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Copyright of Journal of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb / Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu is the property of Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Finds of freshwater and terrestrial malacofauna at archaeological sites can provide valuable information on the paleoenvironment, nutrition and use of mollusks as raw materials for the manufacture of objects for various purposes. The paper presents the results of archeomalacological analysis of freshwater shellfish of the genus Unio found in prehistoric strata at the site Ilok – Dvor knezova Iločkih in eastern Croatia. The analysis included 35 shell fragments originating from ten stratigraphic units. According to morphology, the species Unio crassus, Unio pictorum and Unio tumidus were determined. One specimen has a perforation on the umbo, which may indicate the use of the object as a pendant. Taphonomic changes in shellfish indicate extraction of raw meat, while a modest set of findings suggests sporadic use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological excavations at the Early/Middle Neolithic site at Smilčić‐Barica in 2016/2017 revealed skeletal remains of three people. Of particular interest is the skeleton from Grave 2, directly dated to 5616 and 5485 cal BCE, that is, to the Early Neolithic Impresso Pottery Culture. The skeleton was positioned on its left side, in a crouched position with bended knees and its right arm flexed at the elbow. Based on metric and morphological observations, the skeleton belongs to a young male, aged between 25 and 35 years. The most interesting feature is a penetrating trauma, probably caused by a projectile, located at intertrochanteric crest on the posterior proximal side on the left femur. A 15 × 4 × 3 mm lithic fragment is still embedded in the bone. Due to post‐mortem damage around the injury, it was not possible to establish possible signs of healing and/or inflammation. However, osteogenic reaction around the fragment is noted on computer tomography, indicating survival for a longer period. This is the earliest example of interpersonal violence recorded on the eastern Adriatic coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Histria Archaeologica is the property of Arheoloski Muzej Istre u Puli and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2012 a number of field surveys were carried out in the Bjelovar- Bilogora and Koprivnica-Križevci counties, including reconnaissance of new mediaeval earthen fortifications and new visits of the already known ones. On this occasion we are publishing the newly-discovered sites and new data about archaeological sites that had already been known from the scholarly literature. In Prgomelje, in addition to mediaeval sites, a site from the turn of the 1st cent. BC and the 1st cent. AD has been registered. New data is published here about the already known late mediaeval earthen fortifications in Klokočevac, Međurača and Dautan. Another discovery from Dautan is the archaeological site at the position of Brana, dated to the Late La Tène period. A possible archaeological site (prehistory?) was documented at the position of Zobiki in Međurača. In Zrinski Topolovac, position Strmograd, an Early Bronze Age settlement of the Vinkovci culture has been discovered. In Sveta Ana, around 400 m south of the late mediaeval elevated fortification at Gradina, a late mediaeval site with a workshop (kilns) part of a settlement was found. A site from the very end of the Late Middle Ages and from the Modern period was registered in Šemovci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rescue excavations of the AS 4 Poljana Križevačka 1 site on the route of the A12 motorway, section Gradec-Kloštar Vojakovački covered 36152 m2 and yielded the remains of settlements from prehistory, antiquity and the Middle Ages, including an exceptional amount of data about settlement infrastructure as well as abundant material remains. The site lies on a gentle oval elevation in the valley of the Glogovnica brook, on the south-western fringes of the Poljana Križevačka village. The excavated finds show that the salvage excavations uncovered the remains of settlements from several periods of prehistory - Copper Age (Lasinja culture), Early Bronze Age (Vinkovci culture) and Late Bronze Age (younger phase of the Urnfield culture). The Late Iron Age settlement of the La Tène culture probably continued to exist in the Early Roman period. The most intensive habitation was documented in the Late Middle Ages. The intensity of habitation throughout these periods bears testimony to the exceptionally favourable position, surrounded by fertile land and situated on an important communication route connecting the upper Posavina region with the Križevci-Koprivnici area and the upper Podravina region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During December 2011 a field survey of the area of the construction of the new bypass of the City of Zagreb was conducted. In the western part of Zagreb County, between junctions Pojatno and Horvati, section I is located, while in the eastern part, between junctions Ivanić-Grad and Sveti Ivan Zelina, the route of the section III was surveyed, and a number of new, previously unknown sites, were noted. A total of 41archaeological sites were observed on the first, and 19 sites on the second section. Most of the sites can be dated to the Middle Ages, although some finds have been recorded which can be dated to Prehistory and Antiquity. Within section I nine prehistoric and two ancient sites have been found, and within section III four prehistoric and six ancient ones. Only few of these locations have already been known, those beeing the sites located on the banks of the Sava River, near Zaprešić. Although finds from the Middle Ages prevail, it can be assumed that the number of ancient and prehistoric sites will be significantly increased after the rescue exavations, which will determine the exact extent and type of sites, as well as a period to which each site can be dated with much greater precision. Based on the surface finds, some sites, such as the one in the vicinity of the Lužnica castle near Zaprešić, show the traces of population presence over a longer period; this is hardly surprising given their very favorable position next to river communications, the importance of which they retained to this day. The valley of the Sava River in the vicinity of Zaprešić is already known as a place with the considerable number of ancient sites, but recent surveys have shown a dense population throughout the Middle Ages, as well as the existence of prehistoric settlements and a large number of new sites that have been observed on the hilly area on the slopes of the Samobor hills. We should specially point out new sites from all periods located on the section III between Sveti Ivan Zelina and Ivanić- Grad, since this region is relatively poorly explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field survey of the planned route of the road on the north side of villages Prelog and Cirkovljan was conducted. On the spatial region of zone B 16 sites were affirmed on which the construction of the bypass has no direct or indirect influence. On the spatial region of the zone A outside the route of the road six archaeological sites are located (AN 4, 5, 6, 11, 16 and 17), so the construction of the road will not jeopardize the core values of cultural property - indirect impacts. In the spatial region of the zone A within the route of the road lies an area with 11 archaeological sites, so it is necessary to implement measures to protect them as well as to conduct trial excavations on the sites identified by trial trenching (AN 