Mehedinţi County Council Drobeta Turnu Severin “Iron Gates” Museum

International Union of the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences

30th Commission (IUPPS)

Museum of Brăila

THE IRON GATES REGION DURING THE SECOND IRON AGE: SETTLEMENTS, NECROPOLISES, TREASURES

Proceedings of the International Colloquium from Drobeta -Turnu Severin June 12th-15th, 2008.

Edited by Valeriu Sîrbu and Ion Stîngă

Organizing Committee:

Dr. Valeriu Sîrbu, President President of the IUPPS 30th Commission Deputy-manager of the Museum of Brăila

Dr. Ion Stîngă, General Secretary Manager of the Drobeta-Turnu Severin Museum

Drobeta-Turnu Severin 2008

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SOME THRACIAN ELEMENTS FROM THE IRON AGE TUMULAR GRAVES IN NOVI PAZAR AREA (SOUTH-WESTERN SERBIA)

Miloš Jevtić

Marija Ljuština

Key words: Iron Age, south-western Serbia, tumuli, Basarabi complex, Glasinac complex. Abstract. The area of Novi Pazar, south-western Serbia, is rich in prehistoric sites.The greatest number of tumular burials belong to the final horizon of the Early Iron Age. It is certain that in the Late Hallstatt period the area was a part of the cultural complex Glasinac – Mati. In spite of the fact that etnic attribution of the complex was Illyrian in wider sense, some of the graves have specific material (ceramics of Basarabi style, fibula of Thracian type) connected with the Daco-Mysian/north-Thracian cultural circle.

Introduction. The wider area of Novi Pazar in south-western Serbia bears traces of

human presence, which go back up to the Palaeolithic. In spite of the fact that in the 1970s and 1980s an intense archaeological research of the area was performed, the state of exploration is still not satisfactory. One of the reasons for that lies in the environmental diversity. On one hand, the city area of Novi Pazar is connected with neighbouring Kosovo by the Ibar valley. Furthermore, Kosovo is connected with the Skoplje basin to the south by the rivers Nerodimka and Lepenac, and with the Toplica valley and the South Morava valley by the rivers Lab and Kosanica (Lazić 1996: 59). Considering that the Novi Pazar area is rich in smaller river flows belonging to the Raška and Ibar watershed, it is obvious how easily the influence from the south could reach inhabitants of these valleys. On the other hand, the wide Pešter plateau offers completely different life conditions. The Pešter plateau is sharply divided from the surrounding zones by both its height and its geomorphological characteristics. It is an area without forest, with average height 1100-1250 m above sea level, having characteristics of the karst and with very little water. It makes the shortest connection between the Raška and Lim valleys, and in broad sense between the Morava valley and the Drina river, i. e. between the eastern and the western parts of the Central Balkans. There is shortage of fertile soil, and the climat is not convenient for planting every sort of cereals and fruits. Fortunately, pasture is very spacious and rich in grass for grazing. Inside the Pešter plateau, the best life conditions can be found at Peštersko polje and Koštam polje – two troughs surrounded by hills and relatively rich in water – which are inhabited with high density even today, as it was the case in the past (Летица 1982: 9).

History of archaeological research in the Novi Pazar area goes back to the middle of the 20th century, namely to 1952, when at the site Naprelje near Novi Pazar, a small protective excavation of a Neolithic settlement was performed. Unfortunately, it did not initiate further excavations of prehistoric sites, so that Naprelje remained the only explored site of the Neolithic Vinča culture in this region (Премовић-Алексић 1981: 123). Even the discovery of the famous „Novi Pazar treasure“ during conservation works at the church of St. Peter and Paul in Ras in 1957 did not become a stimulus for large scale excavations. Partially excavated princely tumulus under the Holy Apostles’ church for long time remained an isolated site belonging to the Iron Age.

Systematic research of prehistoric sites in the area of Novi Pazar began in 1970s, together with reseach of mediaeval heritage. Achaeological excavation at the Pešter plateau started in 1977. Preliminary results were published by Z. Letica in 1982 (Летица 1982) and by that time more than 50 prehistoric sites were found at the eastern part of the Pešter plateau. In the period 1975-1987 some 10 tumuli, inside 8 smaller necropolises, were excavated at the so called Mala Pešter, as well as a couple of prehistoric hillforts at the eastern edge of the Pešter plateau (Јевтић 1996: 9). The most prominent explorers of the prehistoric tumuli were D. Srejović and Z. Letica, whose results made a base for the study of funerary practices in this area. It is worth mentioning that the excavations were incorporated in the project „Ethno-cultural relations during the Bronze Age in Serbia“, emphasizing the importance of this region as a border zone of what was going to become the Illyrian world in relation to the Thracian world sensu largo.

