FEATURES OF THE CULTURE OF THE UPPER STRUMA DURING THE EARLY IRON AGE
FEATURES OF THE CULTURE OF THE UPPER STRUMA DURING THE EARLY IRON AGE

Summary/Abstract: The present work is based on materials from archaeological surveys, rescue and drilling excavations, as well as on accidental finds kept in the depository of the Regional Historical Museum of Pernik. To date, there is no comprehensively and methodologically investigated archaeological site dated to the Early Iron Age. The finds can be used for mapping the places inhabited during that period, and for identifying their topography. According to the duration of the habitation, the sites can be divided into three groups: – multi-layer sites inhabited prior to and after that time; – sites that emerged during the Early Iron Age, whose habitation (usually intermittent) continued during subsequent periods as well; – places inhabited only during the Early Iron Age. The latter type of sites is rare and life in them did not continue due to deterioration of the environment. There are no known sites whose habitation started earlier and ended during the Early Iron Age. Most of the finds originate from regions with prolonged topographic continuity, but none of the studies has revealed a culture layer or ruins of massive buildings. Most of the ceramic material is of poor quality, fired at low temperature – of the type maintained in a hearth. The number of sites known so far is 91. Most of them spread over a large area, but without evidence of a culture layer. One possible explanation could be sought in the absence of sedentary life due to economic reasons.

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