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, specialists from the Institute of Archaeology and the Našice Local Heritage Museum, carried out archaeological field survey of the Našice area, focussing on its eastern part. This survey continued with prospecting of Podgorač cadastral municipality, which was started in 2010. Within the period of one week, ten sites were registered, among which more frequent were late medivial sites, although prehistoric sites were not so far behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, a team of archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb in co-operation with archaeologists from the responsible museums (Požega and Nova Gradiška Town Museums) conducted a field survey of the terrain planned for the construction of the expressway from Brestovac near Požega to Staro Petrovo Selo east of Nova Gradiška. The planned expressway route from Brestovac to Staro Petrovo Selo starts north of the Požega-Nova Gradiška road where it meets the future Požega and Velika bypass. From this point, the expressway runs southwards across Požeška Gora through the western part of Slavonska Posavina to the Zagreb-Lipovac motorway. Along the route of the future road, over a distance of 16 km, 3 archaeological sites from the prehistoric and late mediaeval periods were documented. After archival and field surveying, the sites were preventively protected and a study entitled "Cultural-Historical Heritage" was carried out as part of the Conservation Study of the Environmental Impact of the Planned Road Construction, which regulates construction conditions. This had the specific aim of saving valuable cultural heritage from destruction in line with the Ordinance on Archaeological Excavations (Official Gazette 102/10). The Ordinance stipulates obligatory trialtrench excavations under the supervision of archaeologists before the commencement of any road construction, with the aim of the timely identification and protection of potential archaeological sites that could not be identified in field surveys. Permanent archaeological supervision is also necessary during the removal of humus and upper layers of soil, and archaeological rescue excavations need to be conducted of documented and preventively protected zones of archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a field survey of the planned A13 motorway route, section Bjelovar- Virovitica-Hungarian border, a large number of new archaeological sites from all periods were recorded. These are areas in which only minor trial or rescue excavations have so far been conducted. The planned motorway construction will enable the conducting of rescue excavations of larger surfaces of the site, which in turn will enable a more complete insight into the intensity of habitation of the surveyed areas. In its southern part, the motorway route passes through gentle hills and across the River Česma valley, as well as along numerous streams located east of Bjelovar, and then across the narrow valleys of Bilogora, while in the north it stretches across the River Drava valley to the west and northwest of Virovitica (Fig. 1). The field survey unearthed 66 archaeological sites from all periods, which are a valuable contribution to the understanding of the archaeological topography of the mentioned areas. On the basis of collected surface finds, spatial distribution was determined, showing that the sites are equally distributed along the whole route (Fig. 1). The largest number of sites is located on hill slopes or on mild elevations along rivers or streams. Sometimes the sites are located on hilltops. This is particularly the case on Bilogora. At most sites, pottery, brick and stone artefact fragments were collected, which enable the sites to be approximately chronologically and culturologically determined. The sites belong to the periods of prehistory, classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, the latter forming the majority. These are so-called open settlements, which are often damaged by intensive farming, due to which the finds appeared on the surface. The oldest sites belong to Neolithic cultures: Starčevo, Linear Pottery of the Malo Korenovo type, and Sopot. According to the surface finds, the sites of Malo Korenovo-Jankovac and Vojvodinac 1-2 (Fig. 2) can probably be ascribed to the trial-trenched eponymous settlement. A Lasinja culture settlement was discovered on the Dautovac-Žilavac site. In the Drava valley part of the route, no settlements from the Neolithic/Aeneolithic periods were found, as they are located deeper below the surface, and therefore it is impossible to determine their positions on the basis of surface finds. A large part of the prehistoric sites that can be ascribed to the Virovitica group from the older phase of the Urnfield culture. Pottery finds of the Late Iron Age were registered at a relatively large number of sites around Bjelovar (Fig. 3), in particular around Velika (Fig. 4) and Mala Pisanica (Fig. 5). According to the pottery finds, they can be dated to the Late La Tène (LT D). The planned motorway route runs over the Late La Tène settlement of Virovitica-Kiškorija (Fig. 6), the eastern part of which was excavated in 2005, prior to the construction of the western bypass of the town of Virovitica. Only three unearthed sites, with pottery and brick fragments, belong to the period of classical antiquity and can be dated approximately from the 2nd to the 4th centuries. These settlements can be associated with the Roman road route that used to pass directly beneath the Bilogora hills. The majority of discovered sites belong to the period of the Middle Ages. Most frequently, these were open settlements, situated on slightly elevated positions along rivers or smaller streams (Fig. 2-3, Fig. 7). A significant number of settlements were also discovered in the Bilogora hills, situated above the communication route across narrow river valleys that connected central Drava valley with the Bjelovar area. Although according to the pottery finds the majority of settlements originate from the Late Middle Ages (14th-16th centuries), finds were recorded that point to habitation during the Early and in particular High Middle Ages (Fig. 5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the construction of part of the State Road D-2 - Slatina Bypass, field survey and archaeological supervision of the route were conducted, where in addition to already known sites, some until recently unknown sites were documented. A 10.2 km long Bypass route breaks away from D-2 (Podravina Highway) west of Sladojevci, passes north of Slatina and joins the Podravina Highway between Slatina and Kozice (Map 1). The bypass passes across lowlands crosscut by a series of streams along which - on mildly elevated positions - all the sites are situated. In a field survey of the bypass route in spring 2003 seven archaeological sites were documented at which archaeological rescue excavations are foreseen. As a result of the new route survey as well as of trial trenches, at three previously documented sites, a surface larger than previously planned was envisaged for excavations (AS 1 Sladojevci-Hruščik/ Brodiške, AS 3 Slatina/Bobovište, AS 7 Slatina-Veliko Polje/Berezine). Of particular importance is the discovery of six new sites, at which archaeological rescue excavations are also going to be conducted, meaning that on the Slatina Bypass route a total of 13 sites have been found. The collected ceramic fragments suggest Late Bronze Age and mediaeval settlements that were locate on mild elevations along one of the streams which are abundant in the Slatina region. Rescue excavations at all sites will enable new understanding of settlement density within the Slatina area, located along a significant transport route leading along the Drava