Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to the Neolithic Vin ca culture's type... more Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to the Neolithic Vin ca culture's type-site, Vin ca Belo-Brdo, to establish best protocols for routine luminescence dating of similar Holocene sites, critical in understanding Neolithic to Chalcolithic cultural development. Equivalent dose (D e) values were investigated for sediment samples using 63e90 mm grains on large and small aliquots, and single-grain laser luminescence (SGLL), and for pottery samples using large aliquots of 4e11 mm grains. The effects of changing water content and the different techniques available to establish radionuclide concentration were explored for their impacts on dose rate (D r) estimates. Ages for two pottery samples of 6.74 ± 0.37 ka and 7.04 ± 0.47 ka are in line with the existing AMS radiocarbon chronology for the site and are regarded as the best dates available. Sediment samples at Vin ca show poor signal strength, and the uncertainty over past water content, in addition to the possibility of mixing and/or partial bleaching of the quartz, means that we do not recommend the use of sediment-derived ages at complex archaeological sites such as Vin ca. OSL dating of fired pottery however, presents a powerful tool for generating independent chronologies at archaeological sites as well as providing additional constraints for Bayesian age models.
A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication hist... more A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication history. The authors discuss how this has led to the development of an interdisciplinary project combining palaeogenetics, zooarchaeology and radiocarbon dating, with the aim of providing insight into the domestic cat's expansion beyond the Mediterranean.
A new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence excavated by M. Vasic at the Neolithic site V... more A new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence excavated by M. Vasic at the Neolithic site Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia, was designed within the framework of Bayesian chronological modeling. A total of 85 radiocarbon measurements are now available from 82 samples from known depths through the sequence at Vinca. The supplementary information provided here – Vinca_Vasic_age_depth_final.oxcal – presents the CQL2 code explicitly defining the age depth model.
Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the lat... more Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the late sixth to mid-fifth millennium BC and characterised by unusually large and densely population centres, would have required highly organised food production systems. Zooarchaeological analysis indicates that domesticate livestock were herded, but little is known about the seasonal husbandry practices that helped ensure a steady supply of animal products to Vinča farming communities. Here, we present new stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic measurements of incremental bioapatite samples from the teeth of domesticated livestock and wild herbivore teeth from two late Neolithic Vinča culture sites: Vinča-Belo brdo and Stubline (Serbia). Our results show a low variation overall within sheep and goats in terms of pasture type that may have been composed of seasonal halophyte plant communities, which have higher δ13C values due to the saline rich growing environments. Cattle feeding ...
Virtual reconstructions have become an item in archaeology only recently, in the course of the la... more Virtual reconstructions have become an item in archaeology only recently, in the course of the last decade, primarily thanks to the appearance and availability of fast hand-held devices. To have in the pocket state-of-the-art device which can render 3D graphics in HD effortlessly was the trigger for this, now rather widespread, phenomenon.
The Neolithic settlement in Vinča near Belgrade, Serbia, was occupied for more than a millennium ... more The Neolithic settlement in Vinča near Belgrade, Serbia, was occupied for more than a millennium (c. 5600-4500 cal BC); from about 5200 cal BC the occupation, associated with the regional Vinča culture phenomenon, was uninterrupted. After gradual horizontal expansion in the beginning, the Vinča culture settlement grew vertically. A number of successive occupation levels composed of large, dense agglomerations of buildings formed an artificial mound of more than 10 ha in extent. The long and continuous life in a fixed location was likely facilitated by favourable natural environment offering a range of subsistence options and pathways. This paper reviews previous, and presents more recent, archaeological (i.e. artefactual) and palaeoenvironmental (geological, hydrological, palaeobotanical, faunal) evidence for the Vinča site and uses it to identify natural resources available in the settlement's surroundings as well as those found in more distant areas. Using the on-and off-site data, it indirectly evaluates economic potential of the different environmental zones around Neolithic Vinča. The impression is that the resources available locally were remarkably diverse, offered a wide spectrum of food and raw materials, and were exploitable throughout the duration of the settlement. In addition to the apparently marked profusion and variety of opportunities in the vicinity of the site, the subsistence behaviour and the nature of landscape use were likely such that they did not have a great impact on the natural environment.