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The greatest number of tumular burials in the Novi Pazar region belong to the final horizon of the Early Iron Age. Apart from the Novi Pazar princely grave, the remains of graves belonging to this horizon were found at more than ten sites (villages Crnoča, Glogovik, Delimeđe, Gračane, Melaje, Raspoganče, Doljani, and Novopazarska Banja), most of them being found under tumili at the Pešter plateau. The Iron Age graves were found and excavated at: a mound in the village Crnoča (site Gomile), two sites in the village Glogovik – at the site Humke (humke=mounds in Serbian) under three mounds and at Latinsko groblje (a number of graves from the youngest burial horizon at the mound I, and a couple of graves from the mounds II and III), at some secondary burials under a mound in the village Delimeđe (Utrina), at the mounds I, IV and V at the site Gračanska polja near the village Gračane, under a mound in the village Melaje (site Livada kod džamije), under a damaged mound at the site Krš in Doljani, under a mound at the site Glavica in the village Raspoganče, and in a part of a larger tumulus at Novopazarska Banja (site Igralište). Finds from destroyed graves in the villages Bobovik and Crnoča belong to the same horizon (Fig. 1).

The state of exploration of the sites is uneven, as well as the state of their publication. Most of them lack detailed publication, and only basic data are available.

Sites 1. Bobovik – In 1986, in the vicinity of Novi Pazar, a partially devastated tumulus was discovered,

while building a local road between the villages Bobovik and Roginje. There are very few facts considering the site. It is located on a slope, with presumably only one mound. The size of the mound, its structure, type of grave constructions and number of burials remain unknown. Some parts of human skeleton, a small ceramic vessel, some fragments of spiral bronze headgear and six bronze calotte buttons originate from the mound. Both M. Lazić (Лазић 1989: 149) and M. Jevtić (Јевтић 1996: 9) attribute the finds to the Early Iron Age.

2. Crnoča, site Gomile – At this site, on a slope, some 11 mounds were determined. Their diameters vary

from 12 to 20 m, their heights 0,8-1,7 m. In one of the mounds, some remains from the Middle Hallstat period (Hallstatt C) graves were found (Јевтић 1996: 8).

3. Crnoča, site Piskavac – Immediately above the site Gomile, at a small plateau, there are 4 mounds (diameters

25-35 m, heights 2-2,5 m). Stone was taken out from one of the mounds, and a large number of ceramic sherds and a couple of bronze pendants were discovered. These finds can be chronologically attributed to the Late Hallstatt period, namely to the phase Va of the Glasinac culture (500-350 BC) (Летица 1982: 10, 15).

4. Delimeđe, site Utrina – A necropolis inside a smaller mound at the site Utrina is situated on the Pešter plateau,

to the east of the village Delimeđe, near two little rivers, by the road that runs towards Sopoćani. It was discovered accidentally in 1958. Sistematic excavations were conducted in 1977 and 1978.

Under the prehistoric mound (20 m in diameter), a number of graves with cremations and skeletal burials were found. They were dug into the circular base, that was lined by a peripheral cirlce made of larger stones. The peripheral circle was only partially preserved. The older burial horizon includes 13 graves with cremations, attributed to the Donja Brnjica – Gornja Stražava cultural group from the Late Bronze Age (Lazić 1996: 11). Four elliptic grave constructions, lined with larger pieces of stone, belong to the younger burial horizon. In three of them, some poorely preserved remains of stretched skeletons were found, together with iron spears, an iron knife and pottery vessels. The time of burial of the fourth grave, in which the deceased was laid on his right side with legs slightly bent, remains unknown, for no grave goods were discovered. The fact that his head was placed on a stone slab with a concave urn base, which was very similar to the slab on which an urn belonging to the Donja Brnjica – Gornja Stražava group was found at the site Dojeviće (Летица 1979, Т. II/1) leads to the presumption that this grave is also younger than the graves with cremation (Lazić 1996: 10).

Most of the pottery finds, which were scattered over the whole mound, can be chronologically attributed to the same period as the skeletal graves. Sherds of coarse ware, made of clay mixed with sand, with rough surfaces, gray or dark brown in colour, were found

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outside the grave constructions. Most typical are (Fig. 2): a biconical beaker with a pedestal and two massive handles over the rim, a shallow conical bowl with a massive handle over the rim (a vessel in the shape of spoon), a bowl with twisted rim and some larger pots decorated with moulded bands (Jevtić 1983: 25).

