- Department of Archaeology
Faculty of Arts
University of Ljubljana
Aškerčeva 2
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia - 386 1 2411570
Mihael Budja
University of Ljubljana, Archaeology, Faculty Member
- I am at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts at Ljubljana University. I work mainly on the Neolithic perio... moreI am at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts at Ljubljana University. I work mainly on the Neolithic period in Eurasia. I am interested in interdisciplinary approaches to the material culture, Neolithic transition, rapid climate changes, landscape dynamics and settlement patterns in early and middle Holocene, identities in prehistory, and to the relationship between archaeology and anthropology. I am an editor of the journal Documenta Praehistorica (http://arheologija.ff.uni-lj.si/documenta/index.html) and an organiser of the Neolithic Seminars in Ljubljana (http://arheologija.ff.uni-lj.si/seminars/index.html).edit
The Ljubljana Marshes (Ljubljana Moor) is a large wetland in the southern part of the Ljubljana basin in the central part of Slovenia, with well-preserved archaeological evidence of settlements. The data have traditionally been... more
The Ljubljana Marshes (Ljubljana Moor) is a large wetland in the southern part of the Ljubljana basin in the central part of Slovenia, with well-preserved archaeological evidence of settlements. The data have traditionally been interpreted as the remnants of the prehistoric pile dwelling settlements located in a shallow lake. In this paper, we present new data that challenge these interpretations. An aerial LiDAR survey of the Ižica floodplain on the Ljubljana Marshes has revealed a complex topography of stratified palaeochannels. The 14C dates of the channel infills suggest that the first phase of the palaeochannels can be dated to before 3770 cal. BC, which is contemporary with Eneolithic settlements located on its banks. We suggest that settlements were located in the floodplain, next to active rivers, and not in the lake as was traditionally hypothesised.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geology, Palaeoenvironment, LiDAR, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreAlpine Archaeology, Prehistory, Shallow Lakes, Holocene, Wetland, History and archaeology, Calibration, Alluvial archaeology/geoarchaeology, Floodplain, Slovenia, Pile Dwellings, Settlement Pattern, Human Settlement, Marsh, and Landscape Dynamic
The article presents the concepts of repeating cycles of rapid climate variability in the Holocene, including rapid cooling cycles, cold events, ice-rafting events, and rapid climate change recorded in palaeoclimate archives. It also... more
The article presents the concepts of repeating cycles of rapid climate variability in the Holocene, including rapid cooling cycles, cold events, ice-rafting events, and rapid climate change recorded in palaeoclimate archives. It also discusses the concepts of adaptation strategies embedded in the catastrophic scenarios of collapse on the one hand, and panarchy, resilience, and adaptation cycle on the other, i.e. the processes of transforming social hierarchical structures into dynamic, adaptive entities. In the rapid climate change series we focus on the 9.2 ka and 8.2 ka climate events associated with the Neolithisation process and the transition to farming. The 5.9 IRD event and/or period of rapid climate
change from 6000–5200 cal yr BP are associated with the cultural, economic, and demographic collapse of the Early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture in central and western Europe. We also discuss the triad of recent weakening of North Atlantic ocean circulation, decreased solar activity, and the hypothesised transition to a cold period, the well-known historical scenario associated with the transition to Little Ice Age between 1450 and 1850.
change from 6000–5200 cal yr BP are associated with the cultural, economic, and demographic collapse of the Early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture in central and western Europe. We also discuss the triad of recent weakening of North Atlantic ocean circulation, decreased solar activity, and the hypothesised transition to a cold period, the well-known historical scenario associated with the transition to Little Ice Age between 1450 and 1850.