River valley and connecting the south-eastern Alpine area with the Danube Region. The excavations of the site's larger surfaces will also enable collection of data about the infrastructure of settlements from the prehistory, classical antiquity and the Middle Ages periods in the narrower Slatina region that has not been excavated yet, while the collected finds will verify the intensity and chronological sequence of settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the study on the construction of the Daruvar-Lipik road (counties of Bjelovar-Bilogora, Požega-Slavonski Brod), a fi eld survey of the road section was conducted in which a large number of until now unknown archaeological sites from all periods were documented. Their excavations facilitate insight into the chronological sequence of settlements in the territory of western Slavonia, situated on an important communication route linking the regions of Posavina and Podravina. In the northern part, the road's route passes west and south of Daruvar across gentle hills, or valleys of the rivers of Toplica and Bijela, while in its southern part it passes through the little mountain called Pakračka Gora and across the Pakra River Valley, ending on the eastern slopes of Blatuško Brdo (Map 1). In a field survey of the road section, 40 sites were found from all periods. On the basis of the collected surface finds, their spatial distribution and chronological classification were identified. The sites are almost evenly distributed along the entire road section (Map 1). The majority of finds is situated on elevations or slopes of hills, along rivers or smaller streams, while a smaller number of sites were found situated on tops of the Pakračka Gora hills. At the majority of sites (33) finds were documented that can be dated in the period of the Middle Ages. After that follow the sites from the Neolithic/Aeneolithic (8) Bronze Age (6), then those from classical antiquity (5) and the smallest in number are Iron Age sites (2). At the majority of sites, finds from diff erent periods were documented, mostly prehistory and the Middle Ages (Tab. 1). At Neolithic/Aeneolithic sites, pottery fragments and stone artefacts (lithica) were collected suggesting Starčevo or Lasinje cultures settlements. A significant number of sites also belong to the Late Bronze Age period, i.e. the Virovitica group of the older stage of the Urnfi eld culture (Fig. 1). The finds of grey pottery, manufactured on a potter's wheel, belong to the Early Iron Age. Excavations of the listed sites (Fig. 2) might bring about interesting answers to questions about the relationship between the Celtic and the Pannonian heritages, i.e. the system of the Iassian community which in Roman sources and on the basis of inscriptions is located in the area between Daruvar and Varaždin. Sites that can be dated approximately between the 2nd and the 4th centuries belong to the classical antiquity period. Possibly these are settlements or villas along the road connecting Daruvar with Pakrac (Menneiana-Aquae Balissae). The majority of discovered settlements belongs to the Late Middle Ages (14th - 16th centuries), but finds were documented that also suggest settlement in the Early and particularly in the High Middle Ages. A dense population is testifi ed also by the fact that the oldest Croatian coin mint was situated in Pakrac. The site Gornji Sređani-Zidine (Fig. 4) where there are still traces of ditches that used to protect certain parts of the settlement stand out with a large number of pottery fragments and tiles. The large size of the site and the number of surface fi nds can probably be associated with the prominent late mediaeval settlement Pukur/Pekerzerdahely with the Petrovina fortifi cation and the church of St. Peter. Along with the listed settlements there were also some smaller ones, consisting of a smaller number of structures and used by smaller communities; those were found in a much larger number. A larger number of discovered settlements from the Late Middle Ages testify to the significance of the Daruvar - Pakrac route in the 15th - 16th centuries, a time when the border with the Ottoman Empire passed this way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, a team of archaeologists from the Zagreb Institute of Archaeology, in co-operation with archaeologists from the Našice Regional Museum and the Požega Town Museum, documented 31 archaeological sites from prehistory, classical antiquity and the Middle Ages on plots designated for the construction of the planned Našice - Pleternica - Lužani expressway route, stretching over 62 km in length. The expressway route passes over 23 archaeological sites that had been placed under protection, and another 8 sites which were documented. On the territory planned for the construction of the reservoirs of Dubovik and Breznica near Podgorač, field survey was conducted and three archaeological sites from the prehistoric periods were documented. After archive and field surveys, the sites were placed under protection and a study "Cultural-historical heritage" was made as part of the Conservation Study of the Environmental Impact of the planned roads and reservoirs, which prescribes the construction conditions - saving worthy cultural heritage from being destroyed, which implies obligatory permanent supervision by archaeologists during humus layer removal on the road routes, as well as on the plots planned for the reservoirs, and archaeological protection excavations at the protected zones of the sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009 the Institute of Archaeology from Zagreb began a systematic field survey of the plots stretching east and south of the excavated zone of the archaeological site Bentež near Beketinci, discovered in 2007 and 2008 within archaeological rescue excavations of the Slavonica motorway section from Osijek to nakovo. This section is part of the international motorway Budapest - Ploče, which passes through eastern Croatia from Beli Manastir in the Baranja Region via Osijek and nakovo to Svilaj on the Sava River. As this part of eastern Slavonia has not been reconnoitred in detail yet, the first systematic field survey of plots surrounding Beketinci and Vuka was conducted in order to get an overview of detailed topography of the wider surroundings of the explored prehistoric and mediaeval settlements. The area of the cadastral municipalities of Beketinci, &#010C;epinski Martinci and Vuka is a part of the alluvial plain south of Osijek, in the geographical sense belonging to the lowland part of eastern Croatia's territory. This part of the Drava River hinterland is the lowest area, with alluvial plains cross-cut by the rivers of Vuka, Karašica and Vučica. At the slightly elevated dry plots between those rivers, particularly along the Vuka River which (with 112 km) is the longest tributary of the Danube in Croatia, remains of numerous settlements from prehistoric and mediaeval periods were discovered. In field surveys of the plots eight archaeological sites were documented belonging to the prehistoric, antiquity and mediaeval periods. Systematic fi eld surveys of the plots in these cadastral municipalities shall be continued within the Zagreb Institute of Archaeology's Research Project Prehistoric Identity of the First Farming Populations of Continental Croatia (197-1970685-0681). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009 the field survey of the Baranja region continued, with the aim of finding and protecting new, unknown archaeological sites, and documenting the sites that had already been identified before. Numerous finds unearthed at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries had originated from this area, but they ended up in European museum collections (Berlin, Mainz, Vienna, Budapest). The aforementioned finds and the attempt at defining the original context of their sites, as well as the protection of numerous other archaeological sites were reasons for conducting the field survey, which should contribute to a better understanding of Baranja's archaeological heritage (Bojčik et al. 2009). The 2009 field survey concentrated on the area between Batina and Suza. h e north-eastern slopes of Bansko Brdo were surveyed, which gradually fall towards the Danube. Above the Danube, the loess plateau ends in a steep, almost vertically cut edge. The surveyed surface is cross-cut by deep ravines, and in their immediate vicinity all the sites were documented, mostly on spots where the ravines come out at the edge of the loess plateau. It was noted that the sites are mostly distributed 300-400 metres from the Danube edge of the plateau towards its inner part, although sometimes they may continuously stretch for more than a kilometre along the ravines' edges towards the plateau's centre. On the surface of the sites, fragments of pottery, tiles and stone artefacts were collected, on the basis of which their territorial and chronological distribution was determined. In the survey, a total of 37 sites from all periods were documented (Tab. 1). The largest in number are sites from the Bronze Age (27), while those from other periods appear to be rather evenly distributed: 14 from the Neolithic/Aeneolithic, 10 from the Iron Age, 13 from Classical Antiquity, 13 from the Middle Ages. At certain sites, large quantities of finds from different periods were collected. Among these sites are, for example, Zmajevac-Csatari Szanto 1 (Tab. 1: 19; Fig. 3), Zmajevac-Kishegy Fóle 1 (Tab. 1: 24), Zmajevac-Várhegy (Tab. 1: 27), Suza-Csatár 1-2 (Tab. 1: 30-31; Fig. 4), Suza-Kerekhegy (Tab. 1: 34; Fig. 5), Kotlina-Cigány Heverós 1 (Tab. 1: 35; Fig. 6), which suggests that the settlements have multiple layers. For Zmajevac-Várhegy this was documented in the northern profi le of the site, where an approximately 5 m thick stratigraphic sequence with numerous Roman and prehistoric layers is evident. The oldest settlements located along the Danube margin of the loess plateau, but also along the ravines in its inner part, particularly around Kotlina, can be classifi ed as part of the Starčevo or Sopot cultures. This is where, at a location in the eastern part of the village (Legelej 1-3) pottery finds were documented, showing the characteristics of the Lengyel culture. The Zmajevac-Kishegy Fóle 1 site (Tab. 1: 24) is classifi ed as part of the Aeneolithic, i.e. to the Lasinja culture. Many Bronze Age sites were documented at the same locations where pottery fragments were collected which are richly ornamented and fi lled with white incrustation, and which can be assigned to the so-called southern group of Pannonian incrusted pottery from the end of Early Bronze Age and to the Szeremle group from the beginning of Middle Bronze Age. Furthermore numerous finds can be assigned to the Late Bronze Age Virovitica group, and to the Dalj group that marked the beginning of the Early Iron Age. At the end of Late Bronze Age and during the Early Iron Age, the Baranja region was extraordinarily densely populated, and one of south-Pannonian regional centres was the nearby Batina. At several sites, characteristic La Tène culture pottery was unearthed. Ten sites belong to the classical antiquity period, their centre being in the Várhegy fortification in Zmajevac (Ad Novas), with its surrounding cemeteries. This was confirmed by rescue excavations of cemeteries at the Mocsolás site (Tab. 1: 29), dated in the 4th century. The Várhegy fortification probably hosted a Germanic troop, as confirmed by the fi nds of a spathe sheath belt mount and a solidus of Theodosius II. Roman settlements were also found in the south-eastern part of Kotlina. Between Batina and Zmajevac, at three sites, a small number of pottery and tile fragments were collected, possibly suggesting a trace of the so-called Limes Road. In the remaining surveyed territory, no Roman finds were documented, which testifies to the organisation of the territory along the border. On the plateau's edge, there were fortifications with observation posts, the road passed several hundreds of meters from the edge, and the first settlements were located 2-3 km towards the inside of the border. A larger number of sites were discovered that belong to the period of the Middle Ages. The discovery of pottery fragments from the Avarian-Slavic period is interesting, to which the long-known finds from Zmajevac and Kotlina belong. From the Late Middle Ages finds from Suza are mentioned, which were assigned to a settlement and a cemetery. The Kotlina-Legelej 1 site (Tab. 1: 37) might be contemporaneous. On the basis of collected surface finds it is possible to chronologically determine most of the documented sites, which provides an overview of the population of the surveyed territory in each period, and enables a better understanding of the spatial utilisation in one of the most fruitful areas of southern Pannonia, situated on an extraordinarily significant European communication route following the Danube course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Northern Adriatic prehistory, the island of Krk constitutes a separate territorial entity within the context of the Liburnian group of the Late Bronze Age and the Liburnians of the Iron Age. Although there are many sites dating from this period, some items were found by accident. Works carried out on the infrastructure, in the city of Krk and in its immediate vicinity, revealed a group of items consisting of three bronze socketed axes (celts) and a massive bronze open-ended bracelet. The axes are crafted in the distinctive fashion which spread from the original Urnfield culture area, during its phase IV, via Bosnia, to the Eastern Adriatic coast. The bracelet most closely resembles items from phase II of the Urnfield culture of the pre-Alpine area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Radovi Zavod za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zaru is the property of Zavod za Povijesne Znanosti HAZU and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2007 and 2008, specialists from the Institute of Archaeolog y in Zagreb and the Našice Local Heritage Museum conducted the second and third stages of systematic archaeological field survey of the Našice area, focussing on its western part. In 2007, the Donja Motičina, Đurđenovac and Šaptinovci cadastral municipalities were examined, on which occasion seventeen sites were registered, among which the most frequent were late medieval sites, although prehistoric sites were also rather frequent, while the least common were Roman sites. In 2008, prospecting continued in the Gradac Našički, Seona and Zoljan cadastral municipalities. In two weeks, twenty-three sites were registered, from prehistory and Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The most sites belonged to the prehistoric and the medieval periods, and two sites were identified as Roman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a field survey of part of the route of the Donji Miholjac-Slobodnica natural gas main in Osijek Baranja County, 42 archaeological sites were registered (Fig. 1), of which only a smaller number were previously known, principally as a result of collected surface finds (Table 1). The field survey results demonstrate how the sites are evenly distributed along the entire natural gas main's route: in the Drava valley, as well as the gentle hills of Krndija (Fig. 1). The archaeological sites mostly date to the periods of prehistory and the Middle Ages (Table 1). At most sites, fragments of ceramic vessels, bricks and stone artefacts were collected, which