Map of the Danube Gorges region with the location of principal Epipalaeolithic and Mesolithic sites. Dots5open-air sites. Half-dots5caves and rockshelters. 

Contexts in source publication

Context 1

... is located close to the downstream exit of the Upper Gorge of the Danube, marked by a large promontory known as Greben. The site is found near Greben, at the place known as Tahtalija, at the foot of Boljetinsko Hill (FIG. 2). Before the 19th-century regulation of the Danube, there used to be a dangerous cataract at Tahtalija with the strong sound of roaring water (Petrovic´1941Petrovic´Petrovic´1941). Here the channel is 2400 m wide and rocky, which in the past created navigational problems. Greben is a large promontory and it narrows the navigation channel to 420 m or, together with the rocky plateau called Vranj at the time of low water levels, to 220 m. Immediately after Greben there is a very strong and deep whirlpool (30 m deep) (Petrovic´1941Petrovic´Petrovic´1941). After Greben the Danube widens again and the depth is ca. 3-9 m; the Upper Gorge is followed by the Donji Milanovac valley filled with Miocene sediments (Markovic´-Markovic´-Marjanovic´1978Marjanovic´ Marjanovic´1978). D. SrejovicándSrejovicánd Z. Letica (1978) investigated the site in [1970][1971], covering an area of 640 sq m along the riverbank up to an altitude of around 70 masl, the zone that would have been flooded with the construction of the Ðerdap (Iron Gates) Dam I some 100 km downstream from Vlasac. The rising water levels of the artificial lake in front of the first dam in 1971 prevented further work in the area below 70 masl while the Danube slowly eroded away the newly created riverbank section, continuing to the start of our work in 2006 (FIG. 3A). Prior to the discovery and excavation of Vlasac, D. Srejovic´(Srejovic´Srejovic´(1972) excavated the neighboring site of Lepenski Vir, located approxi- mately 3 km upstream from Vlasac. Lepenski Vir is well known for elaborate trapezoidal limestone building floors and central stone-lined hearths along with the presence of numerous carved sandstone boulder artworks, some depicting hybrid human-fish beings (Boric´2005Boric´Boric´2005; Radovanovic´1996Radovanovic´Radovanovic´1996; Srejovic´1972Srejovic´Srejovic´1972; SrejovicándSrejovicánd Babovic´1982Babovic´Babovic´1982). Most of these features are now dated to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition from ca. 6200 to 5900 CAL B.C. ...

Context 2

... the bottom of the stratigraphic sequence is the bedrock consisting of gray limestone scree. Above this level one finds reddish brown calcitic clay, 15-40 cm thick (FIG. 6B) (BoricétBoricét al. 2008: fig. 11). This is a palaeosol with some stability, representing incipient Early Holocene soil formation with woodland cover. At the upper part of this palaeosol one may see some anthropogenic activity, possibly related to woodland clearance, which, with time, intensified downslope erosion of scree and its deposition in depressions and tree throws. Cultural activities continued for more than a millennium (see below) even in those areas affected by the hillwash accumulation as in the case of the burial sequence discovered in Trench 3 in 2006 (FIG. ...

Context 3

... the burial sequence in Trench 3/2006 there are no preserved burial remains that date to the period between ca. 6500 and 6200 CAL B.C., the latest phase of the Late Mesolithic. The first burial that strati- graphically follows mid-7th millennium B.C. burials with carp teeth ornaments is H63, which is dated to the period after 6200 CAL B.C. While the head or garment on the back side of this female individual was ornamented with carp teeth appliqués, here for the first time one also finds ornaments of Spondylus shell, which were made with distinctively new techno- morphological traits, along with white and red discoid limestone beads, which were clear examples of new forms that come from a different (Neolithic- looking) cultural repertoire. It should be noted that ornaments found in Vlasac burials after ca. 6200 CAL B.C. could be seen as the first signs of changes in materials adopted by local foragers who were affected by contacts with Early Neolithic communities (Boric´2007aBoric´ Boric´2007a, ...

Context 4

... were two main zones of human burials in the area excavated at Vlasac from 2006 to 2009. The first zone is characterized by exclusively Late Mesolithic, mid-7th millennium B.C. burials in Trenches 3/2007 and 1/2008 in the western part of the excavated area (FIG. 4). Five primary burials (H244, H254, H267, H317, and H326) were distributed over this area largely following the same position and orientation, that is, they were placed parallel to the Danube with their heads pointing downstream. In addition, burial H2 was found in this general area in front of the eroded riverbank section at the level of the beach gravel (Boric´2006Boric´Boric´2006). This burial was, at the time of the discovery, partly damaged and exposed by river erosion. It dates to 6775-6470 CAL B.C. (OxA-16541) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). The burial included 642 perforated, unmodified, and fragmented phar- yngeal carp teeth once attached to some sort of cloak placed on the back of the deceased. There were also 32 Cyclope neritea marine gastropod beads, 15 of which were part of a closely knit line of beads found lying beneath the upper femurs of burial H2 (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´Boric´2012). There was also a large stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual. The dating of this burial, the range and quantity of ornaments and the pattern of their distribution in the burial as well as the placement of a large stone block over the lower legs are all strikingly similar to child burial H297 found in the second burial concentration in Trench 3/2006 (FIG. 10). These suggest standardized Late Mesolithic burial ...

Context 5

... Neolithic Starčevo ceramics were found at Vlasac. Interestingly, the largest number of pot- sherds came from Trench 3/2006 and were vertically stratified above the burial place described above. Potsherds were found in the layer that was covering the large stone blocks that sealed the burial place, with the center of the ceramic concentration in square 96/ 98, but ceramics were also found in adjacent quad- rants, including one almost complete vessel (Boric´2007aBoric´ Boric´2007a: fig. 3.6). Also found associated with this level was one green discoid stone bead (FIG. 14: 11). Thanks to their stratigraphic superposition, it is possible to provide a terminus post quem for the pottery at the site on the basis of the dated red deer skull that was deposited upon the closing of the burial space between 6006 and 5838 CAL B.C. (OxA-16544) (at 95 % confidence) (TABLE 1); Early Neolithic ceramics might not have reached Vlasac before ca. 6000 CAL ...

