Papers by Marek Vercik
Studia Hercynia, 2024
A combination of surface survey, geophysical prospection and excavation was used to investigate a... more A combination of surface survey, geophysical prospection and excavation was used to investigate a site dated to the Roman period in North Macedonia nearby the Ohrid Lake. The site is placed in the territory of Leskoec village, in an area locally known as St. Petkina Niva. The excavation uncovered stone foundations of a house, with stone destruction inside the house and likely a pavement on its outer side. At the ground level inside the house, just above the bedrock into which the foundations were dug, fragments of several storage vessels (dolia) were found, some in situ, some in fragments, scattered over the inner space. The dolia, as well as the accompanied material including various pottery classes, glass fragments, bone pin and few metals, might be dated from the 1 st till 4 th c. AD. The same chronology might be anticipated for the investigated house, which revealed only one construction phase. Due to the lack of diagnostic material the construction or habitation period of the house cannot be narrowed down.
In Southeastern Europe, the Metal Ages – Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age – are characteriz... more In Southeastern Europe, the Metal Ages – Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age – are characterized by dynamic
processes that led to significant socio-economic changes. Many prehistoric societies unwittingly made substantial
social and economic changes reflected throughout history by obtaining materials and resources for their
daily lives. Overall, the availability of resources has always been an essential factor in shaping human societies
and continues to be so today.
The procurement and distribution of resources like food, water, and raw materials cannot be studied in isolation
without considering their relationship to time and space, their socioeconomic or technological background, and
their spiritual connotation. Religious beliefs and practices often guided the use and management of resources,
as certain rituals might be performed to honour or appease the gods or other spiritual beings to ensure a bountiful
supply of resources.
The exploitation and trade of resources in prehistoric societies cannot be conceived without its connection to
a transcendental sphere. In this sense, the conference aims to relate economic and religious aspects to study
the prehistoric communities of the Metal Ages in an integrated approach.
Ancient Weapons. New Research Perspectives on Weapons and Warfare Proceedings of the International Conference – Mainz, September 20th - 21st 2019, RGZM Tagungen 44, 2021
The dedication of arms and armour at a sanctuary was a common practice in ancient Greece, even in... more The dedication of arms and armour at a sanctuary was a common practice in ancient Greece, even in the case that this
act was carried out by a foreigner. Accordingly, the identification of non-Greek weapons has been of particular interest
to scholars for a long time, as these were deemed to have been linked to historical events. However, the identification
of these objects and the subsequent reconstruction of interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks is subject to
all kinds of methodological difficulties, which has been addressed by different approaches in the past decades. Our
contribution tests new research avenues that have the potential to shed a clearer light on (foreign) objects and, at
the same time, reconstructions of social interaction that took place in sanctuaries as meeting points of individuals and
groups from inside and outside the ancient Greek world. We will demonstrate our approach on fragmented metal
armour scales from the Archaic deposits at the sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma (Ionia). Instead of looking solely at the
exterior appearance, which is often altered by corrosion, we seek to move inside these objects to determine their
material properties and performance characteristics. Analytical techniques allow us to reverse-engineer the characteristic
technical steps in the production processes as well as the object biographies to a very high degree of resolution,
thus complementing the readily available archaeological methods. By these means we can propose a more informed
reconstruction of the appearance and purpose, and understand the implication of the practical or symbolic function
of weapon finds within the sacred context in ancient Greece.
Geoarchaeological evidence on a Late Bronze Age earthquake, Ohrid Basin (North Macedonia)
Journal of Quaternary Science, 2021
Geoarchaeological investigations on the northeastern shore of Lake Ohrid revealed 3.5 m thick dee... more Geoarchaeological investigations on the northeastern shore of Lake Ohrid revealed 3.5 m thick deepwater lacustrine sediments overlying terrestrial vegetation macrofossils, worked wood and abundant potsherds dated to the Late Bronze Age (LBA). Distinct contact of deepwater sediment with the sub-aerial weathered limestone bedrock point to a sudden increase in lake level. According to radiocarbon data, catastrophic flooding occurred shortly after 1214 yr bc. Because the area is located in a highly active seismic zone, we propose that this event was caused by tectonically induced, metre-scale coseismic subsidence related to faults bordering the Ohrid alluvial plain. Moreover, this event coincides well with a dramatic switch in the habitation and settlement strategy in the region. More important, however, is the finding that the age of the proposed massive tectonic event and change in habitation lies within the interval of the proposed ‘earthquake storm’ in the eastern Mediterranean dated to 1225–1175 bc. As the Ohrid-Korça zone belongs to the same tectonic province, a relationship between the abovementioned earthquakes and the proposed event can be expected. This research therefore might provide the first direct evidence of a large-scale earthquake event linkable to the LBA collapse of Europe's first urban civilisation in the Aegean.