5. Doljani, site Krš – In the village Doljani near Sopoćani, at the site Krš, a devastated mound was found.

The only information that can be given for the mound is that it yielded some grave finds from the Iron Age (Hallstatt C-D period)(Јевтић 1996: 9).

6. Glogovik, site Humke – A small necropolis was discovered at this site. It consisted of 6 mounds, two of which

were flattened by agricultural activities, while the others reach the height of 2 m. In three of the mounds excavated in 1977, there were some Iron Age graves, the inventory of which indicated that they belonged to the phase Va of the Glasinac culture (Летица 1982: 10, 15).

7. Glogovik, lokalitet Latinsko groblje – During the excavations of the Koštam polje in 1978, in the area of the village Glogovik,

next to the road Delimeđe – Melaje, at the site Latinsko gorblje, a prehistoric necropolis was discovered. It consisted of eight mounds, arranged randomly, one next to onother, at the distance of some 10 m. The biggest of them is the mound I, which is 1,7 m high and 25 m in diameter. The heights of the rest of the mounds are 0,4-0,6 m, and their diameters 12-20 m. Excavation of the mound I started in 1978 and continued in 1979, while mounds II and III were completely explored in 1980. Burial practices were executed during three periods: the Late Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Middle Ages (Срејовић, Летица 1980: 156).

Since the mound I is the only one to reveal burials from all of the mentioned periods, it has been used for comparison with archaeological finds from both the other mounds at Latinsko groblje and the other Pešter necropolises that have been explored so far. The mound I was established by burials and their coverings, which had been laid down on several occasions. The primary mound was formed on a circular stone platform (10 m in diameter), from which a peripheral stone circle and two grave constructions (1st burial horizon) were preserved. Above it, but eccentric in position, was the younger mound with burials in urns (2nd burial horizon). Formation of the later, larger mound can be connected with the Iron Age burials 22, 23, 36, 36a, 38, 40, 42 and 53. According to the graves’ shapes, depths and inventory, two burial horizons can be sorted out: the older one (3rd burial horizon - graves 22 and 38) and the younger one (4th burial horizon - graves 23, 36, 36a, 40, 42, 53)(Fig. 3). The final diameter of the mound (14 m) was reached by putting the peripheral stone circle. The circle of pebbles and slabs had already been placed at the time of burials 22 and 38. Neither the 4th nor the 5th burial horizon from the Middle Ages affected the shape of the mound (Летица 1982: 12).

The graves from the 3rd burial horizon undoubtedly belonged to the newcomers which suppressed or assimilated aboriginal inhabitants of the whole Pešter plateau. Members of the first generation of the newcomers were buried in the graves 22 and 38 (3rd burial horizon), while their offsprings were buried in the graves 23, 36, 36a, 40, 42 and 53 (4th burial horizon). Funerary ritual (skeletal graves), arrangement of graves (concentric) and peripheral stone circle are identical in both the older and the younger Iron Age mound. The difference is in more solid grave constructions. The deceased were placed on stone beds, the bottom of which was covered with tiny stone particles. The lateral sides were built of stone as well. The skeletons were in stretched position, their arms along the lateral sides of the body. The inventory of the graves from the 3rd burial horizon is dominated by iron objects. The deceased from the grave 22 had four large iron plaques, two iron arc fibulae with two loops and triangle cath-plates, and some 1000 amber beads on his chest. A long iron knife was found by his left hand, and two ceramic cups – near his head (Fig. 4). The deceased from the grave 38 had a smal ceramic beaker, probably an iron knife, four iron plaques and a necklace of amber beads (Летица 1982: 15). The necklace was made of 835 beads (Палавестра, Крстић 2006: 312-313).

The graves belonging to the 4th burial horizon differ from the 3rd horizon graves in grave goods. In most of the 4th horizon graves there were iron weapons: spears, swords and knives. In the grave 36 a male was buried along with his long iron sword and two iron spears.

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There were a knife, a sword and a spear laid by the deceased in the grave 40. Inventory of the grave 42 consisted of: a jug with one handle and an iron sword placed by the head of the deceased, and three long iron spears near the left leg, their poins to the feet (Fig. 5/1, 3-6). In the grave 53, there were an iron knife, a ceramic jug with one handle and an iron knife (Fig. 5/2, 7, 8). Lack of weaponry in the graves 23 and 36a was explained by the idea of these graves being female. It is worth noting that not a single piece of jewelery was found in the graves belonging to the 4th burial horizon (Летица 1982: 15).