Context 6

... second zone of burials at Vlasac is found in Trench 3/2006. There burials from the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition are superimposed on Late Mesolithic ones (FIG. 10). This represents the first unequivocal evidence for the existence of this transi- tional phase at Vlasac, significantly contributing to our understanding of the influence of the earliest farming and stock breeding Neolithic groups from the surrounding areas of the Balkans of indigenous foragers at the end of the 7th millennium B.C. The sequence of interments in this zone started upon the 2014abandonment of a dwelling. It seems that this location was first used in the first centuries of the 7th millennium B.C., followed by the construction of a floor area. This floor area was abandoned by depositing a layer of sterile soil over it. Among the first burials found on the same level in this location were adult burial H136 and child burial H297 (FIG. 10), with the individual in burial H136 dated to 6774-6472 CAL B.C. (OxA-18865) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). Undisturbed one year old child burial H297 was associated with 701 perforated, unmodified and fragmented pieces of carp (Cyprinidae sp.) pharyngeal teeth and 22 beads made of Cyclope neritea marine gastropod shells, most likely originally on some kind of burial cloak (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012). Also in child burial H297, there was a large intentionally fashioned stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual, similar to the one found in burial H2 in the burial zone in the western part of the excavated area (see above). Probably somewhat later was an adult inhumation, H232, found in the southern part of the burial area in Trench 3/2006 (FIGS. 10, 12A). In contrast to burial H297, only 27 carp teeth ornaments were found in this inhumation ( provides a terminus post quem for this inhumation. The AMS sample was from a charred cornelian cherry, Cornus mas, pit (Allué et al. in press;FilipovicétFilipovic´Filipovicét al. 2010) found in the fill of the cremation pit, Feature 26 (context 249), which was directly beneath burial H232 and which contained large amounts of charcoal, burnt human bones, and bone projectile points (FIG. 12B). The cremation event and the interment of H232 might have been related, occurring one after the other. Some of these burnt human bones might have come from disturbed burial H136 (BoricétBoric´Boricét al. 2009). A large part of H136 might have ended up in one or more cremation pits made at this location; only the feet and partly preserved lower legs of this individual were found in primary articulation. This disturbance of older burials and the subsequent fragmentation and burning of bones seems to have been a recurrent practice at Vlasac as stratigraphi- cally later burials in this location exhibit the same pattern of manipulation and secondary deposition of bones from earlier burials (Boric´2010Boric´Boric´2010). The described cremation event(s) happened prior to the interment of burial H81, dated to 6639-6440 CAL B.C. (OxA-20762) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1). Primary inhumation burial H81 is found slightly displaced to the south and the west of H136 and at a higher level, but along the same axis and with the same orientation and position as H136 (FIG. 10). This more complete inhumation was clearly disturbed by the placement of primary burial H63, which was placed along the same axis following the same position and orientation of burial H81. Furthermore, in the fill of H63 one finds several disarticulated bones of H81 placed alongside burial H63 (FIG. 10). However, on the basis of the radiocarbon date for burial H81 and the date of burial H63 with the range 6232-6018 CAL B.C. (OxA- 16542) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), it seems that these two interment events are at least three centuries apart. Disarticulated and fragmented bones of Late Mesolithic burial H81 were placed along the legs and in the fill of burial H63 which was ...

Context 7

... second zone of burials at Vlasac is found in Trench 3/2006. There burials from the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition are superimposed on Late Mesolithic ones (FIG. 10). This represents the first unequivocal evidence for the existence of this transi- tional phase at Vlasac, significantly contributing to our understanding of the influence of the earliest farming and stock breeding Neolithic groups from the surrounding areas of the Balkans of indigenous foragers at the end of the 7th millennium B.C. The sequence of interments in this zone started upon the 2014abandonment of a dwelling. It seems that this location was first used in the first centuries of the 7th millennium B.C., followed by the construction of a floor area. This floor area was abandoned by depositing a layer of sterile soil over it. Among the first burials found on the same level in this location were adult burial H136 and child burial H297 (FIG. 10), with the individual in burial H136 dated to 6774-6472 CAL B.C. (OxA-18865) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). Undisturbed one year old child burial H297 was associated with 701 perforated, unmodified and fragmented pieces of carp (Cyprinidae sp.) pharyngeal teeth and 22 beads made of Cyclope neritea marine gastropod shells, most likely originally on some kind of burial cloak (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012). Also in child burial H297, there was a large intentionally fashioned stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual, similar to the one found in burial H2 in the burial zone in the western part of the excavated area (see above). Probably somewhat later was an adult inhumation, H232, found in the southern part of the burial area in Trench 3/2006 (FIGS. 10, 12A). In contrast to burial H297, only 27 carp teeth ornaments were found in this inhumation ( provides a terminus post quem for this inhumation. The AMS sample was from a charred cornelian cherry, Cornus mas, pit (Allué et al. in press;FilipovicétFilipovic´Filipovicét al. 2010) found in the fill of the cremation pit, Feature 26 (context 249), which was directly beneath burial H232 and which contained large amounts of charcoal, burnt human bones, and bone projectile points (FIG. 12B). The cremation event and the interment of H232 might have been related, occurring one after the other. Some of these burnt human bones might have come from disturbed burial H136 (BoricétBoric´Boricét al. 2009). A large part of H136 might have ended up in one or more cremation pits made at this location; only the feet and partly preserved lower legs of this individual were found in primary articulation. This disturbance of older burials and the subsequent fragmentation and burning of bones seems to have been a recurrent practice at Vlasac as stratigraphi- cally later burials in this location exhibit the same pattern of manipulation and secondary deposition of bones from earlier burials (Boric´2010Boric´Boric´2010). The described cremation event(s) happened prior to the interment of burial H81, dated to 6639-6440 CAL B.C. (OxA-20762) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1). Primary inhumation burial H81 is found slightly displaced to the south and the west of H136 and at a higher level, but along the same axis and with the same orientation and position as H136 (FIG. 10). This more complete inhumation was clearly disturbed by the placement of primary burial H63, which was placed along the same axis following the same position and orientation of burial H81. Furthermore, in the fill of H63 one finds several disarticulated bones of H81 placed alongside burial H63 (FIG. 10). However, on the basis of the radiocarbon date for burial H81 and the date of burial H63 with the range 6232-6018 CAL B.C. (OxA- 16542) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), it seems that these two interment events are at least three centuries apart. Disarticulated and fragmented bones of Late Mesolithic burial H81 were placed along the legs and in the fill of burial H63 which was ...