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The aim of the conference is to discuss the concepts, models, and interpretative postulates of Late Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures and societies, as well as the coevolution of genes and cultures, the construction of cultural niches,... more
The aim of the conference is to discuss the concepts, models, and interpretative postulates of Late Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures and societies, as well as the coevolution of genes and cultures, the construction of cultural niches, neolithization processes, paleogenetic palimpsests and demographic transition, environmental and rapid climate fluctuations, subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, technologies, chronologies, social practises, and ideologies, on the one hand, and interdisciplinary methodologies, approaches, and projects, on the other. Papers will be given on site, with additional possibility to present papers online. The Neolithic Seminars remain a locus eventi that connects people and institutions worldwide. Conferences papers are published in the international journal Documenta Praehistorica (https://revije.ff.unilj.si/DocumentaPraehistorica/issue/archive). Call for papers This is the call for papers for the 26 th Neolithic Seminar 'Eurasian Neolithics: How Cultures, and Societies Evolve and Why It Matters'. Participation will be in the form of a presentation followed by a discussion.
The article presents Holocene sequence of climate anomalies, the »rapid cooling cycle« (including »glacial events«, »rapid climate change«, and »cold events«), and global temperature trends. In the »rapid climate change« series, we focus... more
The article presents Holocene sequence of climate
anomalies, the »rapid cooling cycle« (including »glacial events«,
»rapid climate change«, and »cold events«), and global temperature
trends. In the »rapid climate change« series, we focus on the »9.2
ka« and »8.2 ka climate events« associated with the Neolithisation
proces and the transition to farming. The »5.9 IRD event« and/
or »period of rapid climate changes 6000–5200 cal yr BP« are
associated with the cultural, economic, and demographic collapse
of the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture in central and western
Europe. The current weakened North Atlantic circulation and
reduced solar activity are compared to climate events during the
transition to the mediaeval Little Ice Age, which was characterised
by large climate variations associated with altered atmospheric air
mass circulations. In the following, we introduce the concepts of
adaptation strategies that are embedded between the catastrophic
scenario of »collapse« and the »panarchy«, i.e., the transformation
of social hierarchical structures into dynamic, adaptive units. The
transformation involves an »adaptation cycle« and the creation of
»resilience«. An attempt to equate the ecological »adaptation cycle«
with the »cultural cycle« and its introduction into archaeological
studies was presented. We also present ecological interpretations
and scenarios published in recent years by the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
anomalies, the »rapid cooling cycle« (including »glacial events«,
»rapid climate change«, and »cold events«), and global temperature
trends. In the »rapid climate change« series, we focus on the »9.2
ka« and »8.2 ka climate events« associated with the Neolithisation
proces and the transition to farming. The »5.9 IRD event« and/
or »period of rapid climate changes 6000–5200 cal yr BP« are
associated with the cultural, economic, and demographic collapse
of the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture in central and western
Europe. The current weakened North Atlantic circulation and
reduced solar activity are compared to climate events during the
transition to the mediaeval Little Ice Age, which was characterised
by large climate variations associated with altered atmospheric air
mass circulations. In the following, we introduce the concepts of
adaptation strategies that are embedded between the catastrophic
scenario of »collapse« and the »panarchy«, i.e., the transformation
of social hierarchical structures into dynamic, adaptive units. The
transformation involves an »adaptation cycle« and the creation of
»resilience«. An attempt to equate the ecological »adaptation cycle«
with the »cultural cycle« and its introduction into archaeological
studies was presented. We also present ecological interpretations
and scenarios published in recent years by the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
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The Mesolithic-Neolithic transformation was far more complex and variable process than previously hypothesised. The introduction of ceramic technology and initial pottery distributions in Eurasia show a wide-spread appearance of different... more
The Mesolithic-Neolithic transformation was far more complex and variable process than previously hypothesised. The introduction of ceramic technology and initial pottery distributions in Eurasia show a wide-spread appearance of different pottery-making techniques and ornamental principles in different cultural and chronological contexts. The pattern cannot be explained by way of a narrow and gradual southeast - north west oriented spread of both people and vessels across Europe in the context of demic diffusion migratory model. The data indicate that ceramic technology was invented and reinvented more than once in different Palaeolithic and Neolithic contexts, and that hunter-gatherer communities made ceramic vessels elsewhere in Eurasia. Archaeogenetic data suggest that the processes of peopling Europe in prehistory were far more complex and variable than was first thought. The analyses of palimpsest of Ychromosomal paternal and mitochondrial maternal lineages in modern population...
