Archaeological investigations in the Iron Gates reach of the Lower Danube Valley between 1964 and 1984 revealed an important concentration of Stone Age sites, which together provide the most detailed record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement from any area of southeastern Europe. Over 425 human burials were excavated from 15 sites. Of these, less than one-fifth have been directly dated. This article presents 37 new AMS dates on human bone from five sites in the Iron Gates, together with the corresponding δ 13 C and δ 15 N values. They include the first dates on human bone from two sites, Icoana and Velesnica. The results are important for the chronology of Stone Age mortuary practices in the Iron Gates and the timing of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the region.
The so-called Illyrian helmets, with a rectangular opening for the face, are
a frequent topic in archaeological literature for several reasons. They are
distributed over a large territory - on the Balkan Peninsula and beyond, so
many archaeologists from various countries were involved in their study. Then
there is the great diversity of forms, where each type or subtype represents
a theme in itself posing various questions, and finally new Illyrian helmets
appear all the time, even in regions far from their main concentration areas,
or with unfamiliar details, demanding new analyses and explanations. The
author discusses their division into types and subtypes, chronology,
variants, and comes to the conclusion that a proper study of this theme will
be possible only when various aspects of their appearance, including ancient
written sources as well as the material culture of this period in particular
regions, are taken into consideration because of their complex and versatile
role in ancient Balkan history.
The author discusses the silver and gold jewelry in the collection of Mr Milutin Misic from Belgrade, which includes several fragmented silver "Scharnier" fibulae, silver beads, two silver rings, and a golden appliqu?. The objects come from an unknown site in the village Nikinci in Srem. The most important items are the fibulae. According to their characteristics size, finish of the head and the catch plate, combination of silver and gold - the "Scharnier" fibulae are unique in their genre and indicate the existence of an important local goldsmith?s workshop in Srem. The dating of the entire find is uncertain because it is not chronologically unique. Two silver rings and raspberry-like beads could belong to the 5th century BC while silver fibulae and beads of silver wire should be most probably dated to the 4th century, Two silver beads - cylindrical and spherical - could possibly belong to the 1st century BC.
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