Context 8

... second zone of burials at Vlasac is found in Trench 3/2006. There burials from the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition are superimposed on Late Mesolithic ones (FIG. 10). This represents the first unequivocal evidence for the existence of this transi- tional phase at Vlasac, significantly contributing to our understanding of the influence of the earliest farming and stock breeding Neolithic groups from the surrounding areas of the Balkans of indigenous foragers at the end of the 7th millennium B.C. The sequence of interments in this zone started upon the 2014abandonment of a dwelling. It seems that this location was first used in the first centuries of the 7th millennium B.C., followed by the construction of a floor area. This floor area was abandoned by depositing a layer of sterile soil over it. Among the first burials found on the same level in this location were adult burial H136 and child burial H297 (FIG. 10), with the individual in burial H136 dated to 6774-6472 CAL B.C. (OxA-18865) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). Undisturbed one year old child burial H297 was associated with 701 perforated, unmodified and fragmented pieces of carp (Cyprinidae sp.) pharyngeal teeth and 22 beads made of Cyclope neritea marine gastropod shells, most likely originally on some kind of burial cloak (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012). Also in child burial H297, there was a large intentionally fashioned stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual, similar to the one found in burial H2 in the burial zone in the western part of the excavated area (see above). Probably somewhat later was an adult inhumation, H232, found in the southern part of the burial area in Trench 3/2006 (FIGS. 10, 12A). In contrast to burial H297, only 27 carp teeth ornaments were found in this inhumation ( provides a terminus post quem for this inhumation. The AMS sample was from a charred cornelian cherry, Cornus mas, pit (Allué et al. in press;FilipovicétFilipovic´Filipovicét al. 2010) found in the fill of the cremation pit, Feature 26 (context 249), which was directly beneath burial H232 and which contained large amounts of charcoal, burnt human bones, and bone projectile points (FIG. 12B). The cremation event and the interment of H232 might have been related, occurring one after the other. Some of these burnt human bones might have come from disturbed burial H136 (BoricétBoric´Boricét al. 2009). A large part of H136 might have ended up in one or more cremation pits made at this location; only the feet and partly preserved lower legs of this individual were found in primary articulation. This disturbance of older burials and the subsequent fragmentation and burning of bones seems to have been a recurrent practice at Vlasac as stratigraphi- cally later burials in this location exhibit the same pattern of manipulation and secondary deposition of bones from earlier burials (Boric´2010Boric´Boric´2010). The described cremation event(s) happened prior to the interment of burial H81, dated to 6639-6440 CAL B.C. (OxA-20762) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1). Primary inhumation burial H81 is found slightly displaced to the south and the west of H136 and at a higher level, but along the same axis and with the same orientation and position as H136 (FIG. 10). This more complete inhumation was clearly disturbed by the placement of primary burial H63, which was placed along the same axis following the same position and orientation of burial H81. Furthermore, in the fill of H63 one finds several disarticulated bones of H81 placed alongside burial H63 (FIG. 10). However, on the basis of the radiocarbon date for burial H81 and the date of burial H63 with the range 6232-6018 CAL B.C. (OxA- 16542) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), it seems that these two interment events are at least three centuries apart. Disarticulated and fragmented bones of Late Mesolithic burial H81 were placed along the legs and in the fill of burial H63 which was ...

Context 9

... second zone of burials at Vlasac is found in Trench 3/2006. There burials from the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition are superimposed on Late Mesolithic ones (FIG. 10). This represents the first unequivocal evidence for the existence of this transi- tional phase at Vlasac, significantly contributing to our understanding of the influence of the earliest farming and stock breeding Neolithic groups from the surrounding areas of the Balkans of indigenous foragers at the end of the 7th millennium B.C. The sequence of interments in this zone started upon the 2014abandonment of a dwelling. It seems that this location was first used in the first centuries of the 7th millennium B.C., followed by the construction of a floor area. This floor area was abandoned by depositing a layer of sterile soil over it. Among the first burials found on the same level in this location were adult burial H136 and child burial H297 (FIG. 10), with the individual in burial H136 dated to 6774-6472 CAL B.C. (OxA-18865) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). Undisturbed one year old child burial H297 was associated with 701 perforated, unmodified and fragmented pieces of carp (Cyprinidae sp.) pharyngeal teeth and 22 beads made of Cyclope neritea marine gastropod shells, most likely originally on some kind of burial cloak (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012). Also in child burial H297, there was a large intentionally fashioned stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual, similar to the one found in burial H2 in the burial zone in the western part of the excavated area (see above). Probably somewhat later was an adult inhumation, H232, found in the southern part of the burial area in Trench 3/2006 (FIGS. 10, 12A). In contrast to burial H297, only 27 carp teeth ornaments were found in this inhumation ( provides a terminus post quem for this inhumation. The AMS sample was from a charred cornelian cherry, Cornus mas, pit (Allué et al. in press;FilipovicétFilipovic´Filipovicét al. 2010) found in the fill of the cremation pit, Feature 26 (context 249), which was directly beneath burial H232 and which contained large amounts of charcoal, burnt human bones, and bone projectile points (FIG. 12B). The cremation event and the interment of H232 might have been related, occurring one after the other. Some of these burnt human bones might have come from disturbed burial H136 (BoricétBoric´Boricét al. 2009). A large part of H136 might have ended up in one or more cremation pits made at this location; only the feet and partly preserved lower legs of this individual were found in primary articulation. This disturbance of older burials and the subsequent fragmentation and burning of bones seems to have been a recurrent practice at Vlasac as stratigraphi- cally later burials in this location exhibit the same pattern of manipulation and secondary deposition of bones from earlier burials (Boric´2010Boric´Boric´2010). The described cremation event(s) happened prior to the interment of burial H81, dated to 6639-6440 CAL B.C. (OxA-20762) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1). Primary inhumation burial H81 is found slightly displaced to the south and the west of H136 and at a higher level, but along the same axis and with the same orientation and position as H136 (FIG. 10). This more complete inhumation was clearly disturbed by the placement of primary burial H63, which was placed along the same axis following the same position and orientation of burial H81. Furthermore, in the fill of H63 one finds several disarticulated bones of H81 placed alongside burial H63 (FIG. 10). However, on the basis of the radiocarbon date for burial H81 and the date of burial H63 with the range 6232-6018 CAL B.C. (OxA- 16542) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), it seems that these two interment events are at least three centuries apart. Disarticulated and fragmented bones of Late Mesolithic burial H81 were placed along the legs and in the fill of burial H63 which was ...