In: A. Kozubová – E. Makarová – M. Neumann (ed.): Ultra velum temporis. Venované Jozefovi Bátorovi k 70. narodeninám. Slovenská archeológia LXVIII, Supplementum 1. Nitra. S. 459-469, 2020
From weapons and tools to symbols: use-wear analysis of the Early Bronze Age metal daggers in Boh... more From weapons and tools to symbols: use-wear analysis of the Early Bronze Age metal daggers in Bohemia. Preliminary results. In our lands, the Early Bronze Age is commonly associated with the occurrence of daggers in graves. However, the majority of research linked with the publication or further analysis of the local dagger finds usually highlighted just their occurrence (or not) in the graves per se, followed by a discussion of their chronology and typology. The function of the daggers and their role in a social context have not been tackled that much so far. Abroad, on the contrary, a whole methodology for the study of use-wear traces on bronze artefacts has been developed in the meantime. And while it has been applied to typologically different specimens, mainly artefacts linked to warfare, we are equally convinced of its applicability to daggers deposited in the graves of the Únětice culture. This pilot study therefore targets traces of their specific use, the influence of post-depositional processes, and the interpretation of organic residues. The preliminary results highlight the applicability of such an approach to the daggers as well and indicate their potential for the reconstruction of the ‘life cycle of the artefacts’.
In: A. Kozubová – E. Makarová – M. Neumann (ed.): Ultra velum temporis. Venované Jozefovi Bátorovi k 70. narodeninám. Slovenská archeológia LXVIII, Supplementum 1. Nitra, 2020
Spheres of Interaction Contacts and Relationships between the Balkans and Adjacent Regions in the Late Bronze / Iron Age (13th–5th Centuries BCE) , 2020
Studia Hercynia XXIII, 2019
The settlement area of the Ohrid region extends on the shores of a homonymous lake shared betwee... more The settlement area of the Ohrid region extends on the shores of a homonymous lake shared between the Republics of Northern Macedonia and Albania. Despite its mountainous framing, the geographical setting of the Ohrid region provides the broadest accessible link between the Aegean and the Adriatic regions in the southern Balkans and was, vice versa, an eminent pre-condition for the formation of supra -regional networks in the past. Placed on this communication route, which is embodied by the widely known Via Egnatia, the region represented an important hub in the cultural connectivity between the Aegean, the Adriatic see, and the Balkans. As a response to the lacking of systematic investigations, this paper presents a reconstruction of the pre- and protohistoric habitation in the region. Reviewing past archaeological discoveries and recent data collected during the first two field seasons conducted within the frame of the project Frontier Studies, this paper focuses on the settlement organization and traces its development as well as corresponding phenomena, such as connectivity and response to environmental changes, diachronically from the Neolithic down to Late Antiquity.
Studia Hercynia, 2019
The Frontier Studies is an international research project centred on the city of Ohrid and its en... more The Frontier Studies is an international research project centred on the city of Ohrid and its environs, located on the northern shore of the homonymous lake at the present frontier of Albania and the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Since its establishment in 2017, the project has been undertaken as a cooperative effort between researchers from Charles University in Prague and the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. The aim of the first season was an extensive, trial field survey to unlock the historical landscape and to evaluate the dynamics of the habitation paterns in the region diachronically.