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We present two parallel and 32 000 years long trajectories of episodic ceramic technology use in Eurasian pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer societies. In eastern, Asian trajectory the pottery was produced from the beginning. Ceramic figurines... more
We present two parallel and 32 000 years long trajectories of episodic ceramic technology use in Eurasian pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer societies. In eastern, Asian trajectory the pottery was produced from the beginning. Ceramic figurines mark the western, European trajectory. The western predates the eastern for about eleven millennia. While ceramic cones and figurines first appeared in Central Europe at c. 31 000 cal BC the earliest vessels in eastern Asia was dated at c. 20 000 cal BC. We discuss women’s agency, perception of containment, ‘cross-craft interactions’, and evolution of private property that that may influenced the inventions of ceramic (pyro)technology.
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The transition to farming in the Balkans, Ionia and the Adriatic is discussed as the palimpsest relates to artefact assemblages, subsistence and archaeogenetic data. It is argued that it marks a dispersed and selective route towards... more
The transition to farming in the Balkans, Ionia and the Adriatic is discussed as the palimpsest relates to artefact assemblages, subsistence and archaeogenetic data. It is argued that it marks a dispersed and selective route towards farming adaptation in the regions. The incoming neareastern lineages and the difference in values for the Balkans (~20%) and Mediterranean coastal ( ~10%) area are linked to a network of the circulation of goods and people over long distances which was established after the incipient adoption of farming.
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Climate anomalies between 8247–8086 calBP are discussed in relation to the process of transition farming and to demographic dynamics and population trajectories in south-eastern Europe.
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The ‘rapid climate change’, ‘cycles of abrupt climate shift’, and ‘cold events’ in the Holocene are discussed in relation to the ‘collapse of civilisation’ concept, and adaptive cycles and the panarchy interpretative model.
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Paper discusses concepts of ‘neolithic package’, ‘demic diffusion’ and ‘revolution of symbols’ in relation to the process of Neolithisation in South-eastern Europe and the phylogeography of Y chromosome haplogroups I1b*, J and E. It is... more
Paper discusses concepts of ‘neolithic package’, ‘demic diffusion’ and ‘revolution of symbols’ in relation to the process of Neolithisation in South-eastern Europe and the phylogeography of Y chromosome haplogroups I1b*, J and E. It is suggested that ‘demic diffusion’ is not a realistic scenario, and that there were two Neolithisation trajectories and two related, archaeologically and genetically readable, regional palimpsests in South-eastern Europe.
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Die Tagung wurde gefördert durch: Satz: Andrea Fleckenstein, Frankfurt; Claudia Nickel (RGZM) Gesamtredaktion: Stefanie Wefers (RGZM) Endredaktion: Stefanie Wefers, Claudia Nickel (RGZM) Umschlagbild: Michael Ober (RGZM) Bibliografische... more
Die Tagung wurde gefördert durch: Satz: Andrea Fleckenstein, Frankfurt; Claudia Nickel (RGZM) Gesamtredaktion: Stefanie Wefers (RGZM) Endredaktion: Stefanie Wefers, Claudia Nickel (RGZM) Umschlagbild: Michael Ober (RGZM) Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. Das Werk ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Die dadurch begründe-ten Rechte, insbesondere die der Übersetzung, des Nachdrucks, der Entnahme von Abbildungen, der Funk-und Fernsehsendung, der Wiedergabe auf fotomechanischem (Fotokopie, Mikrokopie) oder ähnlichem Wege und der Speicherung in Datenverarbei-tungsanlagen, Ton-und Bildträgern bleiben, auch bei nur aus-zugsweiser Verwertung, vorbehalten. Die Vergütungsansprüche des §54, Abs. 2, UrhG. werden durch die Verwertungsgesell-schaft Wort wahrgenommen. Herstellung: Druck-und V...