Context 10

... second zone of burials at Vlasac is found in Trench 3/2006. There burials from the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition are superimposed on Late Mesolithic ones (FIG. 10). This represents the first unequivocal evidence for the existence of this transi- tional phase at Vlasac, significantly contributing to our understanding of the influence of the earliest farming and stock breeding Neolithic groups from the surrounding areas of the Balkans of indigenous foragers at the end of the 7th millennium B.C. The sequence of interments in this zone started upon the 2014abandonment of a dwelling. It seems that this location was first used in the first centuries of the 7th millennium B.C., followed by the construction of a floor area. This floor area was abandoned by depositing a layer of sterile soil over it. Among the first burials found on the same level in this location were adult burial H136 and child burial H297 (FIG. 10), with the individual in burial H136 dated to 6774-6472 CAL B.C. (OxA-18865) (at 95% confidence) after the correction for the aquatic reservoir effect (TABLE 1). Undisturbed one year old child burial H297 was associated with 701 perforated, unmodified and fragmented pieces of carp (Cyprinidae sp.) pharyngeal teeth and 22 beads made of Cyclope neritea marine gastropod shells, most likely originally on some kind of burial cloak (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012). Also in child burial H297, there was a large intentionally fashioned stone block placed over the lower legs of this individual, similar to the one found in burial H2 in the burial zone in the western part of the excavated area (see above). Probably somewhat later was an adult inhumation, H232, found in the southern part of the burial area in Trench 3/2006 (FIGS. 10, 12A). In contrast to burial H297, only 27 carp teeth ornaments were found in this inhumation ( provides a terminus post quem for this inhumation. The AMS sample was from a charred cornelian cherry, Cornus mas, pit (Allué et al. in press;FilipovicétFilipovic´Filipovicét al. 2010) found in the fill of the cremation pit, Feature 26 (context 249), which was directly beneath burial H232 and which contained large amounts of charcoal, burnt human bones, and bone projectile points (FIG. 12B). The cremation event and the interment of H232 might have been related, occurring one after the other. Some of these burnt human bones might have come from disturbed burial H136 (BoricétBoric´Boricét al. 2009). A large part of H136 might have ended up in one or more cremation pits made at this location; only the feet and partly preserved lower legs of this individual were found in primary articulation. This disturbance of older burials and the subsequent fragmentation and burning of bones seems to have been a recurrent practice at Vlasac as stratigraphi- cally later burials in this location exhibit the same pattern of manipulation and secondary deposition of bones from earlier burials (Boric´2010Boric´Boric´2010). The described cremation event(s) happened prior to the interment of burial H81, dated to 6639-6440 CAL B.C. (OxA-20762) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1). Primary inhumation burial H81 is found slightly displaced to the south and the west of H136 and at a higher level, but along the same axis and with the same orientation and position as H136 (FIG. 10). This more complete inhumation was clearly disturbed by the placement of primary burial H63, which was placed along the same axis following the same position and orientation of burial H81. Furthermore, in the fill of H63 one finds several disarticulated bones of H81 placed alongside burial H63 (FIG. 10). However, on the basis of the radiocarbon date for burial H81 and the date of burial H63 with the range 6232-6018 CAL B.C. (OxA- 16542) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), it seems that these two interment events are at least three centuries apart. Disarticulated and fragmented bones of Late Mesolithic burial H81 were placed along the legs and in the fill of burial H63 which was ...

Context 11

... this Late Mesolithic industry is dominated by flakes as the consequence of selecting locally available raw materials which exhibit poor technolo- gical characteristics, the technological basis of this industry is in the Balkan Epipalaeolithic or Epigra- vettian tradition, with its roots in the industry documented at the rockshelter site of Cuina Tur- cului (FIG. 1), found on the northern bank of the Danube downstream from Vlasac. The blade techni- que, which is dominant in the Cuina Turcului Epipalaeolithic industry (Pa ˘unescu 1970), is clearly present at Vlasac, and when used with good quality flint it allowed the production of regular blades and trapezes. The preference for locally available materi- als throughout the Mesolithic at Vlasac and the Danube Gorges area in general led Kozłowski and Kozłowski to suggest that this was the consequence of ''the increasing forestation which blocked the access to some primary deposits, and … the increas- ing isolation of human groups in the Early Holocene'' ( Kozłowski and Kozłowski 1982: 100). Yet, occa- sional pieces of good quality non-local flint, as well as marine gastropods, such as Columbella rustica and Cyclope neritea, the closest source for which was at least 400 km away, were found in the Late Mesolithic deposits at Vlasac (Cristiani and ...

