Projects / Programmes
Communities of the dead, societies of the living.
Late Bronze Age of Eastern Slovenia.
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.02.00 |
Humanities |
Archaeology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H341 |
Humanities |
Prehistory |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.01 |
Humanities |
History and Archaeology |
Late Bronze Age, Urnfield culture, biography of artifacts, long distance trade, material culture manipulation, hoarding, fragmentation
Researchers (10)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
In the framework of the long-standing debate on the cultural history and lately on the structure of Late Bronze Age economy and ritual behavior, the project aims to investigate the structure and function of ritual manipulation of material culture as can be recognized through the analysis of the later. A ground-breaking and in this region innovative approach will be used, based on modern anthropological methodologies of interpretation – artefacts will be observed through a perspective of a biographical method. A large part of the research will be dedicated to integrated analysis and interpretation of archaeological finds from settlement deposits, hoards and graves. Artefacts and contexts of their depositions will be interpreted as symbols used in complex processes of communication – as units of information enabling us to decipher and interpret their meaning in the cultural processes of production, manipulation and deposition of material culture.
The main material used for analyses will come from modern excavations conducted in the last decades on the territory of Eastern Slovenia – settlements such as Sodolek, Selska cesta, Pod Kotom – Sever, Pince and most important the cemetery of Zavrč produced numerous information which was already partly presented, but their interpretational potential was by far not yet exhausted. Results of analyzes will be supplemented with the observations of older published and partly published sites and especially with the observations of hoards. The traditional perspective, focused on hoards of bronze items will be supplemented by the observations of manipulations with bronze items in burial rites. Further a major new category of ritually manipulated material culture will be introduced in to the debate - ceramic hoards, present mostly in settlements and in the landscape.
With this perspective the material culture of the Urnfield culture will be addressed in a new and holistic approach – the interpretations of intensively ritually manipulated items such as bronzes in hoards and graves, will be supplemented with the information on the level of manipulation with pottery. Based on the contexts of discovery we will be able to observe different intensities of manipulations with pottery, we will be able to observe how the meaning of the same types of pottery became laden with meaning in different, less (settlements), medium (graves) and intensively (pottery hoards) ritually manipulated, contexts.
Such integrated approach to the manipulation with material culture in the Bronze Age has not been systematically applied up until now - the project represents an important step in the further development of the previous research in the area and involves the progress of numerous different skills and scientific competences of the project team - from the analysis of major Bronze Age sites in a broader region, the interpretation of archaeological contexts, the detailed knowledge of archaeological materials, new approaches to chemical analysis of finds, a development of strong competences in research focused on material culture manipulation and the interpretation of ritual behavior.
The project, will support increase of competences in the field of research, support the development of a research infrastructure of regional and international importance, establish and strengthen contacts and collaborations for future research, develop good practices of research and transfer of knowledge from research in to education. The later will be achieved with a collaboration of researchers specialized for the analyses of different archaeological materials and further supplemented with the collaboration of specialists from partner research groups. The research will produce results of major scientific importance for the future development of Late Bronze Age archaeology in a European perspective.
Significance for science
The project will promote Slovenian scientific excellence and archaeological heritage, innovations in European archaeological theory and material culture studies and contribute to the consolidation of knowledge about Europe’s earliest history through research collaboration, data sharing and dissemination of results. By developing and applying methods of contextual archaeological analysis, material culture studies to the study of human-material culture relationships in archaeology, the project will develop procedures and methodologies that can easily be applied outside the chronological and geographical limits. It will offer unique research opportunities and stimulate academic dialogs to further link research organizations across the regions and positively influence the cohesion of European scientific field – especially the transfer of good practices in order to solve current and emerging societal challenges in South-Eastern Europe arising from different nationalistic uses and misuses of the past and especially in this context archaeology. The proposed research and resulting career development of formal and informal collaborators are in accordance with the European strategy objective aiming to increase the number of researchers with the skill and experience in developing and managing of interdisciplinary projects such as this.[1]
Scientific impact – modern research methodology and the results of research will represent an important contribution to the understanding of Bronze Age as well as archaeology in general. From research to promotion designed project will present a good practice of regional archaeological studies with a global impact and will be copied in similar research and social contexts. Of major importance for the development of science will be the collaboration between two Slovenian research organizations and their foreign partners. Further of major importance for the development of the scientific field is the inclusion of results in to education. The direct transfer of knowledge will take place at the BA, MA and PhD levels on University of Primorska as well as on numerous visiting lectures on foreign universities.
Economic impact – results of the research will create bases for local, regional, national and international presentation of cultural heritage and its installation in to the framework of touristic bidding. The community of Zavrč included in to the Regional development plan for Podravje region the formation of an information center for the promotion of archaeological heritage and the erection of information panels inside the community. Completion of the cultural tourism in the region is an important economic factor in the process of creation of possibilities for the local sustainable development, new working positions and indirect income deriving from service activities linked to the promotion of cultural heritage.
[1] European Commission. 2007. Better Careers and More Mobility: A European Partnership for Researchers.
Significance for the country
The project will promote Slovenian scientific excellence and archaeological heritage, innovations in European archaeological theory and material culture studies and contribute to the consolidation of knowledge about Europe’s earliest history through research collaboration, data sharing and dissemination of results. By developing and applying methods of contextual archaeological analysis, material culture studies to the study of human-material culture relationships in archaeology, the project will develop procedures and methodologies that can easily be applied outside the chronological and geographical limits. It will offer unique research opportunities and stimulate academic dialogs to further link research organizations across the regions and positively influence the cohesion of European scientific field – especially the transfer of good practices in order to solve current and emerging societal challenges in South-Eastern Europe arising from different nationalistic uses and misuses of the past and especially in this context archaeology. The proposed research and resulting career development of formal and informal collaborators are in accordance with the European strategy objective aiming to increase the number of researchers with the skill and experience in developing and managing of interdisciplinary projects such as this.[1]
Scientific impact – modern research methodology and the results of research will represent an important contribution to the understanding of Bronze Age as well as archaeology in general. From research to promotion designed project will present a good practice of regional archaeological studies with a global impact and will be copied in similar research and social contexts. Of major importance for the development of science will be the collaboration between two Slovenian research organizations and their foreign partners. Further of major importance for the development of the scientific field is the inclusion of results in to education. The direct transfer of knowledge will take place at the BA, MA and PhD levels on University of Primorska as well as on numerous visiting lectures on foreign universities.
Economic impact – results of the research will create bases for local, regional, national and international presentation of cultural heritage and its installation in to the framework of touristic bidding. The community of Zavrč included in to the Regional development plan for Podravje region the formation of an information center for the promotion of archaeological heritage and the erection of information panels inside the community. Completion of the cultural tourism in the region is an important economic factor in the process of creation of possibilities for the local sustainable development, new working positions and indirect income deriving from service activities linked to the promotion of cultural heritage.
[1] European Commission. 2007. Better Careers and More Mobility: A European Partnership for Researchers.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