Paper discusses Early Neolithic seals, contracts and tokens in the context of Neolithization processes in southeastern Europe. Paper analyses the assemblages, contexts and the patterns of regional and interregional distributions. The... more
Paper discusses Early Neolithic seals, contracts and tokens in the context of Neolithization processes in southeastern Europe. Paper analyses the assemblages, contexts and the patterns of regional and interregional distributions. The results contradict traditional models as the objects appearance and distributions can no longer support the models of colonization, demic diffusion and population replacement in the context of the transition to farming in the Balkans. The paper argues they were well embeddedin the Early Neolithic Balkans koine, where the transformation of hunter- gathering into farming societies took place in an arena of selective integration of the new technologies and social practices as much as the result of intensive connections and exchange networks.
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In Eurasia the invention of ceramic technology and production of fired-clay vessels has not necessarily been related to the dynamics of the transition to farming. The invention of ceramic technology in Europe was associated with female... more
In Eurasia the invention of ceramic technology and production of fired-clay vessels has not necessarily been related to the dynamics of the transition to farming. The invention of ceramic technology in Europe was associated with female and animal figurine making in Gravettian technocomplex. The fired-clay vessels occurred first in hunter-gatherer contexts in Eastern Eurasia a millennia before the agriculture. The adoption of pottery making in Levant seems to correlate with the collapse of the ‘ritual economy’, social decentralisation and community fragmentation in the Levantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic. In South-eastern Europe the adoption of pottery making was closely associated with social, symbolic and ritual hunter-gatherers’ practices.
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A collection of pottery from the early Neolithic site of Mala Triglavca was analysed with the aim of obtaining insights into vessel use and early animal domestication and husbandry practices in the Adriatic region. Total lipid extracts... more
A collection of pottery from the early Neolithic site of Mala Triglavca was analysed with the aim of obtaining insights into vessel use and early animal domestication and husbandry practices in the Adriatic region. Total lipid extracts were submitted to gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-combustion-isotope ratio MS (GC-C-IRMS) in order to obtain molecular and stable carbon isotope signatures as the basis for determining the nature and origins of the residues. The extracts were dominated by degraded animal fats. The majority (70%) of the total lipid extracts displayed intact triacylglycerol distributions attributable to ruminant adipose and dairy fats, which were subsequently confirmed through C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acid δ13C values.
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Radiocarbon sequences from some northern Mediterranean cave sites show a temporal gap between Mesolithic and Neolithic occupations. Some authors regard this as a regional phenomenon and have sought to explain it in terms of a general... more
Radiocarbon sequences from some northern Mediterranean cave sites show a temporal gap between Mesolithic and Neolithic occupations. Some authors regard this as a regional phenomenon and have sought to explain it in terms of a general population decline in the late Mesolithic, which facilitated the replacement of indigenous foragers by immigrant farmers. New evidence from the rockshelter site of Mala Triglavca, in Slovenia, leads us to question this view. The results of AMS radiocarbon dating of samples recovered in excavations in the 1980s and associated soil/sediment analyses reveal evidence of substantial postdepositional disturbance of the cave sediments by human agency and geomorphological processes, which have created ‘temporal gaps’ and ‘inversions’ in the radiocarbon sequence and secondary deposits with residual finds.
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In this paper we present the results of the radiocarbon dating of organic sediments from palaeochannels we have mapped by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery on the Ižica floodplain. We point out that the palaeochannels and the... more
In this paper we present the results of the radiocarbon dating of organic sediments from palaeochannels we have mapped by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery on the Ižica floodplain. We point out that the palaeochannels and the settlement structures at Maharski prekop site are contemporaneous. We hypothesise that the episodes in past river behaviour on the Ljubljana Marshes correspond with climate anomalies in European palaeoclimate records in the Holocene.
