The Neolithic of Southeast Europe: Recent Trends

Abstract

The prehistory of the Aegean, Balkans, and Carpathian Basin has changed dramatically in the last two decades. This review covers five aspects of these changes: ( a) the development of theoretical approaches, in which diversification from cultural archaeology has seen the spread of processual, postprocessual and later approaches; ( b) the acquisition of data, with the key major development being the proliferation of large-scale infrastructure projects; ( c) the synthesis of data, the most significant challenge being to make sense of the massive increase in paleo-environmental research, materials science, regional surveys, and site monographs; ( d ) thematic questions, whose very diversity underscores the discipline's growth in these regions; and ( e) emergent trends, such as the creation of new forms of synthesis at the local, regional, and interregional scales, the theorizing and differentiation of new ways of relating people, places, plants, and animals and objects, and continuing diversification in the application of scientific techniques. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Anthropology, Volume 49 is October 21, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Neolithic Cultural Heritage in Greece and Turkey and the Politics of Land and History

“…This selective historiography not only excludes the Neolithic period; it also converts it into a number of decontextualized and unimportant spaces. Thus, while Neolithic archaeology in Greece began more than a century ago, has made significant contributions to world prehistory and has burgeoned in the last two decades (see Chapman & Souvatzi 2020), the construction of heritage has marginalized the Neolithic in the national official discourse on antiquity and in public consciousness. At the same time, the wider focus on Classical Greece, the world described in the Homeric epics and the achievements of the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures have often resulted in the adoption of inappropriate models of interpretation of Neolithic societies derived from later and structurally different historical contexts.…”

Early Balkan Metallurgy: Origins, Evolution and Society, 6200–3700 BC

“…In particular, research engaging with population dynamics, subsistence strategies, settlement practices, and responses to local and regional environmental and climatic change is thriving (e.g. Benecke et al 2013;Chapman & Souvatzi, 2020;Filipović et al 2017Filipović et al , 2018Gaastra et al 2018;Ivanova, 2012Ivanova, , 2020Ivanova et al 2018;Marić, 2013Marić, , 2015Marić, , 2017Müller, 2012;Orton, 2010Orton, , 2017Orton et al 2016;Porčić et al 2016;Porčić, 2011Porčić, , 2012bPorčić, , 2020Silva & Vander Linden, 2017). It is also worth noting that several major, modern excavation and survey projects of Neolithic-Chalcolithic sites in the Balkans, such as Okolište (Bosnia), Uivar (Romania), and Vinča (Serbia) (Draşovean et al 2017;Schier, 2014b;Tasić et al 2016), have yet to document substantial metal objects or any clear evidence for metal production.…”

Balkan metallurgy and society, 6200–3700 BC

“…In particular, research engaging with population dynamics, subsistence strategies, settlement practices, and responses to local and regional environmental and climatic change is thriving (e.g. Benecke et al 2013;Chapman and Souvatzi 2020;Filipović et al 2017Filipović et al , 2018Gaastra et al 2018Gaastra et al , 2019Ivanova 2012;Ivanova et al 2018;Marić 2013aMarić , 2015Marić , 2017Müller 2012Müller , 2017Orton 2010;Orton et al 2016;Porčić 2011Porčić , 2012aPorčić , 2020Silva and Vander Linden 2017). It is also worth noting that several major, modern excavation and survey projects of Neolithic-Chalcolithic sites in the Balkans such as Okolište (Bosnia), Uivar (Romania), and Vinča (Serbia) (Draşovean and Schier 2021;Müller et al 2013a;Schier 2014b;Tasić et al 2016a) have yet to reveal substantial metal objects or evidence for metal production.…”