enable their approximate chronological and cultural determination, while future rescue excavations will enable a more precise definition of the boundaries of the sites. Some of the oldest archaeological sites dating from prehistoric times were registered in this region, belonging to the Starcevo culture. In the Bronze and Iron Ages, two cultural groups of different origin were in contact with each other in this territory, and their communication reached its peak in the Late Iron Age as Podravina, settled by Scordiscs and Andizetes, became an area of intense trans-European contact. In Classical Antiquity, an important route passed through Podravina, connecting the south-eastern Alps with the Danube region along one of the most important communication routes, the Poetovio-Mursa road. In the Middle Ages, Podravina and the slopes of Krndija remained important, as indicated by dense settlement, and the documented largest number of registered sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objective of registering new, still unidentified archaeological sites, and with the aim of documenting the status of sites that are already familiar, a field survey project commenced in Eastern Baranja, along the Danube River. In the first stage of research, the field survey focused on the area between the villages of Batina and Zmajevac, where nine archaeological sites were documented, out of which six were thus far unknown. The large number of archaeological sites that could have been documented is by no means surprising if one considers the elevated geographic location of the extreme north-eastern part of Bansko brdo, rising above the Danube, with outstanding visual communication westward toward Transdanubia up to Pécs, eastward up to Batschka and southward to Eastern Slavonia. A significant European road passed along the margin of the elevated right bank of the Danube, and for millennia cultural influences flowed along it, linking all directions (north, south, east and west) of the Carpathian Basin. This same point was the border of the Roman Empire, still evident in the landscape by clearly visible fortifications in Batina and Zmajevac. Some of the oldest prehistoric archaeological sites belonging to the Starcevo and Sopot cultures were found here. In the Bronze and Iron Ages, cultural groups of different origin intermingled in this region, reaching its peak in the Early Iron Age, as Baranja - with Batina as a important centre of Southern Pannonia - became a junction for intense Transeuropean links. Its major role lasted into the Late Iron Age, as confirmed by the extraordinary find of the Early La Tène warrior's grave from the Zmajevac-Grovišče site, with an iron helmet with reinforced calotte. During the Roman period, fortifications were built here, along which civilian settlements developed as well, as verified by numerous fourt century cemeteries. In the Early Middle Ages, Germanic troops settled here, to be replaced by the Avar troops who remained until Charlemagne's conquest. Thanks to the fertile soil and favourable communications, the most dense population was documented in the Late Middle Ages in numerous, well-connected settlements. The results confirmed that the field survey of the area between Batina and Zmajevac was fully justified and allowed registration of a large number of archaeological sites from all periods. Although the results of the field survey rely on collected surface finds, the majority of finds can be chronologically and culturally defined. Furthermore, the field survey results prompted many questions regarding the archaeological topography of north-eastern Baranja in specific periods, at the same time facilitating the study of the relationships between sites in the narrower area. In view of the intense cultivation of permanent crops and the development of infrastructure, it is necessary to continue these surveys with the aim of drawing a map of archaeological sites of Baranja - the region with the largest number of finds in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2008, a team of archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb, in co-operation with the archaeologists from the regional museums, registered four archaeological sites from the Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval periods covering a length of 8 km on land designated for the planned route of the Donji Miholjac bypass. A Prehistoric site was registered along the route of the Kutina southern bypass. Following an archival inspection and field survey, the sites have been placed under preventive protection, and a study entitled "Cultural and Historical Heritage" has been compiled as part of the environmental impact study for the planned roads. The Study prescribes the conditions for construction of new roads in view of the need to preserve valuable cultural heritage sites from destruction. These conditions stipulate mandatory and continuous archaeological oversight during the removal of humus along the routes of the planned roads and rescue archaeological explorations at the protected zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the spring and autumn of 2008, a field surveys of the territories of the municipalities of Ilok, Lovas and Tovarnik was conducted with the aim of uncovering new and documenting known archaeological sites in the area of Upper (western) Syrmia. Since the major part of the margin of the high, right bank of the Danube River in the Ilok Municipality was surveyed in the fall of 2003, new field surveys are primarily directed at the remaining part of the margin of the loess plateau, and the area in the hinterland of the Danube bank, up to the southern slopes of the Vukovar plateau near Tovarnik. In the field surveys, a number of new archaeological sites from all periods were registered, out of which some stand out for the quantity and type of finds. A total of 36 archaeological sites were documented, of which most were thus far unknown. The documented large number of archaeological sites is not at all surprising, if we consider the outstanding location of the western slopes of Fruška gora above the Danube and the southern slopes of the Vukovar plateau above the alluvial plain. An important European communication route passed along the margin of the high, right bank of the Danube, along which cultural influences streamed for millennia, connecting the Carpathian Basin in all directions. The border of the Roman Empire passed at the same point, with which a number of Roman sites between Ilok and Bapska are associated. Some of the oldest archaeological sites, dating from prehistoric times and belonging to the Starčevo and Sopot cultures, were registered in this region, while in the Bronze and Iron Ages cultural groups of various origins intermingled here, culminating in the Early Iron Age in numerous direct contacts between the Dalj and the Bosut groups at sites from Vukovar to Ilok. Numerous Late Iron Age sites testify the dense Scordisc population in Upper Syrmia. During Roman domination, Rome's auxiliary troopers were stationed in the fortress of Cuccium. Near the fortress, a civilian settlement developed, to which smaller settlements and villas situated deeper in the hinterland or along the so-called Limes Road gravitated. The number of collected surface finds suggests dense population during Early and High Middle Ages. As a result of high-quality arable land, the densest population was documented in the Late Middle Ages with numerous, well-connected settlements. The reasons for conducting the field surveys of the municipalities of Ilok, Lovas and Tovarnik were fully justified by the results, with a large number of archaeological sites from all periods documented. Although the results of the field surveys rely upon collected surface finds, most sites