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The paper presents the results of lipid analyses of pottery samples from Ho≠evarica (Ljub- ljansko barje, Slovenia). Total lipid extracts were subjected to high temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry... more
The paper presents the results of lipid analyses of pottery samples from Ho≠evarica (Ljub- ljansko barje, Slovenia). Total lipid extracts were subjected to high temperature gas chromatography (HT-GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). The results show that some vessels were used for prepar- ing ruminant meat and vegetable, but also the remains of aquatic food were identified. The processing of non-ruminant meat was detected in a few samples. A high number of pottery samples yielded the presence of beeswax lipids. The charred residual on pottery was AMS 14C dated.
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In this paper, we attempt a multiscalar analysis of the Maharski prekop archaeological site, connecting the landscape context, temporal dynamics, and spatial organisation with the composition of the artefact assemblage, the shapes, sizes... more
In this paper, we attempt a multiscalar analysis of the Maharski prekop archaeological site, connecting the landscape context, temporal dynamics, and spatial organisation with the composition of the artefact assemblage, the shapes, sizes and technological composition of the pottery, and traces of activities in the form of food residues on pottery. The pottery assemblage from Maharski prekop is characterised by a wide variation in vessels. This can be explained by the non-specialised use of vessels, where they were deliberately designed to be able to perform a series of different functions, which is supported by the technological analysis of fabrics and the wide range of identified foodstuffs.
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The pottery assemblage from the Maharski prekop site was analysed to obtain insights into vessel use and husbandry practices. Total lipid extracts of pottery samples were subjected to gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography–mass... more
The pottery assemblage from the Maharski prekop site was analysed to obtain insights into vessel use and husbandry practices. Total lipid extracts of pottery samples were subjected to gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), gas chromatography–combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–C–IRMS) and soft ionisation electrospray mass spectrometric techniques ESI Q–TOF MS and ESI Q–TOF MS/MS. The charred organic deposits on vessels were AMS 14C dated. The results show that some vessels were used for cooking ruminant meat, while in other traces of mixed non–ruminant and ruminant meat or plants and animal meat cooking were identified. Some vessels were used for milk processing.
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This paper addresses the complex interactions between settlement patterns and landscape dynamics in the Iščica floodplain (the Ljubljana Marshes, Slovenia) during the early and middle Holocene. This complex interaction can be observed on... more
This paper addresses the complex interactions between settlement patterns and landscape dynamics in the Iščica floodplain (the Ljubljana Marshes, Slovenia) during the early and middle Holocene. This complex interaction can be observed on many nested spatial and temporal levels. The paper examines landscape and settlement dynamics on the micro-regional scale by exploring settlement patterns and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery, and on the settlement scale by analysis and radiocarbon dating of stratigraphic sequences from the Maharski prekop site.
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In this paper, we present archaeological and biochemical approaches to organic food residues, the lipids that are well preserved in ceramic matrices on prehistoric vessels. The ‘archaeo- logical biomarker revolution’ concept is discussed... more
In this paper, we present archaeological and biochemical approaches to organic food residues, the lipids that are well preserved in ceramic matrices on prehistoric vessels. The ‘archaeo- logical biomarker revolution’ concept is discussed in relation to pottery use, animal exploitation and the evolution of dietary practices in prehistory.
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This paper present the genesis of discussions of individual and dividual aspects of person(hood). It discuses actual interpretations of different modes of personhood: individuality and indivisibility, dividuality, partibility and... more
This paper present the genesis of discussions of individual and dividual aspects of person(hood). It discuses actual interpretations of different modes of personhood: individuality and indivisibility, dividuality, partibility and fractality, and permeability in archaeology and anthropology. It focuses on the heterogeneity of past identities in European Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age contexts.