Context 12

... the other five burials in this part of the site have not been dated directly, their general orientation and positions (in some cases with stone construc- tions) as well as their range of ornaments suggest that they might also be dated to the Late Mesolithic of the 7th millennium B.C. For instance, a concentration of 251 carp teeth ornaments was found in burial H267 (FIG. 11). In nearby burial H244, the torso and mandible were disturbed by a later intrusion, with possible burning of the disturbed bones, which left only one fragment of a carbonized right humerus in situ, while most of the other disturbed and likely burnt bones were removed. Possibly connected with this exhumation and burning is a cremation pit, Feature 23 (context 242), (TABLE 3) found in the vicinity (FIG. 4). Apart from burnt bones found in this cremation pit, there were 10 carbonized Cyclope neritea beads, suggesting that the fragments of burnt bone and ornaments relate to the disturbed torso of burial H244 (BoricétBoricét al. 2009). A few Late Mesolithic cremations also contained broken and burnt projec- tile points, which might have been comingled and burnt intentionally with disarticulated and fragmen- ted pieces of human bone. Cremation associated with the practice of disturbing parts of older burials is what characterizes mortuary rites at Vlasac during the Late Mesolithic (BoricétBoricét al. 2009). It seems that this practice also remained vital and relevant for the inhabitants of Vlasac throughout the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition as suggested by similar cremation events in the burial sequence in Trench 3/2006 (see ...

Context 13

... are 70 pieces of ground stone from the most recent excavations of Vlasac in contrast to 131 specimens from the 1970-1971 excavations at the site (SrejovicándSrejovicánd Letica 1978: 98-103). These artifacts were largely made from sandstone boulders (over 50%) and amphibolites (ca. 25%) with several speci- mens made from aplite, micaschist and chert. The raw material structure of the assemblage corresponds to those at other sites in the region, such as the neighboring site of Lepenski Vir (Antonovic´2006 Antonovic´Antonovic´2006: 19); the primary source of the sandstone boulders is in the vicinity of both sites, in the upper reaches of the Boljetinska ...

Context 14

... clearest indications of both continuities and dramatic changes starting at this time, ca. 6200 CAL B.C., in the Danube Gorges region come from the style of body decoration. Associated with the individual in burial H63, on both sides of the neck and below the shoulder blades were 178 carp teeth ornaments (FIG. 13), most of which were perforated in order to be sewed onto a cloak or headdress. As previously mentioned, this type of ornamentation was abun- dantly used during the course of the Late Mesolithic at Vlasac and at Schela Cladovei (Bonsall 2008;Boric´2012Boric´Boric´2012). Yet, with burial H63, for the first time comes evidence of the use of these ornaments in relation to the head of the deceased. Since no major disturbance characterizes these ornaments and the neck bones, it is possible that the head was removed upon the decomposition of soft tissues. On the left side of the neck of the individual in burial H63, within the concentration of carp teeth ornaments, there was an ovoid shaped Spondylus bead (FIGS. 13B, 14: 7). This bead, clearly associated with the body decoration worn at the time of the burial, is possibly the earliest securely dated item made from Spondylus in southeastern Europe. Moreover, not only is the new exotic marine material (completely replacing previously used exotic materi- als such as Cyclope neritea or Columbella rustica, marine gastropods) used for the production of this bead, but it is also the morphology of the bead and other similar beads (FIG. 14: 7-9) that signifies foreign There were several other inhumations that prob- ably soon followed the interment of the individual in H63 in the same location. Two juvenile/subadult individuals (H60 and H153) (TABLE 3) were placed directly atop H63. Further, digging into the same location at a later date and removing the left pelvis, femur and forearm of H63, which were all kept for later use, and damaging the articulated limbs of the 2-3 year old child in burial H153 (FIG. 15) placed over H63, two neonates (H62 and H69) were interred one on top of the other, possibly as part of the same burial event. At some point, the skulls of individuals in burials H60, H63, and H153 were removed. While the skull of the child in burial H153 was kept for later use, skulls from H60 and H63 and a large number of the postcranial bones from H60 were burnt atop these burials, creating a cremation zone with in situ fire that also partly affected the undisturbed upper torso of the juvenile in burial H60, which was lying directly atop the torso of the adult in burial H63. The burning of likely ''dry'' bones of these individuals was followed (perhaps as part of the same burial ceremony) by the interment of an old woman (burial H53), the last inhumation in this burial place. While in the same position as the other burials and paralleling the Danube, H53 is different from all other burials in this burial place as the woman was oriented with her head pointing upstream, not downstream. The disarticulated left femur from burial H63 that must have been kept in the burial area for some time, was now placed along the axis of the extended body in H53 between her legs (FIG. 10), with a likely intention of producing the appearance of an erect penis. The left pelvic bone and several other disarticulated bones from H63 were also placed over the lower legs of H53. Next to the right hip of this individual a flat stone plaque was inserted vertically, and, on the side of this plaque, two ulnae and a radius coming from older burials H63 and H81 were stacked up together. The pelvis and the head of H53 were then covered by two flat stone plaques. These stone plaques were similar to the ones that were used to cover the lower parts of the legs of the individual in burial H63. A red deer skull was placed atop the stone plaque covering the pelvis in burial H53. This red deer skull is dated to between 6006-5838 CAL B.C. (OxA-16544) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), repre- senting a terminus ante quem for the interment of burial H53. The red deer skull comes from a young animal that was likely caught between mid-summer and winter, based on the fact that antlers are present, and that red deer usually shed their antlers from March through May and they begin growing again in spring. There were cuts on the frontal and parietal bones, suggesting some sort of skull ...