EUDAIMON. Studies in Honour of Jan Bouzek, 2018
The role of the hoplite as a central pillar of the ancient polis‑system seems incontrovertible no... more The role of the hoplite as a central pillar of the ancient polis‑system seems incontrovertible nowadays. From the 8th/7th century B.C. on, these bronze armour‑clad warriors fought in a closed formation, the phalanx, and successfully defended the Greek mainland against the Persians, or the Greek colonies along Mediterranean shores. The military brotherhood and equality involved created a feeling of belonging, and thus led to the development of the most important political institution of ancient times, the popular assembly. Nevertheless, this thesis has led to deep disagreement among classical researchers. Supporters of the “traditional” approach and their opponents, the “gradualists”, confront each other regularly with extremely forceful arguments. However, this discussion has not attracted much attention other than among historians, for instance in classical archaeology, despite the topic’s axiomatic character for the overall understanding of ancient Greece. This paper thus tries on the one hand to present the arguments involved, and on the other to pose the question how material culture can help in addressing issues of the development
Weapons and armour were among the most frequent kinds of offerings made in the sanctuaries of the... more Weapons and armour were among the most frequent kinds of offerings made in the sanctuaries of the Greek world during the Archaic period. There exists an extensive bibliography and important theories concerning their significance. It was, however, only recently that most of the weapon votives preserved from about 130 cult places were analysed in summary. This synopsis pointed out certain differences in terms of chronology and chorology: the finds of weapons and armour were unearthed mainly in the Panhellenic or supra ‑regional sanctuaries in the southern and central Greece (Olympia, Delphi, Kalapodi etc.), whereas the cult places in the eastern Aegean remained relatively poor in these dedications; in Attika and Magna Graecia on the other hand the amount of the votives only started to increase in the 6 th c. BC. The aim of this study is to complement the picture of weapons and armour dedicated in sanctuaries of the ancient Greek world with the recently published and excavated finds from the eastern Aegean region of Ionia.
STUDIA HERCYNIA, 2017
Iron is one of the most significant metal commodities and its discovery had a decisive impact on ... more Iron is one of the most significant metal commodities and its discovery had a decisive impact on the development of human history. From the first millennium BC on, iron virtually permeated all spheres of ancient life, either as a material for weapons and tools or as a currency. The introduction of the iron technology in Greece in the Early Iron Age has traditionally been seen as coming from eastern Anatolia through Cyprus and Crete, whereas Ionia does not appear in these assumptions. This interpretation, however, neglects the significance of this region as a historical bridge between the Anatolia and the Aegean, even though according to the written sources, the Greeks – and the Ionians in particular (e.g. Glaucus of Chios) – were well conscious of the highly developed metallurgy of the neighbouring regions of Phrygia and Lydia. It is therefore the main aim of this paper to revisit the traditional view on the spread of the knowledge of iron technology based on new findings from Ionia. Moreover, using this evidence the further development of this technological knowledge in the Aegean, including technical skills as well as specific social context, will be analysed in more detail to provide fresh insights into the discussion, whether the iron technology was fully developed at the end of the geometric period or there were further innovations in the course of archaic period.
Die zahlreichen Eisenfunde aus den griechischen Heiligtümern, der primären Quelle zur materiellen... more Die zahlreichen Eisenfunde aus den griechischen Heiligtümern, der primären Quelle zur materiellen Kultur des archaischen Griechenlands, erfuhren bislang nur wenig Beachtung, denn ihr häufig schlechter Erhaltungszustand ermöglichte es nur selten, sie kunsthistorisch anzusprechen. Erst die jüngsten Aufarbeitungen der Fundkomplexe aus Olympia zeigten ihre Aussagekraft. In diesem Kontext ist auch die geplante Vorlage der Eisenfunde aus dem Apollon-Heiligtum von Didyma zu verstehen. Unter ihnen verdienen 20 spezifische Plättchen rechteckigen Formates erhöhte Aufmerk-samkeit – sie wurden allesamt als Panzerschuppen neuassyrischen Typus identifiziert. Ihr ursprüng-lich funktionaler sowie statuskennzeichnender Charakter, als eine für assyrische, schwerbewaffnete Eliteneinheiten bestimmte Panzerung, ist jedoch nicht mit dem Fundkontext als Weihung innerhalb eines ionischen kultischen Bezirks in Einklang zu bringen. Im Folgenden wird daher versucht, mit-hilfe des Ansatzes der Objektbiographien die einzelnen, chronologisch versetzten Deutungsebenen dieser Gegenstände zu dekonstruieren und gleichzeitig die damit verbundenen sozio-kulturellen Räume zu konzeptualisieren.
Anodos Supplementum 5, 2010
2 Mit der Ausnahme von wenigen Arbeiten, vgl. Born 1991a; Zimmer 2001. 3 Dieser Aufsatz entstand ... more 2 Mit der Ausnahme von wenigen Arbeiten, vgl. Born 1991a; Zimmer 2001. 3 Dieser Aufsatz entstand im Rahmen der Dissertation Barbarische Einflüsse in der griechischen Bewaffnung und Kampfweise, die zur Zeit vom Autor an der Katholischen Universität Eichstätt -Ingolstadt (BRD) verfasst wird.
