Papers by Darko Stojanovski
Open Archaeology, 2025
We are presenting a first overview of the ceramic annulets found in Neolithic contexts in the Bal... more We are presenting a first overview of the ceramic annulets found in Neolithic contexts in the Balkan Peninsula, which we are interpreting as bracelets with a very specific short-term use and function. Based on available information, we are revealing their geographical and chronological distribution. The ceramic bracelets appeared within the first farming communities of the Central Balkans at the break from seventh to sixth millennium BC. They are not abundant, always fragmented and found in residential contexts at Neolithic sites north of the Aegean between 6000 and 5400 BC. The assemblages from the two Neolithic sites Amzabegovo and Svinjarička Čuka, both on the Vardar-Morava neolithization route into Europe, are presented here as case studies. Based on our data, we reveal their physical properties and their place in the ceramic production, their diversity and evolution, as well as their possible function and relation to social aspects as part of the Neolithization process.
Quaternary Environments and Humans, 2025
The open-air site of Uzun Mera in eastern North Macedonia provides new insights into Middle Paleo... more The open-air site of Uzun Mera in eastern North Macedonia provides new insights into Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal behaviour and site formation processes in the understudied Balkan Peninsula. Discovered in 2017, the site spans over 1.5 km² and contains lithic artefacts affected by both cultural and post-depositional processes. Technological analysis of 33 selected artefacts reveals a Middle Paleolithic industry featuring opportunistic, Levallois, and Discoid knapping methods, primarily using locally available jasper and flint. Taphonomic investigation identified two distinct alteration phases: mechanical modifications (edge crumbling, polishing, rounding) from trampling and fluvial transport, followed by chemical patination during burial in alluvial sediments. The post-depositional alteration sequence on the artefacts tells a story of a complex and dynamic past, during which geological processes impacted the primary location of the site and displaced the lithic artefacts to their current location in the alluvial plain. This study enhances understanding of Central Balkan Paleolithic humanenvironment interactions while highlighting the challenges of interpreting open-air sites with complex formation histories.
Macedonia Acta Archaeology, 2021
This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic... more This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic
site of Uzun Mera, near the village of Mustafino, northeastern Macedonia. In order to assess the
integrity of the lithic assemblage (n=139), the post-depositional surface modification of the stone
tools was inspected in relation to raw material and information on spatial dispersion. The postdepositional surface modifications were recorded as follows: physical (mechanical) ones (the area
and position of edge rounding and/or edge fracturing); chemical (position and area of gloss and/or
color patina, carbonate concretions and iron-manganese nodules) and thermal alteration (colour
change, thermal cracks, cupulas, sheen). Mechanical edge damage and gloss patina dominate
among the post-depositional features. A typo-technological classification was also applied in order
to understand the lithic economy in the area and compare the stone industry with other sites in the
wider region. Typical Middle Paleolithic variability is asserted, including recurring and preferential
Levallois reduction, lateral side-scrapers and naturally backed blades. It is argued that more than one
occupation phase is represented at the site and that chemical post-depositional modifications have
a good potential for becoming diagnostic features for surface collections analysis and classification.
BETWEEN EAST AND WEST. STOBI AND THE CITIES OF THE ROMAN PROVINCES IN THE BALKANS, 2024
The favourable climate, the abundance of natural resources, and the vast area of arable land, all... more The favourable climate, the abundance of natural resources, and the vast area of arable land, all these
factors contributed to the rapid economic development of the communities living in the Bregalnica basin.
The most developed economic branches during the Antiquity are agriculture, pastoralism, hunting and
fishing. Other branches, like mining, construction, pottery-making, woodworking and metalworking held a
special place in the economy. Here, we focus on mining and metalworking, which were especially developed
in the Middle and Upper Bregalnica valley; agriculture is represented through wine making evidence from
the Middle Bregalnica; glass-working is presented through the glass workshop discovered in Bargala.