can be chronologically and culturally defined. In view of the increasingly intense cultivation of permanent crops, and due to the development of infrastructure, this surveys needs to be continued in order to produce a map of archaeological sites in Upper Syrmia, an area with the largest number of sites in Northern Croatia. Also, since the land is subject to intensive agriculture, individual sites need to be test excavate as soon as possible in order to examine hypotheses regarding chronological and stratigraphic observations, which now rest on the collected surface finds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction site of the Podsused hydroelectric plant encompasses the lowlands along the right and left banks of the Sava River, from the border with Slovenia to Podsused, where construction of the plant itself is planned. The area which will be irreparably damaged is in a range of 300 to 1200 m from the present-day banks of the Sava on the northern and southern sides. Until now, 14 sites were known in the broader area of impact of the Podsused plant - the area south of the Zagreb-Ljubljana rail tracks and north of the Zagreb-Ljubljana motorway. The present field survey revealed 35 new sites. The newly discovered sites belong mostly to the Middle Ages (34), the greatest part of which belong to the Late Middle Ages (25), followed by Classical Antiquity (12), the modern era (8) and prehistory (6). All of these settlements are situated on the first mildly elevated positions along the old estuaries of the Sava, the courses of small Sutla, Krapina, Gradna and Bregana Rivers or the Izvor&#010D;ina, Lu&#017E;nica and Rakovica Streams. All are so-called open type settlements. Due to the strategic importance of the Sava Valley with its traffic routes linking the south-eastern Alpine zone with Pannonia, this area was always attractive for habitation, as witnessed by the settlements and graves from prehistory (Neolithic, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age). The finds of regional (Siscia-Emona) and local roads adjacent to the settlements and cemeteries from the period of Classical Antiquity shed light on life which transpired in this area in the period from the first to fourth centuries. The majority of the finds from the Early Middle Ages testify to the population density in this area which, especially in the Late Middle Ages, played an important defensive role and served as a refuge for the large populations fleeing from the Ottoman threat. This area was always something of a &#201F;gate" between various geographic regions, and it has maintained this role to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field survey of the route of the multipurpose channel Danube- Sava in the Vukovar-Syrmia and Brod-Posavina Counties revealed 77 archaeological sites from all periods. Only a few of them were previously registered and published. Part of the sites between Gundinci and the Sava River was discovered during the first field survey of the route of the channel carried out by archaeologists from the Museum of Brodsko Posavlje in Slavonski Brod and the Institute of Archaeology. Archaeological excavations were undertaken until now only on the Jaruge-Gooevo-Berava and Jaruge-Gooevo sites prior to the building of the Zagreb-Lipovac highway in 2000. The documented numerousness of archaeological sites is not surprising with respect to the geographical position of East Slavonia, i.e. Pobosukje and Posavina and its importance both in prehistoric and historic times. The field survey determined, on the basis of surface finds, the spatial distribution of archaeological sites which were photographed, cartographically documented and had their GPS position noted. The spatial distribution shows that the sites are evenly distributed along the entire route of the channel. The greatest part of the archaeological sites is situated on the mildly raised positions along the rivers Bosut and Bio, or alongside smaller water currents such as Vezovac, Kalilo and Zmijino. This is especially visible on the part of the route which follows the river Bosut southeast of Andrija¡evci where we find numerous sites from all periods on both sides of the river. In Posavina, the greatest part of the sites is located on mildly raised beams of east-west orientation alongside the Sava River, followed by mildly raised positions along the river Berava, or along some smaller water current such as Moravnik. The discovered archaeological sites belong to the periods of prehistory, Classical Antiquity and Middle Ages, the latter being the most numerous. On most sites we collected fragments of pottery, bricks and stone artefacts which enable their tentative chronological and cultural determination. In this area some of the oldest prehistoric sites were recorded, belonging to the beginnings of Star&#010D;evo culture, while in the Bronze and Iron Ages this was an area where groups of various cultural origin came into contact, a process which culminated in Late Iron Age when Posavina, populated by Scordiscs and Breucs, becomes an area of intensive trans- European contacts. Ultimately, the south of Pannonia was taken by Roman legions. In the Roman period the Pobosukje and Posavina regions become a hinterland of the limes on the Danube, resulting in a large number of archaeological sites from this period, especially in Posavina, through which one of the most frequented Roman communications, the road Siscia-Sirmium, passed. In the Middle Ages, the areas of Pobosukje and Posavina retain their importance, as witnessed by dense population and the greatest number of discovered sites. The presented results of the field survey point to the existence of a large number of sites in East Slavonija whose discovery opens many questions relating to topography of archaeological finds for each individual period and to defining their interrelationships. The work on this task is just beginning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During October 2007 it was conducted a field survey of the route of the western bypass around the town of Beli Manastir. In its northern part the route passes along the raised left shore of the river Kara¡ica, on the west it descends into the Baranja Plain, and towards the south-east it reaches the south-western slopes of the Bansko Brdo. This survey uncovered, along with one previously known site, seven new sites from all periods, which is not surprising given the natural characteristics of Baranja and its strategic position alongside the Danube and Drava rivers. Of the seven new sites with finds from the prehistoric period, the most numerous are those from the Neolithic (5), followed by Late Iron Age (3), Bronze Age (2) and Copper Age (2), while the finds from the Early Iron Age are missing. In the Roman period Baranja was a direct hinterland of the limes, so that the numerousness of finds from this period is not surprising (5). The medieval period is represented by 6 sites, four of which belong to the Late Middle Ages. Pottery fragments belonging to the Star&#010D;evo culture were discovered on the Beli Manastir - Ciglana site. They also appear, together with the Sopot culture, on the sites Branjih Vrh-Okrugla Meoa 1-2 and Branjin Vrh-Rastik. Remains of the Sopot culture settlement were discovered on the Beli Manastir-Nove Livade site. A Copper Age settlement was recorded on the site Branjin Vrh-Okrugla Meoa 1 and was attributed to the Kostolac culture. The Bronze Age was represented by Transdanubian encrusted pottery on the sites Ciglana in Beli Manastir and Okrugla Meoa 2 near Branjin Vrh. Until now there were no known sites belonging to the Late Iron Age; this campaign discovered three such settlements of an open type -  umarina-Klei¡ke, Okrugla Meoa 2 and Rastik near Branjin Vrh. The finds of