The paper tackles the spatio-temporal patterns of Neolithic and Copper Age settlement dynamics in the Western Carpathian Basin and Eastern Alps with spatially explicit use of radiocarbon dates. It focuses on the spatial process of spread, movement, aggregation and segregation in the time frame between 8500 and 5000 cal BP. The distribution of Neolithic and Copper Age sites in the study area is clustered and patchy. The first Neolithic settlements appear as isolated islands or enclaves which then slowly expand to fill neighbouring regions. After 6300 cal BP the study area experienced a significant reduction in the extent of settlement systems, associated with the Late Neolithic to Copper Age transition.
Arheološke raziskave v zadnjih petnajstih letih dopolnjujejo naše poznavanje poselitve in razumevanje pokrajine v Beli krajini v pozni bronasti in starejši železni dobi. Raziskave vključujejo več pristopov, predvsem terenske preglede in pedološke analize ter radiokarbonsko datiranje vzorcev z izkopavanj. Opravljene so bile tudi analize podatkov zračnega lidarskega snemanja, slednje ponuja velik potencial za razkrivanje razsežnosti poselitve na pogozdenih območjih hribovitih obronkov ter nižinskega krasa v Beli krajini, pa tudi nove poglede na že znana arheološka najdišča.
V prispevku je posebna pozornost posvečena pomenu omenjenih pristopov pri terenskih raziskavah, opravljenih v mestnem jedru Črnomlja (1995–2008), na zahodni črnomaljski obvoznici (2004–2009) ter Dragatuškem polju (2000– 2019), ki so razkrili vzorce in podrobnejšo sliko poselitve v pozni bronasti in starejši železni dobi ter prazgodovinske rabe prostora na območju Črnomlja in Dragatuškega polja.
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