 |
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Prehistoric Balkans. (Discuss) |
Prehistoric Serbia is the period from the first appearance of humans on the territory of modern-day Serbia, to the establishment of the Serbs in 620AD. The best known cultural archaeological discoveries from the prehistoric period are the Starcevo and Vinca cultures[1] dating back to 6400-6200BC.
Serbia's strategic location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by many peoples.
Contents |
[edit] History
A fragment of a human jaw, was found in Sicevo and believed to be up to 250,000 years old[2]. Two skeletons of Mammoths have been found in Serbia, the first in Kikinda in 1996, the second in Viminacium (Kostolac), June 2009, 1,5 million year old (mammuthus meridionalis)[3][4] thus one of the oldest mammoths of Europe[5]. Many archaeological sites have been destroyed because of floodings.
Agriculture in Serbia dates from 8,500BC to 10,500BC[6].
The Neolithic Starčevo and Vinča cultures existed in or near Belgrade and dominated the Balkans (as well as parts of Central Europe and Asia Minor) about 8,500 years ago.[7][8] Some scholars believe that the prehistoric Vinča signs represent one of the earliest known forms of Writing systems (dating to 6000-4000BC).[9]
Lepenski Vir is a mesolithic archaeological site near Donji Milanovac, dating to 7000 BC with the peak of culture in 5300-4800BC. Numerous piscine sculptures and peculiar architecture are testimony to a rich social and religious life led by the inhabitants and the high cultural level of these early Europeans. It is assumed that the people of Lepenski Vir culture represent the descendants of the early European population of the Brno-Předmost hunter gatherer culture from the end of the last ice age. Archeological evidence of human habitation of the surrounding caves dates back to around 20,000 BC. The first settlement on the low plateau dates back to 7000 BC, a time when the climate became significantly warmer. Seven successive settlements were discovered on the Lepenski Vir site, with the remains of 136 residential and sacral buildings dating from 6500 BC to 5500 BC. Among other finds are the many characteristic sculptures, The sculptures can be separated in two distinct categories, one with simple geometric patterns and the other representing humanoid figures. The latter are the most interesting. All of these figural sculptures were modelled in a naturalistic and strongly expressionistic manner. Only the head and face of the human figures were modelled realistically, with strong brow arches, an elongated nose, and a wide, fish-like mouth. Hair, beard, arms and hands can be seen on some of the figures in a stylized form. Many fish-like features can be noticed. Along with the position which these sculptures had in the house shrine, they suggest a connection with river gods.
First evidence of Human Metallurgy is recorded between the 5th and 6th millennium BC in Archaeological sites of Majdanpek, Yarmovac and Plocnik[10] and Rudna Glava[11] Mine in Serbia and Ai Bunar Mine in Bulgaria[12]
The oldest copper axe in Europe was found at Prokuplje, that indicated that Human use of metals (Metallurgy) started in Europe around 7,500 years ago (~5,500BC in the Vincha culture) millenias earlier than Ötzi's axe (previously oldest metalworking) [13][14]
The Thracians dominated Serbia before the Illyrian migration in the southwest.[15]
Greeks colonized the south in the 4th century B.C., the northernmost point of the empire of Alexander the Great being the town of Kale.[16]
In 279 BC, after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans, the Scordisci were formed in Serbia. They took the strategic hill fort of Singidunum, modern Belgrade and built Taurunum (Zemun). They subjugated most of the tribes that came in their way, Illyrians, West Thracians and Paeonians and were at one time the most powerful tribe of the Balkans. From 141 BC and onwards they are fighting with the Romans, they are defeated in 135 BC, victorious in 118 BC against Sextus Pompey and again in 114 BC against Gaius Porcius Cato and then defeated in 107 BC, but are still holding a significant part of Pannonia. They invade Macedonia with the Dardani and Maedi, coming as far as Delphi, plundering the temple but are eventually defeated and driven across the Danube in 88 BC. There they are subjugated by the Dacians under Burebista in 56-50 BC, and finally in 15 BC they are Roman subjects, beginning their Romanization.
[edit] Roman Serbia
The Romans conquered parts of Serbia in 2nd century BC, in 167 BC when conquering the West, establishing the province of Illyricum and the rest of Central Serbia in 75 BC, establishing the province of Moesia. Srem is conquered by 9 BC and Backa and Banat in 106 AD after the Dacian wars.
Belgrade, Prehistoric capital of Europe,[17] is believed to have been torn by 140 wars since Roman times.[18] The northern Serbian city of Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica) was among the top 4 cities of the late Roman Empire, serving as its capital during the Tetrarchy.[19] Contemporary Serbia comprises the classical regions of Moesia, Pannonia, parts of Dalmatia, Dacia and Macedonia.[20] Around the 6th century, Slavs appeared on the Byzantine borders in great numbers.[21]
The chief towns of Serbian Upper Moesia in the Principate were: Singidunum (Belgrade), Viminacium (sometimes called municipium Aelium; modern Kostolac), Remesiana (Bela Palanka)
Throughout its history, various parts of the territory of modern Serbia have been colonized, claimed or ruled by:
- Thracians, Dacians, Illyrians, Celts
- the Greeks and Romans, the Western and Eastern Roman Empires
- challenged by the incursions of the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Sarmatians, the Avars, the Serbs, the Frankish Kingdom, the Great Moravia, the Bulgarians, the Ottoman Empire and finally, the Hungarians).