Macedoniae Acta Archaeologica, 2021
This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic... more This study presents the preliminary analysis of the lithic industry from the open-air Paleolithic site of Uzun Mera, near the village of Mustafino, north-eastern Macedonia. In order to assess the integrity of the lithic assemblage (n=139), the post-depositional surface modification of the stone tools was inspected in relation to raw material and information on spatial dispersion. The post depositional surface modifications were recorded as follows: physical (mechanical) ones (the area and position of edge rounding and/or edge fracturing); chemical (position and area of gloss and/or colour patina, carbonate concretions and iron-manganese nodules) and thermal alteration (colour change, thermal cracks, cupulas, sheen). Mechanical edge damage and gloss patina dominate among the post-depositional features. A typo-technological classification was also applied in order to understand the lithic economy in the area and compare the stone industry with other sites in the wider region. Typical Middle Palaeolithic variability is asserted, including recurring and preferential Levallois reduction, lateral side-scrapers and naturally backed blades. It is argued that more than one occupation phase is represented at the site and that chemical post-depositional modifications have a good potential for becoming diagnostic features for surface collections analysis and classification.
Zusammenfassung: Vrbjanska Čuka ist ein Tell in der Region Pelagonien (Mazedonien), der vor 8000 ... more Zusammenfassung: Vrbjanska Čuka ist ein Tell in der Region Pelagonien (Mazedonien), der vor 8000 Jahren entstand. Während der Römerzeit und im Mittelalter fand hier Landwirtschaft statt, zudem wurde der Hügel als Grabstätte genutzt. Die in den 1980ern sowie während der letzten fünf Jahre erfolgten Ausgrabungen führten den Beleg einer neolithischen bäuerlichen Gesellschaft, die in einer von einem kreisförmigen Graben umschlossenen Siedlung große Gebäude aus Lehm errichtete. In den Gebäuden wurden zahlreiche Lehmstrukturen nachgewiesen, etwa Öfen, Getreidespeicher sowie Bereiche zur Verarbeitung von Getreide und die Herstellung von Brot. Die neolithischen Gemeinden nutzten qualitätvolle Töpferwaren, modellierten Figuren und Altäre, während die hier geborgenen Steinwerkzeuge hauptsächlich zum Fällen von Bäumen, zur Ernte oder für das Mahlen von Getreiden verwendet wurde. Neben Nahrungsmitteln aus Getreide (Einkorn, Emmer, Gerste) konsumierten die Einwohner von Vrbjanska Čuka Linsen, Erbsen und eine Vielzahl wildgesammelter Früchte. Die Ernährung bereicherten ferner Rind-, Ziege/Schaf-und Wildfleisch, außerdem Muscheln und Fisch sowie Milchprodukte. Der vorliegende Beitrag fasst eine Vielzahl von international und multidisziplinär ermittelten Daten zusammen. Diese basieren auf örtlichen Ausgrabungen, Prospektionen, geomagnetischen Untersuchungen, Studien zur materiellen Kultur, der Architektur, Radiokarbondatierungen, geoarchäologischen, archäobotanischen, archäozoologischen und Lipiduntersuchungen. Hinzu kommen Gebrauchsspuranalysen, Studien zur Topografie sowie 3D-Modellierungen. Die Untersuchungen in Vrbjanska Čuka erbrachten neues Wissen zum frühen Neolithikum in Pelagonien und tragen ferner zum umfassenderen Verständnis der ersten bäuerlichen Gesellschaften auf dem Balkan bei.
PLOS ONE, Aug 20, 2020
The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is provid... more The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is providing valuable new information on the prehistory of the region. This is especially relevant for the study of the neolithisation process in SE Europe, which gradually affected the rest of the continent. Here, to answer questions regarding diet and subsistence practices in early farming societies in the central Balkans, we combine organic residue analyses of archaeological pottery, taxonomic and isotopic study of domestic animal remains and biomolecular analyses of human dental calculus. The results from the analyses of the lipid residues from pottery suggest that milk was processed in ceramic vessels. Dairy products were shown to be part of the subsistence strategies of the earliest Neolithic communities in the region but were of varying importance in different areas of the Balkan. Conversely, milk proteins were not detected within the dental calculus. The molecular and isotopic identification of meat, dairy, plants and beeswax in the pottery lipids also provided insights into the diversity of diet in these early Neolithic communities, mainly based on terrestrial resources. We also present the first compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the region, obtained directly from absorbed organic residues extracted from pottery, identified as dairy lipids.