Books by Marek Vercik
PeBA - Perspectives on Balkan Archaeology , 2024
It is with great pleasure that we present this second volume in the PeBA-Perspectives on Balkan A... more It is with great pleasure that we present this second volume in the PeBA-Perspectives on Balkan Archaeology series, based on the very successful conference held in Ohrid on 25-28 May 2022. As this is the third meeting of its kind, after Sarajevo in 2016 and Belgrade in 2017, the concept has been stabilised and developed further, while retaining the main ideals of the first meeting: to create and maintain a network of scholarly exchange among archaeologists across modern state and ideological boundaries. The continuing interest in and impact of Balkan archaeology is also reflected in these dynamic conference meetings, where substantial questions about past societies in southeastern Europe are discussed at a high scientific level. The participation of 39 scholars from ten countries at the PeBA meeting in Ohrid 2022 underlines the need for supra-regional networking. After Belgrade, it was decided to meet regularly every two or three years to allow sufficient time to prepare the publication. As it happened, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed everything down, but it also gave us time to strengthen this publication concept, which is anchored in the three institutions involved: the Austrian Archaeological Institute (OeAI) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) in Vienna, the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich and the Charles University (CU) in Prague. As the editors of the series, we are very proud of the streamlined preparation of the proceedings and are grateful to the volume editors for organising and editing the contributions, to the authors of the individual papers for meeting the deadlines and other requirements, to the external anonymous reviewers for providing welcome feedback, and to Judd Burden for the language editing of the volume. We would like to thank the editorial team, Ulrike Schuh, Angela Schwab, and Jörg Weilhartner, for their professional processing of the book. They have all contributed to the high quality of the volume you are holding in your hands. We would like to thank Bert Wiegel once again for agreeing to include our series in the publication plan of the Verlag Marie Leidorf. Financial support was provided by the institutions of the three series editors.
Die barbarischen Einflüsse in der griechischen Bewaffnung
Internationale Archäologie 125, 2014
Contacts between different regions and civilizations as well as the interaction of their cultures... more Contacts between different regions and civilizations as well as the interaction of their cultures have become one of the most discussed topics also in current Classical research. This discussion does not so much concern the results of this process, but rather its nature. However, one subject of the study has been persisting in this development – Classical Warfare. According to the assumption of the predominant, “colonial” approach the Greeks military dominates their neighbors and furthermore resists foreign influence (as Snodgrass 1999). Using the extensive material dimension of the Greek Warfare, I attempt to re-examine this approach out of the perspective of material connections, as defined by van Dommelen and Knapp (2010). By analyzing the origin of the Hoplite Arms and Armour, which was an essential component of Greek identity, the diversity within its development and the importance of the foreign influence, e.g. from the Balkan Peninsula, the Nord Black Sea region as well as from Egypt or Near East, will be shown.
In chronological terms, the book focuses on archaic and classic periods. This approach makes it possible to examine the topic diachronic and in comparison to the development in other neighboring cultures, before the eminent changes symbolizing the Hellenistic period – the "Globalization" of Warfare – occurred. During that time, the eastern Mediterranean and especially the Aegean itself were frequented by Greeks, Thracian, Anatolians and other local peoples, all of whom became entangled in ever-shifting regional and intra-regional movements. Both of this make it possible to interrogate how conflicts, peaceful contacts or commodities convey the experience of Mediterranean people, and how these experiences were interpreted by the Greeks, thus improving their own armory and warfare in order to survive.
Conference Presentations by Marek Vercik
Until recently, the early history of the ancient Macedonia before the unification by the Argead d... more Until recently, the early history of the ancient Macedonia before the unification by the Argead dynastie (7th–4th ct. BC) had been studied mainly based on the literary evidence. Only few archaeological findings supplemented the information passed to us by Herodotus or Thucydides. However, the situation has changed dramatically in the last two decades. The intense excavations around the Thermaic Gulf unearthed several necropolises and settlements, which shed light on the socio-cultural development, economic and environmental fundaments or ideological beliefs.
Distinctive data found in the necropolis around Thessaloniki are also attested at some iron age burial sites to the west of the gulf, reaching up to the lake Ohrid, with that at Trebenište or Ohrid (Gorna Porta) being the best known. The graves contained rich grave-goods, gold lozenge-shaped sheets which covered the mouth of the deceased, jewellery of the type “Macedonian bronzes”, imported weapons and pottery from Greece. Bearing the advance of the proto-state structures in the southern Macedonia in mind, the question arises how should one interpret this comparability of the burial goods, albeit there are some local nuances? Different explanations have been postulated in the past: expansion of the Argead dynastie, Hellenization etc. However, these assumptions were mainly constructed on a later historical evidence and a lack of verifiable archaeological data. This poster will introduce an ongoing survey project in the region of the lake Ohrid, a hub on a superregional connection between the Adriatic and Aegean Sea, later known as Via Egnatia. The project would first allow a detailed reconstruction of the historical landscape and – on this basis – the complex socio-cultural environment, in which the identity of the elites in this part of the ancient Macedonia was constructed in the early history.