roman pottery and bricks has been found between the road Beli Manastir - Petlovac and the forest Adica on Ciglana and Prednja Poljana in Beli Manastir, as well as on the sites Okrugla Meoa 1-2 and Rastik near Branjin Vrh. Medieval pottery was found on the sites Okrugla Meoa 1-2 near Branjin Vrh, while late medieval pottery was in evidence on the following sites: Rastik near Branjin Vrh,  irine and Klei¡ke near  umarine and Ciglana near Beli Manastir. Prior to this survey, in the vicinity of Beli Manastir and Branjin Vrh there were 11 known archaeological sites, a number which has now been increased by seven new ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2007, records were taken of five archaeological sites from the prehistoric and medieval periods on plots on the planned route of the Vukovar bypass, over a length of 19 km. In May 2007, we gathered evidence on two archaeological sites from the prehistoric and medieval periods along the route of the eastern connecting road in Slavonski Brod, which has a projected length of 4 km. The sites are within registered archaeological zones B and E of the Slavonski Brod urban area. Following an archival inspection and field survey, the sites have been placed under preventive protection, and a study entitled &#201F;Cultural and Historical Heritage" has been compiled as part of the environmental impact study for the planned roads. The Study prescribes the conditions for construction of new roads in view of the need to preserve valuable cultural heritage sites from destruction. These conditions stipulate mandatory and continuous archaeological oversight during the removal of humus along the routes of the planned roads and rescue archaeological explorations at the protected zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, experts from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb and the Native Museum in Našice, along with external associates, carried out the first systematic survey of the archaeological sites in the outer western part covered by the Native Museum of Našice, which is related to the cadastral municipalities of Feričanci, Beljevina and Bokšić. Within the period of two weeks, 18 sites were registered, reaching from Prehistory and the Antiquity up to the Middle Ages. 4 finds of stone axes with handle holes were registered (Feričanci-čitluk and Zgone, Beljevina-Gaj and Bokšić-Gajić), dated from the Neolithic until the early Bronze Age. Prehistoric ceramics were found on three sites (Bokšić-Jazvanci and CPS, Bokšić Lug-Grede), Antique ceramics on two (Feričanci-Brkićev arman and Bokšić-Pod sečom), and most frequent were the finds of Medieval ceramics (Feričanci-Maljuge and Grgaševci, Beljevina-Zajčevke and Kod groblja, as well as Bokšić-Brestina, Jazvanci, Staro selo, Pod sečom, Krivača, Završetak Osječke ulice and Gajić). We regard the first phase of the systematic survey as successful, and hod the opinion that it is necessary to continue this type of research in stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of 2006, a team of archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb carried out surveys and recordings of archaeological sites on the proposed plots of the future motor road within the first phase of the preparatory works for the Studies on the Environmental Effect of the Construction of the Transversal of Ilok. The route of the planned motor road - the transversal of Ilok - passes through the regions of Vukovar and Vinkovci, ie. the region of East Croatia along the borders with Serbia. The region of Vukovar and Vinkovci is geographically allotted the western part of Srijem, i.e. the region between the rivers Vuka and Danube in the north, Sava in the south, the minor river Jošava in the west and the Serbian border in the east. In the north of this prevalently lowland region, the highest part in the relief is the loess plain of Vukovar, on which the western slopes of the mountain Fruška gora stretch. The middle - lowest lowland part - is filled by areas of dense forests by the river Spačva. The eastern part of Slavonia and the western part of Srijem in the regions of East Croatia had been part of the European traffic corridors throughout all periods of history, which had brought about the development of numerous settlements in an undisturbed series throughout Prehistory, Antiquity and the Middle Ages until the present day. From Ilok to Lipovac, in the length of 40 km, 7 archaeological sites from the Prehistoric, Antique and Medieval periods were recorded. Among others, in the west of Tovarnik, parts of a Roman main road were discovered, which lead from Ptuj (Poetovio), via Osijek (Mursa) to Srijemska Mitrovica (Sirmium). On the plots between Ilok and šarengrad, parts of a Roman main road, which had lead along the border, were discovered - the Batina Limes in Baranja (Ad Militare), via Dalj (Teutoburgium) and Sotin (Cornacum) to Ilok (Cuccium) and further downstream along the Danube. After the field survey, the sites were contemporarily protected and the study "Cultural and Historical Heritage" was composed, stating the conditions for the construction of road routes - to prevent the destruction of valuable cultural heritage, which includes the obligation of constant supervision by archaeologists when the surface layers of earth along the transversal route be removed as well as archaeological rescue investigations of the registered sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, specialists from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb and the Valpovo Region Museum, continued systematic archaeological field survey of the Valpovo area, started during April 2010. This year the survey of cadastre municipality of Ladimirevci, Marjančaci and Ivanovci was completed. Cadastre municipality of Tiborjanci was also explored, and survey of cadastre municipality of Šag began, while within cadastre municipality of Bocanjevci and cadastre municipality of Bizovac archaeologists surveyed only one site. In cadastre municipality of Valpovo two sites linked to Šag (on Šag fields) have been registered; at present, this site is attached to the Valpovo region. During 8 working days 13 sites dating to prehistory and to the Middle Ages were registered. Prehistory is represented at four sites, while the material related to the Middle Ages is found at 10 sites. The Modern Ages material is found at only one site, whereas the Antiquity is not present at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2010, the first trial excavations were conducted in the archaeological zone of the Gradina Sveta Trojica near Starigrad-Paklenica. This zone encompasses the Liburnian hill fort settlement and Byzantine castrum. Several relatively small probes were opened on terraces on the slopes of the settlement. During an intensive field survey, surface finds were also collected. Apart from fragments of coarse pottery and amphorae, finds of iron nails from Roman soldiers' shoes stand out, dating from the period of the Late Republic, along with a bronze fibula of the Aucissa type, which can also be associated with the Roman military presence. The find of a so-called protocertosa fibula is also interesting, on the basis of which the Liburnian settlement on this spot can be dated to as early as the 6th century BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the construction of part of the D-2 national road-Našice bypass (Osijek-Baranja County), trial excavations and archaeological supervision of the route were conducted. The 4.1-km-long bypass route leaves the D-515 beneath the northernmost slopes of Mount Krndija, passing along the north-eastern edge of the suburb of Markovac Našički to connect with the D-53 leading towards Donji Miholjac (Fig. 1). The bypass route passes through a lowland area through which several