dc.description.abstract | Archaeological investigations carried out between 2008 and 2010 in the east
sector of site Bubanj near Niš (Plan 1; Figs. 1-3) confirmed the existence of
horizon of the Cernavoda III culture. In features 22, 23 and 31, which are
the remains of settlement buildings, have been found archaeological material
mostly pottery vessels, which according to style of decoration, technological
and morphological characteristics could be ascribed to the initial period of
late Eneolithic. Also, the dwelling structures of Krivodol-Salcuþa-Bubanj
cultural complex have been recorded in the layer of brown soil with the
remains of above mentioned Cernavoda III buildings. In the vertical
stratigraphy of trench I (Fig. 4) the mentioned layer was encountered
immediately under the layer of whitish/gray ashy soil and thin layer of
compact soil of gray color (Fig. 5), which date from the advanced phases of
the late Eneolithic and above the early Eneolithic layers. The settlement
features recorded during 2009 excavations are parts of the structures from
the settlement of Cernavoda III culture (Fig. 6; T. I-III). Feature 22 is
section of devastated probably aboveground building, feature 23 is shallow
pit and feature 31 is most probably the rubbish pit. Very similar
stratigraphy of the site had been recorded by investigations of M. Garašanin
in 1954. In the layer of brown soil, the material of Cernavoda III culture
was discovered in level III, and in level IV both Cernavoda III and the
material of the earlier Krivodol-Salcuþa-Bubanj cultural complex was
recorded. These building horizons are at different depths within
approximately same area of the trench and have been identified on the basis
of considerable amount of daub and stone, two floor levels, wooden building
material and fragmented pottery vessels (T. IV-VI). Despite the lack of
technical field documentation remains of one above ground structure could be
identified at level III according to descriptions from field journal from
1954. Certain finds from level IV indicate that remains of some floors from
this level could perhaps be associated with structure from the settlement of
Cernavoda III culture. Insufficient investigations and small quantity of
published material from the settlements of this period and mostly
singlelayered sites with poorly preserved cultural layer resulted in the fact
that in certain areas there are only indications for the settlements. The
position of the site at Bubanj suggests the importance of controlling the
zone of confluence of the Nišava River and the South Morava River where from
the roads branched toward north, south, west and east along the river
valleys. The investigations of prehistoric settlements carried out so far at
the site Bubanj confirm that areas of the Nišava and South Morava valley had
been included in the cultural complex Cernavoda III- Boleraz, which covers
rather large part of southeast and central Europe. | en |