Geoarcheology is a term used to describe the work of experts who deal with the archeological reco... more Geoarcheology is a term used to describe the work of experts who deal with the archeological record and combine the expertise of their different disciplines, mainly archeology and geology. Because such scientists have different educational backgrounds and use different research methods it was expected that they might value archeological sites (or geoarchaeological geosites) somewhat differently. The principal aim of this study is to show the results of the application of a GAM’s (Geosite Assessment Model) main values, rank indicators and sub-indicators according to the experts’ preferences and attitudes, as it was presumed that they are not of the same importance. For this purpose, the authors used a AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process), widely used in decision-making analysis, to define the criteria weights and rank the indicators. Two main groups of expert respondents, geoscientists and archeologists, were surveyed and gave their criteria weights. The results obtained by application...
Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia: The times of a tell This paper presents formally modelled date estimates... more Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia: The times of a tell This paper presents formally modelled date estimates,within a Bayesian chronological framework, for the sequence of deposits and material at the great Neolithic tell of Vinca-Belo Brdo near Belgrade, Serbia, on the basis of the first excavations, led by Miloje Vasic (1908-1934). This is part of a three-strand approach to dating the occupation and finds from the tell that is being undertaken as part of The Times ofTheir Lives project. A total of 85 radiocarbon measurements are now available from known depths through the Vasic sequence at Vinca. A Bayesian chronological model is constructed, using a poisson-process depositional model. Resume: Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbie: Le temps d’un tell Cet article presente des datations, modelisees dans un cadre chronologique bayesien, pour la sequence stratigraphique et les artefacts du grand tell neolithique de Vinca-Belo Brdo pres de Belgrade en Serbie. Les premieres fouilles menees par Miloje Vasic (190...
A formally modeled radiocarbon chronology for a new profile through the great Neolithic tell of V... more A formally modeled radiocarbon chronology for a new profile through the great Neolithic tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo, Serbia, is the third interwoven strand in refining the chronology of the tell. This now joins models for the whole sequence based on the archive of early excavations, and for the last two known horizons at the top of the settlement mound, investigated in recent decades. In the new deep sounding, Vinča culture occupation from the 52nd century cal BC is slightly later than in the main sequence, probably reflecting the horizontal extension of the tell as it began to grow. The last dated occupation falls in the late 47th–early 46th century cal BC, slightly earlier than in the main sequence, but the top of the profile is affected by the slippage that caused the new excavations. Formal estimates are given for the succession and varying durations of burnt and unburnt houses, and indicate a period in the first part of the 5th millennium without house burning. Overall, the combine...
Abstract Bayesian statistical frameworks have been used to calculate explicit, quantified estimat... more Abstract Bayesian statistical frameworks have been used to calculate explicit, quantified estimates for site chronologies, and have been especially useful for resolving the complex probability distributions of calibrated radiocarbon dates to the level of individual prehistoric lifetimes and generations. Here the technique is applied to the Neolithic tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo in order to answer long-standing questions about the timing and circumstances of its demise. Modelled date estimates place the end of the site in the second half of the forty-sixth century cal BC. Two successive horizons of closely spaced houses each suffered extensive burning; the interval between them was placed at a maximum of 25 years, with the last house probably used for less than 15 years. The evidence suggests that these house burnings were deliberate, and opens new considerations for the causes of the end of the tell-based system in south-east Europe.
