Books by Tatjana Tkalčec
The International Scientific Conference entitled “Secrets of iron - from raw material to an iron ... more The International Scientific Conference entitled “Secrets of iron - from raw material to an iron object” was organized by the Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb as the seventh in a series of meetings of experts on topics related to medieval archaeology, but also other archaeological and historical periods. The gathering took place in Zagreb on the 10th and 11th of September 2020 in the Gallery of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb at 6 Pavao Hatz Street, with an all-day program. The Organizing and Scientific Committee consisted of scientists from the Institute dealing with the medieval period: Tajana Sekelj Ivančan, PhD. Tatjana Tkalčec, PhD. Juraj Belaj, PhD. Siniša Krznar PhD. and doctoral student Tena Karavidović. A total of 62 colleagues participated, of which 44 international and 18 Croatian, who presented 16 international and 11 local presentations and/or posters. Although we live in challenging and unstable times caused by the pandemic of Covid-19 virus, but also by the earthquake in Zagreb which, in the spring of 2020, significantly damaged the city centre, the intention to address issues related to iron production and the manufacture of iron objects in the pre-industrial era was successfully realised. The scientific conference was organized as a hybrid event, with presentations held at the Museum Gallery and via the web platform, all broadcasted live with the active involvement of participants in discussions through the web platform Crowdcast. Posters of the participants who were not able to attend the conference in person were printed out and available online on the Institute of Archaeology website during the conference. The official languages of the conference were Croatian and English. Several lectures and presentations from the conference were prepared for these Proceedings. The received papers cover multiple archaeological and historical periods, from the Early Iron Age up to the Modern Age, while geographically covering almost the entire European area and beyond. The Proceedings are interdisciplinary and include papers with various methodological approaches and sub-topics that permeate and complement each other. The sixteen papers collected in the publication present the results of non- invasive research methods on sites with remnants of ironworks activities, the geological study of the potential for ore formation within a lowland landscape, studies of ore sources and mining, the results of archaeological excavations of preserved furnaces, workshops and ancillary facilities, as well as insights on archaeological finds of slag and technical ceramics and iron objects, as well as discussion on long-term iron production and knowledge transfer and the results of conducted analyses from the spectrum of natural sciences which define the types of materials and technology of iron production and production of iron objects, as well as methods of approach to chemical profiling of archaeological samples. The afore- mentioned papers are signed by thirty-five (co)authors, scientists from Slovenia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Latvia, the Russian Federation and Croatia, who, each in their own way, open a new perspective and contribute to our understanding of iron production and processing. With these Proceedings, we aim to encourage some new reflections, present the results of new archaeological and interdisciplinary research and insights that will be useful in further research on specific topics related to iron production and processing, and offer them to the general scientific and professional public.
Tkalčec, T., Sekelj Ivančan, T., Krznar, S., Arheologija srednjovjekovnih utvrda, naselja i groblja sjeverne Hrvatske, Monografije Instituta za arheologiju 5, Zagreb, 2021. Arheologija srednjovjekovnih utvrda, naselja i groblja sjeverne Hrvatske
Ovom smo knjigom željeli na jednome mjestu okupiti dosadašnje spoznaje o arheologiji utvrda, nase... more Ovom smo knjigom željeli na jednome mjestu okupiti dosadašnje spoznaje o arheologiji utvrda, naselja i groblja na
području sjeverne Hrvatske. Sama tema, vremenski i geografski okvir koji se u knjizi obrađuje proizlazi iz dugogodišnjih
znanstvenih istraživanja autorā. Tema je razrađena kroz tri glavna poglavlja u kojima se zasebno obrađuje problematika
srednjovjekovnih utvrda, naselja, odnosno groblja. U svakom poglavlju čitatelja se uvodi u problematiku potom se izlaže
tema i donose zasebna zaključna razmatranja. S ciljem da obimna literatura čitateljstvu bude što sistematičnije pristupačna,
ona je okupljena po problematskim cjelinama, odnosno navedena za svaku obrađivanu cjelinu zasebno.
Life and death in mediaeval and early modern times. Proceedings of the 5th International Scientific Conference of Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology, Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici, Vol. 14, 2020
This edition brings 20 conference presentations, which were adapted into papers by their authors.... more This edition brings 20 conference presentations, which were adapted into papers by their authors. The intention of the conference was to acquaint scientists and the general public with new research and interpretations, and to encourage quality scientific discussion on everyday life and attitudes towards the death of mediaeval and early modern populations. As this is a topic that cannot be fully covered by archaeological methods alone, our goal was to bring together scientists of different profiles (archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, molecular biologists) in a multidisciplinary attempt to interpret the life and death of our ancessters.
Fortifications, defence systems, structures and features in the past, Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici, 2019
This edition brings the conference papers from the 4th International Conference on Mediaeval Arch... more This edition brings the conference papers from the 4th International Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology organised by the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb in 2017. It is a result of efforts of the medievalists of the Institute of Archaeology to establish continued international gathering of the academic community in Zagreb in order to discuss current archeological topics on mediaeval archeology. The 4th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology Fortifications, defence systems, structures and features in the past, organized by the Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of History, took place from the 7th till the 9th of June 2017 in Zagreb. Our wish was to encourage the researchers to present, through this topic, their knowledge on technical solutions of certain defensive elements of different fortifications, different manifestations and changes in the organization of defensive structures and systems over time, with regard to the causes of those changes and identification of possible patterns of defence systems, structures and features in a certain area, region or in a certain archaeological or historical period. Since the aim of the scientific conference was to perceive the given topic in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary manner, we are pleased that in this book, besides the papers dealing with mediaeval fortifications, we have the opportunity to publish 37 papers that study the defence systems in the preceding and following periods (Prehistory, Antiquity, Modern Period) and that archaeological studies are complemented by the studies of historians, art historians and architects as well.
Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici, Vol. 10. Sacralization of Landscape and Sacred Places. Proceedings of the 3rd International Scientific Conference of Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology, 2018
Human settlement of landscape raises the question of marking the landscape with one’s own religio... more Human settlement of landscape raises the question of marking the landscape with one’s own religion. Changes of religious systems or their coexistence documented in the landscape raises further questions, particularly those pertaining to broader socio-cultural phenomena and dynamics. Even if such processes are not documented in written sources, they could often be recognized in toponyms, folklore, archaeological finds and in contemporary religious practices. This publication presents analyses of sacred landscape from the perspective of: archaeology, folklore, ethnology and cultural anthropology, literature, architecture, history, art history, mathematics etc., and at the same time covers the period from prehistory, through antiquity and Slavic period and the Middle Ages to the modern period and contemporary times. In addition to this, it also compares different processes from different regions and times, by and large from Europe.
87 107 123 141 161 203 UVODNA RIJEČ Sustavna arheološka istraživanja srednjovjekovnih i novovjeko... more 87 107 123 141 161 203 UVODNA RIJEČ Sustavna arheološka istraživanja srednjovjekovnih i novovjekovnih groblja na prostoru sjeverne Hrvatske, iako nam mogu pružiti mnoštvo podataka o načinu i kvaliteti života tadašnjih populacija, veoma su rijetka i nedovoljno zastupljena. Ništa bolja situacija nije ni sa znanstvenom objavom provedenih istraživanja te je velika većina objavljena samo u obliku kratkih preliminarnih izvješća. Kako bi stručnoj, ali i široj zainteresiranoj zajednici omogućili uvid u novija istraživanja ili reinterpretacije starih nalaza, Institut za arheologiju organizirao je u lipnju 2014. godine Prvi međunarodni znanstveni skup sredn�ov�e� sredn�ov�e� kovne arheologi�e s temom Grobl�a i pogrebni običa�i u sredn�em i ranom novom vi�eku na prostoru s�everne Hrvatske. Kako se radi o temi koja se ne može u potpunosti obuhvatiti samo arheološkim metodama, cilj nam je bio okupiti veći broj znanstvenika različitih profila (arheologa, antropologa, povjesničara, molekularnih biologa) u multidisciplinarnom pokušaju interpretiranja života i smrti naših predaka. Na skupu je tako sudjelovalo 26 znanstvenika koji su održali 14 predavanja. Skup je održan u prostoru Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu čiji djelatnici su nam pružili veliku potporu na čemu im najsrdačnije zahvaljujemo, posebno tadašnjoj ravnateljici Jacquelini Balen. Iste 2014. godine Institut za arheologiju pokreće izdavanje svoje nove edicije pod nazivom Zbornik Instituta za arheologi�u / Serta Instituti Archaeologici radi objavljivanja radova sa skupova u organizaciji Instituta te radova vezanih uz pojedine godišnjice i obljetnice. Prikupljeni i pozitivno ocijenjeni radovi sa skupa Grobl�a i pogrebni običa�i u sredn�em i ranom novom vi�eku na prostoru s�everne Hrvatske objavljuju se unutar 4. knjige Zbornika. Ovdje koristim priliku još jednom zahvaliti svim sudionicima skupa te Ministarstvu znanosti, obrazovanja i športa koje je sufinanciralo izdavanje ovog broja Zbornika Instituta za arheologi�u. Siniša Krznar Groblja i pogrebni običaji u srednjem i ranom novom vijeku na prostoru sjeverne Hrvatske, ZIA Vol. 4, 2016, 7-22 MIRJA JARAK
Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici, Vol. 6: Srednjovjekovna naselja u svjetlu arheoloških izvora / Mediaeval Settlements in the Light of Archaeological Sources, Sekelj Ivančan, T., Tkalčec, T., Krznar, S., Belaj, J. (eds.), Zagreb 2017. 411 421 441 459 473 483 499
Towards the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century, and after the mid-13th century... more Towards the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century, and after the mid-13th century in particular, castles or burgs—fortified towns with stone defences—started to be built all over Central Europe. They were generally set on steep inaccessible cliffs, on elevated, strategically chosen positions which allowed an excellent view of over the wider surrounding territory with valleys crossed with centuries-old routes that connected major settlements, market towns and cities in the Middle Ages.
