Urbanisation Processes and Development of Mediaeval Society

The Project aims to study numerous issues, spanning from the processes of de-urbanisation in the Late Roman Period to the re-urbanisation ones from the Middle Ages. Special attention shall be paid to development of towns, fortifications, settlements, material culture, economy, technology and anthropological features of the populations settling the Central Balkans. Dealing with such topics from the fields of archaeology, history, technology and anthropology is of great significance for the future solving of some of the as yet insufficiently studied problems of forming the fortified towns, organisation of defence, settlement, residential quarters, commerce, trade, technological basis and local production of goods. Finally, the features of population will be studied through the analyses of human osteological remains. The issues of de-urbanisation and settlement that followed cover the study of the Early Byzantine towns, forts and settlements, with a reference to the Migration Period problems. The study of the fortifications and monastery complexes will be conducted within the Project also. Forts as well as fortified towns will be treated in the context of the researh of urbanisation of Mediaeval Serbia. On the other hand, in the material culture study a multidisciplinary approach will be taken to understand the findings fully. Both archaeological and archaeometrical analyses will be conducted in order to understand the technological bases, trade routes and cultural influxes.