PLOS ONE, 2020
The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is provid... more The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is providing valuable new information on the prehistory of the region. This is especially relevant for the study of the neolithisation process in SE Europe, which gradually affected the rest of the continent. Here, to answer questions regarding diet and subsistence practices in early farming societies in the central Balkans, we combine organic residue analyses of archaeological pottery, taxonomic and isotopic study of domestic animal remains and biomolecular analyses of human dental calculus. The results from the analyses of the lipid residues from pottery suggest that milk was processed in ceramic vessels. Dairy products were shown to be part of the subsistence strategies of the earliest Neolithic communities in the region but were of varying importance in different areas of the Balkan. Conversely, milk proteins were not detected within the dental calculus. The molecular and isotopic identification of meat, dairy, plants and beeswax in the pottery lipids also provided insights into the diversity of diet in these early Neolithic communities, mainly based on terrestrial resources. We also present the first compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the region, obtained directly from absorbed organic residues extracted from pottery, identified as dairy lipids.
Anta 1 de Val da Laje – the first direct view at diet, dairying practice and socioeconomic aspects of pottery use in the final Neolithic of central Portugal
Quaternary International, 2020
This article presents the results of the first dedicated study of organic residues in Portugal, e... more This article presents the results of the first dedicated study of organic residues in Portugal, extracted from pottery excavated from Anta 1 de Val da Laje passage grave. We fully exploit the organic residue extract, to obtain information regarding the diet of the people and their relationship with the environment, the socio-economic aspects of an otherwise elusive society, and we also used a new methodology to obtain direct absolute dates for the pottery, the residue extract being the only datable organic material from the site. Our results suggest a community with diet based on terrestrial resources, that was fully benefitting from a range of domestic animals including their secondary products. We present the first direct evidence of not only meat consumption, but also milk and dairy production in Iberia. The compound specific radiocarbon dating methodology, opens a door to possibilities for investigating otherwise poorly dated archaeological phenomena in the Iberian Peninsula.
by Goce Naumov, Aleksandar Mitkoski, Hristijan Talevski, Jaromír Beneš, Jugoslav Pendić, Darko Stojanovski, Juan Francisco Gibaja, Niccolò Mazzucco, Vesna Dimitrijevic, Kristýna Budilová, Michaela Vychronová, and Tereza Majerovičová Трудовите содржани во овој број на Balcanoslavica се резултат на четвриот заеднички научен собир ... more Трудовите содржани во овој број на Balcanoslavica се резултат на четвриот заеднички научен собир на тема "Процеси на културна интерференција: Балканот помеѓу истокот и западот", организиран од Институтот за старословенска култура -Прилеп и Институтот за класична и словенска филологија при Ун. "Адам Мицкјевиќ", Познањ во преродбенскиот манастир Св. Ѓорѓи, Неготино од 10 до 12 септември 2017 г.
Arheološki Informator, 2018
Middle Palaeolithic stone-tool technology from the Central Balkans: The site of Uzun Mera (eastern Republic of Macedonia)
Quaternary International, 2018
Whether a refugium, a transit area, or both, the Balkan Peninsula played a crucial role in the po... more Whether a refugium, a transit area, or both, the Balkan Peninsula played a crucial role in the population dynamics of Europe during prehistory. However, the Balkans Peninsula is poorly represented in the European archaeological record. This article presents the newly discovered Middle Palaeolithic stone tool assemblage from the Uzun Mera site in the eastern Republic of Macedonia. Following fieldwork that included diverse methods in survey and excavation, as well as techno-economical and taphonomic assessment of the recovered stone tools, Uzun Mera is reported here as a typical Middle Palaeolithic assemblage that follows the pattern of a highly variable Balkan complex. The quality of the raw material reflects a highly selective approach, resulting in relatively low lithological variability where small blocks of raw material used for knapping are still present on site. These results contribute to better understanding the Palaeolithic of the Balkans and inform the population process in a region where little investigation has been previously conducted.