All of the types of jewelery from the 3rd burial horizon were in fashion only during the early phase of the Hallstatt pariod. At the Glasinac plateau, such types of jewelery were discoverd in the graves determined as Glasinac IVb and dated at the period 750-625 BC. Because of discontinuity between the 2nd and the 3rd burial horizon at Latinsko groblje, it can be presumed that the population shift at the Pešter plateau happened about 700 BC, when the local population (most probably Dardanians) were suppressed by some western newcomers, who are thought to be the Autariatae. The grave goods from the 4th horizon testify about a warior culture, which is not as rich as the one from the 3rd horizon. However, cultural continuity is obvious and can be seen in funerary practices and pottery production. The graves from the 4th burial horizon can be synchronized with the Glasinac IVc phase (c.ca 625-500 BC), because in the mounds II and III at Latinsko groblje and in some of the mounds from the neighbouring sites (Crnoča-Piskavac and Glogovik-Humke) there were some graves with grave goods characteristic for the Glasinac Va phase (Летица 1982: 15).

In the thin layer above the stone covering of the mounds at Latinsko groblje, there were some fragments of imported Greek pottery dated to the 4th century BC (Sladić 1998: 268). The find of a small arc fibula (length 2,4 cm) of Thracian type from tumulus II at Latinsko groblje (Fig. 6)(Jevtić 1990: 116, kat.150) is from the same period or slightly later time in comparison to the black-brown varnished bowls of Greek production, which came mostly from cremated burials at several sites at the Pešter plateau. The fibula is dated at the end of 4th or 3rd century BC (see also Vasić 2000: 15-19).

8. Gračane, site Gračanska polja – The village Gračane is situated at the eastern edge of the Pešter plateau, north of

the source of the Raška river and Sopoćani monastery, some 15 km to the west from Novi Pazar. In the vicinity of a mediaeval site with a settlement and a church to the north-west of the dominat rocky peak Južac, above Sopoćani, and near the spring of the Miočica river, there was a large tumular necropolis. Small mounds are dispersed along the edges of a hilly plateau called Gračanska polja. 64 tumuli were registered within 250 x 150 m area. Most of the mounds are of small size, 4-6 m in diameter and approximately 0,5 m hihg. Very few small and disturbed mounds are 7-9 m in diameter. It seems that in the lower section of the plain groups of smaller barrows were placed in regular rows, while the others were constructed along the edge of the plain. Only four isolated mounds are slightly larger, 10-12 m in diameter and 1 m high. The tumuli were constructed of stone and earth and usually denuded in the southeast sections due to a heavy wind erosion. The stones used were of different shape and size and there were neither stone coverings nor peripheral stone circles (Jevtić 1997: 303).

During the excavation campaigns in 1986 and 1987, five mounds were explored. Three of them were situated in the norteastern part of the plain (tumuli I-III), a larger mound (tumulus IV) was about 80 m to the southeast, and a mound (tumulus V) was in the southernmost part of the plain, some 200 m from the other four. The small mounds II and III do not contain graves. In their coverings there were some late mediaeval pottery sherds. On the virgin soil some particles of burnt clay, tiny sherds of prehistoric pottery and animal bones were discovered. The tumulus II most probably belongs to the Early Iron Age, which is indicated by fragments of a cup decorated with rows of false cord ornament. Undecorated pottery fragments from the tumulus III should be attributed to the Late Bronze of Early Iron Age. Certain resemblence among the pottery from the tumuli I, II and III suggests the possibility that the small barrows were constructed at the time of burying the dead in some of the larger, neighbouring barrows (Jevtić 1997: 303-304).

In the central part of the base of the tumulus IV, a massive construction of broken stones was discoverd, together with the remains of skeletal burial. The robust male which was buried there, was placed in stretched position on his back, with only a small biconical beaker

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with two handles. Above the stone covering of the central grave, in a thick layer of broken stones, there were traces of a sacrificial construction, with small pieces of human bones and larger bone fragments belonging to domesticated ruminats. The parts of skeletons belonged to two individuals – one partialy cremated and one not cremated. The whole find can be treated as a grave with cremation. In a layer with tiny stones and soil, along with some particles of human bones, there were scattered pieces of fired wood, charcoal, burnt clay, pottery sherds, bronze jewelery, amber beads, a larger pendant of rock-crystal, iron weapons etc. Judging by the traces of fire on the finds, it is obvious that they were collected from the pyre. A bronze boat-shaped fibula with trapezoid catchplate ending in large ring is chronologically the most distinctive find (Jevtić 1997: 304).