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In order to understand rituals in the past, archaeology has long relied on theories and concepts developed in other disciplines. This paper presents concepts concerning burial practices and funeral rituals, ancestors, personhood, and... more
In order to understand rituals in the past, archaeology has long relied on theories and concepts developed in other disciplines. This paper presents concepts concerning burial practices and funeral rituals, ancestors, personhood, and individual and dividual identities.
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This paper discuses the conceptualisation of ‘partible’ and ‘permeable’ dividual personhood in archaeology. It focuses on flows of substances as media which produce relations with others and are used in altering the composition of the... more
This paper discuses the conceptualisation of ‘partible’ and ‘permeable’ dividual personhood in archaeology. It focuses on flows of substances as media which produce relations with others and are used in altering the composition of the person according to specific doctrines of practice. It presents the manipulation of the dead in funerary and other mortuary practices that may have been correlative with interpretations of identity in the past.
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In this paper we discuss the inventions and re-inventions of ceramic technology and pot- tery dispersals in foraging and farming contexts in Eurasia. We focus on narratives that operate with- in interpretative paradigms that suggest... more
In this paper we discuss the inventions and re-inventions of ceramic technology and pot- tery dispersals in foraging and farming contexts in Eurasia. We focus on narratives that operate with- in interpretative paradigms that suggest movements of unidirectional colonisation and ‘demic’ diffusion, and a correlation between pottery and human DNA haplogroup distributions in Europe in the Initial Neolithic. In addition, we present the results of ancient, Mesolithic and Neolithic mitochon- drial DNA analyses, which suggest variations in population trajectories in prehistoric Europe. We comment on a hypothesis presented recently on the correlation between the distribution of the lactase (LCT) gene –13 910*T in the modern population of Europe, which has been shown to be associated with lactase persistence and dairying, and the Neolithic transition to farming in Central Europe.
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The 14C gradient of pottery dispersal suggests that the sites in the southern Balkans are not significantly older than those in the northern and eastern Balkans. A gradual demic diffusion model from south to north and a millennium time... more
The 14C gradient of pottery dispersal suggests that the sites in the southern Balkans are not significantly older than those in the northern and eastern Balkans. A gradual demic diffusion model from south to north and a millennium time span vector thus find no confirmation in the set of AMS 14C dates and associated contexts that mark pottery dispersal within Southeastern Europe. The first ‘demic event’ that was hypothesised to reshape significantly European population structure and generate a uniform process of neolithisation of southestern Europe has no confirmation in frequency of Y-chromosome subhaplogroups J2b and E3b1 distribution within modern population in Southeastern Europe.
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The introduction of ceramic technology and pottery distributions in Eurasia show a widespread appearance of different pottery-making techniques and ornamental principles in different cultural and chronological contexts. Archaeogenetic... more
The introduction of ceramic technology and pottery distributions in Eurasia show a widespread appearance of different pottery-making techniques and ornamental principles in different cultural and chronological contexts. Archaeogenetic data suggest that the processes of peopling Europe in prehistory were far more complex and variable than first thought. Analyses of palimpsests of Y-chromosomal paternal and mitochondrial maternal lineages in modern populations and ancient DNA and palaeodemographic reconstructions show a complex picture of varied population trajectories elsewhere in Europe. Archaeological and biochemical data suggest that dairying and fermented milk consumption in Neolithic Europe emerged before the genetic adaptation to milk culture; there is no evidence for lactose tolerance or wholescale demic diffusion from the Near East into south-east Europe during the Neolithic. The evidence suggests a high degree of population dynamics and cultural interaction within south-east Europe and between Europe and the Near East during the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and later periods.
