Other
Field Survey of the Route of the Western Bypass around Beli Manastir
Marko Dizdar
orcid.org/0000-0003-3964-9002
; Institute of archaeology, Zagreb, Croatia
Darija Ložnjak Dizdar
orcid.org/0000-0002-5769-2269
; Institute of archaeology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
During October 2007 it was conducted a field survey of the route of the western bypass around the town of Beli Manastir. In its northern part the route passes along the raised left shore of the river Karašica, on the west it descends into the Baranja Plain, and towards the south-east it reaches the south-western slopes of the Bansko Brdo. This survey uncovered, along with one previously known site, seven new sites from all periods, which is not surprising given the natural characteristics of Baranja and its strategic position alongside the Danube and Drava rivers.
Of the seven new sites with finds from the prehistoric period, the most numerous are those from the Neolithic (5), followed by Late Iron Age (3), Bronze Age (2) and Copper Age (2), while the finds from the Early Iron Age are missing. In the Roman period Baranja was a direct hinterland of the limes, so that the numerousness of finds from this period is not surprising (5). The medieval period is represented by 6 sites, four of which belong to the Late Middle Ages.
Pottery fragments belonging to the Starčevo culture were discovered on the Beli Manastir – Ciglana site. They also appear, together with the Sopot culture, on the sites Branjih Vrh-Okrugla Međa 1-2 and Branjin Vrh-Rastić. Remains of the Sopot culture settlement were discovered on the Beli Manastir-Nove Livade site. A Copper Age settlement was recorded on the site Branjin Vrh-Okrugla Međa 1 and was attributed to the Kostolac culture. The Bronze Age was represented by Transdanubian encrusted pottery on the sites Ciglana in Beli Manastir and Okrugla Međa 2 near Branjin Vrh. Until now there were no known sites belonging to the Late Iron Age; this campaign discovered three such settlements of an open type – Šumarina-Kleišće, Okrugla Međa 2 and Rastić near Branjin Vrh.
The finds of roman pottery and bricks has been found between the road Beli Manastir – Petlovac and the forest Adica on Ciglana and Prednja Poljana in Beli Manastir, as well as on the sites Okrugla Međa 1-2 and Rastić near Branjin Vrh.
Medieval pottery was found on the sites Okrugla Međa 1-2 near Branjin Vrh, while late medieval pottery was in evidence on the following sites: Rastić near Branjin Vrh, Širine and Kleišće near Šumarine and Ciglana near Beli Manastir.
Prior to this survey, in the vicinity of Beli Manastir and Branjin Vrh there were 11 known archaeological sites, a number which has now been increased by seven new ones.
Keywords
field survey; Beli Manastir; bypass; Karašica; settlement; prehistory; Classical Antiquity; Middle Ages
Hrčak ID:
34065
URI
Publication date:
19.3.2009.
Visits: 3.368 *