Abstract The site of Vinca is often regarded as a yardstick for the entire Late Neolithic period ... more Abstract The site of Vinca is often regarded as a yardstick for the entire Late Neolithic period of southeast Europe. Neolithic farmers, cattle-breeders, fishers, hunters, craftsmen, tradesmen and artists lived here for more than a millennium between 5600 and 4500 B.C. The site contains more than 9 m of cultural deposits, and its exceptional position at the crossroads of natural routes, at the bank of the River Danube, between the vast Pannonian plain and hilly inland made it ideal for scientific research. The site of Vinca-Belo Brdo became known among archaeologists and general public soon after its discovery in 1908. Since then, there three generations of archaeologists have been excavating here. Miloje M. Vasic will be remembered as the first one to bring to light artefacts and dwelling objects of what later became known as the Vinca culture. He had excavated the entire cultural deposit in ten campaigns between 1908 and 1934 at the central part of the site and discovered at least ten dwelling horizons, all yielding rich and abundant archaeological material. The excavations of 1978–1987, led by N. Tasic, D. Srejovic and G. Marjanovic-Vujovic, have ascertained the existence of post Neolithic dwelling horizons dated in the Copper Age, late Bronze Age and Medieval periods. Archaeological material from the site that has been excavated in the course of 105 years has been thoroughly studied, analysed, and published. It seems that it has given all the answers regarding internal division, style and function of pottery, procurement of raw materials, and relationship with other contemporaneous populations, but there are questions which cannot be answered by traditional archaeological means. The ongoing research at Belo Brdo in Vinca which started in 1998 and directed by the author of this text focuses not only on archaeological research but also on attracting and involving experts from different scientific disciplines. Archaeo-botany, archaeo-zoology, geology, geophysics, chemistry, IT, soil sciences, and geography will be used in our attempt to reconstruct some aspects of the palaeoenvironment of the site of Vinca. These new results of applied sciences, combined with archaeological knowledge, will help us answer much more complex questions concerning the relationship of human populations and their environment; explain some of the choices these people made; and perhaps give us an answer as to why they had left the site by the end of the Neolithic.
The paper presents figurines from excavations at Vinča 1998–2000 dated to the very end of the Lat... more The paper presents figurines from excavations at Vinča 1998–2000 dated to the very end of the Late Neolithic. Along with a presentation and analysis of these objects, the paper addresses questions of the development of sculpture in Vinča, and matters of symbolism in the Late Vinča period. Some interesting contexts with an abundance of anthropomorphic figurines are presented and discussed.
Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to the Neolithic Vin ca culture's type... more Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to the Neolithic Vin ca culture's type-site, Vin ca Belo-Brdo, to establish best protocols for routine luminescence dating of similar Holocene sites, critical in understanding Neolithic to Chalcolithic cultural development. Equivalent dose (D e) values were investigated for sediment samples using 63e90 mm grains on large and small aliquots, and single-grain laser luminescence (SGLL), and for pottery samples using large aliquots of 4e11 mm grains. The effects of changing water content and the different techniques available to establish radionuclide concentration were explored for their impacts on dose rate (D r) estimates. Ages for two pottery samples of 6.74 ± 0.37 ka and 7.04 ± 0.47 ka are in line with the existing AMS radiocarbon chronology for the site and are regarded as the best dates available. Sediment samples at Vin ca show poor signal strength, and the uncertainty over past water content, in addition to the possibility of mixing and/or partial bleaching of the quartz, means that we do not recommend the use of sediment-derived ages at complex archaeological sites such as Vin ca. OSL dating of fired pottery however, presents a powerful tool for generating independent chronologies at archaeological sites as well as providing additional constraints for Bayesian age models.
A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication hist... more A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication history. The authors discuss how this has led to the development of an interdisciplinary project combining palaeogenetics, zooarchaeology and radiocarbon dating, with the aim of providing insight into the domestic cat's expansion beyond the Mediterranean.
A new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence excavated by M. Vasic at the Neolithic site V... more A new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence excavated by M. Vasic at the Neolithic site Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia, was designed within the framework of Bayesian chronological modeling. A total of 85 radiocarbon measurements are now available from 82 samples from known depths through the sequence at Vinca. The supplementary information provided here – Vinca_Vasic_age_depth_final.oxcal – presents the CQL2 code explicitly defining the age depth model.
Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the lat... more Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the late sixth to mid-fifth millennium BC and characterised by unusually large and densely population centres, would have required highly organised food production systems. Zooarchaeological analysis indicates that domesticate livestock were herded, but little is known about the seasonal husbandry practices that helped ensure a steady supply of animal products to Vinča farming communities. Here, we present new stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic measurements of incremental bioapatite samples from the teeth of domesticated livestock and wild herbivore teeth from two late Neolithic Vinča culture sites: Vinča-Belo brdo and Stubline (Serbia). Our results show a low variation overall within sheep and goats in terms of pasture type that may have been composed of seasonal halophyte plant communities, which have higher δ13C values due to the saline rich growing environments. Cattle feeding ...
Virtual reconstructions have become an item in archaeology only recently, in the course of the la... more Virtual reconstructions have become an item in archaeology only recently, in the course of the last decade, primarily thanks to the appearance and availability of fast hand-held devices. To have in the pocket state-of-the-art device which can render 3D graphics in HD effortlessly was the trigger for this, now rather widespread, phenomenon.
The Neolithic settlement in Vinča near Belgrade, Serbia, was occupied for more than a millennium ... more The Neolithic settlement in Vinča near Belgrade, Serbia, was occupied for more than a millennium (c. 5600-4500 cal BC); from about 5200 cal BC the occupation, associated with the regional Vinča culture phenomenon, was uninterrupted. After gradual horizontal expansion in the beginning, the Vinča culture settlement grew vertically. A number of successive occupation levels composed of large, dense agglomerations of buildings formed an artificial mound of more than 10 ha in extent. The long and continuous life in a fixed location was likely facilitated by favourable natural environment offering a range of subsistence options and pathways. This paper reviews previous, and presents more recent, archaeological (i.e. artefactual) and palaeoenvironmental (geological, hydrological, palaeobotanical, faunal) evidence for the Vinča site and uses it to identify natural resources available in the settlement's surroundings as well as those found in more distant areas. Using the on-and off-site data, it indirectly evaluates economic potential of the different environmental zones around Neolithic Vinča. The impression is that the resources available locally were remarkably diverse, offered a wide spectrum of food and raw materials, and were exploitable throughout the duration of the settlement. In addition to the apparently marked profusion and variety of opportunities in the vicinity of the site, the subsistence behaviour and the nature of landscape use were likely such that they did not have a great impact on the natural environment.
Geoarcheology is a term used to describe the work of experts who deal with the archeological reco... more Geoarcheology is a term used to describe the work of experts who deal with the archeological record and combine the expertise of their different disciplines, mainly archeology and geology. Because such scientists have different educational backgrounds and use different research methods it was expected that they might value archeological sites (or geoarchaeological geosites) somewhat differently. The principal aim of this study is to show the results of the application of a GAM’s (Geosite Assessment Model) main values, rank indicators and sub-indicators according to the experts’ preferences and attitudes, as it was presumed that they are not of the same importance. For this purpose, the authors used a AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process), widely used in decision-making analysis, to define the criteria weights and rank the indicators. Two main groups of expert respondents, geoscientists and archeologists, were surveyed and gave their criteria weights. The results obtained by application...
Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia: The times of a tell This paper presents formally modelled date estimates... more Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbia: The times of a tell This paper presents formally modelled date estimates,within a Bayesian chronological framework, for the sequence of deposits and material at the great Neolithic tell of Vinca-Belo Brdo near Belgrade, Serbia, on the basis of the first excavations, led by Miloje Vasic (1908-1934). This is part of a three-strand approach to dating the occupation and finds from the tell that is being undertaken as part of The Times ofTheir Lives project. A total of 85 radiocarbon measurements are now available from known depths through the Vasic sequence at Vinca. A Bayesian chronological model is constructed, using a poisson-process depositional model. Resume: Vinca-Belo Brdo, Serbie: Le temps d’un tell Cet article presente des datations, modelisees dans un cadre chronologique bayesien, pour la sequence stratigraphique et les artefacts du grand tell neolithique de Vinca-Belo Brdo pres de Belgrade en Serbie. Les premieres fouilles menees par Miloje Vasic (190...