No fewer than 17 Roman Emperors were born in the land that is now Serbia.[22]
[edit] Cultures and Tribes
| Name (Group) |
Time | Territory | Notes | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agrianes (Paeonian-Thracian) |
511 BC | Pčinja | a Thraco-Paeonian tribe that fought in Alexander the Great's light infantry as javelin throwers. They fought the Triballi in 335 BC. | |
| Triballi (Thracian) |
424 BC | SE Serbia | a Thracian tribe inhabiting southeastern Serbia | Požarevac Hisar Hill Ljuljaci |
| Macedonians (Greeks) |
~400 BC | Pčinja | Macedonians governed an urban town in the 5th, 4th and 3rd century before being razed by the Scordisci. | Krševica |
| Autariatae (Illyrian) |
313 BC | S Serbia | The tribes of Autariatae and the Celtic Scordisci are thought to have merged into one in the Lower Morava valley, Serbia, after 313 BC, since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in Pecine, near Kostolac. Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and Celtic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a Celto-Thraco-Illyrian interaction zone. | |
| Scordisci (Celtic) |
279 BC | C Serbia | a Celtic tribe formed in Serbia after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. | Singidunum |
| Celegeri (Celtic) |
279 BC | Vojvodina | ||
| Moesi (Thraco-Dacian) |
88 BC | E Serbia | a Thraco-Dacian tribe inhabiting Serbia, giving their name to the Roman province of Moesia. | |
| Dardani (Thraco-Illyrian) |
88 BC | S Serbia | a Thraco-Illyrian tribe that settled Triballi lands in 88 BC. They gave their name to a province of south Serbia in 4th century AD. | Ulpiana |
| Tricornenses (Thraco-Celtic) |
6 AD | a Romanized Thraco-Celtic tribe that governed the city of Tricornium (Ritopek) | Ritopek | |
| Picenses | 6 AD | governed Pincum (Veliko Gradište) | ||
| Iazyges (Sarmatians) |
92 AD | Bačka Banat |
Penetrated northern Rome in late 1st century AD. | |
| Gepids (Gothic) |
375 AD | Vojvodina | a Gothic tribe in Vojvodina, Serbia. |
- Amantini & Cornacates, tribes of disputed origin in present-day Sremska Mitrovica (Sirmium)[23]
- Timachi, tribe of disputed origin in Central Serbia.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ http://arheologija.ff.uni-lj.si/documenta/pdf30/30budja.pdf
- ^ http://www.daylife.com/photo/01Z54cb16VgfP
- ^ http://www.blic.rs/culture.php?id=4672
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31102411/
- ^ http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=06&dd=03&nav_id=59588
- ^ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ro2ijOk8JWc/SKDnukY6k_I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Ti0xQHMD5I8/s1600-h/map_533.jpg
- ^ Nikola Tasić; Dragoslav Srejović, Bratislav Stojanović (1990). "Vinča and its Culture". in Vladislav Popović. Vinča: Centre of the Neolithic culture of the Danubian region. Belgrade. http://www.rastko.org.rs/arheologija/vinca/vinca_eng.html#_Toc504111710. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- ^ "History (Ancient Period)". Official website. http://www.beograd.rs/cms/view.php?id=201172. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ Kitson, Peter (1999). Year's Work in English Studies Volume 77. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 5. ISBN 9780631212935. http://books.google.com/books?id=iWlpqkVMX2YC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- ^ Neolithic Vinca was a metallurgical culture Stonepages from news sources November 2007
- ^ Tasić, 1995, p. 157.
- ^ http://www.muzeuluniriialba.ro/docs/apulum/articole/40.%20sentmiklosi.pdf
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/ancient-axe-find-suggests-copper-age-began-earlier-than-believed_100105122.html
- ^ IWilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, ISBN 0631198075, Page 85, "...the area [South Serbia] was originally populated with Thracians..."
- ^ Blic Online Kultura | Najseverniji grad Aleksandrovog carstva
- ^ Prehistoric women had passion for fashion World | Reuters
- ^ Serbia shines for the EXIT festival
- ^ Hrčak - Scrinia Slavonica, Vol.2 No.1 Listopad 2002
- ^ Macedonia (region)
- ^ Cyril Mango. Byzantium: The Empire of New Rome. Scribner's, 1980.
- ^ Aleksandra Krsmanović. "Ave, Srbijo!" (in Serbian). Brendovi Srbije. http://brendovisrbije.com/vesti/ave-srbijo.html.
- ^ http://www.yuta.rs/en/TRAVELGUIDE/Sirmium.asp
