Kameno oruđe sa Malog Šturca - istraživanje 2011. i 2012. godine

Abstract

Pretpostavku da se na lokalitetu Prljuša na Malom Šturcu nalazio veliki praistorijski rudnik bakra koji je bio eksploatisan u dužem periodu tokom eneolita i bronzanog doba, osim prostranih okana i podzemnih radova, potvrđuje i izuzetno veliki broj rudarskih batova i drugog kamenog oruđa. Tokom istraživanja 2011. i 2012. godine, detaljnim rekognosciranjem lokaliteta po kvadratnoj mreži 5 h 5 m, konstatovano je, na samoj površini, prisustvo oko 1.000 rudarskih batova. Sakupljeno je 68 kamenih alatki. Znatan broj polufabrikata bez tragova upotrebe, kao i alatki izrađenih od kamena sa samog nalazišta pokazao je da je kameno oruđe vrlo često proizvođeno i na samom rudištu. Prisustvo batova skoro na samom vrhu padine Prljuše potvrđuje praistorijsku eksploataciju bakarne rude na celom lokalitetu. Za sada nije primećena njihova povećana koncentracija na površini oko samih rudarskih okana.

More recent investigations of prehistoric copper mine at Mali Šturac have been conducted in 2011 and 2012. On that occasion detailed surveying of the site using 5 x 5 m grid resulted in discovery of around 1000 mining mallets and other stone tools just on the surface. We gathered 68 stone tools, mostly mining mallets. Considerable amount of semi-finished objects without traces of use as well as tools made of stone from the site confirmed that mallets and other stone tools were often made on the mining site. For the mallets had been used pieces of stones taken out of the rock mass but also large pebbles from the rivers and brooks. Piece of stone was worked by knapping and pecking to obtain the desired shape. Working technique was mostly rough and small number of strokes was applied. All mining mallets have transversal groove for attaching tool to the handle. Except the mallets few stone tools of different type have been found at the site Prljuša. One fragmented whetstone as well as few hammerstones, axes and anvils for crashing ore make an interesting segment of stone tool assemblage from Mali Šturac. They are of smaller size and distinguish at first glance from mining mallets because they do not have transversal groove. Few objects could be explained as unfinished axes but also as unused small mallets for crashing ore. Stone tools from Mali Šturac were made of sandstone, ignimbrite and quartz latite. All raw materials are of local origin and some of them are from the site Prljuša itself. Not any particular regularity in horizontal distribution of stone artifacts has been established, except that largest quantity was recorded in the middle and smaller in lower and upper section of the site. Occurrence of mallets near the very top confirms prehistoric exploitation of copper ore within the entire site. For the time being their higher concentration on the surface around mining shaft has not been encountered.