Eneolitski rudnici bakra na Balkanu = Eneolithic copper mines in the Balkans

Abstract

During the Neolithic, the Balkans were a densely populated territory, perhaps precisely due to their abundance of raw materials. The entire region is rich in water due to a branched-out hydrological network, has fertile agricultural land, forests with high-quality wood, and is especially rich in ore and high-quality stone deposits. The first Balkan metallurgists were probably well-acquainted with the geological richness of their territory and knew where to look for copper ore used in metal production. Undoubtedly, the exploitation of minerals and rocks used in stone tool production was often conducted in the immediate vicinity of copper ore deposits, which was an excellent basis for the creation of true metallurgy. Malachite was already a known raw material, as attested to by finds of this mineral on many Early Neolithic sites in southeastern Europe. In fact, malachite and azurite were already well-known during the Mesolithic of the Balkans, and were used to produce decorative objects. Beads and pendants, as well as amorphous chunks of malachite and azurite, were discovered at the Mesolithic site of Vlasac, and in the Early Neolithic layers of Lepenski Vir. Research on the beginnings of metallurgy in the Balkans, conducted over the recent years, has shown that the first metallurgy in Europe appeared precisely in the Balkans. The big question remains of where the ore for melting was obtained, even though some copper.