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Posted By admin on September 11, 2009

NEOLITHIC AND ENEOLITHIC CULTURES ON THE TERRITORY OF BULGARIA

|Neolithic cultures|Eneolitic cultures|Culture Karanovo V|Culture Gradeshniza|Culture Dikilitash-Slatino|Black sea coast|

|Culture of Varna|Problems|

History of the studies

Yavor Boyadjiev

The studies of settlements from the Neolith and Eneolith in Bulgarian lands started in the end of the XIX c. During the first half of the XX c. only few investigations with drilling character were carried out. They are mainly associated with the names of R.Popov – drills in the tells Salamanovo and Kodjadermen, finds from the caves on the plateau of Beljakovo, the region of Veliko Turnovo, and V. Mikov – drills in the tells Balbunar (Kubrat), Gabarevo, Yunazite, Karanovo, Zavet, Krivodol.

In the middle of the present century active investigations in the region of Thracia were carried out by P. Detev – the tells Sveti Kirilovo, Banyata, Devebargan, Bikovo, Borets; the complete investigation of the tell Yasatepe. The ancient history of Sofia field is studied by N.Petkov – the tell Okol glava and Ginova mogila, the Neolithic settlements near Slatina, Kremikovzi, Kurilo, etc.

Large-scale excavations of pre-historic sites were undertaken during the second half of the XX c. Most important are the results from the studies of Karanovo tell. On the basis of these results G. Georgiev has worked out the “Karanovo chronological system” which became the fulcrum of the ancient history in the Eastern part of the Balkan peninsula. Under the direction of G.Georgiev a number of other sites in Thracia (the tells Kazanluk, Azmashka, Ezero) and Central Western Bulgaria have been studied. The investigation of the Black sea coast and North-Eastern Bulgaria is mainly associated with the name of H. Todorova (the tells Golyamo Delchevo, Ovcharovo, Polyaniza, Durankulak, the open settlements – Ussoe, Shabla, tha plateau of Polyaniza, etc.). Owing to her efforts two of the most debatable periods in Bulgarian ancient history were defined – the “monochrome Neolith” and the “transitional period between the Eneolith and the Bronze age”. The studies in the North-western part of Bulgaria have been carried out by Bogdan Nikolov – the settlements Gradeshniza, Tlachene, Breniza, Krivodol, Ohoden, Rebarkovo; and along the river Yantra – by P. Stanev (the tells Samovodene, the settlements Kachiza, Plochite, Orovets, etc.)

The early Neolith in the field of Pernik has been profoundly studied by M. Chohadjiev – the settlements Priboy, the hokey ground of Pernik, Galabnik, and after his precocious death – by A. Bakumska. The investigations in South-western Bulgaria are due to L. Pernicheva -(Bulgarchevo, Strumsko, Demyaniza, Kovachevo, Kolarovo, etc.) and S. Chohadjiev -(Dyakovo, Slatino, Vaksevo, Nevestino). Along the river Mesta (Dobriniste, Eleshiza) and in the field of Sofia V. Nikolov has worked.

Neolithic cultures

The earliest Neolithic settlements on the territory of Bulgaria (the plateau of Polyaniza, Kraynizi) appeared in the end of the 7th millenary BC and belong to the Monochrome (Early ceramics) Neolith. The mass settlement however started in the beginning of the 6th millenary BC along the river Struma. In West Bulgaria the West-Bulgarian painted ceramics (WBPC) culture , (known also as Chavdar -Kremikovzi ), developed. Its first stage is characterized by ornamentation of vessels with white paint against a red background. Later on the painting with dark colors (red, black, brown) against a light background was adopted. The main sites are the tell of Galabnick, Kremikovzi and the settlements Pernik – KMZ, Slatina, Gradeshniza – Malo pole,.

The culture Karanovo I-II has developed in Thracia. The settlements belonging to this culture became the basis of the multilayer tells which have been formed in the course of 3 000 years reaching up to 15 m height. The most famous tells studied among them are Karanovo, Azmashka mogila, Kazanluk, Banyata. The culture penetrated along the river Mesta (the settlements Eleshniza and Dobriniste) as well as in the Rhodopes (the settlements Rakitovo and Kurdjali). The typical features are white-painted ceramics and the s.c. tulip-like vessels. The characteristic tools are horn sickles and bone spatulas (little spoons). The stone axes and claw hammers were quite big (which is valid for the other early Neolith cultures as well).