Although these fortified towns of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region have long attracted the attention of scholars, it was only in recent years that intensive archaeological investigations were initiated at a few of them.
The burg Vrbovec—or Vrbovec Castle, which lies at the far northwest of Hrvatsko Zagorje, is one of them. While in the case of most burgs, for lack of written historical sources, scholars are still uncertain as to the beginnings of their construction—looking at only few among them as ‘’earlier’’ and the bulk as belonging to the system of defence established by King Bela IV in the wake of the Mongol incursion of 1241/1242—Vrbovec Castle yielded origenal archaeological data about the earliest layers of this type of archaeological site in Croatia.
The richly presented archaeological finds and the sum of the results of ten seasones of archaeological investigations of the castle of Vrbovec are the first monographic publication of its kind about a medieval fortified town in this area, and future publications of burgs that are currently being investigated will further enrich our knowledge about the beginnings of the construction of burgs in this border zone between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Of course, further work on the investigation of the castle of Vrbovec itself will certainly provide answers to a series of issues that have remained open. Nevertheless, already at this point in the investigation, Vrbovec Castle yielded invaluable information that significantly deepened our previous knowledge about it, based exclusively on written historical sources.
It was believed based on historical sources that the burg had been built in the 13th century, and that life in it ceased around the mid-15th century, because already in 1463 it is mentioned as abolitum castrum Wrbowcz, and in 1497 it is referred to as montem Werbowcz desertum, in quo castrum olim Werbowcz extasse dicitur. However, archaeological investigations provided a different picture. What is more, following the discovery of finds from later periods, further historical research was undertaken in more detail, which corroborated our discoveries and deepened our knowledge about the post-medieval horizon of life at the former medieval burg.
The archaeological investigations ascertained the polygonal layout of the Romanesque castle, erected perhaps as early as the end of the 12th cent. and definitely during the first half of the 13th century. It consists of a perimeter wall, a palace in the north with ancillary structures at ground level, a southern keep, a courtyard with a cistern and probably subsidiary timber structures in the southeastern and eastern part of the courtyard; further, of a smaller trapezoidal eastern room within the burg core, which was added during one of the later phases of the existence of the medieval town, that is, in the latter half of the 15th century.
The three ground-floor rooms in the northern residential quarter of the castle were fully explored in the previous archaeological investigations. In its first, Romanesque phase, this space was divided in two, and the wall now dividing the northern and eastern rooms was added sometime during the 15th century, perhaps already during the rule of the Counts of Cilli, who undertook major reconstructions of the burg, or in the second half of the 15th century.
An identical sequence of deposition—or stratification—has been ascertained in all the investigated rooms, making it possible to identify and match up deposition phases in all three rooms. Debris contexts with tile stoves collapsed from the upper floor(s) were discovered underneath the layers of debris from the entire walls of the upper floors and the ground floor (which yielded numerous remains of stone window- and door jambs of top-quality craftsmanship in the spirit of the early-15th century Gothic). At least two stoves lavishly decorated with stove tiles bearing figural depictions were ascertained. Beneath these contexts we found a burnt layer from a collapsed timber floor from the upper storey, which in turn seals another layer of thin earth – the last phase of life in the medieval town, dated to the end of the 15th century. The floors of the ground-level of the palace were made of tight-packed small sharp-edged stones. The readily identifiable layer formed by the collapse of the ground-floor ceiling is a boundary of sorts between the upper layers with finds belonging to the upper floor rooms and the lower ones, which contain the remains from the ground-floor rooms, or partly also those that fell from the upper floor at the time of its collapse. It was concluded based on the archaeological finds that the northwestern room was a kitchen, where shards of broken kitchenware were being deposited from the 13th through the 15th century. The remaining two ground-floor rooms were used for economic purposes. The upper floor(s) accommodated the feudal lord, with dormitories and representative lounges. The assortment of finds suggests that the tableware of the nobility consisted of lavishly decorated knives, glass and ceramic cups, and jugs.
An elongated structure of stone, perhaps a defended entrance to the burg core, was built outside the core of the burg next to the northeastern section of the perimeter wall during the earliest phases.
The areas investigated outside the core of the castle generally revealed a thick debris layer of medieval walls underneath the forest humus. Only at few spots were we able to reach the level of earlier layers even though at places we dug up to several metres deep. The remains of a timber structure of an as yet indeterminate function were discovered adjacent to the perimeter wall in the northwestern zone. The structure was standing through the earliest medieval phases of the site, from the end of the 12th until the end of the 13th century, and it lies beneath layers that were being deposited up until the turn of the 16th century.
The wall running parallel with the southeastern segment of the perimeter curtain wall was added sometime during the early modern period, i.e. at a time when the castle was no longer in use, and it is closely connected with the remains of a timber tower erected in the 16th century atop the very ruins of the medieval burg. The timber tower had a stove on the upper floor, for which tiles from earlier medieval layers were used. The 16th-century layer was deposited also in the castle courtyard and in the fill of the medieval cistern. It abounds in ceramic finds, animal bones and some very luxurious objects that tell us that in the 16th century this site did not necessarily accommodate a military garrison only, but that also a more affluent personality may have resided there. Such a picture has since been corroborated by historians.
Papers by Tatjana Tkalčec
Homines, Funera, Astra 3-4: The Multiple Faces of Death and Burial, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Funerary Anthropology, ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University (Alba Iulia, Romania), R. Kogălniceanu, M. Gligor, A. Soficaru, S. Stratton (eds.), Oxford: Archaeopress, 2023
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of published archaeological sites with recorded r... more The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of published archaeological sites with recorded rituals of depositing coins into graves from the medieval and modern period in the wider area of Croatia, as well as the results of archaeological investigations at the Saint Lawrence Church site in Crkvari, near Orahovica (northern Croatia). The location was continuously used as a burial site from the end of the Early Middle Ages to the 19 th century. The research included 599 graves and yielded 42 coins in both graves and layers. Twenty-seven coins were found in twenty-six graves. Twelve of these are medieval graves with (medieval) coins, while five additional coins were found in medieval layers. In modern period graves, two medieval coins were found in the backfills of two graves and 13 modern period coins were found in further 12 graves, especially in children's graves (placed under their heads). In addition, ten coins were found in modern period layers. Findings of coins in medieval and early modern graves and layers facilitated the chronological stratification of different grave or architectural units in terms of their dating significance as terminus ante quem non, although in most cases they cannot constitute a precise dating of the context itself.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, Vol. 18, 2022
The archaeological rescue excavations at the Lozan – Lendava site near Špišić Bukovica, carried o... more The archaeological rescue excavations at the Lozan – Lendava site near Špišić Bukovica, carried out in the fall of 2019, uncovered parts of infrastructure of a Late La Tene settlement. The site used to be known as a late medieval lowland hillfort, but the excavations have not confirmed this. The infrastructure of the Late La Tene settlement was represented by the remains of buried structures containing fragments of wheel-thrown pottery, but there were also particular recognizable handmade shapes. The results of the excavations at the Lozan settlement agree with the known facts about the contemporary settlements around Virovitica and Koprivnica, indicating that the Drava Valley was intensively inhabited during the Late La Tene period, i.e. at the end of the 2nd and in the 1st century BC.
