The nephrite amulet from Zmajevac (Cerovac, central Serbia)

Abstract

The amulet of unique shape and manufacture in the region of Southeast Europe was found (as a chance surface find) at the Zmajevac site (Cerovac, Central Serbia) several years ago. It was identified as an amulet because of its exclusive appearance and the raw material (nephrite) used. This object constitutes a unique phenomenon in the Neolithic of Serbia. Its shape mostly resembles the amulets from Lepenski Vir and the ring from Divostin. The objects similar to the ring-amulets from Zmajevac, Divostin and Lepenski Vir do not have matching analogies in the Mesolithic or Neolithic period and none in the later prehistoric periods - a fact that rather speaks in favour of their Paleolithic models. The Paleolithic tradition reflected in the ring-amulets from Zmajevac, Divostin and Lepenski Vir makes these finds exceptionally important because they represent the link between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic in these regions.