Only one grave with clearly distinctive burial construction was discovered on the base of the tumulus V. The deceased was in stretched position, on a surface of tiny broken stones, and was surrounded by a stone row and covered with stone slabs. By the skeletal remains of a male, there were two short iron spears, a small curved iron knife, an elongated whetstone and three ceramic vessels. Near the feet of the skeleton a shallow cup (ladle) with diagonally chanelled handle and omphalos bottom, a small bowl with inverted „turban“ rim and a fragmented undecorated single-handled cup were discovered. At the bottom of the mound there were scattered bones of a male, obviously from a destroyed burial. To this burial one can attribute a long and narrow spear, a small iron knife, a large biconical bronze bead and some of the pottery sherds (small pedestal cups, vessels with parallel chanelling, etc.)(Jevtić 1997: 304).

The tumulus I has two burial horizons. Graves 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 belong to the younger one (Fig. 7). The mound does not contain a central grave. Grave arrangement of both of the horizons does not show any regularity, exept leaving an empty space in the central part of the mound. The older graves lie on the base of the mound, on the surface of small broken stones. They were covered with small stones, too. The younger graves were buried into the covering of the primary mound. Only the grave 1 had a massive rectangular construction. The younger graves are shallow and do not disturb the older ones. The graves belonging to the younger burial horizon belong to three adults (graves 1, 2 and 4) and 2 infants (graves 6 and 7). An elaborately decorated small single-handled jug (Fig. 9/2) originates from the child’s grave 6. Inventory of the male grave 2 contained an iron knife by his waist (Fig. 8/11) and a ceramic cup by his feet. The cup had one handle and was decorated with shallow parallel chanelling. In the same grave there was also a deep bowl with vertically perforated handles on the shoulder, but it belongs typologically to the earlier burial horizon. The graves 1 and 4 were burials of wariors and yielded modest selection of offensive iron weapons. In the grave 1 there were: a curved single-bladed sword about 40 cm long, a small iron knife, two iron spears with long sockets and narrow blades, and a small single-handled cup with slanting rim decorated with chanelling (Fig. 9/4). Inventory of the grave 4 included: a short iron spear (Fig. 8/10), a long iron knife (Fig. 8/14), a small knife with curved blade (Fig. 8/5), an iron rod with a piece of rotten wood which was probably a part of some mechanism resembling modern pocketknife with wooden sheath. Pieces of adornment, such as a circular belt-buckle (Fig. 8/3) and double pin (Fig. 8/1), were also made of iron. Along with the metal finds, there were also two undecorated jugs with single handle raising above the slanting rim (Fig. 9/1). The find of an iron knife (Fig. 8/7) in the vicinity of the damaged child burial (grave 6) emphasizes the impression of warlike character of the younger burial horizon in the tumulus I (Jevtić 1997: 305).

A pressumption was made that the older burial horizon of the tumulus I at Gračanska polja can be attributed to the end of the Middle and the beginnig of the Late Bronze Age (1400-1200 BC). The younger burial horizon can be connected to the Glasinac Iron Age culture and dated at the period from the middle od the 6th to the middle of the 5th century BC, thanks to the analogies with the 4th burial horizon at Glogovik-Latinsko groblje. The pottery from the graves, particularly single-handled jugs with slanting rim and pottery sherds from the bottom and the filling of the mounds (Fig. 9/3, 5, 7, 9) have close parellels with the finds from Glasinac-Mati complex. The most distinctive metal find from Gračanska polja is the bronze boat-shaped fibula, dated at the IVc phase of the Glasinac culture and at the end of 6th and beginning of the 5th century BC (Jevtić 1997: 305-306).

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9. Melaje, lokalitet Livada kod džamije – During the excavations of prehistoric tumuli at the Mala Pešter plateau, conducted by

Z. Letica and D. Srejović, a small group od four mounds near the village Melaje was noted. In 1982 one of the mounds was excavated. Its dimensions were approximately 18 x 20 m, height not more than 0,5 m. At the base of the mound there was a large circular area, lined with a row of broken stones, with traces of intense fire. Above the layer of burnt soil, a thick layer of ashes and charcoal was found, as well as pieces of carbonised wood, burnt animal bones, and tiny particles of human bones, which indicate ustrinum. The pyre place was covered with soil and broken stones. Some smaller areas with intensive traces of burnt human bones were sorted out from the mound’s covering. Considering the fact that a detailed study of the material from the mound have not been done so far, it is difficult to promote these small piles of burnt bones into graves. It is even more complicated because there were neither separete grave constructions nor grave goods placed into the graves after the burning process had been completed (Јевтић 1992: 8).

Potery sherds were spread all over the earthen covering of the mound. Except the numerous fragments decorated with the false cord technique, there were some fragments of vessels made on potter’s wheel, of Greek provenance, and also some hand made pottery under Greek influence. Only on the basis of ceramic material, two burial horizons can be sorted out: a horizon with the walse cord pottery (Basarabi style) and a horizon with Greek imports (Sladić 1998: 268).