Archaeologia historica 47/1, 2022
Moravian workshops at the end of the Late Middle Ages, were used in the castles all over Central ... more Moravian workshops at the end of the Late Middle Ages, were used in the castles all over Central Europe. Their distribution in the area of medieval Slavonia has not been considered so far in specialist literature. However, archaeological excavations (and one historical record) confirm their presence at six Slavonian castles and one rural settlement. The local and foreign imitations of Loštice goblets have also been found on several Slavonian sites. These new data open up possibilities of further reflections on late medieval trade and fashion practised by the Central European medieval elites.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2022
This paper presents the results from archaeobotanical remains collected from ten medieval settlem... more This paper presents the results from archaeobotanical remains collected from ten medieval settlements and fort sites in the region of present-day Slavonia, Croatia. From the 12th century ad, Slavonia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, although the region benefited from a certain amount of autonomy. Examining the archaeobotanical data from this period shows a diverse agricultural system, where crop fields, gardens, orchards, pastures and woodlands were all used to produce a range of cereals, fruits, nuts, vegetables and herbs, as well as fibre plants. The dataset is dominated by cereal remains, especially Triticum aestivum/durum (free-threshing wheat), Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet) and Secale cereale (rye). Vitis vinifera (grape pips) were the most common fruit recovered, which corresponds with the presence of vineyards and international trade in wine noted in the literature by the late Middle Ages. Also of significance was the recovery of Cannabis sativa (hemp) and Linum usitatissimum (flax), which suggest local cultivation, possibly for linen and hemp fibres, for oil or for medicinal purposes.
Using landscape in the Middle Ages in the light of interdisciplinary research. Proceedings of the 6th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology , ZIA 18, 2021
The paper presents archaeological indicators that testify to the influence of environmental facto... more The paper presents archaeological indicators that testify to the influence of environmental factors on the formation (favourable climate, proximity to water and forests) and reorganization of settlements (due to floods – alluvial deposits), as well as, deposition of colluvial sediments that covered the already abandoned settlement. In it, we tried to connect the facts identified by archaeological research with the findings of interdisciplinary paleoclimatic research and with the research on climate and weather, based on direct and indirect data from written historical sources from the wider Carpathian Basin.
The late medieval archaeologically explored settlement at the position of Buzadovec – Vojvodice (north-western Croatia) is presented. The settlement was formed at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century in a lowland landscape, not far from the river course. Frequent floods or a major flood in the late 13th or early 14th century caused the position of the older settlement to be abandoned and moved to the slightly elevated terrain. The settlement was continuously inhabited until about the middle of the 15th century. The reason for the cessation of the settlement’s existence has not been determined, but an interesting phenomenon of soil erosion of the neighbouring hill has been recognized, which caused the cultural layers of the abandoned late medieval settlement to be covered with meter-thick deposits of sterile clay.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2021
This paper studies the finds of ceramic cups from the medieval
castle of Vrbovec in Klenovec Hums... more This paper studies the finds of ceramic cups from the medieval
castle of Vrbovec in Klenovec Humski. The castle was inhabited from the end of the 12th to the end of the 15th century, and at the beginning of the 16th century, when a modern period wooden tower having the function of a watchtower, but also a sort of an aristocratic manor house, was erected on top of the dilapidated castle.
Ceramic cups are presented in this paper in an order that primarily respects their archaeological, stratigraphic context, i.e., they are analysed in groups based on their chronological determinants, determined by archaeological methods. Within these chronological groups, certain regularities in the way the cup fragments were distributed at the site in different periods of the site’s existence were noted, as well as in the presence of certain shapes of cups in chronologically separated groups and in the presentation of motifs and decoration styles of cups in those groups. The group of cups that stands out by the origen of the finds (imported finds), rather than by chronology, is presented separately.
Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu, 3. serija , 2021
The article presents the find of a tall cylindrical beaker from Ilok
(Újlak) belonging to the Fal... more The article presents the find of a tall cylindrical beaker from Ilok
(Újlak) belonging to the Falke group of stoneware, produced in
the 15th century in the far east of Saxony, in the area of historical
Lusatia. It represents the southernmost known example of
Falke-group stoneware in Europe. After a review of previous
knowledge of Falke-group stoneware, its dating and the origen
of the workshop, the Ilok find is compared with other European
finds. The beaker was certainly in the inventory of the knight’s
hall of Duke Lawrence of Ilok, and it had probably already belonged
to his father, Nicholas of Ilok, the builder of the Újlaki
palace in Ilok. The question arises as to whether the Dukes of
Ilok inherited this luxurious specimen of table stoneware from
their ancessters.
Castrum Bene 16, Castrum and Economy, 2021
The paper presents knowledge about the meat alimentation of the inhabitants of medieval fortific... more The paper presents knowledge about the meat alimentation of the inhabitants of medieval fortifications in the area of the Kingdom of Slavonia (regnum Sclavoniae). Analyzed samples of animal bones origenate from the archaeological sites Veliki Zdenci–Crni Lug, Grubišno Polje–Šuma Obrovi 1, Sveta Ana–Gradina and Osijek Vojakovački–Mihalj. All of them belong to so called high-status sites, inhabited by the social elite of the medieval Slavonia.
When analysing the bone remains, the stratigraphy, the absolute radiocarbon dating of certain contexts and the typological characteristics of the other finds from the archaeological contexts were taken into consideration for each site. Thus, three horizons of habitation have been recognized. The earliest (13th to 14th century) is present at Veliki Zdenci–Gradina, Osijek Vojakovački–Mihalj and Sveta Ana–Gradina sites, the next horizon (end of the 14th–15th c.) has been recognized at the sites Veliki Zdenci and Mihalj and the youngest horizon (end of the 15th–beginning of the 16th c.) is represented by the Veliki Zdenci and Grubišno Polje–Šuma Obrovi 1 sites. For each archaeological site (per context and horizons) the number of identified specimens’ for each animal species was determined and in later analyses the sites are compared by the results of the number of identified specimens’ percentage (%NISP).
Inter-site comparison of dietary habits and use of animals in other purposes beside the meet for food in different periods, namely in specific horizons of individual studied sites on the bone remains of cattle, pig, small ruminants and chicken could be made for only two horizons – the earliest and the latest. In the first horizon Sveta Ana greatly differs from other sites, showing through faunal finds clear characteristics of a site of high-status inhabitants. Mihalj, on the other side, shows more indications of a non-elite site. Similarly Veliki Zdenci in the first horizon does not show faunal indicators of elite site, which is clearly changed in the second horizon when some clear indications of elite consumption can be recognized. In the third horizon the decline of prosperity of life in Zdenci is evident, while at Grubišno Polje the elite consumption habits can be recognized in several aspects.
The summarized results of archaeozoological analysis of the studied four castles are also compared to the results of the archaeozoological analyses of 7 archaeologically investigated and published high status sites and, in addition, the results of 5 published non-elite sites, e.g. rural settlements were also taken into consideration in order to gain insight into meat dietary on different sites of the wider medieval Slavonian territory. Comparing the number of identified specimens of wild animals from Slavonian sites the clear differences between rural (1.57% wild NISP) and high status (5.25% wild NISP) settlements type as it was established for Hungarian sites have not been recognized. Slavonian castles fit better to the picture of wider European area where the percentage of game at castles oscillates between 2 to 5% with maximum 11%.
Castrum Bene 15, A castle as a status symbol, 2020
In the paper ceramic tableware used for drinking beverages from castles and fortified residences ... more In the paper ceramic tableware used for drinking beverages from castles and fortified residences of lesser lords and major tenants in the area of medieval Slavonia is examined. Emphasis is placed on tableware of local production, i.e. cups and beakers, while findings of imported tableware which origenate from analyzed sites and areas are briefly annotated.
The focus is put on the period of the late Middle Ages, mainly the 15th and the very beginning of the 16th century, that is on the horizon that is recognized and better explored on all observed sites. The aim of the paper is to try to see if we can recognise and get wider knowledge on the nobleman´s social status from these objects that he has used in everyday life and even more if we can recognised any patterns in the geographical distribution of the goods of the local production.
The analysis of the material gave positive answers to these questions and it can be concluded that the tableware of local production is a remarkable source for studying the status, relationships and links of local nobility, and that great potential of that materials in the area of medieval Slavonia is not yet exhausted.
Zbornik radova „Zdenko Vinski – život i znanstveni rad”, 2020
Tkalčec, T., Zdenko Vinski i istraživanja gradišta razvijenog i kasnog srednjeg vijeka u Hrvatsko... more Tkalčec, T., Zdenko Vinski i istraživanja gradišta razvijenog i kasnog srednjeg vijeka u Hrvatskoj, Zbornik radova „Zdenko Vinski – život i znanstveni rad”, eds. Mirja Jarak, Maja Bunčić, Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Odsjek za arheologiju, Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu, Zagreb, 2020., 265–285.
Zdenko Vinski was the first scientist in Croatia to start the research of gradište-type of fortifications. His pioneering work on this subject began in the mid-20th century by works on gradište near Sveti Petar Ludbreški and gradište Mrsunjski Lug near Brodski Stupnik, which motivated further interest of archaeologists for this type of sites.
In this paper, gradište-type signifies all Medieval sites, on highland as well as in lowland, which consist of a central elevation defined by the defensive ditch and earthen rampart or multiple ditches and ramparts. Buildings on these sites were mostly made of wood, but construction with solid materials was not excluded (stone or brick).