One of the remarkable models of the ancient art is the zoomorphic deer-shaped vessel from the village of Muldava. During the second half of the period the group Karanovo II was formed in North Eastern Thracia. The white-colored painting has disappeared there and the dark-painted ceramics dominated – gray, grayish-black to black, ornamented with fluting. Representatives of this group are the tells Karanovo – IInd layer, the tell District hospital – Stara Zagora, etc.

In Northern and NE Bulgaria two early Neolithic cultures developed. Chronologically the culture of Koprivetz appeared earlier, and spread along the rivers Yantra and Russenski Lom – the settlemnts Polyaniza – the plateau, Orlovez, Plochite, Pomostiza. It is representative of the s.c. monochromie (early ceramics) Neolith. It preceded the appearance of Karanovo and WBPC cultures but for its basic part developed in parallel with the first half of the painted ceramics cultures. During the second half of the early Neolith in the region migrated people from Thracia and thus the Ovcharovo culture was born. It was very close to the group Karanovo II according to the basic material and cultural characteristics. The only important differences were in the housing construction – while in South and West Bulgaria ground buildings were used, dug-outs were typical of the Ovcharovo culture. This culture is best studied in the settlements Ovcharovo – the forest, the plateau of Ovcharovo and the tell of Samovodene.

During the early Neolith Dobrudja and the Black sea coast remained unpopulated.

The classical early Neolith comprises the period 6000/5900 – 55000/5400 BC. The transition to the late Neolith was gradual and took about 100-150 years in the separate regions. It started most early in Thracia where during the first half of the late Neolith developed the culture Karanovo III. It preserved a number of characteristics from preceding cultures (especially of Karanovo II). The painted ceramics completely disappeared. A typical feature were the vertical cylindrical handles with a protuberance in the upper part. The grayish-black surface ornamented with flute dominated. The tradition to build a new settlement on the remains of the former one was continued. This culture was best studied in the tells Karanovo, Kazanluk, Vesselinovo, Yassatepe. A closely related culture was that of Samovodene in the central part of Northern Bulgaria. Typical of it are triangular religious tables with round projections in the corners. During the second half of the late Neolith the culture Karanovo IV (Kaloyanovets) was spread in Thracia. Besides the tells (Karanovo, St. Kirilovo, Kaloyanovets) it was represented in vast settlements with a horizontal stratigraphy – the Bread making plant – Nova Zagora, Karasura (the region of Chirpan). Typical of this culture is the ornamentation with engraved lines often filled with white paste, both on vessels and religious objects (tables, idols), the latter having more geometrical forms.

The first half of the late Neolith in South-Western Bulgaria is presented in the settlements Sapareva banya and Kovachevo (the upper layers), Bulgarchevo (II layer), Ribniza, Marchin. During the second half of the period along the river Struma developed the culture Acropothamos- Topolniza. This is the only late Neolithic culture in Bulgaria where painted ornamentation was used for vessels – mainly dark brown paint against a light background (Acropothanos style) as well as with bitumus on a red oeeeiaaia surface. Graphing (plumbing) was also used for black surface. The architecture was also specific – large dwellings (over 200 m2) with 3-4 semi dug-out rooms. Typical representatives are the settlements Topolniza and Demyaniza ( over 20 000 m2). During the late Neolith the culture Hotniza developed in North Bulgaria. It was studied in the settlements Orlovka, Kachiza and the upper layers of the tell Samovodene. Its characteristic feature was the simultaneous usage of semi dug-outs and on-ground living places (usually the central buildings in the settlements) as well as the abundantly decorated ceramics – with flutes, stuck – in bands and engraved ornaments.