A formally modeled radiocarbon chronology for a new profile through the great Neolithic tell of V... more A formally modeled radiocarbon chronology for a new profile through the great Neolithic tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo, Serbia, is the third interwoven strand in refining the chronology of the tell. This now joins models for the whole sequence based on the archive of early excavations, and for the last two known horizons at the top of the settlement mound, investigated in recent decades. In the new deep sounding, Vinča culture occupation from the 52nd century cal BC is slightly later than in the main sequence, probably reflecting the horizontal extension of the tell as it began to grow. The last dated occupation falls in the late 47th–early 46th century cal BC, slightly earlier than in the main sequence, but the top of the profile is affected by the slippage that caused the new excavations. Formal estimates are given for the succession and varying durations of burnt and unburnt houses, and indicate a period in the first part of the 5th millennium without house burning. Overall, the combine...
Abstract Bayesian statistical frameworks have been used to calculate explicit, quantified estimat... more Abstract Bayesian statistical frameworks have been used to calculate explicit, quantified estimates for site chronologies, and have been especially useful for resolving the complex probability distributions of calibrated radiocarbon dates to the level of individual prehistoric lifetimes and generations. Here the technique is applied to the Neolithic tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo in order to answer long-standing questions about the timing and circumstances of its demise. Modelled date estimates place the end of the site in the second half of the forty-sixth century cal BC. Two successive horizons of closely spaced houses each suffered extensive burning; the interval between them was placed at a maximum of 25 years, with the last house probably used for less than 15 years. The evidence suggests that these house burnings were deliberate, and opens new considerations for the causes of the end of the tell-based system in south-east Europe.
Abstract The site of Vinca is often regarded as a yardstick for the entire Late Neolithic period ... more Abstract The site of Vinca is often regarded as a yardstick for the entire Late Neolithic period of southeast Europe. Neolithic farmers, cattle-breeders, fishers, hunters, craftsmen, tradesmen and artists lived here for more than a millennium between 5600 and 4500 B.C. The site contains more than 9 m of cultural deposits, and its exceptional position at the crossroads of natural routes, at the bank of the River Danube, between the vast Pannonian plain and hilly inland made it ideal for scientific research. The site of Vinca-Belo Brdo became known among archaeologists and general public soon after its discovery in 1908. Since then, there three generations of archaeologists have been excavating here. Miloje M. Vasic will be remembered as the first one to bring to light artefacts and dwelling objects of what later became known as the Vinca culture. He had excavated the entire cultural deposit in ten campaigns between 1908 and 1934 at the central part of the site and discovered at least ten dwelling horizons, all yielding rich and abundant archaeological material. The excavations of 1978–1987, led by N. Tasic, D. Srejovic and G. Marjanovic-Vujovic, have ascertained the existence of post Neolithic dwelling horizons dated in the Copper Age, late Bronze Age and Medieval periods. Archaeological material from the site that has been excavated in the course of 105 years has been thoroughly studied, analysed, and published. It seems that it has given all the answers regarding internal division, style and function of pottery, procurement of raw materials, and relationship with other contemporaneous populations, but there are questions which cannot be answered by traditional archaeological means. The ongoing research at Belo Brdo in Vinca which started in 1998 and directed by the author of this text focuses not only on archaeological research but also on attracting and involving experts from different scientific disciplines. Archaeo-botany, archaeo-zoology, geology, geophysics, chemistry, IT, soil sciences, and geography will be used in our attempt to reconstruct some aspects of the palaeoenvironment of the site of Vinca. These new results of applied sciences, combined with archaeological knowledge, will help us answer much more complex questions concerning the relationship of human populations and their environment; explain some of the choices these people made; and perhaps give us an answer as to why they had left the site by the end of the Neolithic.