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The research discussed in this paper focused on the analysis and identification of organic residues either preserved as visible or absorbed organic remains on Neolithic and Eneolithic pottery from various archaeological and geographical... more
The research discussed in this paper focused on the analysis and identification of organic residues either preserved as visible or absorbed organic remains on Neolithic and Eneolithic pottery from various archaeological and geographical contexts. These are connected with various food preparation strategies and past human activities, i.e. cave burials in Ajdovska jama (food as a grave good/offering), the rock shelter at Mala Triglavca (meat and dairy animal husbandry practices) and Moverna vas, which had a long occupation sequence (complex farming and animal management). The preservation of biomarkers mirrored past human activities and different pottery uses at various types of sites. The carbon stable isotope ratios of primary fatty acids in lipid pottery extracts confirmed the presence of adipose and dairy fats as well as biomarkers of plant fats, beeswax and birch bark tar.
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In this paper, we discuss the transition to milk culture. While archaeological and biochemical data suggest that dairying was adopted in the Neolithic in Europe, archaeogenetic data show the absence of the allelic variant –13 910*T and... more
In this paper, we discuss the transition to milk culture. While archaeological and biochemical data suggest that dairying was adopted in the Neolithic in Europe, archaeogenetic data show the absence of the allelic variant –13 910*T and very low lactase persistence in Neolithic populations in Europe. The Mala Triglavca case study shows that the Early Neolithic economy in the Caput Ad- riae region was mixed. It consisted of milk and processed milk, meat animal products, freshwater fish and various plants. The Vlaška group herders managed a broader spectrum of resources than exclusively ovicaprids, and were able to produce a wide range of low-lactose, storable products by fermenting milk.
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The I∫ica floodplain is the micro-region on Ljubljan-sko Barje that has been most intensively investiga-ted in the past 137 years. Three main archaeological research and fieldwork episodes can be recognised
In this paper, we discuss the Neolithic transition to farming in Northern Adriatic, lactose tolerance, dairying and lipid biomarkers on pottery. While archaeological and biochemical data suggest that dairying was adopted in the Neolithic... more
In this paper, we discuss the Neolithic transition to farming in Northern Adriatic, lactose tolerance, dairying and lipid biomarkers on pottery. While archaeological and biochemical data suggest that dairying was adopted in the Neolithic in Europe, archaeogenetic data show the absence of the allelic variant –13910*T and zero persistence in Neolithic populations in Europe. The Mala Triglavca case study shows that the Early Neolithic economy in the Caput Adriae region was mixed. It consisted of milk and processed milk, meat animal products, freshwater fish and various plants. The Vlaška group herders managed a broader spectrum of resources than exclusively ovicaprids, and were able to produce a wide range of low-lactose, storable products by fermenting milk.
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Post-processual views of the transition to agriculture in North-western Europe have sought to decouple ideology and subsistence economy as a means of protecting the status of ideology as the sole cause of change. Ideology(as reflected in... more
Post-processual views of the transition to agriculture in North-western Europe have sought to decouple ideology and subsistence economy as a means of protecting the status of ideology as the sole cause of change. Ideology(as reflected in material culture and monument building) changed abruptly. To achieve the required decoupling, subsistence is therefore portrayed as having changed slowly. This implies three things: (I) 'Mesolithic foragers were gradually intensifying their subsistence economy. (2) Neolithic people subsisted mainly on wild animals and plants and were nomadic. (3) Subsistence change across the ideological transition was slow, continuous, and seamless. Many other scholars, although not post-processualists, have come to accept these three points. But as the post-processual view has become the consensus, the data from Britain, Ireland, and southern Scandinavia have all been leading in the opposite direction: (I) There is no reason to think that Mesolithic foragers w...
Paper presents part of the research project results focused on the Ižica floodplain and archaeological sites Maharski and Resnikov prekop in Ljubljana Marshes. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery and radiocarbon dates of... more
Paper presents part of the research project results focused on the Ižica floodplain and archaeological sites Maharski and Resnikov prekop in Ljubljana Marshes. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery and radiocarbon dates of stratigraphic sequences from the Maharski prekop site and of a network of palaeochannels around the site clearly suggest that settlement was located in the floodplain, next to the active rivers, and not in the lake.