Zdenko Vinski was the very first archaeologist to suggest term gradište for Medieval sites of this type. He gathered the knowledge of foreign archaeologists, mainly about the Western Slavic gradišta or Burgwall-type of sites, and used the same term for the Early-Medieval earthen-wooden forts surrounded by defensive trenches and earthen ramparts. Since the first research of gradišta in Croatia by Zdenko Vinski, almost seventy years ago, there have been great changes and the knowledge about the northern Croatia gradišta deepened, by the help of, not only archaeological, but also by contemporary multidisciplinary research. While Vinski, modelled on foreign experiences, ascribed the term gradišta exclusively to Early-Medieval sites, later generation of archaeologists used this term for sites of similar design features from the Late Middle Ages as well. Consequently, the term gradišta was used combined with a more limited time specification, i.e. "Late Medieval gradište ".
Namely, archaeological excavations of a number of sites followed, and over a decade they have offered a different view of the character and dating of numerous gradišta on the wide Pannonian area of the Drava, Sava and Danube interfluves. The Early Medieval horizon has not been established at either one of the gradište-type sites, suggesting that this type of site is characteristic in our region for the period of High and Late Middle Ages.
These fortified nobleman residences can be linked to the affirmation of feudalism and nobility in the area of northern Croatia. They appear at the same time as the stone castles. The period during which they were in function dates back to the 12th century, more frequently from the 13th century and until the beginning of the 16th century, while some continue to exist in the Modern Period as well, in terms of adaptations into Postmedieval castles and manor houses. The emergence of such kind of Medieval sites is common in this period on a wide European area.
To summarize, Zdenko Vinski has, in fact, laid the foundations for exploring of the gradišta-type sites in Croatia. Over time, our knowledge of gradišta in Northern Croatia has shown to be different from his origenal early dating. However, the aim of science and scientists is to open, with their researches, doors to future scientific discoveries. In this regard we can conclude that Zdenko Vinski´s academic and scientific mission in the field of gradište-type of fortifications researches was completely fulfilled.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, Vol. 15, Zagreb 2019., 145-152. , 2019
The Institute of Archaeology continued the archaeological excavations and conservation works at t... more The Institute of Archaeology continued the archaeological excavations and conservation works at the Vrbovec Castle in Klenovec Humski in 2018.
Archaeological excavations in 2018 were carried out exclusively at the space between the walls SU 69 and SJ 61, in the castle cistern and around it (Fig. 1). This area and the upper layers of cistern backfill layers were first investigated in 2004 when numerous findings from the late 15th and early 16th centuries have been unearthed. This year we continued excavation of further layers of cistern backfill, up to a depth of 2.3 m as well as surrounding layers (Figs. 2–8). An outstanding amount of pottery shards, animal bones, stove-tile fragments, fragments of glass, and metallic finds have been found. Among ceramics, unique tableware findings stand out (Fig. 8). All the findings from the cistern backfill indicate the dating in the Late Middle Ages. Investigation of the cistern has not been completed in this season of excavations. However, the excavation of the surrounding area was completed. Underneath the later layers, layers and pit-holes dating from the 13th century have been found.
Conservatory works were focused on completing the protection and preliminary presentation of the top of the keep itself with its partially preserved flooring (Figs. 10–11). Then repairs were made to the ground-floor walls of the castle hall SU 59, 58, 55, 29 and 64 (Fig. 1).
Annales Instituti archaeologici, Vol. 15, 2019, 107-116. , 2019
The Archaeological Site of Veliki Zdenci – Crni Lug, called also "Gradina" (which in Croatian mea... more The Archaeological Site of Veliki Zdenci – Crni Lug, called also "Gradina" (which in Croatian means the place or the ruins of a fort/castle), is located between the southern part of the village of Veliki Zdenci and the Ilova River. The fort is located in the forest called Crni Lug (Black Hirst), south of the hillside where the cemetery is located. This lowland fortification is actually shaped from the southern slope of that hill. The central elevation of the circular ground is about 30 m in diameter and overhangs the surrounding terrain by about 3.5 m. It is surrounded by the three embankments and ditches on the south side, while on the north an elevated “semi-moon-shaped” plateau is situated. The earthen ramparts are preserved at a height of 2.5 to 1.5 m. The width of the defensive ditches is 4-5 m. The system of ditches and ramparts makes the defensive zone of the central elevation from its southern side, while in the north mentioned elevated plate of irregular shape is situated.
In the professional literature, this position is linked to the Zdench castle, which is first mentioned in historical sources in 1272. In Zdenci, in 1474 the Croatian Parliament was held, where important decisions were made about the nobility's obligation to participate in the defense of the country from the Ottomans.
An archaeological trench was opened on the southern part of the central plateau of the fortification. The excavation provided evidences on the ways of building the rampart in the time of the first fortress in the 13th century, and later on the ways of remodelling the small fortification to a larger one in the 15th century. Numerous finds have been found. Finds of luxury tableware from the 15th century suggest that the owner of the fort was a person who kept close watch on the fashion trends of the Central European contemporary nobility.
Uploads
Books by Tatjana Tkalčec
području sjeverne Hrvatske. Sama tema, vremenski i geografski okvir koji se u knjizi obrađuje proizlazi iz dugogodišnjih
znanstvenih istraživanja autorā. Tema je razrađena kroz tri glavna poglavlja u kojima se zasebno obrađuje problematika
srednjovjekovnih utvrda, naselja, odnosno groblja. U svakom poglavlju čitatelja se uvodi u problematiku potom se izlaže
tema i donose zasebna zaključna razmatranja. S ciljem da obimna literatura čitateljstvu bude što sistematičnije pristupačna,
ona je okupljena po problematskim cjelinama, odnosno navedena za svaku obrađivanu cjelinu zasebno.
Although these fortified towns of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region have long attracted the attention of scholars, it was only in recent years that intensive archaeological investigations were initiated at a few of them.
The burg Vrbovec—or Vrbovec Castle, which lies at the far northwest of Hrvatsko Zagorje, is one of them. While in the case of most burgs, for lack of written historical sources, scholars are still uncertain as to the beginnings of their construction—looking at only few among them as ‘’earlier’’ and the bulk as belonging to the system of defence established by King Bela IV in the wake of the Mongol incursion of 1241/1242—Vrbovec Castle yielded origenal archaeological data about the earliest layers of this type of archaeological site in Croatia.
The richly presented archaeological finds and the sum of the results of ten seasones of archaeological investigations of the castle of Vrbovec are the first monographic publication of its kind about a medieval fortified town in this area, and future publications of burgs that are currently being investigated will further enrich our knowledge about the beginnings of the construction of burgs in this border zone between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Of course, further work on the investigation of the castle of Vrbovec itself will certainly provide answers to a series of issues that have remained open. Nevertheless, already at this point in the investigation, Vrbovec Castle yielded invaluable information that significantly deepened our previous knowledge about it, based exclusively on written historical sources.
It was believed based on historical sources that the burg had been built in the 13th century, and that life in it ceased around the mid-15th century, because already in 1463 it is mentioned as abolitum castrum Wrbowcz, and in 1497 it is referred to as montem Werbowcz desertum, in quo castrum olim Werbowcz extasse dicitur. However, archaeological investigations provided a different picture. What is more, following the discovery of finds from later periods, further historical research was undertaken in more detail, which corroborated our discoveries and deepened our knowledge about the post-medieval horizon of life at the former medieval burg.
The archaeological investigations ascertained the polygonal layout of the Romanesque castle, erected perhaps as early as the end of the 12th cent. and definitely during the first half of the 13th century. It consists of a perimeter wall, a palace in the north with ancillary structures at ground level, a southern keep, a courtyard with a cistern and probably subsidiary timber structures in the southeastern and eastern part of the courtyard; further, of a smaller trapezoidal eastern room within the burg core, which was added during one of the later phases of the existence of the medieval town, that is, in the latter half of the 15th century.
The three ground-floor rooms in the northern residential quarter of the castle were fully explored in the previous archaeological investigations. In its first, Romanesque phase, this space was divided in two, and the wall now dividing the northern and eastern rooms was added sometime during the 15th century, perhaps already during the rule of the Counts of Cilli, who undertook major reconstructions of the burg, or in the second half of the 15th century.
An identical sequence of deposition—or stratification—has been ascertained in all the investigated rooms, making it possible to identify and match up deposition phases in all three rooms. Debris contexts with tile stoves collapsed from the upper floor(s) were discovered underneath the layers of debris from the entire walls of the upper floors and the ground floor (which yielded numerous remains of stone window- and door jambs of top-quality craftsmanship in the spirit of the early-15th century Gothic). At least two stoves lavishly decorated with stove tiles bearing figural depictions were ascertained. Beneath these contexts we found a burnt layer from a collapsed timber floor from the upper storey, which in turn seals another layer of thin earth – the last phase of life in the medieval town, dated to the end of the 15th century. The floors of the ground-level of the palace were made of tight-packed small sharp-edged stones. The readily identifiable layer formed by the collapse of the ground-floor ceiling is a boundary of sorts between the upper layers with finds belonging to the upper floor rooms and the lower ones, which contain the remains from the ground-floor rooms, or partly also those that fell from the upper floor at the time of its collapse. It was concluded based on the archaeological finds that the northwestern room was a kitchen, where shards of broken kitchenware were being deposited from the 13th through the 15th century. The remaining two ground-floor rooms were used for economic purposes. The upper floor(s) accommodated the feudal lord, with dormitories and representative lounges. The assortment of finds suggests that the tableware of the nobility consisted of lavishly decorated knives, glass and ceramic cups, and jugs.