The presented results are embedded in the broader cooperation between the Charles University in Prague and the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia.
Conference Announcements by Marek Vercik
PeClA 2018 is a two‐day conference in Classical Archaeology and Classics aimed at postgraduate / ... more PeClA 2018 is a two‐day conference in Classical Archaeology and Classics aimed at postgraduate / doctoral students. This year's theme of the conference is: Pólemos –Bellum: ARCHAEOLOGY OF CONFLICT IN THE ANTIQUITY.
Conflict and its violent manifestation – the war – were one of the biggest preoccupations not only of historians in antiquity, but also of modern academic interest. The classical research dealt primarily either with the socio‐historical background or the archaeological remains of this phenomenon. However, the narrowly focused studies of the 20 th century have been gradually superseded in the last decade. The research focus has shifted towards a much broader understanding of the conflict and its role within the development of ancient societies, partly as a result of the post‐colonial perspective, and partly through richer textual and iconographical analysis as well as a flood of new archaeological discoveries. It encompassed not only the investigation of individual historical events and adjusted archaeological finds, such as the siege‐traces in Smyrna, but also the analysis of social preconditions, economic environment or cultural and psychological implications of conflicts as well as its technological and tactical patterns. Therefore, the primary aim of the conference will be to discuss all the possible facets of the (non)violent Conflict, from Prehistory to Late Antiquity. While the commonly used means of ancient warfare history, battlefield archaeology, iconology of violence, archaeometry, bioarchaeology or ancient PTSD‐studies are welcomed, the discussion framework of the conference is constituted by the terms " conflict " and " society " and the question of their " reciprocity " in a diachronic point of view. This brings us also to the old question: Did the conflict within and between ancient societies represent different crystallisation momentums in the antiquity?
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Papers by Marek Vercik
processes that led to significant socio-economic changes. Many prehistoric societies unwittingly made substantial
social and economic changes reflected throughout history by obtaining materials and resources for their
daily lives. Overall, the availability of resources has always been an essential factor in shaping human societies
and continues to be so today.
The procurement and distribution of resources like food, water, and raw materials cannot be studied in isolation
without considering their relationship to time and space, their socioeconomic or technological background, and
their spiritual connotation. Religious beliefs and practices often guided the use and management of resources,
as certain rituals might be performed to honour or appease the gods or other spiritual beings to ensure a bountiful
supply of resources.
The exploitation and trade of resources in prehistoric societies cannot be conceived without its connection to
a transcendental sphere. In this sense, the conference aims to relate economic and religious aspects to study
the prehistoric communities of the Metal Ages in an integrated approach.
act was carried out by a foreigner. Accordingly, the identification of non-Greek weapons has been of particular interest
to scholars for a long time, as these were deemed to have been linked to historical events. However, the identification
of these objects and the subsequent reconstruction of interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks is subject to
all kinds of methodological difficulties, which has been addressed by different approaches in the past decades. Our
contribution tests new research avenues that have the potential to shed a clearer light on (foreign) objects and, at
the same time, reconstructions of social interaction that took place in sanctuaries as meeting points of individuals and
groups from inside and outside the ancient Greek world. We will demonstrate our approach on fragmented metal
armour scales from the Archaic deposits at the sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma (Ionia). Instead of looking solely at the
exterior appearance, which is often altered by corrosion, we seek to move inside these objects to determine their
material properties and performance characteristics. Analytical techniques allow us to reverse-engineer the characteristic
technical steps in the production processes as well as the object biographies to a very high degree of resolution,
thus complementing the readily available archaeological methods. By these means we can propose a more informed
reconstruction of the appearance and purpose, and understand the implication of the practical or symbolic function
of weapon finds within the sacred context in ancient Greece.