Context 15

... clearest indications of both continuities and dramatic changes starting at this time, ca. 6200 CAL B.C., in the Danube Gorges region come from the style of body decoration. Associated with the individual in burial H63, on both sides of the neck and below the shoulder blades were 178 carp teeth ornaments (FIG. 13), most of which were perforated in order to be sewed onto a cloak or headdress. As previously mentioned, this type of ornamentation was abun- dantly used during the course of the Late Mesolithic at Vlasac and at Schela Cladovei (Bonsall 2008;Boric´2012Boric´Boric´2012). Yet, with burial H63, for the first time comes evidence of the use of these ornaments in relation to the head of the deceased. Since no major disturbance characterizes these ornaments and the neck bones, it is possible that the head was removed upon the decomposition of soft tissues. On the left side of the neck of the individual in burial H63, within the concentration of carp teeth ornaments, there was an ovoid shaped Spondylus bead (FIGS. 13B, 14: 7). This bead, clearly associated with the body decoration worn at the time of the burial, is possibly the earliest securely dated item made from Spondylus in southeastern Europe. Moreover, not only is the new exotic marine material (completely replacing previously used exotic materi- als such as Cyclope neritea or Columbella rustica, marine gastropods) used for the production of this bead, but it is also the morphology of the bead and other similar beads (FIG. 14: 7-9) that signifies foreign There were several other inhumations that prob- ably soon followed the interment of the individual in H63 in the same location. Two juvenile/subadult individuals (H60 and H153) (TABLE 3) were placed directly atop H63. Further, digging into the same location at a later date and removing the left pelvis, femur and forearm of H63, which were all kept for later use, and damaging the articulated limbs of the 2-3 year old child in burial H153 (FIG. 15) placed over H63, two neonates (H62 and H69) were interred one on top of the other, possibly as part of the same burial event. At some point, the skulls of individuals in burials H60, H63, and H153 were removed. While the skull of the child in burial H153 was kept for later use, skulls from H60 and H63 and a large number of the postcranial bones from H60 were burnt atop these burials, creating a cremation zone with in situ fire that also partly affected the undisturbed upper torso of the juvenile in burial H60, which was lying directly atop the torso of the adult in burial H63. The burning of likely ''dry'' bones of these individuals was followed (perhaps as part of the same burial ceremony) by the interment of an old woman (burial H53), the last inhumation in this burial place. While in the same position as the other burials and paralleling the Danube, H53 is different from all other burials in this burial place as the woman was oriented with her head pointing upstream, not downstream. The disarticulated left femur from burial H63 that must have been kept in the burial area for some time, was now placed along the axis of the extended body in H53 between her legs (FIG. 10), with a likely intention of producing the appearance of an erect penis. The left pelvic bone and several other disarticulated bones from H63 were also placed over the lower legs of H53. Next to the right hip of this individual a flat stone plaque was inserted vertically, and, on the side of this plaque, two ulnae and a radius coming from older burials H63 and H81 were stacked up together. The pelvis and the head of H53 were then covered by two flat stone plaques. These stone plaques were similar to the ones that were used to cover the lower parts of the legs of the individual in burial H63. A red deer skull was placed atop the stone plaque covering the pelvis in burial H53. This red deer skull is dated to between 6006-5838 CAL B.C. (OxA-16544) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), repre- senting a terminus ante quem for the interment of burial H53. The red deer skull comes from a young animal that was likely caught between mid-summer and winter, based on the fact that antlers are present, and that red deer usually shed their antlers from March through May and they begin growing again in spring. There were cuts on the frontal and parietal bones, suggesting some sort of skull ...

Context 16

... clearest indications of both continuities and dramatic changes starting at this time, ca. 6200 CAL B.C., in the Danube Gorges region come from the style of body decoration. Associated with the individual in burial H63, on both sides of the neck and below the shoulder blades were 178 carp teeth ornaments (FIG. 13), most of which were perforated in order to be sewed onto a cloak or headdress. As previously mentioned, this type of ornamentation was abun- dantly used during the course of the Late Mesolithic at Vlasac and at Schela Cladovei (Bonsall 2008;Boric´2012Boric´Boric´2012). Yet, with burial H63, for the first time comes evidence of the use of these ornaments in relation to the head of the deceased. Since no major disturbance characterizes these ornaments and the neck bones, it is possible that the head was removed upon the decomposition of soft tissues. On the left side of the neck of the individual in burial H63, within the concentration of carp teeth ornaments, there was an ovoid shaped Spondylus bead (FIGS. 13B, 14: 7). This bead, clearly associated with the body decoration worn at the time of the burial, is possibly the earliest securely dated item made from Spondylus in southeastern Europe. Moreover, not only is the new exotic marine material (completely replacing previously used exotic materi- als such as Cyclope neritea or Columbella rustica, marine gastropods) used for the production of this bead, but it is also the morphology of the bead and other similar beads (FIG. 14: 7-9) that signifies foreign There were several other inhumations that prob- ably soon followed the interment of the individual in H63 in the same location. Two juvenile/subadult individuals (H60 and H153) (TABLE 3) were placed directly atop H63. Further, digging into the same location at a later date and removing the left pelvis, femur and forearm of H63, which were all kept for later use, and damaging the articulated limbs of the 2-3 year old child in burial H153 (FIG. 15) placed over H63, two neonates (H62 and H69) were interred one on top of the other, possibly as part of the same burial event. At some point, the skulls of individuals in burials H60, H63, and H153 were removed. While the skull of the child in burial H153 was kept for later use, skulls from H60 and H63 and a large number of the postcranial bones from H60 were burnt atop these burials, creating a cremation zone with in situ fire that also partly affected the undisturbed upper torso of the juvenile in burial H60, which was lying directly atop the torso of the adult in burial H63. The burning of likely ''dry'' bones of these individuals was followed (perhaps as part of the same burial ceremony) by the interment of an old woman (burial H53), the last inhumation in this burial place. While in the same position as the other burials and paralleling the Danube, H53 is different from all other burials in this burial place as the woman was oriented with her head pointing upstream, not downstream. The disarticulated left femur from burial H63 that must have been kept in the burial area for some time, was now placed along the axis of the extended body in H53 between her legs (FIG. 10), with a likely intention of producing the appearance of an erect penis. The left pelvic bone and several other disarticulated bones from H63 were also placed over the lower legs of H53. Next to the right hip of this individual a flat stone plaque was inserted vertically, and, on the side of this plaque, two ulnae and a radius coming from older burials H63 and H81 were stacked up together. The pelvis and the head of H53 were then covered by two flat stone plaques. These stone plaques were similar to the ones that were used to cover the lower parts of the legs of the individual in burial H63. A red deer skull was placed atop the stone plaque covering the pelvis in burial H53. This red deer skull is dated to between 6006-5838 CAL B.C. (OxA-16544) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), repre- senting a terminus ante quem for the interment of burial H53. The red deer skull comes from a young animal that was likely caught between mid-summer and winter, based on the fact that antlers are present, and that red deer usually shed their antlers from March through May and they begin growing again in spring. There were cuts on the frontal and parietal bones, suggesting some sort of skull ...