A representative of the late Neolith in NE Bulgaria was the culture Ussoe (the settlements Podgoriza, Ussoe, Boryana). The basic dwellings there were also dug-outs. The gray, grayish-black or dark brown surface of vessels dominated, the ornamentation rarely met (mainly flutes, incisions or pricks in the form of bands or wide areas). During the second half of this period the region of Dobrudja was also neolithised by the representatives of the Hamandjia culture. It existed until the early Eneolith. Its ceramics (especially during the late Neolithic period) had a number of characteristic features, both in shape (bowls with funnel-shaped orifice, high conical-cylindrical lids, etc) and decoration (printed ornaments, s.c. “furchenstich”). Specific in form was the anthropomorphic idol plastic (high triangular heads) and especially the small sitting earthen figures.

The end of the late Neolithic cultures in Bulgaria came between 4950/4850 BC (with the exception of Hamandjia) when they were gradually transformed into new Eneolithic cultures. The eneolithic cultures are constitutively related to the late Neolithic ones. This change was based on the development of production forces and above all – the utilization of copper, the first metal applied in production.

Eneolitic cultures

Culture Karanovo V

The culture Karanovo V developed in Thracia (Mariza). There (in the region of Stara Zagora) were registered the oldest copper mines whosw exploitation most probably started in this period. The tradition of settling on the tells was preserved but the increase of the population lead to the appearance of new settlements in the surroundings as well. The assortment of ceramic vessels quickly increased, the smooth soft profiles being the most characteristic ones. Their decoration consisted basically of engraved ornaments incrusted with white paint, the space between the figures being filled with red paste. The linear graph design appeared and gradually became the leading one. This culture was studied in a number of sites: the tell Karanovo V, Azmashka +mogila, Mariza, Sveti Kirilovo, Banyata, Yunazite, Mechkjur, Bikovo, Chatalka, Yassatepe, Mudretz, Sadievo, etc.

Culture Dikilitash-Slatino

The culture Dikilitash-Slatino is remarkable for the exceptional variety and elegance of ceramic forms (specific are the amphoras with plane handles, fruit-dishes on high legs) and abundant graph ornamentation . It developed in South-Western Bulgaria along the river Struma. It is best studied in the settlement Slatino. Two objects originating from there witness for the developed astronomy ideas of its population: an oven model with a phallus-formed handle on the basement of which are grouped a number of signs, most probably representing an ancient calendar, as well as an earthen spindle vertebrum with the Ursa major and the Polar star depicted on it. This culture was spread not only on the territory of Bulgaria (the tell Bulgarchevo, the settlement Strumsko) but in North Greece as well (the tell Sitgari – III layer, Paradisos, etc.)

Culture Gradeshniza

The culture Gradeshniza whose center was found in North Western Bulgaria is characterized by engraved ornaments forming spiral-.meandric motives often incrusted with white or red paint. The graph designs developed already in the end of this culture. Typical of it were the big anthropomorphic vessels as well as the numerous anthropomorphic or zoomorphic projections (on religious tables, handles of lids and bowls, etc.)

This culture is also known for its rich collection of vessel bottoms and an earthen plate with engraved signs interpreted by a number of scientists as written. The settlements were mostly one- layer – Gradeshniza, the fortress of Krakra near Pernik, Sadovez, etc., but tells were also occasionally used – Okol glava, Brenitza, Kremikovzi. In its eastern part this culture interacted with the culture Vadastra spread mostly on the territory of Romania, its southern periphery reaching Bulgaria between the rivers Iskar and Ossum to the Balkan mountain. It is also characterized by the engraved often meander-like ornaments forming separated fields. During the early Eneolith tells appeared in North-Eastern Bulgaria as well. – Polyaniza, Ovcharovo, Radingrad, Omurtag, Salamanovo, Targoviste, Hotniza, Kubrat, etc. The settlements of the culture Polyaniza which developed there were characterized by its rectangular planning and surrounding palisades. Unlike the cultures Maritza and Dikilitash – Slatino, the cylinder-conical ceramic vessels with sharp profiles dominated there. The decoration consisted of linear graph ornamentation as well as engraved white and red-painted areas often combined with horizontal fluting.