Fragments of vessels decorated in Basarabi style form a separate group of pottery. Parts of vessels decorated with rows of false cord come from the base of the mound. It is worth mentioning that no trace of pottery with the „S“ stamps decoration was found there, which is in contrast with the Basarabi pottery from the hillforts in the Novi Pazar area. Among the Basarabi pottery from the Melaje mound, one can emphasize large conical bowls with slightly thinned rims, decorated with multiple horizontal or vertical rows of false cord, placed in the uppermost part of the vessel, frequently followed by lugs. Sherds of richly decorated shallow bowls or plates are also quite often. Their decoration constists of tremollo lines, arranged in narrow horizontal and verical stripes, and can be placed on both inner and outer surface of the wide rim.Well polished black and dark brown surfaces of the bowls and their white incrusted decoration make a fine contrast between dark and light motifs (Fig. 10).

A small cogged tool of baked clay, which was used for decorating the Basarabi pottery in the false cord technique (Fig. 11), is undobtedly an extraordinary find. It was discoverd at the base of the Melaje mound. Its dimensions are 3 x 2,8 x 1 cm. Its arc shaped edge is thinned and covered with tiny incisions – short and dense – in order to produce narrow false cord tremollo lines (Јевтић 1992: 10).

10. Novi Pazar, princely grave at the site Church of St. Peter and Paul The famous so-called Illyrian-Greek treasure from Novi Pazar was discovered in 1957

in the foundations of the church of St. Peter and Paul near Novi Pazar. After the completion of control excavations, it was possible to say that it actually represented funerary inventory of one of the graves from the prehistoric tumulus located beneath the mediaeval church. The control excavations were carried out in the period 1960-1962 and they proved that there were most probably two tumuli on the site – the older one dating from the Bronze Age, and the younger one raised above the first one at the end of the Hallstatt period. The Iron Age tumulus contained not only the mentioned „treasure“, but some traces of pyre, indicating that the deceased had been cremated. According to the reconstruction of the mound (Fig. 12), based on architectonic elements, it has a spacious and leveled base, surrounded by a ring of arranged slabs of shist with a place for cremation in the center of this circle and a ceremonial area with pebbles around it. Finally, there was a stone dome shaped tomb beside the east side of the cremation place (diameter of the base of the tumulus is approximately 25 m). The grave was dug at the level of the subsoil for 0,80-1 m (Fig. 13). The grave goods are separated from the consecrated area where the cremation took place. They were placed in a massive wooden box and set into a rectangular pit also in the subsoil, lined with stone slabs and filled with gravel and pebbles, then covered with a layer of clay. The elaborate grave goods consisted of a variety of personal and clothing adornment, followed by bronze vessels.

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Weapons and wine sets, which were almost obligatory for such occasions, were not present in Novi Pazar. The grave goods can be generally divided into three groups: imported objects (metal vessels, Greek painted pottery, jewellery, especially figurally modelled pieces of amber), a number of domestic type fibulae, certainly produced in local workshops, and the most interesting group of gold and silver objects, hammered pieces of metal sheets, round, semicircular, rectangular, triangular and rhomboid in shape, arrow-shaped decorative pieces which were once most probably used as applications on clothing, as well as jewellery, bracelets, rings, pins, fibulae etc. The third group does not have direct parallels among adjoining finds. These finds represent something new and unique – monuments of courtly art of the new and mighty princes from the end of the Hallstatt period of the territory of south-western Serbia. The absence of weaponry in the grave indicates a princess rather than a prince. Whoever was buried under the tumulus, was for sure incorporated in the Glasinac cultural circle (Мано-Зиси, Поповић 1969; Јуришић 1969; Васић 1996; Jovanović 2003).

11. Novopazarska Banja, site Igralište – The site Igralište is situated in Novopazarska Banja, on a slope by the Izbička river,

which is one of the tributaries of the Ibar river. In the period 1982-1989, a multi-layered site was partially explored there. Its stratigraphy does not reveal a picture of overlapping and negation, but of existence within the same sacral and cultural postulate (Јовановић 1995: 31). There were four big mounds containing graves from the Late Bronze Age, a part of a larger tumulus with graves dating from the youngest phase of the Hallstatt period, as well as some remains of buildings from the first centuries AD.