Context 17

... clearest indications of both continuities and dramatic changes starting at this time, ca. 6200 CAL B.C., in the Danube Gorges region come from the style of body decoration. Associated with the individual in burial H63, on both sides of the neck and below the shoulder blades were 178 carp teeth ornaments (FIG. 13), most of which were perforated in order to be sewed onto a cloak or headdress. As previously mentioned, this type of ornamentation was abun- dantly used during the course of the Late Mesolithic at Vlasac and at Schela Cladovei (Bonsall 2008;Boric´2012Boric´Boric´2012). Yet, with burial H63, for the first time comes evidence of the use of these ornaments in relation to the head of the deceased. Since no major disturbance characterizes these ornaments and the neck bones, it is possible that the head was removed upon the decomposition of soft tissues. On the left side of the neck of the individual in burial H63, within the concentration of carp teeth ornaments, there was an ovoid shaped Spondylus bead (FIGS. 13B, 14: 7). This bead, clearly associated with the body decoration worn at the time of the burial, is possibly the earliest securely dated item made from Spondylus in southeastern Europe. Moreover, not only is the new exotic marine material (completely replacing previously used exotic materi- als such as Cyclope neritea or Columbella rustica, marine gastropods) used for the production of this bead, but it is also the morphology of the bead and other similar beads (FIG. 14: 7-9) that signifies foreign There were several other inhumations that prob- ably soon followed the interment of the individual in H63 in the same location. Two juvenile/subadult individuals (H60 and H153) (TABLE 3) were placed directly atop H63. Further, digging into the same location at a later date and removing the left pelvis, femur and forearm of H63, which were all kept for later use, and damaging the articulated limbs of the 2-3 year old child in burial H153 (FIG. 15) placed over H63, two neonates (H62 and H69) were interred one on top of the other, possibly as part of the same burial event. At some point, the skulls of individuals in burials H60, H63, and H153 were removed. While the skull of the child in burial H153 was kept for later use, skulls from H60 and H63 and a large number of the postcranial bones from H60 were burnt atop these burials, creating a cremation zone with in situ fire that also partly affected the undisturbed upper torso of the juvenile in burial H60, which was lying directly atop the torso of the adult in burial H63. The burning of likely ''dry'' bones of these individuals was followed (perhaps as part of the same burial ceremony) by the interment of an old woman (burial H53), the last inhumation in this burial place. While in the same position as the other burials and paralleling the Danube, H53 is different from all other burials in this burial place as the woman was oriented with her head pointing upstream, not downstream. The disarticulated left femur from burial H63 that must have been kept in the burial area for some time, was now placed along the axis of the extended body in H53 between her legs (FIG. 10), with a likely intention of producing the appearance of an erect penis. The left pelvic bone and several other disarticulated bones from H63 were also placed over the lower legs of H53. Next to the right hip of this individual a flat stone plaque was inserted vertically, and, on the side of this plaque, two ulnae and a radius coming from older burials H63 and H81 were stacked up together. The pelvis and the head of H53 were then covered by two flat stone plaques. These stone plaques were similar to the ones that were used to cover the lower parts of the legs of the individual in burial H63. A red deer skull was placed atop the stone plaque covering the pelvis in burial H53. This red deer skull is dated to between 6006-5838 CAL B.C. (OxA-16544) (at 95% confidence) (TABLE 1), repre- senting a terminus ante quem for the interment of burial H53. The red deer skull comes from a young animal that was likely caught between mid-summer and winter, based on the fact that antlers are present, and that red deer usually shed their antlers from March through May and they begin growing again in spring. There were cuts on the frontal and parietal bones, suggesting some sort of skull ...

Context 18

... continuity in the use of the same location and characterized by the same mortuary practice (extended burial, oriented parallel to the Danube and with the head pointing downstream) is typical of the Late Mesolithic mortuary canon, which also refer- ences the position of older burials, suggesting the longevity of social memory, possibly related to claims made by particular lineages to older burials. It also indicates the stability of mortuary rites over long periods of time at the site and across the Danube Gorges region as a whole in the course of the Mesolithic, or at the very least an intentional attempt to reference ''the old ways'' ( Boric´2003aBoric´Boric´2003a, 2010BoricétBoric´ Boricét al. 2009). On the other hand, there are also clear deviations from the typical Late Mesolithic mortuary practice starting at the level of burial H63. These changes mainly relate to burial furnishings and body decoration. For instance, two fashioned flat stone plaques were found placed over the lower legs of this individual (FIG. 10); the lower legs remained undis- turbed by later exhumation events and interments. It must be said that this practice of covering the lower legs of the deceased with stone has its roots in the Late Mesolithic at Vlasac where one finds several burials (H2, H297 and H326) (Cristiani and Boric´2012Boric´ Boric´2012) with large, mainly unmodified stones placed over the legs of these individuals. Yet, in the case of burial H63 and later burials in this location, fashioned stone plaques rather than unmodified large stones were used for covering parts of the body of the deceased upon burial. It has been suggested that the practice of placing heavy stones over the legs of the deceased might have been related to attempts to restrict the movement of the dead body and its possible intentions to harm. Other practices evi- denced at Vlasac including wrapping/tying the body, and subsequently exhuming, fragmenting, and burn- ing the remains of the dead, might have been motivated by the same concerns (BoricétBoricét al. ...

Context 19

... the burials dated to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition phase, there were also other specimens of Spondylus beads as well as a new type of discoid shaped red and white beads (FIGS. 14: 10, 15). Both Spondylus and limestone discoid beads were scattered within the fill of the various burials described above but they were largely disturbed from their primary locations adorning the bodies of the deceased. Only in the undisturbed portion of child burial H153, next to the femur, were several beads found in their likely primary locations (FIG. 15); they are possibly related to the wrist of the child, suggesting that these beads might have come from a bracelet that the child was wearing at the time of the burial. The morphology of these discoid beads (FIG. 14: 10-11) is another new element of material culture in the Danube Gorges area, appearing here for the first time in this period with analogies in various Pre-Pottery Neolithic sites of southwestern Asia (Lichter 2007). Closer to home, at the neighboring site of Lepenski Vir, identical discoid beads from the same material were found in Burials 54e, 87a-b and 93 (Srejovic´1981Srejovic´Srejovic´1981; SrejovicándSrejovicánd Babovic´1982Babovic´Babovic´1982), all three dated to Lepenski Vir I-II, which is contemporaneous with the Mesolithic- Neolithic transition phase at ...

