Horizon of the late roman necropolises with rectangular and circular kernoi in southeastern Serbia, eastern Macedonia and western Bulgaria

Abstract

In recent years at Late Roman necropolises in the mountainous area of southeastern Serbia, southwestern Bulgaria, and eastern Macedonia, unusual coarse shallow vessels with rectangular and circular bases have been found. The same funerary rites and pottery types are attested at cemeteries in all of these areas. These data suggest a very conservative population whose culture was based on prehistoric traditions. According to funerary customs and pottery analogies as well as historical sources, we try to determine the ethnicity of the population buried in these cemeteries.