Books by Marek Vercik
In chronological terms, the book focuses on archaic and classic periods. This approach makes it possible to examine the topic diachronic and in comparison to the development in other neighboring cultures, before the eminent changes symbolizing the Hellenistic period – the "Globalization" of Warfare – occurred. During that time, the eastern Mediterranean and especially the Aegean itself were frequented by Greeks, Thracian, Anatolians and other local peoples, all of whom became entangled in ever-shifting regional and intra-regional movements. Both of this make it possible to interrogate how conflicts, peaceful contacts or commodities convey the experience of Mediterranean people, and how these experiences were interpreted by the Greeks, thus improving their own armory and warfare in order to survive.
Conference Presentations by Marek Vercik
Distinctive data found in the necropolis around Thessaloniki are also attested at some iron age burial sites to the west of the gulf, reaching up to the lake Ohrid, with that at Trebenište or Ohrid (Gorna Porta) being the best known. The graves contained rich grave-goods, gold lozenge-shaped sheets which covered the mouth of the deceased, jewellery of the type “Macedonian bronzes”, imported weapons and pottery from Greece. Bearing the advance of the proto-state structures in the southern Macedonia in mind, the question arises how should one interpret this comparability of the burial goods, albeit there are some local nuances? Different explanations have been postulated in the past: expansion of the Argead dynastie, Hellenization etc. However, these assumptions were mainly constructed on a later historical evidence and a lack of verifiable archaeological data. This poster will introduce an ongoing survey project in the region of the lake Ohrid, a hub on a superregional connection between the Adriatic and Aegean Sea, later known as Via Egnatia. The project would first allow a detailed reconstruction of the historical landscape and – on this basis – the complex socio-cultural environment, in which the identity of the elites in this part of the ancient Macedonia was constructed in the early history.
The presented results are embedded in the broader cooperation between the Charles University in Prague and the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia.
Conference Announcements by Marek Vercik
Conflict and its violent manifestation – the war – were one of the biggest preoccupations not only of historians in antiquity, but also of modern academic interest. The classical research dealt primarily either with the socio‐historical background or the archaeological remains of this phenomenon. However, the narrowly focused studies of the 20 th century have been gradually superseded in the last decade. The research focus has shifted towards a much broader understanding of the conflict and its role within the development of ancient societies, partly as a result of the post‐colonial perspective, and partly through richer textual and iconographical analysis as well as a flood of new archaeological discoveries. It encompassed not only the investigation of individual historical events and adjusted archaeological finds, such as the siege‐traces in Smyrna, but also the analysis of social preconditions, economic environment or cultural and psychological implications of conflicts as well as its technological and tactical patterns. Therefore, the primary aim of the conference will be to discuss all the possible facets of the (non)violent Conflict, from Prehistory to Late Antiquity. While the commonly used means of ancient warfare history, battlefield archaeology, iconology of violence, archaeometry, bioarchaeology or ancient PTSD‐studies are welcomed, the discussion framework of the conference is constituted by the terms " conflict " and " society " and the question of their " reciprocity " in a diachronic point of view. This brings us also to the old question: Did the conflict within and between ancient societies represent different crystallisation momentums in the antiquity?
processes that led to significant socio-economic changes. Many prehistoric societies unwittingly made substantial
social and economic changes reflected throughout history by obtaining materials and resources for their
daily lives. Overall, the availability of resources has always been an essential factor in shaping human societies
and continues to be so today.
The procurement and distribution of resources like food, water, and raw materials cannot be studied in isolation
without considering their relationship to time and space, their socioeconomic or technological background, and
their spiritual connotation. Religious beliefs and practices often guided the use and management of resources,
as certain rituals might be performed to honour or appease the gods or other spiritual beings to ensure a bountiful
supply of resources.
The exploitation and trade of resources in prehistoric societies cannot be conceived without its connection to
a transcendental sphere. In this sense, the conference aims to relate economic and religious aspects to study
the prehistoric communities of the Metal Ages in an integrated approach.
act was carried out by a foreigner. Accordingly, the identification of non-Greek weapons has been of particular interest
to scholars for a long time, as these were deemed to have been linked to historical events. However, the identification
of these objects and the subsequent reconstruction of interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks is subject to
all kinds of methodological difficulties, which has been addressed by different approaches in the past decades. Our
contribution tests new research avenues that have the potential to shed a clearer light on (foreign) objects and, at
the same time, reconstructions of social interaction that took place in sanctuaries as meeting points of individuals and
groups from inside and outside the ancient Greek world. We will demonstrate our approach on fragmented metal
armour scales from the Archaic deposits at the sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma (Ionia). Instead of looking solely at the
exterior appearance, which is often altered by corrosion, we seek to move inside these objects to determine their
material properties and performance characteristics. Analytical techniques allow us to reverse-engineer the characteristic
technical steps in the production processes as well as the object biographies to a very high degree of resolution,
thus complementing the readily available archaeological methods. By these means we can propose a more informed
reconstruction of the appearance and purpose, and understand the implication of the practical or symbolic function
of weapon finds within the sacred context in ancient Greece.
