Chronology, Society and Environment of the First Farming Communities in Pelagonia

Early Neolithic sites in southeastern Europe (6700-5700 BC) are paramount for understanding the process of spread of farming across the continent. This project investigates three sites in Pelagonia valley (North Macedonia) to build a new narrative by improving chronology and generating a high-resolution archaeobiological dataset

View of the Neolithic houses of Vrbjanska Čuka (Photo by Raul Soteras) © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras

DAI Standort  Zentrale-ZWA, Archäobotanik

Projektart  Einzelprojekt

Laufzeit  2021 - 2026

Disziplinen  Archäobotanik, Archäologie

Projektverantwortlicher  Ferran Antolin

Adresse 

Email  Ferran.Antolin@dainst.de

Team  Ferran Antolin, Raul Soteras, Nina Matzek

Laufzeit  2021 - 2026

Projektart  Einzelprojekt

Cluster/Forschungsplan  ZWA - Mensch und Umwelt, ZWA - Adaption und Resilienz

Fokus  Feldforschung

Disziplin  Archäobotanik, Archäologie

Methoden  Kalibration, Radiokarbondatierung, Feldforschung, Ausgrabungen, Schlämmen, Taphonomie, Botanische Großrestanalyse, Keramikuntersuchungen, Lipiduntersuchungen, Tierrestanalyse, Räumliche Auswertungen

Schlagworte  Archäobotanik, Ackerbau, Neolithisierung, Alt-/Frühneolithikum, Stratigraphie, Velusina-Porodin

Projekt-ID  5767

Überblick

Household archaeology, the study of productive and reproductive strategies of past households, can explain general processes of socioeconomic change. This project focuses on early farming societies who settled in the Pelagonia basin (in North Macedonia) between 6400 and 5700 BC. Three sites are being investigated (from South to North): Vlaho, Veluška Tumba and Vrbjanska Čuka. The detailed stratigraphic study is combined with a systematic sediment sampling strategy and the analysis of all micro-refuse found in the samples (including archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains).

Previous research had focused on other areas more to the East and Pelagonia had remained out of the discussions on the spread of farming. On-going research is demonstrating that this area was already occupied by 6400/6300 BC and that the excellent preservation of organic remains -combined with optimal methods of recovery of fragile plant remains- will provide novel and very valuable information for the region.

This project is lead by Dr. Goce Naumov (Center for Prehistoric Research) and Ferran Antolín (DAI)

Clay figurine from Vrbjanska Čuka (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Group photo of the fieldwork team at Vrbjanska Čuka (Photo by Raul Soteras) © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Archaeaobotanical work at Prilep Memorial Museum (Photo by Raul Soteras) © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Archaeobotanical work at Prilep Memorial Museum (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Sieving work (wash-over technique) at Prilep Memorial Museum (Photo by Raul Soteras) © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Archaeobotanical work at Museum of Prilep (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Ceramic altars at Museum of Prilep (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Symbolic pottery at Museum of Prilep (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Detail of a cupule oven at the profile of Veluška Tumba (Photo by Raul Soteras). © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Raul Soteras
Sieving station installed at St. George's monastery nearby Bitola (Photo by Ferran Antolín) © DAI, ZWA - Referat Naturwissenschaften // Ferran Antolín