One of the most emblematic and most (ab)used feature of the early Neolithic in the central and no... more One of the most emblematic and most (ab)used feature of the early Neolithic in the central and northern
Balkans is the White-painted Pottery (WPP). This article attempts to bring a somewhat clearer presentation of
the distribution of this pottery style in time and territory. Through the emerging patterns, questions concerning
the mechanisms behind the neolithisation process in the Balkans are addressed.
The Neolithic settlement Grnčarica near Štip was discovered and partly explored eight years ago. ... more The Neolithic settlement Grnčarica near Štip was discovered and partly explored eight years ago. Due to the circumstances, more detailed results of this research still have not been presented in Macedonian archaeology. It resulted in lack of information for this significant site in publications of Macedonian Neolithic. Therefore, herewith we present details of the research, the type and the character of the settlement and the material culture, as well as the implications these results have regarding the neolithisation process and further development of Neolithic cultures in Macedonia.
Извештај од археолошките ископувања на локалитет Калимерово
Во месец Декември 2012 година, во текот на четири работни дена, беа изведени теренски археолошки ... more Во месец Декември 2012 година, во текот на четири работни дена, беа изведени теренски археолошки истражувања на локалитетот Калимерово. Истражувањата се дел од поширокиот проект „Пајонски утврдувања, населби и некрополи по долината на река Брегалница“, чиј носител е Универзитет „Гоце Делчев“ од Штип, под раководство на Доц. Д-р Трајче Нацев. Археолошкиот локалитет Калимерово се наоѓа на 3,6 км. југозападно од Штип, до самиот пат Кочани - Радовиш. По претходно извршено рекогносцирање на околниот терен, беше поставена сонда 1 на локација на која беше утврдена повисока концентрација на фрагменти од градежна и садова керамика на површината. Ископувањата се вршеа на рамна речна тераса на десниот брег на р. Брегалница. Сонда 1 е со димензии 2х3 метра, позиционирана по страните на Светот (С-Ј = 2м. и И-З = 3м.). Уште од самиот почеток беа вклучени студенти од катедра Археологија и Историја на Факултетот за образовни науки при УГД. Целта на овие истражувања беше...
Во рамките на овој труд ќе бидат презентирани резултати
од праисториската архитектура, од заштитн... more Во рамките на овој труд ќе бидат презентирани резултати
од праисториската архитектура, од заштитните археолошки истражувања на неолитската населба Грнчарица, село Крупиште и енеолитското утврдување Богослов Камен2. Заштитните археолошки истражувања на локалитетите кои беа загрозени со изградбата на хидросистемот Злетовица беа изведени во периодот од 2007 до 2009 година. /
In the frames of this article, the results concerning the prehistoric architecture will be presented, as discovered during the development - led excavations at the neolithic site Grncharica, near the village Krupishte, and the Copper Age fortified settlement Bogoslov Kamen. The rescue archaeological investigations, on sites endangered by the building of the hydro - system Zletovica, were undertaken between 2007 and 2009.
The beginning of the Neolithic way of life in The Balkans is widely accepted as a multi-faceted a... more The beginning of the Neolithic way of life in The Balkans is widely accepted as a multi-faceted and complicated process, imported, triggered or influenced from more than one external source. The variety of aspects resulted in lively debates. This paper intends to contribute by presenting typological profile of the pottery assemblage of Grnčarica (a Neolithic settlement in Macedonia); a profile which does not match the obtained 14C dates. Possible explanations are given and further reconsideration of the chronological frame of the Balkan Neolithic (established half a century ago) is suggested.
Conference Presentations by Darko Stojanovski
Во текот на 2017 и 2018 година, 27 фрагменти садова керамика од неолитските слоеви во Врбјанска Ч... more Во текот на 2017 и 2018 година, 27 фрагменти садова керамика од неолитските слоеви во Врбјанска Чука беа селектирани и подложени на екстракција на органски материи содржани во микроскопските пори од нивната структура. Од нив, вкупно 8 примероци дадоа позитивни резултати, односно содржеа доволни количини липиди неопходни за понатамошна анализа. Со помош на масна спектрометрија беа детектирани конкретни хемиски соединенија кои ни даваат информација за нивното потекло. Со помош на мерење на вредностите на стабилниот изотоп на јаглеродот (13C) кај овие молекули, дополнително се прецизира оригиналната содржина на керамичките садови. Со ова истражување добивме директен доказ за големата разновидност на неолитската кујна на Врбјанска Чука, каде освен користењето на вообичаените неолитски продукти (житарици и месо од домашни животни), беше потврдено производството и користењето на млечни продукти, како и консумирањето на водни животни и употребата на пчелни продукти.
