Archaeologists from Germany and Serbia have collaborated on a groundbreaking discovery in northeastern Serbia—a previously unknown Late Neolithic settlement near the Tamiš River. This significant find sheds new light on the region’s prehistoric inhabitants and their way of life.
The team, led by Professor Dr. Martin Furholt of Kiel University’s Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, partnered with the Museum of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, the National Museum Zrenjanin, and the National Museum Pančevo.
“The discovery holds immense significance,” Professor Furholt explains, “as substantial Late Neolithic settlements are rarely found in Serbia’s Banat region.”
Unearthing a Hidden Settlement
Located near the modern village of Jarkovac, the newly discovered settlement boasts an impressive size. Utilizing geophysical methods in March 2024, the research team successfully mapped its entire structure, revealing an area spanning 11 to 13 hectares encompassed by four to six ditches.
“The settlement’s size is truly remarkable,” says Fynn Wilkes, a ROOTS doctoral student and co-team leader. “The geophysical data also provides a clear picture of the site’s layout as it existed 7,000 years ago.”
Beyond the initial geophysical survey, the team conducted a meticulous surface survey of the surrounding area, collecting artifacts that provided crucial clues. This material indicates that the settlement belonged to the Vinča culture, a civilization flourishing between 5400 and 4400 BCE. Interestingly, the artifacts also revealed strong influences from the regional Banat culture.
“This is another noteworthy aspect,” highlights Wilkes, “as only a handful of settlements attributed to the Banat culture have been identified within present-day Serbia.”
Deciphering Hungary’s Circular Enigmas
The same research team, collaborating with partners from the Janus Pannonius Museum in Pécs, Hungary, embarked on a parallel mission during the two-week campaign. Their focus here was on investigating several Late Neolithic circular features in Hungary, known as “rondels,” associated with the Lengyel culture (5000/4900–4500/4400 BCE). Similar to their work in Serbia, the researchers employed a combination of geophysical techniques and systematic walking surveys.
This combined approach proved highly effective, enabling the researchers to achieve a more precise understanding of the eras represented at each Hungarian site. “We were able to re-evaluate some previously known locations,” explains co-team leader Kata Furholt, also from Kiel University’s Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology. “For instance, sites initially classified as Late Neolithic circular ditches were revealed to be much younger structures.”
Shedding Light on the Neolithic Era
The Hungarian leg of the expedition yielded particularly significant results, including the reclassification of a settlement previously assigned to the Late Neolithic period. This site now appears to belong to the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age Vučedol culture (3000/2900–2500/2400 BCE). Additionally, the team successfully documented a Late Neolithic circular ditch located in the village of Vokány.
Professor Furholt emphasizes the broader significance of these discoveries: “Southeast Europe is a crucial region for understanding the spread of knowledge and technology in early human history, and how these advancements were linked to social inequalities. It was here that groundbreaking technologies like metalworking first emerged in Europe. The newly discovered and reclassified sites provide valuable data for us to gain a deeper understanding of social inequality and knowledge transfer during this period.”
These findings are being integrated into the ongoing interdisciplinary project “Inequality of Wealth and Knowledge” undertaken by the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS. Further analysis is underway to glean even more insights from this captivating exploration of Europe’s prehistoric past.
Source: Kiel University