The paper presents figurines from excavations at Vinča 1998–2000 dated to the very end of the Lat... more The paper presents figurines from excavations at Vinča 1998–2000 dated to the very end of the Late Neolithic. Along with a presentation and analysis of these objects, the paper addresses questions of the development of sculpture in Vinča, and matters of symbolism in the Late Vinča period. Some interesting contexts with an abundance of anthropomorphic figurines are presented and discussed.
The idea for this volume arose from the international conference entitled "Northern Greece and S... more The idea for this volume arose from the international conference entitled "Northern Greece and Southeastern Europe during the Neolithic period. An interaction zone", held in Thessaloniki (Greece), June 2014, under the auspices of the Humboldt Foundation. The conference focused on three different though related topics including "Dynamics of the environment", which serves as the base for this volume. The geographical area in question is crucial to understanding of both the spread of agriculture into Europe and the subsequent profound social changes that eventually culminated in the hierarchical organization of Chalcolithic and Bronze Age societies.
The Neolithic of Southeastern Europe, spanning at least three millennia, was a time of great transformations in cultural landscapes, settlement organization, animal and plant management, dietary habits, and production and circulation of material culture. Similarities in material culture suggest contacts between sub-regions, albeit of variable intensity, scale and mode over space and time. Despite its importance as the core area where new ideas and adaptations emerged before spreading towards central and northern Europe, few volumes published in the last decades have focused on this region (e.g. Bailey 2000, Halstead 1999, Halstead and Frederick 2000, Whittle 1996), and none of these embraces the north, central and southern Balkans together with the north Aegean (northern Greece). The exception to this is recently published volume by Ivanova et al (2018). Importantly, only one of the volumes focuses on environmental issues (Halstead and Frederick 2000).
This volume aims to fill this lacuna, by presenting new results in the study of human-environment relationships during the Neolithic across this broad region. The study of this complex relationship is interdisciplinary by definition, which is clearly reflected in the volume. Drawing on mainstream archaeology and a range of other disciplines (e.g. chemical analysis of resinous materials combined with charcoal and pollen analysis; isotopic analysis of dietary preferences; aDNA signatures), eleven articles present the latest research on early Neolithic farmers in the Aegean and the Balkans and the environment in which they settled and developed crop and animal husbandry. Given that the human-environment relationship has a central position in the constitution of culture, in most articles the environment is not seen solely as a natural reality, but equally as a result of human agency, as manifested in the choice of particular ways of its exploitation.
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Papers by Nenad Tasic
The Neolithic of Southeastern Europe, spanning at least three millennia, was a time of great transformations in cultural landscapes, settlement organization, animal and plant management, dietary habits, and production and circulation of material culture. Similarities in material culture suggest contacts between sub-regions, albeit of variable intensity, scale and mode over space and time. Despite its importance as the core area where new ideas and adaptations emerged before spreading towards central and northern Europe, few volumes published in the last decades have focused on this region (e.g. Bailey 2000, Halstead 1999, Halstead and Frederick 2000, Whittle 1996), and none of these embraces the north, central and southern Balkans together with the north Aegean (northern Greece). The exception to this is recently published volume by Ivanova et al (2018). Importantly, only one of the volumes focuses on environmental issues (Halstead and Frederick 2000).
This volume aims to fill this lacuna, by presenting new results in the study of human-environment relationships during the Neolithic across this broad region. The study of this complex relationship is interdisciplinary by definition, which is clearly reflected in the volume. Drawing on mainstream archaeology and a range of other disciplines (e.g. chemical analysis of resinous materials combined with charcoal and pollen analysis; isotopic analysis of dietary preferences; aDNA signatures), eleven articles present the latest research on early Neolithic farmers in the Aegean and the Balkans and the environment in which they settled and developed crop and animal husbandry. Given that the human-environment relationship has a central position in the constitution of culture, in most articles the environment is not seen solely as a natural reality, but equally as a result of human agency, as manifested in the choice of particular ways of its exploitation.