Research Interests: Radiocarbon and Dating
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In desimplifying the logic of colonisation and transition to farming we discuss huntergatherers' and farmer's symbolic structures in the Balkans and Carpathians. Particular attention is paid to the concepts of 'revolution of... more
In desimplifying the logic of colonisation and transition to farming we discuss huntergatherers' and farmer's symbolic structures in the Balkans and Carpathians. Particular attention is paid to the concepts of 'revolution of symbols', 'external symbolic storage' and 'signs of all time'. Our basic premises are (1) that ceramic technology and the principles of fragmentation and accumulationwere not the exclusive domains of farmers and, (2) that the hunter-gatherers' symbolic structures and the process of transition to farmingwere not exclusive and competitive but rather correlative in maintaining control and power within society and over the frameworks of external interactions and exchange networks., but strong parallels between the Near-Eastern and Greek Neolithic.
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Many of you knew and worked with the respected Professor Tatjana Bregant years before me. You were her colleagues and co-workers in the research at Ljubljansko barje and Celje Castle, and in Lupljanica and Obre in Bosnia. You saw and knew... more
Many of you knew and worked with the respected Professor Tatjana Bregant years before me. You were her colleagues and co-workers in the research at Ljubljansko barje and Celje Castle, and in Lupljanica and Obre in Bosnia. You saw and knew the aspirations she had, and the energy she put into establishing the chair of “Neolithic Archaeology” and the study and research programmes at the Department of Archaeology and the Science Institute of Filozofska Fakulteta in Ljubljana.
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We are delighted to announce the 25th Neolithic Seminar 'Evolution and Cultural Changes in Prehistory' that will be held on Friday, 8 November through Saturday, 9 November 2019 at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts,... more
We are delighted to announce the 25th Neolithic Seminar 'Evolution and Cultural Changes in Prehistory' that will be held on Friday, 8 November through Saturday, 9 November 2019 at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.
The conference focuses on ‘Neolithisation Processes in Eurasia: Retrospect and Prospect’. It takes place at Ljubljana University on Friday, October 26th through Saturday, October 27th 2018.
We present two parallel and 32 000 years long trajectories of episodic ceramic technology use in Eurasian pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer societies. In eastern, Asian trajectory the pottery was produced from the beginning. Ceramic figurines... more
We present two parallel and 32 000 years long trajectories of episodic ceramic technology use in Eurasian pre-Neolithic hunter-gatherer societies. In eastern, Asian trajectory the pottery was produced from the beginning. Ceramic figurines mark the western, European trajectory. The
western predates the eastern for about eleven millennia. While ceramic cones and figurines first appeared in Central Europe at c. 31 000 cal BC the earliest vessels in eastern Asia was dated at c. 20 000 cal BC. We discuss women’s agency, perception of containment, ‘cross-craft interactions’, and evolution of private property that that may influenced the inventions of ceramic (pyro)technology.
western predates the eastern for about eleven millennia. While ceramic cones and figurines first appeared in Central Europe at c. 31 000 cal BC the earliest vessels in eastern Asia was dated at c. 20 000 cal BC. We discuss women’s agency, perception of containment, ‘cross-craft interactions’, and evolution of private property that that may influenced the inventions of ceramic (pyro)technology.
Research Interests:
THANKS to friends and collegues I have recently (1st Dec 2017) been invited to a conference at Wien-OREA, which involved certain research topics of much surprise, if only to everybody not previously informed, and that was me. Attached... more
THANKS to friends and collegues I have recently
(1st Dec 2017) been invited to a conference at Wien-OREA,
which involved certain research topics of much surprise, if only
to everybody not previously informed, and that was me.
Attached are the proceedings.
(1st Dec 2017) been invited to a conference at Wien-OREA,
which involved certain research topics of much surprise, if only
to everybody not previously informed, and that was me.
Attached are the proceedings.