Black sea coast

The first tells along the Black sea coast also appeared during the early Eneolith when the culture Sava was formed there. It was considerably influenced by the cultures Mariza and Polyaniza. It was registered in the tells Sava, Zonevo, Golyamo Delchevo, Kableshkovo, etc. Typical of this culture is the ornament consisting of groups of parallel incised lines incrusted with white paint, forming angular motives. This type of decoration was accepted by the representatives of the culture Hamandjia – phases III and IV which developed during the early Eneolith. In the same time the culture Sava adopted from Hamandjia the ornamentations with lines consisting of incised or pricked-in triangles surrounding the basic motive. The narrow contacts and overlapping between these two cultures lead in the end of the early Eneolith to the formation of a single culture along the whole Black sea coast – Varna.

Culture of Varna

The culture of Varna marks one of the peaks in the ancient history. It is known all over the world for the necropolis discovered in the town of Varna containing a lot of gold objects and copper tools. It is also remarkable for the complex funeral rites including sexual differentiation in body laying (male – straight on their back, female – in right hoker) and numerous symbolic funerals of different types. The rich contents of grave N 43 (a male) reflects the existence of a well expressed social differentiation. The most important from a scientific point of view, is the necropolis at the village of Durankulak which existed for more than 800 years, starting from the beginning of the culture Hamandjia until the end of Varna culture. Over 1200 funerals have been studied there. The gradual development of funeral rites to the level known from the Varna necropolis is clearly seen there. The numerous gold and copper objects in the two necropoli, the decorations from Spondylus and Dentatum witness for the active commercial relations with distant regions. Impressive are the 0.60-0.80 m long flint plates found in some of the graves. The high level of economic, technological and cultural development is well expressed in the tell of Durankulak where monumental stone living-house architecture has been established. Some of the buildings are two-stored and exceed 150 m2. The stone architecture was founded in the last stage of the culture Hamanjia, and besides Durankulak it was established in the village of Suvorovo. Most of the sea-coast settlements of the Varna culture have not been studied sufficiently because they remained under the contemporary sea-level (on the bottom of Varna lake, in the bays of Sozopol, Kiten, the river Ropotamo).

Problems

In the end of the Early Neolith integration processes developed in other cultures as well. As a result two big ethnocultural complexes appeared, including territories outside Bulgaria as well. The first comprised Central Bulgaria and Romania, reaching out from the Rhodopes to the Carpathians. It is known under a common name, unifying the names of the local phenomena Kodjadrmen (NE Bulgaria) –Gumelnitza (Muntenia) – Karanovo VI (Thracia). It was studied in the upper horizons of numerous tells – Russe, Hotnitza, Smjadovo, Ovcharovo, Radingrad, Polyaniza, Viniza, Nevski, Karanovo, Azmashka, Dolnoslov, Ezero, Bikovo, Boretz, etc. Several necropoli were also discovered (but only in NE Bulgaria) – Viniza, Golyamo Delchevo, Omurtag, Radingrad, Turgoviste, Liljak, where the dead were layed in the hoker position (mainly to the left) and the inventory was not as in the Varna culture necropoli. The biconical shapes were leading for ceramics. Some askos-shaped vessels appeared as well. The negative graph ornament dominated as a fine ceramics decoration. The number of copper tools discovered greatly increased. Massive flint axes appeared (especially typical of NE Bulgaria, where are the main flint finds ). Objects made of gold – ringletsand anthropomorphic plates – were discovered in a building in the tell of Hotniza. The idol plastics flourished. The variety of anthropomorphic figures substantially increased. Besides the earth, other materials were also used: bone – flat female idols, triangular (stepwize) idols, gold – anthropomorphic convex plates and hollow female idols, marble – finely worked out female idols. Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic vessels were used for religious purposes. Although all mentioned religious objects were also met in the neighboring cultures – Varna and Krivodol, the most numerous and fine models were found in the culture complex KGK VI . A religious scene consisting of 26 objects was also discovered in the tell Ovcharovo, under the remains of a living place model.