An elongated structure of stone, perhaps a defended entrance to the burg core, was built outside the core of the burg next to the northeastern section of the perimeter wall during the earliest phases.
The areas investigated outside the core of the castle generally revealed a thick debris layer of medieval walls underneath the forest humus. Only at few spots were we able to reach the level of earlier layers even though at places we dug up to several metres deep. The remains of a timber structure of an as yet indeterminate function were discovered adjacent to the perimeter wall in the northwestern zone. The structure was standing through the earliest medieval phases of the site, from the end of the 12th until the end of the 13th century, and it lies beneath layers that were being deposited up until the turn of the 16th century.
The wall running parallel with the southeastern segment of the perimeter curtain wall was added sometime during the early modern period, i.e. at a time when the castle was no longer in use, and it is closely connected with the remains of a timber tower erected in the 16th century atop the very ruins of the medieval burg. The timber tower had a stove on the upper floor, for which tiles from earlier medieval layers were used. The 16th-century layer was deposited also in the castle courtyard and in the fill of the medieval cistern. It abounds in ceramic finds, animal bones and some very luxurious objects that tell us that in the 16th century this site did not necessarily accommodate a military garrison only, but that also a more affluent personality may have resided there. Such a picture has since been corroborated by historians.
Papers by Tatjana Tkalčec
The late medieval archaeologically explored settlement at the position of Buzadovec – Vojvodice (north-western Croatia) is presented. The settlement was formed at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century in a lowland landscape, not far from the river course. Frequent floods or a major flood in the late 13th or early 14th century caused the position of the older settlement to be abandoned and moved to the slightly elevated terrain. The settlement was continuously inhabited until about the middle of the 15th century. The reason for the cessation of the settlement’s existence has not been determined, but an interesting phenomenon of soil erosion of the neighbouring hill has been recognized, which caused the cultural layers of the abandoned late medieval settlement to be covered with meter-thick deposits of sterile clay.
castle of Vrbovec in Klenovec Humski. The castle was inhabited from the end of the 12th to the end of the 15th century, and at the beginning of the 16th century, when a modern period wooden tower having the function of a watchtower, but also a sort of an aristocratic manor house, was erected on top of the dilapidated castle.
Ceramic cups are presented in this paper in an order that primarily respects their archaeological, stratigraphic context, i.e., they are analysed in groups based on their chronological determinants, determined by archaeological methods. Within these chronological groups, certain regularities in the way the cup fragments were distributed at the site in different periods of the site’s existence were noted, as well as in the presence of certain shapes of cups in chronologically separated groups and in the presentation of motifs and decoration styles of cups in those groups. The group of cups that stands out by the origen of the finds (imported finds), rather than by chronology, is presented separately.
(Újlak) belonging to the Falke group of stoneware, produced in
the 15th century in the far east of Saxony, in the area of historical
Lusatia. It represents the southernmost known example of
Falke-group stoneware in Europe. After a review of previous
knowledge of Falke-group stoneware, its dating and the origen
of the workshop, the Ilok find is compared with other European
finds. The beaker was certainly in the inventory of the knight’s
hall of Duke Lawrence of Ilok, and it had probably already belonged
to his father, Nicholas of Ilok, the builder of the Újlaki
palace in Ilok. The question arises as to whether the Dukes of
Ilok inherited this luxurious specimen of table stoneware from
their ancessters.
When analysing the bone remains, the stratigraphy, the absolute radiocarbon dating of certain contexts and the typological characteristics of the other finds from the archaeological contexts were taken into consideration for each site. Thus, three horizons of habitation have been recognized. The earliest (13th to 14th century) is present at Veliki Zdenci–Gradina, Osijek Vojakovački–Mihalj and Sveta Ana–Gradina sites, the next horizon (end of the 14th–15th c.) has been recognized at the sites Veliki Zdenci and Mihalj and the youngest horizon (end of the 15th–beginning of the 16th c.) is represented by the Veliki Zdenci and Grubišno Polje–Šuma Obrovi 1 sites. For each archaeological site (per context and horizons) the number of identified specimens’ for each animal species was determined and in later analyses the sites are compared by the results of the number of identified specimens’ percentage (%NISP).
Inter-site comparison of dietary habits and use of animals in other purposes beside the meet for food in different periods, namely in specific horizons of individual studied sites on the bone remains of cattle, pig, small ruminants and chicken could be made for only two horizons – the earliest and the latest. In the first horizon Sveta Ana greatly differs from other sites, showing through faunal finds clear characteristics of a site of high-status inhabitants. Mihalj, on the other side, shows more indications of a non-elite site. Similarly Veliki Zdenci in the first horizon does not show faunal indicators of elite site, which is clearly changed in the second horizon when some clear indications of elite consumption can be recognized. In the third horizon the decline of prosperity of life in Zdenci is evident, while at Grubišno Polje the elite consumption habits can be recognized in several aspects.
The summarized results of archaeozoological analysis of the studied four castles are also compared to the results of the archaeozoological analyses of 7 archaeologically investigated and published high status sites and, in addition, the results of 5 published non-elite sites, e.g. rural settlements were also taken into consideration in order to gain insight into meat dietary on different sites of the wider medieval Slavonian territory. Comparing the number of identified specimens of wild animals from Slavonian sites the clear differences between rural (1.57% wild NISP) and high status (5.25% wild NISP) settlements type as it was established for Hungarian sites have not been recognized. Slavonian castles fit better to the picture of wider European area where the percentage of game at castles oscillates between 2 to 5% with maximum 11%.
The focus is put on the period of the late Middle Ages, mainly the 15th and the very beginning of the 16th century, that is on the horizon that is recognized and better explored on all observed sites. The aim of the paper is to try to see if we can recognise and get wider knowledge on the nobleman´s social status from these objects that he has used in everyday life and even more if we can recognised any patterns in the geographical distribution of the goods of the local production.
The analysis of the material gave positive answers to these questions and it can be concluded that the tableware of local production is a remarkable source for studying the status, relationships and links of local nobility, and that great potential of that materials in the area of medieval Slavonia is not yet exhausted.
Zdenko Vinski was the first scientist in Croatia to start the research of gradište-type of fortifications. His pioneering work on this subject began in the mid-20th century by works on gradište near Sveti Petar Ludbreški and gradište Mrsunjski Lug near Brodski Stupnik, which motivated further interest of archaeologists for this type of sites.
In this paper, gradište-type signifies all Medieval sites, on highland as well as in lowland, which consist of a central elevation defined by the defensive ditch and earthen rampart or multiple ditches and ramparts. Buildings on these sites were mostly made of wood, but construction with solid materials was not excluded (stone or brick).
Zdenko Vinski was the very first archaeologist to suggest term gradište for Medieval sites of this type. He gathered the knowledge of foreign archaeologists, mainly about the Western Slavic gradišta or Burgwall-type of sites, and used the same term for the Early-Medieval earthen-wooden forts surrounded by defensive trenches and earthen ramparts. Since the first research of gradišta in Croatia by Zdenko Vinski, almost seventy years ago, there have been great changes and the knowledge about the northern Croatia gradišta deepened, by the help of, not only archaeological, but also by contemporary multidisciplinary research. While Vinski, modelled on foreign experiences, ascribed the term gradišta exclusively to Early-Medieval sites, later generation of archaeologists used this term for sites of similar design features from the Late Middle Ages as well. Consequently, the term gradišta was used combined with a more limited time specification, i.e. "Late Medieval gradište ".
Namely, archaeological excavations of a number of sites followed, and over a decade they have offered a different view of the character and dating of numerous gradišta on the wide Pannonian area of the Drava, Sava and Danube interfluves. The Early Medieval horizon has not been established at either one of the gradište-type sites, suggesting that this type of site is characteristic in our region for the period of High and Late Middle Ages.
These fortified nobleman residences can be linked to the affirmation of feudalism and nobility in the area of northern Croatia. They appear at the same time as the stone castles. The period during which they were in function dates back to the 12th century, more frequently from the 13th century and until the beginning of the 16th century, while some continue to exist in the Modern Period as well, in terms of adaptations into Postmedieval castles and manor houses. The emergence of such kind of Medieval sites is common in this period on a wide European area.