streams run. The largest of them is Našička Rijeka, along which there are mild elevations on which all the archaeological sites are located. In a field survey of part of the Našice bypass route in 2003 (Minichreiter, Marković 2004: 58-59), three sites were found in the planned section (AS 1 Markovac Našički-Male Livadke, AS 2 Markovac Našički-Orašje and AS 3 Markovac Našički-Stara Branjevina). Trial excavations revealed four new, previously unknown sites (Fig. 1). On a mild elevation (Fig. 3), shards of prehistoric pottery were collected that suggested the existence of AS 2a Markovac Našički-Orašje 2. In trial-trenching, archaeological structures with pottery finds were identified, which suggested the marginal part of an Aeneolithic, i.e. Lasinja culture, settlement. Another prehistoric settlement, AS 4 Velimirovac-Arenda 1, was found on a mild elevation located north of the Našička Rijeka. On the field's surface, pottery and stone artefacts were collected, while in the trial-trenches, archaeological structures with ceramic vessel shards and house daub were identified. The filling of a large pit-dwelling was documented, beside which there were also smaller oval-shaped pits (Fig. 4). The collected finds suggest the existence of a Starčevo culture settlement, traces of which were also found in a field survey of the Donji Miholjac-Slobodnica main natural gas pipeline route (Dizdar, Ložnjak Dizdar 2009: 136-138, site no. 17 Arenda). In the aforementioned field survey, finds were unearthed from the Late Bronze Age and the Middle Ages in the western part of the field (Dizdar, Ložnjak Dizdar 2009: 136). In a trial-trench on the Našice bypass route, between Neolithic and Late Bronze Age structures, a part of the surface with no finds was identified, therefore the western part was separated as a special site: Velimirovac-Arenda 2. In a trial-trench at this site, numerous archaeological structures with pottery finds from the Late Bronze Age, i.e. the Virovitica group, were identified. In a trial-trench some hundred metres further west, another previously unknown prehistoric site, AS 6 Velimirovac- Branjevina, was found. After the trial excavations, the total length of the archaeological sites was increased from 735 m to 1,875 m. Future rescue excavations of seven sites located on the bypass route will help us solve the problem of populating the Našice area in the Neolithic, Copper Age, Late Bronze Age, Late Iron Age and Middle Ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future Koprivnica City Bypass, a part of the Podravina Expressway corridor, passes across fertile fields of this predominantly low land. The attractiveness of the area along the navigable Drava River which enabled communication is verified by the abundance of archaeological finds pointing to the continuity of life in this region from prehistory until the Late Middle Ages, as shown by multilayered sites such as Cerine. In July 2009 the Institute of Archaeology conducted a field survey of the Koprivnica bypass construction area, i.e. of the 19 km long section between the highway interchanges at Rasinja and Koprivnica, in order to identify sites jeopardized by future works. 28 sites were identified, the majority of which have not been registered yet. At only three locations, the found material can be dated in the prehistoric period - one site in classical antiquity, and the remaining sites are dated in the Middle Ages and the modern age [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a field survey of part of the village Sotin, the sites known from the literature (Ilkić 1999; Ilkić 2003) were inspected, some of which were registered earlier. Besides several small-scale rescue excavations (digs of house foundations, etc.) in the Sotin area in the 1970s, conducted by the curator of the Vukovar City Museum, A. Dorn, there were no archaeological excavations in this area before. In view of the periods to which the finds belong (prehistory, Antiquity, Middle Ages) and their significance, Sotin needs to be sorted out in the archaeological map of Croatia. Besides finds from the Neolithic and the Eneolithic periods, the Middle Bronze Age, the Late Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, Sotin was a military fortress on the limes of the Roman Empire. Individual finds from the Migration Period and the Middle Ages are also known. Regarding the return of the population after the 1990s Homeland War, and the reconstruction and development of the presentday settlement on the territory of past settlements and cemeteries, it is necessary to preserve the entire archaeological zone of the Sotin area, and to conduct trial excavations in order to confirm the individual micro-locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During archaeological rescue excavations conducted at the AN COKP ČEPIN site on a section of the VC corridor, Ðakovo-Osijek route, on a mild elevation south-west of Čepin (Fig. 1), the remains of a medieval lowland settlement were examined with sunken pits, channels, ditches and pillars. The minor number of finds probably belongs to a Lasinja culture settlement. The large excavated surface of the site made it possible to identify the infrastructure of the medieval settlement, in which sunken channels used to close the central surface with the remains of structures that testify to a settlement that probably had a familial structure, with groups of structures distributed in smaller units (Fig. 2). The largest number of archaeological finds consists of pottery fragments, followed by house daub, while only a smaller number of metal and stone artefacts could be excavated. Among the functional forms of pottery, various types of pots with an S-profile and decorative wavy and horizontal lines were identified, dating the settlement in the period from the ninth to eleventh centuries (Fig. 5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In autumn 2008, a test excavation was conducted on the Belišće-Zagajci I-II site, where in 1992 finds were collected that indicated the existence of an Early Iron Age cemetery. The typological and chronological analysis of finds indicate that we are dealing with artefacts from a destroyed skeletal burial of a woman that may be attributed to the south Pannonian Late Hallstatt group, found between the Kapos and Sava Rivers from the mid-sixth century BC to the Celtic settlement at the end of the fourth century BC. During excavations of the Belišće-Zagajci I site in 2008, two incineration burials dated to the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age were excavated, while no later prehistoric burial sites were found. These are burials in which the incinerated remains of the deceased were laid in ceramic vessels – pots functioning as urns. The urns were covered with bowls and laid in oval grave pits. On the basis of typological and chronological analysis of ceramic vessels, the burials could have been assigned to the later stage of the Urnfield culture, i.e. the transition to the Early Iron Age. In this period, the Dalj group was settled in the territory of Eastern Slavonia and Baranja; the Dalj group's western border has not yet been defined, and in Podravina only several sites (Nova Bukovica, Delovi near Koprivnica, Sveti Petar Ludbreški) from this period were registered, still of uncertain cultural origin. That is why the results of the excavation of the prehistoric cemetery in Belišće-Zagajci I are the more important, although it is a pity for proto-historic archaeology that the excavations were not conducted earlier, at the time when finds from the skeletal burial were excavated, dated in the first half of the fourth century BC, since at the time a larger number of burials from the Late Bronze Age would have been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]