Context 20

... specimens had clear traces of use and fall into the following categories: fish stunners, small anvils, or hammerstones. The latter were used on one or several sides (FIG. 8: 2,3) over a considerable period of time most often for flintknapping, or to make borers and shaft-straighteners, which were possibly used for bone tool manufacturing or bead making. One large river pebble found in context 235, a layer above burial H244, has the shape of a massive axe and has traces of use as a polisher on one face (FIG. 8:1). Anvils are the most frequent category of ground stone tools found in both the old and new excavations at the ...

Context 21

... is likely that the deposition of the body in burial H53 and the red deer skull might have been part of the same burial event, also possibly related to the burning of earlier burials at this location. When compared to the date of H63 that acts as a terminus post quem for the interments of H53, H60, H62, H69, and H153, the maximum span of time in which these five interments took place was not longer than 300 years and likely much shorter. At the same level where the red deer skull was found, but 80 cm south of it and aligned with a large stone block placed on the same level, an isolated child skull, H21, was deposited as a secondary burial (FIG. 10). Based on an estimate of this skull's age, there is the likelihood that it comes from burial H153 (primary inhumation) found atop H63. The whole burial zone, which likely acted as a burial cairn for some time, was covered by large blocks of stone, some of red color, in an intentional act of closing the burial place of a particular social group in a structured ...

Context 22

... sum, the archaeobotanical record of Vlasac allows us to describe plant communities in the Danube Gorges region. The identified taxa mostly indicate forest plant formation with an important shrubby vegetal cover. Oaks might have formed the main forest and most of the other taxa might have formed understory or shrubby vegetation at the forest edges or on the riverbanks. The Vlasac record shows the significance of Cornus mas L. It is possible to relate archaeobotanical remains to firewood in some ritual practices but this does not necessarily suggest symbolic preferences for particular species. Based on the association of Cornelian cherry with burial deposits (i.e., in burial fill), it is tempting to suggest that this species had a symbolic meaning for the Vlasac community and was somehow linked to their burial rites. A relatively large number of Cornus mas pits from Feature 26 (context 249) seem to be the best indication of such an intentional symbolic use of the Cornelian cherry fruits, since the complete absence of Cornus mas charcoal (despite a high frequency of ca. 70 ml of charcoal remains, which is much more than any of the other analyzed samples) from this unit seems to exclude the accidental association of cherries with the branches of burnt firewood used for keeping the cremation fire. We can only speculate about the meaning of the Cornelian cherries' association with this context. Here we mention only a few possibilities: they might have represented remnants from a feast for the dead; the fruits might have been of symbolic importance due to their red color, perhaps analogous to ochre and other red minerals in meaning (cf., Boric´2002bBoric´Boric´2002b); and/or the Cornelian cherry might have been the type of food discarded in the course of the burial ceremony (as a sign of the social rejection of the deceased). Cornelian cherries become ripe in September (JančicJančic´Jančic´1990: 36) and we may suggest that the cremation and probably also the burial event took place in the fall. However, if meant for consumption, cherries could have been dried and stored for several seasons (Wiltshire 1995: 385) (Câ rciumaru 1978) showed the presence of pollen grains from species with potentially edible parts (e.g., Pinus, Quercus, Juglans, Corylus). This could suggest that these species were particularly selected for food; if consumed, they would have provided valuable vitamins and minerals for the diet, complementing the nutrients available from fish and ...

Context 23

... contrast to this patchy archaeological record for foragers is the evidence from the Danube Gorges area in the north-central Balkans. The Danube Gorges area is split by the River Danube between the territories of present day Romania and Serbia (FIG. 1). With the discovery of more than 20 sites having Mesolithic deposits in the Danube Gorges area in the mid-1960s, new data became available that were unprecedented for other areas with a known Mesolithic presence in Europe (cf., Bonsall 2008; Boric´2011Boric´Boric´2011; Boroneant¸2000Boroneant¸ Boroneant¸2000; Clarke 1976; Jovanovic´2008Jovanovic´Jovanovic´2008; Nandris 1971; Radovanovic´1996Radovanovic´Radovanovic´1996; Srejovic´1972Srejovic´Srejovic´1972; Tringham 2000). However, excavations conducted at these sites were rather crude rescue projects because of the threat of the rising waters of the artificial lake created by the construction of a hydroelectric dam (Boric´2011Boric´Boric´2011: 159; Boroneant¸2000Boroneant¸Boroneant¸2000: 11-15; Radovanovic´1996Radovanovic´Radovanovic´1996: 3-8). This, in tandem with a controversy about the dating of the key site of Lepenski Vir (Boric´1999Boric´Boric´1999, 2002a) as well as the slow pace of the publishing of the primary data from the 1960s-1980s excavations in this region, left this rich corpus of archaeological data undeservedly on the margins of archaeological discussions about the character and tempo of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Europe. This research context signifi- cantly changed in the mid-1990s with a fresh synthesis of the available evidence by I. Radovanovic´(Radovanovic´Radovanovic´(1996), new absolute dating of the rich corpus of mortuary remains coupled with stable isotope analyses (Bonsall et al. 1997), and the reexamination of collections with human osteological and faunal remains along with other material remains (Antonovic´2006Antonovic´Antonovic´2006; Boric´1999Boric´Boric´1999, 2002a; BoricándBoricánd Dimitrijevic´2007Dimitrijevic´Dimitrijevic´2007; Roksandic´2000Roksandic´Roksandic´2000; StefanovicándStefanovicánd Boric´2008Boric´Boric´2008). In addition, new field research was undertaken in the early 1990s at the only site at the time still available for continuing research after the rise of the Danube-Schela Cladovei, (FIG. 1) on the Romanian side of the river (Bonsall 2008;Boroneant¸etBoroneant¸Boroneant¸et al. ...