The part of the Iron Age tumulus that was discovered, contained a grave (G-1/86). The tumulus had two stone rings. The distance between them was 1,1 m. The space between the two rings was covered with large pieces of stone, while the space inside the smaller ring was covered with soil and tiny stones. The tumulus was originaly about 8 m in diameter and some 0,8 m high. In the preserved part of it there was only one skeletal grave, with the deceased in stretched position on his back, lined with a stone construction. The construction was partially preserved, with a couple of larger stones. The grave inventory (Fig. 14) consisted of: two calotal bowls and some fragments of one or maybe two beakers with two handles, which were preserved near the head of the deceased. By his left side there were three spears and a knife near the chest, and a whetstone near the legs. The position of the deceased at the mound’s periphery indicates burial practice in a concentric pattern around a central grave (Јовановић 1995: 32).

Among the mounds 2, 3 and 4 belonging to the Brnjica group, there were some areas with stone pavements, covered with plenty of pottery dating from the youngest phase of the Hallstatt period (Hallstatt D). This pavement zone of irregular shape and some 10 m² encompasses not only the Hallstatt pottery but a certain amount of animal bones. It respects integrity of the mounds in most of the cases, which means that the youngest Hallstatt pottery is found at the edges or outside the mounds 2, 3 and 4. According to A. Jovanović (Јовановић 1995: 34), this is the confirmation of paying special respect to the older graves. A selection of ceramic material from the cult zones includes: bowls with faceteed rims slightly turned inside and tongue-shaped handles, bowls with rims slightly turned inside and fluted with arc channels set in the zones around tongue-shaped handles, bowls with slightly bent and enlarged rims and button-like lugs below, calotte bowls with slightly turned inside or averted rims. There are numerous finds of pots with vertical or slightly averted rims and a moulded band below the rim, and some „old-fashioned“ pots in the shape of an urn as well. In the ceramic inventory of «the cult zone» one can find a couple of beakers with two fluted handles and a fluted spherical recipient, a fragment of the so called spoon, with a massive round handle, as well as a spindle-whorl and a fragmented handle of a black painted wheel-made skyphos. Analogies for the pottery are numerous, most of the being found in the Ras-Sebečevo pottery group, but with more characteristics of the Glasinac culture (Јовановић 1995: 38).

The grave inventory of the burial G-1/86 can be connected with the Glasinac cultural complex, too. It can be dated into the phase Glasinac IVc, with the continuity in the next Glasinac Va phase, considering the similarity with the graves of the fourth burial horizon in the tumulus I at the site Latinsko groblje in Glogovik (Јовановић 1995: 32).

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12. Raspoganče, site Glavica – The site Glavica is situated in the vicinity of Sjenica, in the area of the village

Raspoganče. A mound was determined at the site, with some finds dating from the Iron Age (Јевтић 1996: 9).

Conclusions. The Novi Pazar region is a boundary area, where zones of influence from Glasinac-Mati cultural complex (ethnically identified with the Autariatae) and aboriginal Daradaninan populations met and even overlapped. Connection of this area with the original western zone of the Glasinac culture is much stronger during the period that immediately succeeds the penetration of the newcomers to the Pešter plateau. The Glasinac culture started to diminish in the last decades of 4th century BC. Its branches in Serbia, although vital during the whole 5th century BC, are so conservative, that it is hard to separate older cultural achievements from the new ones (Срејовић 1981: 61). Starting from the 5th century BC up to the 2nd century BC, the influence of the Autariatae on the Dardanians weakened. The Dardanian society became class, its culture being under the Greek infuence, which is confirmed by the numerous finds of the Greek pottery and the pottery locally produced under the Greek influence, and even by the find of princely grave under the St. Peter and Paul’s church near Novi Pazar.

Dardanian supremacy at the Pešter plateau is confirmed up to 700 BC, when this area was overwhelmed with the communities that had come from the west – from the Lim valley, and which in ethnical sense can be connected with the Autariatae. A number of archaeological finds from the tumular graves of the Pešter plateau are similar to the finds belonging to the Glasinac culture. On the other hand, exept the graves with the material from the earlier phase Glasinac IVb (beginning of the 7th century BC) originating from the site Latinsko groblje in the Glogovik village (the 3rd burial horizon at the mound I), which may only confirm a short penetration of the Glasinac populations at the Pešter plateau, this region belongs to the Glasinac complex probably from the end of middle and the beginning of the late phase of the Hallstatt period. It is worth mentioning that the hillforts from the Novi Pazar region also have a thin Hallstatt layer, which seems to be contemporary with massive presence of the Glasinac finds in the necropolises (Jevtić 1990: 116). Local populations, most probably Dardanians, which could not resist the newcomers carrying iron swords and spears, descended to the Raška valley, where they developed their distinctive culture during the Hallstatt period (Летица 1982: 16).