Roman and Late Antique Economy in the Bregalnica Basin
The favourable climate, the abundance of natural resources, the vast area of arable land, all thi... more The favourable climate, the abundance of natural resources, the vast area of arable land, all this contributed to the fast economic development of the communities living in the Bregalnica basin.
The most developed economic branches during the Antiquity are agriculture, pastoralism, hunting and fishing. Other branches, like mining, construction, pottery-making, woodworking and metalworking held a special place in the economy.
Here, we focus on mining and metalworking, which were especially developed in the Middle and Upper Bregalnica valley; the agriculture is represented through the wine making evidence from the Middle Bregalnica; glass-working is presented through the glass workshop discovered in Bargala; the pottery-making is also presented as one of the oldest crafts.
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Papers by Darko Stojanovski
site of Uzun Mera, near the village of Mustafino, northeastern Macedonia. In order to assess the
integrity of the lithic assemblage (n=139), the post-depositional surface modification of the stone
tools was inspected in relation to raw material and information on spatial dispersion. The postdepositional surface modifications were recorded as follows: physical (mechanical) ones (the area
and position of edge rounding and/or edge fracturing); chemical (position and area of gloss and/or
color patina, carbonate concretions and iron-manganese nodules) and thermal alteration (colour
change, thermal cracks, cupulas, sheen). Mechanical edge damage and gloss patina dominate
among the post-depositional features. A typo-technological classification was also applied in order
to understand the lithic economy in the area and compare the stone industry with other sites in the
wider region. Typical Middle Paleolithic variability is asserted, including recurring and preferential
Levallois reduction, lateral side-scrapers and naturally backed blades. It is argued that more than one
occupation phase is represented at the site and that chemical post-depositional modifications have
a good potential for becoming diagnostic features for surface collections analysis and classification.
factors contributed to the rapid economic development of the communities living in the Bregalnica basin.
The most developed economic branches during the Antiquity are agriculture, pastoralism, hunting and
fishing. Other branches, like mining, construction, pottery-making, woodworking and metalworking held a
special place in the economy. Here, we focus on mining and metalworking, which were especially developed
in the Middle and Upper Bregalnica valley; agriculture is represented through wine making evidence from
the Middle Bregalnica; glass-working is presented through the glass workshop discovered in Bargala.
Balkans is the White-painted Pottery (WPP). This article attempts to bring a somewhat clearer presentation of
the distribution of this pottery style in time and territory. Through the emerging patterns, questions concerning
the mechanisms behind the neolithisation process in the Balkans are addressed.
од праисториската архитектура, од заштитните археолошки истражувања на неолитската населба Грнчарица, село Крупиште и енеолитското утврдување Богослов Камен2. Заштитните археолошки истражувања на локалитетите кои беа загрозени со изградбата на хидросистемот Злетовица беа изведени во периодот од 2007 до 2009 година. /
In the frames of this article, the results concerning the prehistoric architecture will be presented, as discovered during the development - led excavations at the neolithic site Grncharica, near the village Krupishte, and the Copper Age fortified settlement Bogoslov Kamen. The rescue archaeological investigations, on sites endangered by the building of the hydro - system Zletovica, were undertaken between 2007 and 2009.
Conference Presentations by Darko Stojanovski
The most developed economic branches during the Antiquity are agriculture, pastoralism, hunting and fishing. Other branches, like mining, construction, pottery-making, woodworking and metalworking held a special place in the economy.
Here, we focus on mining and metalworking, which were especially developed in the Middle and Upper Bregalnica valley; the agriculture is represented through the wine making evidence from the Middle Bregalnica; glass-working is presented through the glass workshop discovered in Bargala; the pottery-making is also presented as one of the oldest crafts.