АРХЕОЛОГИЈА ИЗМЕЂУ ДУНАВА И ТАМИША: МУЛТИДИСЦИПЛИНАРНА ИСТРАЖИВАЊА АЛУВИЈАЛНЕ РАВНИ ПАНЧЕВАЧКОГ РИТА КОД БЕОГРАДА
Archaeology between the Danube and the Timish: Multidisciplinary investigations of the Pančevački Rir alluvial plain near Belgrade, Serbia

Summary/Abstract: The area around the confluence of the Timiş and the Danube rivers in Serbia, known as Pančevački Rit, is archaeologically largely unexplored, despite its proximity to the rapidly expanding capital city. At the end of the last century, field surveys conducted in this area indicated the existence of at least thirty archaeological sites, but did not provide details about their nature. The vicinity and abundance of water strongly suggest that this micro-region was attractive for habitation in prehistory, but water was also a limiting factor due to the flood and erosion hazards. This paper presents the results of a recently completed study which, through the examination of the practical (dis)advantages of the terrain surrounding the confluence of the Timiş and the Danube rivers, and through the use of GIS-modelling and remote sensing, field walking, geoarchaeological analysis and geophysical detection, identified the zones that would have been suitable for habitation in prehistory. The assumptions derived from the outcomes of the field prospection were tested through fieldwork in a section of a dried up meander of the Danube, near the village of Ovča. At one of the detected archaeological locations, Site 19 - Nedeljkova Humka, archaeological excavations were carried out that included archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis. The multidisciplinary approach taken in this study enabled high-resolution reconstruction of the landscape and its impact on the character of the habitation and the quality of life in this area.

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