Since the time of stabilization of Paleo-Balkan tribes (7th century BC) until the first mentioning of Dardanians in historical sources (approximately middle of 4th century BC) in the Raška vally there was no inflow of people from abroad, except perhaps during the short-term Thraco-Cimerian penetration, when most of Kosovo and Southern Serbia were involved in the Basarabi cultural circle (Срејовић 1977: 74). It is very interesting that a number of Basarabi elements were determined on the material from the mound with incinerations in Melaje. There is a tempting idea, according to which a woman originating from the Triballi tribe (or Norht-Thracians) was cremated and buried among some local inhabitants of North-Dardanian origin. Etnical attribution of the deceased is confirmed by both the sherds of the Basarabi bowls found at the mound base, and the small ceramic cogged tool, used for the pottery decoration. Such tools have been found mainly in the western part of the vast Basarabi complex, where the tremollo pottery was most common, and to which the early Triballi can be cautiously connected (Јевтић 1992: 15).

Finally, the picture of funerary practice during the Hallstatt period in the Novi Pazar area reveals neither chronological nor ethnical unity. Two groups of graves can be sorted out: an older one, with skeletal burials in stretched position, within massive, rectangular or oval stone grave constructions, and a younger one, in which cremations predominate, with human remains scattered across foundations made of pebbles and broken stones. According to grave goods (more elaborated and refined bronze jewelery and ceramic vessels, sometimes imported or made under the influence of the material from north Greece or south Macedonia, or even from the Thracian world as it is the case with the Latinsko groblje fibula), these younger biritual burials are much stronger connected to Kosovo and southern parts of the Balkan peninsula, in constrast to the older ones, which are incorporated in the wider complex Glasinac-Mati.

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It is certain that in the Late Hallstatt period Novi Pazar area was a part of the cultural complex Glasinac–Mati. In spite of the fact that etnic attribution of the complex was Illyrian in wider sense, some of the graves have specific material (the pottery of Basarabi style from the sites Gračanska polja in Gračane and Melaje – Livada kod džamije, and the fibula of Thracian type from the site Latinsko groblje in Glogovik) connected with the Daco-Mysian/north-Thracian cultural circle.

Bibliography Jevtić, M. 1983 Keramika starijeg gvozdenog doba na centralnobalkanskim području, Filozofski

fakultet, Beograd Jevtić, M. 1990 Early Iron Age in Western Serbia and Metohija, p. 109-117. In: Masters of Silver.

Тhe Iron Age in Serbia (Ed. J. Jeftović), National Museum, Museum of Vojvodina, Museum of Kosovo: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Priština

Јевтић, М. 1992 Налази Басараби културе у новопазарском крају, Новопазарски зборник 16, p. 7-16

Јевтић, М. 1996 О истраживању млађих праисторијских култура у новопазарском крају, Новопазарски зборник 20, p. 7-13

Jevtić, M. 1997 Prehistoric Barrows at Gračani near Novi Pazar, p. 303-314. In: Uzdarje Dragoslavu Srejoviću (Ed. M. Lazić), Filozofski fakultet, Beograd

Јовановић, А. 1995 Археолошка истраживања у Новопазарској Бањи, Новопазарски зборник 19, p. 31-68

Jovanović, B. 2003 Architecture of the Princely Mounds of the Early Iron Age in the Central Balkans, p. 191-201. In: Sahranjivanje u bronzano i gvozdeno doba= Burial, customs in the Bronze and Iron Age (Ed. R. Vasić), Symposium, Čačak, 4-8 September 2002, Čačak

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Filozofski fakultet, Beograd Летица, З. 1979 Илирски гробови у Дојевићу, p.73-78. In: Сахрањивање код Илира, Научни

скуп САНУ (ed. Н. Тасић), Београд Летица, З. 1982 Пештер у бронзано и гвоздено доба, Старинар н. с. XXXII (1981), p. 9-17 Палавестра, А., Крстић В. 2006

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Срејовић, Д. 1977 Праисторијска некропола у Дојевићима и њен значај за оцену етничке припадности становника долине Рашке у преримско доба, Новопазарски зборник 1, p. 73-81

Срејовић, Д. 1981 Културе гвозденог доба, p. 54-65. In: Историја српског народа I (Ed. С. Ћирковић). Српска књижевна задруга, Beograd

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Праисторијска некропола на локалитету Латинско гробље, Новопазарски зборник 4, p. 155-159

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ABBREVIATIONS

Archaeologia Bularica = Archaeologia Bulgarica, Sofia. Гласник САД = Гласник Српског археолошког друштва, Београд. Новопазарски зборник = Новопазарски зборник, Нови Пазар. Саопштења VIII = Саопштења VIII, Републички завод за заштиту споменика културе, Београд. Старинар = Старинар, Београд.

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