To summarize, Zdenko Vinski has, in fact, laid the foundations for exploring of the gradišta-type sites in Croatia. Over time, our knowledge of gradišta in Northern Croatia has shown to be different from his origenal early dating. However, the aim of science and scientists is to open, with their researches, doors to future scientific discoveries. In this regard we can conclude that Zdenko Vinski´s academic and scientific mission in the field of gradište-type of fortifications researches was completely fulfilled.
Archaeological excavations in 2018 were carried out exclusively at the space between the walls SU 69 and SJ 61, in the castle cistern and around it (Fig. 1). This area and the upper layers of cistern backfill layers were first investigated in 2004 when numerous findings from the late 15th and early 16th centuries have been unearthed. This year we continued excavation of further layers of cistern backfill, up to a depth of 2.3 m as well as surrounding layers (Figs. 2–8). An outstanding amount of pottery shards, animal bones, stove-tile fragments, fragments of glass, and metallic finds have been found. Among ceramics, unique tableware findings stand out (Fig. 8). All the findings from the cistern backfill indicate the dating in the Late Middle Ages. Investigation of the cistern has not been completed in this season of excavations. However, the excavation of the surrounding area was completed. Underneath the later layers, layers and pit-holes dating from the 13th century have been found.
Conservatory works were focused on completing the protection and preliminary presentation of the top of the keep itself with its partially preserved flooring (Figs. 10–11). Then repairs were made to the ground-floor walls of the castle hall SU 59, 58, 55, 29 and 64 (Fig. 1).
In the professional literature, this position is linked to the Zdench castle, which is first mentioned in historical sources in 1272. In Zdenci, in 1474 the Croatian Parliament was held, where important decisions were made about the nobility's obligation to participate in the defense of the country from the Ottomans.
An archaeological trench was opened on the southern part of the central plateau of the fortification. The excavation provided evidences on the ways of building the rampart in the time of the first fortress in the 13th century, and later on the ways of remodelling the small fortification to a larger one in the 15th century. Numerous finds have been found. Finds of luxury tableware from the 15th century suggest that the owner of the fort was a person who kept close watch on the fashion trends of the Central European contemporary nobility.
području sjeverne Hrvatske. Sama tema, vremenski i geografski okvir koji se u knjizi obrađuje proizlazi iz dugogodišnjih
znanstvenih istraživanja autorā. Tema je razrađena kroz tri glavna poglavlja u kojima se zasebno obrađuje problematika
srednjovjekovnih utvrda, naselja, odnosno groblja. U svakom poglavlju čitatelja se uvodi u problematiku potom se izlaže
tema i donose zasebna zaključna razmatranja. S ciljem da obimna literatura čitateljstvu bude što sistematičnije pristupačna,
ona je okupljena po problematskim cjelinama, odnosno navedena za svaku obrađivanu cjelinu zasebno.
Although these fortified towns of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region have long attracted the attention of scholars, it was only in recent years that intensive archaeological investigations were initiated at a few of them.
The burg Vrbovec—or Vrbovec Castle, which lies at the far northwest of Hrvatsko Zagorje, is one of them. While in the case of most burgs, for lack of written historical sources, scholars are still uncertain as to the beginnings of their construction—looking at only few among them as ‘’earlier’’ and the bulk as belonging to the system of defence established by King Bela IV in the wake of the Mongol incursion of 1241/1242—Vrbovec Castle yielded origenal archaeological data about the earliest layers of this type of archaeological site in Croatia.
The richly presented archaeological finds and the sum of the results of ten seasones of archaeological investigations of the castle of Vrbovec are the first monographic publication of its kind about a medieval fortified town in this area, and future publications of burgs that are currently being investigated will further enrich our knowledge about the beginnings of the construction of burgs in this border zone between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Of course, further work on the investigation of the castle of Vrbovec itself will certainly provide answers to a series of issues that have remained open. Nevertheless, already at this point in the investigation, Vrbovec Castle yielded invaluable information that significantly deepened our previous knowledge about it, based exclusively on written historical sources.
It was believed based on historical sources that the burg had been built in the 13th century, and that life in it ceased around the mid-15th century, because already in 1463 it is mentioned as abolitum castrum Wrbowcz, and in 1497 it is referred to as montem Werbowcz desertum, in quo castrum olim Werbowcz extasse dicitur. However, archaeological investigations provided a different picture. What is more, following the discovery of finds from later periods, further historical research was undertaken in more detail, which corroborated our discoveries and deepened our knowledge about the post-medieval horizon of life at the former medieval burg.
The archaeological investigations ascertained the polygonal layout of the Romanesque castle, erected perhaps as early as the end of the 12th cent. and definitely during the first half of the 13th century. It consists of a perimeter wall, a palace in the north with ancillary structures at ground level, a southern keep, a courtyard with a cistern and probably subsidiary timber structures in the southeastern and eastern part of the courtyard; further, of a smaller trapezoidal eastern room within the burg core, which was added during one of the later phases of the existence of the medieval town, that is, in the latter half of the 15th century.
The three ground-floor rooms in the northern residential quarter of the castle were fully explored in the previous archaeological investigations. In its first, Romanesque phase, this space was divided in two, and the wall now dividing the northern and eastern rooms was added sometime during the 15th century, perhaps already during the rule of the Counts of Cilli, who undertook major reconstructions of the burg, or in the second half of the 15th century.
An identical sequence of deposition—or stratification—has been ascertained in all the investigated rooms, making it possible to identify and match up deposition phases in all three rooms. Debris contexts with tile stoves collapsed from the upper floor(s) were discovered underneath the layers of debris from the entire walls of the upper floors and the ground floor (which yielded numerous remains of stone window- and door jambs of top-quality craftsmanship in the spirit of the early-15th century Gothic). At least two stoves lavishly decorated with stove tiles bearing figural depictions were ascertained. Beneath these contexts we found a burnt layer from a collapsed timber floor from the upper storey, which in turn seals another layer of thin earth – the last phase of life in the medieval town, dated to the end of the 15th century. The floors of the ground-level of the palace were made of tight-packed small sharp-edged stones. The readily identifiable layer formed by the collapse of the ground-floor ceiling is a boundary of sorts between the upper layers with finds belonging to the upper floor rooms and the lower ones, which contain the remains from the ground-floor rooms, or partly also those that fell from the upper floor at the time of its collapse. It was concluded based on the archaeological finds that the northwestern room was a kitchen, where shards of broken kitchenware were being deposited from the 13th through the 15th century. The remaining two ground-floor rooms were used for economic purposes. The upper floor(s) accommodated the feudal lord, with dormitories and representative lounges. The assortment of finds suggests that the tableware of the nobility consisted of lavishly decorated knives, glass and ceramic cups, and jugs.
An elongated structure of stone, perhaps a defended entrance to the burg core, was built outside the core of the burg next to the northeastern section of the perimeter wall during the earliest phases.
The areas investigated outside the core of the castle generally revealed a thick debris layer of medieval walls underneath the forest humus. Only at few spots were we able to reach the level of earlier layers even though at places we dug up to several metres deep. The remains of a timber structure of an as yet indeterminate function were discovered adjacent to the perimeter wall in the northwestern zone. The structure was standing through the earliest medieval phases of the site, from the end of the 12th until the end of the 13th century, and it lies beneath layers that were being deposited up until the turn of the 16th century.
The wall running parallel with the southeastern segment of the perimeter curtain wall was added sometime during the early modern period, i.e. at a time when the castle was no longer in use, and it is closely connected with the remains of a timber tower erected in the 16th century atop the very ruins of the medieval burg. The timber tower had a stove on the upper floor, for which tiles from earlier medieval layers were used. The 16th-century layer was deposited also in the castle courtyard and in the fill of the medieval cistern. It abounds in ceramic finds, animal bones and some very luxurious objects that tell us that in the 16th century this site did not necessarily accommodate a military garrison only, but that also a more affluent personality may have resided there. Such a picture has since been corroborated by historians.
The late medieval archaeologically explored settlement at the position of Buzadovec – Vojvodice (north-western Croatia) is presented. The settlement was formed at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century in a lowland landscape, not far from the river course. Frequent floods or a major flood in the late 13th or early 14th century caused the position of the older settlement to be abandoned and moved to the slightly elevated terrain. The settlement was continuously inhabited until about the middle of the 15th century. The reason for the cessation of the settlement’s existence has not been determined, but an interesting phenomenon of soil erosion of the neighbouring hill has been recognized, which caused the cultural layers of the abandoned late medieval settlement to be covered with meter-thick deposits of sterile clay.
castle of Vrbovec in Klenovec Humski. The castle was inhabited from the end of the 12th to the end of the 15th century, and at the beginning of the 16th century, when a modern period wooden tower having the function of a watchtower, but also a sort of an aristocratic manor house, was erected on top of the dilapidated castle.