In chronological terms, the book focuses on archaic and classic periods. This approach makes it possible to examine the topic diachronic and in comparison to the development in other neighboring cultures, before the eminent changes symbolizing the Hellenistic period – the "Globalization" of Warfare – occurred. During that time, the eastern Mediterranean and especially the Aegean itself were frequented by Greeks, Thracian, Anatolians and other local peoples, all of whom became entangled in ever-shifting regional and intra-regional movements. Both of this make it possible to interrogate how conflicts, peaceful contacts or commodities convey the experience of Mediterranean people, and how these experiences were interpreted by the Greeks, thus improving their own armory and warfare in order to survive.
Distinctive data found in the necropolis around Thessaloniki are also attested at some iron age burial sites to the west of the gulf, reaching up to the lake Ohrid, with that at Trebenište or Ohrid (Gorna Porta) being the best known. The graves contained rich grave-goods, gold lozenge-shaped sheets which covered the mouth of the deceased, jewellery of the type “Macedonian bronzes”, imported weapons and pottery from Greece. Bearing the advance of the proto-state structures in the southern Macedonia in mind, the question arises how should one interpret this comparability of the burial goods, albeit there are some local nuances? Different explanations have been postulated in the past: expansion of the Argead dynastie, Hellenization etc. However, these assumptions were mainly constructed on a later historical evidence and a lack of verifiable archaeological data. This poster will introduce an ongoing survey project in the region of the lake Ohrid, a hub on a superregional connection between the Adriatic and Aegean Sea, later known as Via Egnatia. The project would first allow a detailed reconstruction of the historical landscape and – on this basis – the complex socio-cultural environment, in which the identity of the elites in this part of the ancient Macedonia was constructed in the early history.
The presented results are embedded in the broader cooperation between the Charles University in Prague and the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia.
Conflict and its violent manifestation – the war – were one of the biggest preoccupations not only of historians in antiquity, but also of modern academic interest. The classical research dealt primarily either with the socio‐historical background or the archaeological remains of this phenomenon. However, the narrowly focused studies of the 20 th century have been gradually superseded in the last decade. The research focus has shifted towards a much broader understanding of the conflict and its role within the development of ancient societies, partly as a result of the post‐colonial perspective, and partly through richer textual and iconographical analysis as well as a flood of new archaeological discoveries. It encompassed not only the investigation of individual historical events and adjusted archaeological finds, such as the siege‐traces in Smyrna, but also the analysis of social preconditions, economic environment or cultural and psychological implications of conflicts as well as its technological and tactical patterns. Therefore, the primary aim of the conference will be to discuss all the possible facets of the (non)violent Conflict, from Prehistory to Late Antiquity. While the commonly used means of ancient warfare history, battlefield archaeology, iconology of violence, archaeometry, bioarchaeology or ancient PTSD‐studies are welcomed, the discussion framework of the conference is constituted by the terms " conflict " and " society " and the question of their " reciprocity " in a diachronic point of view. This brings us also to the old question: Did the conflict within and between ancient societies represent different crystallisation momentums in the antiquity?
The conference “Perspectives on Balkan Archaeology – Spheres of Interactions” focuses on the connections and relationships between Late Bronze / Iron Age communities in the Western and Central Balkans and the surrounding regions, including the Aegean, the Apennine Peninsula, the Black Sea region, the Southeast Alps and the Carpathian Basin.
Speakers will present papers related to one or several of the following issues:
• How are contacts and relationships expressed in material culture? How do relationships materialize in settlements, grave contexts, and sanctuaries or in certain (burial) rituals or technological choices? How can one categorize and identify “foreign” objects and objects based on foreign ideas or techniques (what is foreign and why)?
• Is it possible to distinguish between, for instance, political/diplomatic relationships, economic interactions, and migrations of groups or individual mobility?
• If connections are visible in the archaeological record, how can they be interpreted? Are they perceivable as stable and permanent or as variable networks? Are buffer-zones, contact zones or isolated regions identifiable?
• Can spheres of interaction be shown to change over time? Are different regions linked (or isolated) in the Late Bronze, early and developed Iron Age respectively?