The second big late Neolithic ethnocultural complex is Krivodol, Salkuza, Bubani hum I. Its representative on the territory of Bulgaria is the Krivodol culture in the western part of the country – from the river Danube to the Rhodopes and Belassitza mountain. Unlike the other parts of the country in the area of Krivodol culture no tells were formed, the settlements were located usually on high, naturally protected places – Krivodol, Zaminez, Ohoden, Pekljuk, Sadovez – Golemanovo kale, Kolarovo, Telish – the, Telish -Pipra, Diakovo, Pekljuk (Okol glava), Yagodinska and Haramijska dupka (the Rhodopes), etc. In the zone of contact with the culture Karanovo VI some settlements on tells were also found (Yunazite, Banyata) where elements from the both cultures were mixed. A tendency to coarsen the surface is observed with ceramics – using pinches, pricks, iieuoia aa?aioeia , incisions. Graph design is also applied where the positive ornamentation dominates. During the second half of this culture the polychrome design with red and yellow paste dyes appeared. The Krivodol culture existed for the longest time (especially in the south western parts of its area) during the time when most of the other Eneolithic cultures on the territory of Bulgaria have already died. In its final phase however a common tendency of decline was observed – in both material and cultural spheres.

The end of the late Eneolithic culture son the territory of Bulgaria is a continuous process which developed in the end of Vth millenary BC from NE to SW Bulgaria: in NE Bulgaria about 4100 – 4000 cal. BC, Thracia 4000-3900 cal. BC; NW Bulgaria 3900 – 3750 cal. BC, SW Bulgaria and the Rhodopes – 3800 – 3700 cal. BC. After they died the s.c. transitional period started when for several hundreds of years the territory of Bulgaria was considerably depopulated and material and cultural development – significantly retarded.

Middle Europe Middle Danube Central Balkan peninsula Periodization Western Bulgaria  Southern Bulgaria  Nort-heast Bulgaria  Western Black Sea coast C-14 cal. BC 

Hugelgraber Zeit Zuto-Brdo / Girla-Mare  B

R

O

N

Z

E

A

G

E Late Balei- Orsoe  Plovdiv- Zimnicea  Plovdiv- Zimnicea  Coslogeni  1200

Langqeterov Veterov  Madarovce Vatia    Verbici- oara / Vatina  ? ? ? 1600

Aunjetitzer Glocken- Becher  Nagirev  Vinkovci- Somogyvar  Middle Glina III Nova Zagora  ? ? 

Schnnur-keramik Kugel-amphoren  Mako Baden  Vucedol Cotofeni- Kostolac  Early Magura- Cotofeni  Ezero Pit Grave Culture  Ezerovo 2500

Trichter- Becher  Boleraz Cernavoda III Balaton-Lasinja (Scheibenhenkelhorizont) Salcuta IV Bodrog- keresztur  Transi-

tional

Period

 Galatin / Telis  ?  Cerna Cerna-voda I/

Pevec voda III Cerna- voda I  3300

Kultur Schtich- Band  Tiszapolgar / Lengyel  Tiszapolgar / KSB  E

N

E

O

L

I

T

H

I

C Late Krivodol (KSB)  Karanovo VI  KGK VI Varna 4000

Keramik  Lengyel  Vinca D  Middle  Marica (Phase 4)  Poljanica (Phase 4  Sava(4) / Hamangia (4)  4450

Linear  / Theiss  Vinca C  Early Gradesnica / Dikilitas- Slatino  Marica (Karanovo V)  Poljanica Sava / Hamangia (3)  4600

Band Bukk / Szakalhat  Vinca B N

E O

L

I

T

H

I

C

 Late Kurilo / Akropota- mos -To- polnica  Karanovo IV (Kalojno-vec)  Hotnica Usoe II / Hamangia (2)  4900

Pottery Linear Band Pottery  Vinca A Middle Western  Karanovo III (Veselinovo Karanovo II/III  Samovo- dene  Usoe I / Hamangia (1)  5300

……………….

Starcevo Early Bulgarian Painted Ceramics……………… (Cavdar-Kremikovci)  Karanovo II …………………..

Karanovo I  Ovcarovo Conevo 5500

  Proto- starcevo   Mono- chrome Ceramics   Mono- chrome Ceramics   6000

        6300

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