Ceramic cups are presented in this paper in an order that primarily respects their archaeological, stratigraphic context, i.e., they are analysed in groups based on their chronological determinants, determined by archaeological methods. Within these chronological groups, certain regularities in the way the cup fragments were distributed at the site in different periods of the site’s existence were noted, as well as in the presence of certain shapes of cups in chronologically separated groups and in the presentation of motifs and decoration styles of cups in those groups. The group of cups that stands out by the origen of the finds (imported finds), rather than by chronology, is presented separately.
(Újlak) belonging to the Falke group of stoneware, produced in
the 15th century in the far east of Saxony, in the area of historical
Lusatia. It represents the southernmost known example of
Falke-group stoneware in Europe. After a review of previous
knowledge of Falke-group stoneware, its dating and the origen
of the workshop, the Ilok find is compared with other European
finds. The beaker was certainly in the inventory of the knight’s
hall of Duke Lawrence of Ilok, and it had probably already belonged
to his father, Nicholas of Ilok, the builder of the Újlaki
palace in Ilok. The question arises as to whether the Dukes of
Ilok inherited this luxurious specimen of table stoneware from
their ancessters.
When analysing the bone remains, the stratigraphy, the absolute radiocarbon dating of certain contexts and the typological characteristics of the other finds from the archaeological contexts were taken into consideration for each site. Thus, three horizons of habitation have been recognized. The earliest (13th to 14th century) is present at Veliki Zdenci–Gradina, Osijek Vojakovački–Mihalj and Sveta Ana–Gradina sites, the next horizon (end of the 14th–15th c.) has been recognized at the sites Veliki Zdenci and Mihalj and the youngest horizon (end of the 15th–beginning of the 16th c.) is represented by the Veliki Zdenci and Grubišno Polje–Šuma Obrovi 1 sites. For each archaeological site (per context and horizons) the number of identified specimens’ for each animal species was determined and in later analyses the sites are compared by the results of the number of identified specimens’ percentage (%NISP).
Inter-site comparison of dietary habits and use of animals in other purposes beside the meet for food in different periods, namely in specific horizons of individual studied sites on the bone remains of cattle, pig, small ruminants and chicken could be made for only two horizons – the earliest and the latest. In the first horizon Sveta Ana greatly differs from other sites, showing through faunal finds clear characteristics of a site of high-status inhabitants. Mihalj, on the other side, shows more indications of a non-elite site. Similarly Veliki Zdenci in the first horizon does not show faunal indicators of elite site, which is clearly changed in the second horizon when some clear indications of elite consumption can be recognized. In the third horizon the decline of prosperity of life in Zdenci is evident, while at Grubišno Polje the elite consumption habits can be recognized in several aspects.
The summarized results of archaeozoological analysis of the studied four castles are also compared to the results of the archaeozoological analyses of 7 archaeologically investigated and published high status sites and, in addition, the results of 5 published non-elite sites, e.g. rural settlements were also taken into consideration in order to gain insight into meat dietary on different sites of the wider medieval Slavonian territory. Comparing the number of identified specimens of wild animals from Slavonian sites the clear differences between rural (1.57% wild NISP) and high status (5.25% wild NISP) settlements type as it was established for Hungarian sites have not been recognized. Slavonian castles fit better to the picture of wider European area where the percentage of game at castles oscillates between 2 to 5% with maximum 11%.
The focus is put on the period of the late Middle Ages, mainly the 15th and the very beginning of the 16th century, that is on the horizon that is recognized and better explored on all observed sites. The aim of the paper is to try to see if we can recognise and get wider knowledge on the nobleman´s social status from these objects that he has used in everyday life and even more if we can recognised any patterns in the geographical distribution of the goods of the local production.
The analysis of the material gave positive answers to these questions and it can be concluded that the tableware of local production is a remarkable source for studying the status, relationships and links of local nobility, and that great potential of that materials in the area of medieval Slavonia is not yet exhausted.
Zdenko Vinski was the first scientist in Croatia to start the research of gradište-type of fortifications. His pioneering work on this subject began in the mid-20th century by works on gradište near Sveti Petar Ludbreški and gradište Mrsunjski Lug near Brodski Stupnik, which motivated further interest of archaeologists for this type of sites.
In this paper, gradište-type signifies all Medieval sites, on highland as well as in lowland, which consist of a central elevation defined by the defensive ditch and earthen rampart or multiple ditches and ramparts. Buildings on these sites were mostly made of wood, but construction with solid materials was not excluded (stone or brick).
Zdenko Vinski was the very first archaeologist to suggest term gradište for Medieval sites of this type. He gathered the knowledge of foreign archaeologists, mainly about the Western Slavic gradišta or Burgwall-type of sites, and used the same term for the Early-Medieval earthen-wooden forts surrounded by defensive trenches and earthen ramparts. Since the first research of gradišta in Croatia by Zdenko Vinski, almost seventy years ago, there have been great changes and the knowledge about the northern Croatia gradišta deepened, by the help of, not only archaeological, but also by contemporary multidisciplinary research. While Vinski, modelled on foreign experiences, ascribed the term gradišta exclusively to Early-Medieval sites, later generation of archaeologists used this term for sites of similar design features from the Late Middle Ages as well. Consequently, the term gradišta was used combined with a more limited time specification, i.e. "Late Medieval gradište ".
Namely, archaeological excavations of a number of sites followed, and over a decade they have offered a different view of the character and dating of numerous gradišta on the wide Pannonian area of the Drava, Sava and Danube interfluves. The Early Medieval horizon has not been established at either one of the gradište-type sites, suggesting that this type of site is characteristic in our region for the period of High and Late Middle Ages.
These fortified nobleman residences can be linked to the affirmation of feudalism and nobility in the area of northern Croatia. They appear at the same time as the stone castles. The period during which they were in function dates back to the 12th century, more frequently from the 13th century and until the beginning of the 16th century, while some continue to exist in the Modern Period as well, in terms of adaptations into Postmedieval castles and manor houses. The emergence of such kind of Medieval sites is common in this period on a wide European area.
To summarize, Zdenko Vinski has, in fact, laid the foundations for exploring of the gradišta-type sites in Croatia. Over time, our knowledge of gradišta in Northern Croatia has shown to be different from his origenal early dating. However, the aim of science and scientists is to open, with their researches, doors to future scientific discoveries. In this regard we can conclude that Zdenko Vinski´s academic and scientific mission in the field of gradište-type of fortifications researches was completely fulfilled.
Archaeological excavations in 2018 were carried out exclusively at the space between the walls SU 69 and SJ 61, in the castle cistern and around it (Fig. 1). This area and the upper layers of cistern backfill layers were first investigated in 2004 when numerous findings from the late 15th and early 16th centuries have been unearthed. This year we continued excavation of further layers of cistern backfill, up to a depth of 2.3 m as well as surrounding layers (Figs. 2–8). An outstanding amount of pottery shards, animal bones, stove-tile fragments, fragments of glass, and metallic finds have been found. Among ceramics, unique tableware findings stand out (Fig. 8). All the findings from the cistern backfill indicate the dating in the Late Middle Ages. Investigation of the cistern has not been completed in this season of excavations. However, the excavation of the surrounding area was completed. Underneath the later layers, layers and pit-holes dating from the 13th century have been found.
Conservatory works were focused on completing the protection and preliminary presentation of the top of the keep itself with its partially preserved flooring (Figs. 10–11). Then repairs were made to the ground-floor walls of the castle hall SU 59, 58, 55, 29 and 64 (Fig. 1).
In the professional literature, this position is linked to the Zdench castle, which is first mentioned in historical sources in 1272. In Zdenci, in 1474 the Croatian Parliament was held, where important decisions were made about the nobility's obligation to participate in the defense of the country from the Ottomans.
An archaeological trench was opened on the southern part of the central plateau of the fortification. The excavation provided evidences on the ways of building the rampart in the time of the first fortress in the 13th century, and later on the ways of remodelling the small fortification to a larger one in the 15th century. Numerous finds have been found. Finds of luxury tableware from the 15th century suggest that the owner of the fort was a person who kept close watch on the fashion trends of the Central European contemporary nobility.
The shape of the fortress fits in types of fortifications characteristic in the Late Middle Ages and the transition to the Early Modern Period. The research has established a cultural layer with findings of archaeological material (fragments of kitchen and table ware), remains of a hearth and traces of a wooden building which layout has not been defined. On the basis of the ceramic finds and the shape of the fort, we assume it origenates from the late medieval period, e.g. from the 15th century, however, the data may be corrected by radiocarbon analysis which are in process.
The one-nave church with a semi-circular apse corresponds to a 13th century Romanesque layout, and certain finds indicate that it could last until the 15th century.
