Bone artefacts from the Roman period from the site of Adžine Njive – Klenak (northern Serbia)

Abstract

Animal skeletal elements were an important source of raw materials throughout the prehistoric and historic times, and in the Roman period a vast variety of objects was produced from bones, antler, ivory and shells – everyday utilitarian objects, small tools, jewellery, decoration for composite items. The southern area of the Pannonia province provided interesting finds of bone objects, in particular those discovered on the territory of the town of Sremska Mitrovica – Roman Sirmium. Recently, the rescue excavations carried out in the Srem region due to the highway construction yielded some new finds. The site of Adžine Njive – Klenak, situated in vicinity of the town of Ruma was excavated in 2021-2022, and a very rich, multi-layered site, with remains from the Neolithic period, Bronze Age, Roman period, and medieval times was found. Roman period horizon yielded rich and diverse portable finds, including several finely made bone objects. In particular, several pins with carefully executed heads may be singled out. In this paper will be presented artefacts discovered at this site, and their typological, morphological and technological traits will be discussed