place, but only as an addi- of the peninsula was inhabited. It is quite cer-
tional illustration of the thesis. It should be not- tain that the Neolithic man was orientated on
ed again, that this limited selection of sites and the natural-geographical characteristics of the
elements of material culture has been made in relief, and as a result, he probably moved along
order to avoid generalized views. If all the geo- the river flows. The two main routes where the
graphical and cultural-historical aspects should first Neolithic communities in the Central Bal-
be taken into account, we can reaffirm the fa- kans region probably migrated, were the val-
miliar views on the homogenity of the Balkan leys of Vardar and Struma rivers. This topic is
Neolithic – in that way entering into a full gen- of great importance in the literature (Gimbutas
eralization of the various EN communities in- 1976a; Sanev 1978; Garašanin 1979; Garašanin
habiting large territories in Southeastern Eu- 1989; Čohadžhiev 1990; Nikolov 1990; Todoro-
rope. va and Vaysov 1993; Sanev 1995; Nikolov 1996a;
Nikolov 1996b; Nikolov 1999b; Nikolov 1999c;
Neolithic in North Macedonia Lichardus-Itten et al. 2002; Nikolov 2002a;
and Bulgaria: territory, timeline, cultures, Nikolov 2003; Sanev 2004; Zdravkovski 2006;
cultural zones, blocks and complexes Bogdanović 2007; Čohadžhiev 2007; Pavúk
The Neolithic in Macedonia and Bulgaria ap- 2007; Naumov 2009c; Zdravkovski 2009); and
pears as an already formed culture introduced the hypotheses are most often argued on the ba-
by the EN settlers from Anatolia, most proba- sis of natural pathways in the above mentioned
bly through Greece mainland, according to the river flows. Bearing in mind the great Neolith-
majority of authors (Gimbutas 1976b, 76; Ga- ic heritage on the wider territory of North Mac-
rašanin1989, 27; Nikolov 1990, 11; Todorova edonia and Bulgaria, there are basically not more
and Vaysov 1993, 58–63; Sanev 1995, 23; Thissen than two or three views on the pathways used
2000, 149–51; Pavúk 2007, 165; Naumov 2009c, by the EN population. According to Nikolov
19). In general, this model has long been set and (1990, 11, 15), those roads are the river flows of
accepted in contemporary prehistoric archаeolo- Mesta, Struma and Vardar, the most important
gy, with few additions and corrections. In short, of which is along the Struma river, and accord-
these hypotheses are made on the basis of ana- ing to him the Vardar Valley, has a secondary
lyzes of immovable and movable archaeological role. Todorova and Vaysov (1993, 94), agree that
cultural heritage: architecture, funeral practices these river flows had crucial role in the neolith-
and ceramics; and economy: agriculture, hunt- ization processes, but they see the Vardar valley
ing, craftsmanship, and exchange. As a direct re- pathway as the main one. The course of Vardar is
sult of these elements, certain insights have been crucial for the formation of Neolithic settlements
in the Republic of Macedonia according to Nau-
only one important segment of pottery, ani- whether it is today, 1,000 or 10,000 years ago.
ear ly neolithic in north macedonia and bulgar ia: geogr aphical and cultur al r elations 15 mal husbandry and architecture. As I have stat-
ed above, due to possible (unwanted) spreads in Territory
different directions, the scope will be limited to Within the Balkans prehistoric archaeology sev-
stated social, economical and cultural categories eral views on the pathways under which the first
as the basic characteristics of the Balkans Neo- Neolithic settlers moved, where they original-
lithic communities. However, I am fully aware ly settled and how they continued the process-
of all possible comments because of not discus- es of neolithization of Europe, are relevant. The
ing the largely discovered so-called coarse pot- most important region for the emergence of the
tery, the various symbolic ceramic objects, fu- EN in the Balkans is Thessaly, because from here
neral practices and the economy. Part of these probably through different pathways, the rest
aspects will get their place, but only as an addi- of the peninsula was inhabited. It is quite cer-
tional illustration of the thesis. It should be not- tain that the Neolithic man was orientated on
ed again, that this limited selection of sites and the natural-geographical characteristics of the
elements of material culture has been made in relief, and as a result, he probably moved along
order to avoid generalized views. If all the geo- the river flows. The two main routes where the
graphical and cultural-historical aspects should first Neolithic communities in the Central Bal-
be taken into account, we can reaffirm the fa- kans region probably migrated, were the val-
miliar views on the homogenity of the Balkan leys of Vardar and Struma rivers. This topic is
Neolithic – in that way entering into a full gen- of great importance in the literature (Gimbutas
eralization of the various EN communities in- 1976a; Sanev 1978; Garašanin 1979; Garašanin
habiting large territories in Southeastern Eu- 1989; Čohadžhiev 1990; Nikolov 1990; Todoro-
rope. va and Vaysov 1993; Sanev 1995; Nikolov 1996a;
Nikolov 1996b; Nikolov 1999b; Nikolov 1999c;
Neolithic in North Macedonia Lichardus-Itten et al. 2002; Nikolov 2002a;
and Bulgaria: territory, timeline, cultures, Nikolov 2003; Sanev 2004; Zdravkovski 2006;
cultural zones, blocks and complexes Bogdanović 2007; Čohadžhiev 2007; Pavúk
The Neolithic in Macedonia and Bulgaria ap- 2007; Naumov 2009c; Zdravkovski 2009); and
pears as an already formed culture introduced the hypotheses are most often argued on the ba-
by the EN settlers from Anatolia, most proba- sis of natural pathways in the above mentioned
bly through Greece mainland, according to the river flows. Bearing in mind the great Neolith-
majority of authors (Gimbutas 1976b, 76; Ga- ic heritage on the wider territory of North Mac-
rašanin1989, 27; Nikolov 1990, 11; Todorova edonia and Bulgaria, there are basically not more
and Vaysov 1993, 58–63; Sanev 1995, 23; Thissen than two or three views on the pathways used
2000, 149–51; Pavúk 2007, 165; Naumov 2009c, by the EN population. According to Nikolov
19). In general, this model has long been set and (1990, 11, 15), those roads are the river flows of
accepted in contemporary prehistoric archаeolo- Mesta, Struma and Vardar, the most important
gy, with few additions and corrections. In short, of which is along the Struma river, and accord-
these hypotheses are made on the basis of ana- ing to him the Vardar Valley, has a secondary
lyzes of immovable and movable archaeological role. Todorova and Vaysov (1993, 94), agree that
cultural heritage: architecture, funeral practices these river flows had crucial role in the neolith-
and ceramics; and economy: agriculture, hunt- ization processes, but they see the Vardar valley
ing, craftsmanship, and exchange. As a direct re- pathway as the main one. The course of Vardar is
sult of these elements, certain insights have been crucial for the formation of Neolithic settlements
in the Republic of Macedonia according to Nau-
