Society, spiritual and material culture and communications in the prehistory and early history of the Balkans

Work on the project involves the following objectives and activities: compiling and summing up the relevant archaeological data to make them available for research; designing working procedures and guidelines for under-researched areas; creating an interactive database which shows the level of investigation of sites, cultural phenomena and communication in the past of the Balkans. The project will focus on the following topics: communication and exchange in the past of the Balkans; modes of decoration, luxury artefacts and the social impact of imports; the development and social role of pottery; the archaeology of the Balkans and natural sciences; cults and ritual practices; socio-political movements in the southern Balkans. Information about communication and exchange is provided by the material culture, its variation and change, and by results of natural environment analysis. Modes of decoration, luxury artefacts and social impact of imports constitute a subject which has great potential in analyzing social relations in the prehistory and early history of the Balkans. Special attention will be paid to chemical analysis of prestigious and imported artefacts in order to establish their origin. Study of cults and rituals in the Balkans through history will include the study of funerary practices and art. Approach to the topics is interdisciplinary, and includes archaeo-environmental and archaeo-metallurgical studies, as well as chemical analysis of pottery and metals.