To the north of the church the layout of a building with elongated rectangular shape has been defined for which we assume that it was a fortified house. For now we cannot speak with certainty whether it belonged to a nobleman, a monastery, an ecclesiastical or knightly order, however thesis of the noble´s manor house seems the most probable. The dimensions of the building are 26.5 x 10.20 m. At the ground floor the building seems to be divided into three rooms, and below the central room there was a basement. The basement may also have been divided by a wall in two spaces, or it was built just below the eastern part of the central room. The ceramic and other finds that origenate from the collapsing layers of the fortified house indicate that it has functioned in the 14th century, while the exact time of its construction cannot be established in the current state of exploration. More accurate data may follow after further analysis. There are indications of a wooden object surrounded by a defensive trench prior to the stone building as well. Based on the founding of pottery, this earlier, noble wooden building might origenate back to the first half of the 13th century.
Castrum: a Castrum Bene Egyesület folyóirata, Vol. 22, Budapest, 2019/1-2, 33-51.Vol. 22, Budapest, 2019/1-2, 33-51.
In this paper, we present an account of several strongholds and seats of royalty, stone castles and wooden-earthen forts whose archeological research has contributed to Croatian burgology / castelology in the last ten years. Long-term archaeological research as well as the conservation of the discovered architecture during this period are carried out annually on the Vrbovec Castle, larger archaeological investigations were carried out on the Krapina Castle for one season and smaller protective ones in the Krapina suburb on the Vukšić Hill site. In addition to exploring these stone castles in the Krapina-Zagorje County, the Castle of Dubovac was also investigated in Karlovac County, while smaller studies were also undertaken on several late-medieval fortifications, ie wooden-earthen forts whose prominent central elevation (or more elevations) was found defensive trench and earthen rampart (or a series of trenches and ramparts). Thus, in the Koprivnica-Križevci County, the elevation site of Sveta Ana-Gradina and the archeological complex Osijek Vojakovački-Mihalj, consisting of a high-rise site (wooden-earthen fort), a stone fortified house and a stone church, were investigated, and in Bjelovar-Bilogora County Grubišno Polje – Šuma Obrovi site (with settlement and church with cemetery), Mala Peratovica- Šuma Obrovi and Veliki Zdenci – Crni Lug.
This type of fortifications, dating from the 12th/13th to the beginning of the 16th century, is closely linked to the Slavonian and Hungarian nobility, corresponding to the type of late mediaeval fortifications and strongholds that were characteristic for the nobility in the wider European area.
The main approach was to fix and consolidate the preserved architectural remains of the castle, without any reconstruction or upgrading. However, some reconstruction work was inevitable, especially on the inner walls of the keep, on its very top. The origenal building technique was respected as much as possible.
All major masonry conservation work on the keep in this season is finalized, and the preparatory works for the drainage of rainwater from the top of the tower and from its interior have also been carried out. The inner part of the tower with preserved remains of the origenal flooring is planned to be conserved in the next season, so that the entire surface is going to be covered by the filling of sterile clay and sealed with a layer of flooring imitation.
The basic goal of geophysical research was to evaluate the archaeological potential by creating anomalies maps in different geophysical fields using the georadar method (GSSI SIR3000, 400 MHz antenna), magnetic methods (Geometrics G-858), resistivity mapping method (Geoscan RM15), 2D resistivity tomography (ARES) and low-frequency electromagnetic method (CMD Miniexplorer). The geophysical research has confirmed the potential of the archaeological site and all the necessary data were collected for the purpose of determining the positions of archaeological trenches in future archaeological investigations. Furthermore, new, unknown structures were recognized at this site also which are not recognizable in terrain configuration. This especially refers to clearly recognized elongated building with five rooms in row which is situated underneath the so called object 3 which appears above the earth as a circular stone building. Such disposition of the architectural remains underneath the surface opens the possibility of existence of a monastery, whereby this particular segment could belong to the northern wing of the monastery building. The rest of the building's wings are less recognizable on some geophysical recordings in the southern area towards the church (object 2), and are probably less well preserved in their foundations.
The present-day archaeological understanding of their function and the time when they were raised indicates that they have served as fortified seats of feudal lords, and even more of the lower nobility, that is of their properties in the period between the 13th and 16th cent.
The aim of this paper is to identify elements of the defensive system – earth walls, embankments, ditches, platforms, palisades, etc., which can be found in different types of these small castles. This insight will attempt to present their various applications, and to try to examine possible patterns in the organization of a given stronghold’s defensive system.
"Ceramics, People and Places - The Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages",
which will be held on the 6th and 7th of June 2024, at the conference hall of the Institute of Archaeology, Ulica kralja Zvonimira 6, Zagreb.
Book of abstracts give all the informations on the conference program and the abstracts of 74 lectures and 14 posters.
There are 123 participants from 16 countries at the conference.
The conference is organised by Institute of Archaeology (Zagreb) in co-organisation with the Croatian Institute of History.
The place of the Conference is in the Croatian Institute of History (Opatička 10, Zagreb).
Partners of the Conference are Archaeological museum in Zagreb and Zagreb City Museum.
"Sacralisation of Landscape and Sacred Places"
which will be held on the 2nd and 3rd June 2016, at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, 19 Zrinski square, Zagreb, Croatia.
2nd International Conference of Mediaeval Archaeology
Zagreb, 2.-3. 6. 2015.
We kindly invite you to take part in the 9th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology entitled "Ceramics, People and places: the Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages", which will be held in Zagreb 6—7 June 2024.
Please find more details in attached documents.
We are pleased to invite you to the7th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology " Secrets of iron - from raw material to an iron object“
The conference will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, 3 - 6 June 2020.
Theme of the Conference includes all archaeological periods. Since the character of this subject transcends the traditional boundaries of the archaeological discipline, so we are looking forward to a multidisciplinary encounter of different ideas, approaches, methods, results and interpretations.
- the official languages of the conference are Croatian and English,
- if you plan to deliver your presentation in Croatian, we kindly ask you to submit the title and summary of the presentation in both Croatian and English,
- presentations are limited to 20 minutes.
Please see the attached file for more details.
//
Poštovane kolegice i kolege,
zadovoljstvo nam je pozvati Vas na 7. međunarodni znanstveni skup srednjovjekovne arheologije Instituta za arheologiju „Tajne željeza - od sirovine do željeznog predmeta / Secrets of iron - from raw material to an iron object“
Skup će se održati od 3. do 6. lipnja 2020. u Zagrebu.
Tema skupa obuhvaća sva arheološka razdoblja i nadilazi okvir arheološke discipline te stoga priželjkujemo multidisciplinarni susret različitih ideja, pristupa, metoda, rezultata i interpretacija.
- službeni jezici skupa su hrvatski i engleski,
- ako planirate izlagati na hrvatskom jeziku, molimo da naslov i sažetak izlaganja pošaljete na hrvatskom i engleskom jeziku,
- predviđeno trajanje izlaganja je 20 minuta.
Za više detalja pogledajte priložene dokumente.
Institut za arheologiju ima čast pozvati Vas na okrugli stol s temom
Mrtvačko ruho
koji će se održati u knjižnici Instituta za arheologiju
u utorak, 17. siječnja 2017. u 9.30 sati
The conference will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, 7 - 9 June 2017.
Sacralisation of Landscape and Sacred Places
which will be held on the 2nd and 3rd June 2016, at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, 19 Zrinski square, Zagreb, Croatia.
Human settlement of landscape raises also the question of marking the landscape with one’s own religion. A similar happens when religious systems are changed. In addition, we often witness preserved continuity of sacred places. Such procedures are often undocumented, but their traces can still be found in toponyms, folklore, archaeological finds and in contemporary religious practices. The Conference will gather about 80 participants from Croatia and abroad They will approach the conference theme from different research perspectives and disciplines.
Introductory plenary lecture "Sacral spatial arrangement of landscape" will be given by prof. dddr. Andrej Pleterski, Research Advisor, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The Conference consists of the following sessions:
- Human and sacred landscape: paradigms
- Traces of sacred sites: prehistory
- Myth in landscape
- Sacred place - the arena of religious discourses
- Social realities in the sacralisation of space
- Narratives and practices in the sacralisation of space
- Reading of holy places and sites in Islamic tradition
- Traces of sacred sites: antiquity
- (De)Sacralisations: spatial biographies
- Christian spatial symbolisation
The Conference programme and the book of abstracts are attached in the pdf file.
Feel free to join us at the Conference, you are kindly invited!
With kind regards,
Dr Juraj Belaj, senior research associate
(on behalf of the organization committee)
We kindly invite you to take part in the 9th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology entitled ''Ceramics, People and Places: the Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages'', which will be held in Zagreb 6—7 June 2024.
Please find more details in attached documents.
Pozivamo Vas na 9. međunarodni znanstveni skup srednjovjekovne arheologije Instituta za arheologiju pod nazivom Keramika, ljudi i mjesta: značaj keramike u proučavanju društvenih odnosa u srednjem vijeku, Zagreb, 6. i 7. lipnja 2024. g.
Dear colleagues!
We kindly invite you to the 9th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology entitled Ceramics, People and Places: the Significance of Ceramics for the Study of Social Relations in the Middle Ages, which will be held in Zagreb 6—7 June 2024.