• Comparative archaeology: How are different chronological systems affecting supra-regional studies and how can this issue be addressed?
PeClA 2017 is a two‐day conference in Classical Archaeology and Classics aimed at postgraduate / doctoral students traditionally offering a space for presenting research results, discussion, and an exchange of ideas, in a friendly and supportive environment. This year's theme of the conference is: RESOURCES: POWER AND CONNECTIVITY IN THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN.
Speaking of resources one usually thinks directly of the copper ingots on the Uluburun shipwreck or the grain from Egypt in the later periods. However, the range of resources being traded and consumed by the ancient Mediterranean societies was much broader than that! It encompassed not only the omnipresent metals and other raw materials, such as stones, minerals, clay or agricultural products, but also ready‐made tools or even human power and the related transfer of knowledge and technologies. Therefore, the primary aim of the conference will be to identify all the possible facets of the catch‐all term Resources, from Prehistory to Late Antiquity. A diachronic approach in environmental archaeology and resource procurement strategies can offer results in shifting networks and economic background. While the commonly used means of geoarcheology, archaeometry, archeobotany or archeozoology are welcomed, we would like to discuss the social and political dimension of resource handling: What was the impact of unequal geographical distribution of resources across the Mediterranean? How was their mining, production and distribution organised? Who was in control? What about trade of perishable items, such as textiles, horses and slaves? This brings us also to the old question: is there a causal link between the resources, trade networks and connectivity as such in the Mediterranean? A broader employment of a post‐colonial perspective can be especially useful in this respect. Conceived broadly, this theme gives young scholars the full opportunity to present and discuss their opinions and thoughts applicable to the theme. Papers from postgraduates in all stages of their research, both theoretical and practical are welcome.
The chronology of the Early Bronze Age (EBA) in Central Europe, both relative and absolute, has witnessed some turbulent developments over the past few years. The increased amount of absolute dates (AMS 14C, some dendro), but also a new level in the quality of individual 14C dates, gave rise to a number of new regional studies. At the same time, year over year several new cemeteries, settlements and hoards are dug up, published and being discussed in scholarly circles. This also permitted to better recognize discrepancies and common ground between the various relevant regions, most of which still use a periodization and terminology based on the almost 100 years old system introduced by Paul Reinecke, albeit adjusted to the needs of the individual regions (as by Christlein, Ruckdeschel, Neugebauer, Bertemes, Moucha, Novotná).
In the first place, the state of art for the relative and absolute chronology of the EBA in Central Europe, as well as the periodization systems used, will need to be questioned. In doing so, the starting point will be the Reinecke system itself and what it still means for the individual regions today: How do we define his individual phases today? How are they to be interpreted? Do they mean the same thing in different regions? Are the individual phases really synchronous all along the Danube? Do we need to move beyond and offer new solutions? We obviously do, but should we throw out the baby with bathwater either, ie. abolishing the Reinecke system altogether?
Other questions that need to be addressed concern the meaning of the cultural diversity that one can witness in Central Europe at this period. We see a lot of diversity, but also much of overlapping elements, occurring (synchronously?) across a number of cultural groups. We will have to address the issues of continuity and change, as well as aspects of human mobility, often associated with several of the changes observed. And all of these need to be discussed in the frame of identity and perhaps ethnicity concepts: What kind of group identity do we encounter? Is the cultural concept still valid? What is the role of current and future aDNA investigations? One observes a lot of permeability and creativity particularly in terms of material culture. Nevertheless, keeping the traditional concepts is becoming increasingly difficult…
and high-developed technological background:
to this date pre-, protohistoric and classical
weapons have been some of the most appreciated
items by warfare specialists all over the world.
Modern archaeology goes beyond the interest
in the exterior appearance of ancient weapons
and focuses on the study of the single objects
to explore new research avenues.
Technological transfer, social interaction and
conflict dynamics of ancient societies can be
investigated through the analysis of weapons
and warfare considering their material and
symbolic features. Far from being objects for
amateurs and collectors, ancient weapons
become protagonists in historical and scientific
reconstructions, with a huge potential as sources
of knowledge.
This conference is dedicated to the comparison
of different research strategies on ancient
weapons and warfare. The discussion will focus
on weapons and on their archaeological and
cultural contexts, their practical and symbolic use,
and the complexity of their technological features.
A selection of case studies presented in four small
thematic sessions will offer the opportunity to
develop interdisciplinary debates and define
future research paths.