Personal ornaments from osseous and lithic raw materials in the Vinča culture

Abstract

The Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Vinča culture is a phenomenon widespread in the central Balkans and southern Pannonian region, in present-day Serbia, eastern parts of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, northern parts of Montenegro, and Oltenia and Transylvania in Romania. It is characterised by rich production of diverse goods, from lithic, osseous materials, clay, even copper, and high levels of standardisation may be noted. Personal ornaments were made mainly from osseous raw materials, obtained both locally (bone, antler, teeth) and through exchange (marine shells). Lithic materials were occasionally used, and in particular, decorative stones of high quality such as marble, marble onyx and calcite, sometimes even gem stones such as malachite. All these minerals and rocks were locally obtained and never imported, but personal ornaments made of them where exported outside the Vinča culture. In this paper we will try to examine both osseous and lithic ornaments, and to explore various aspects of raw material procurement, manufacture and use. We noticed that some of the morphological types were made of both materials, and in fact imitate one another, especially beads and pendants made from whitish mollusc shells and whitish stones. Both lithic and osseous ornaments often display large labour and skill investment, and were used for long time. Unfortunately, the majority of finds come from settlements and therefore they include mainly discarded or lost items; however, the only extra-muros necropolis at the site of Botoš Živanića Dolja provided some information about the use and especially the importance of personal ornaments for the members of the Vinča communities.