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Use of Slings in mediaeval Slavonia with Regard to the numerous Finds of clay Projectiles at Site Stara vodenica near Jurjevac Punitovački
Maja Bunčić
; Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu
Sažetak
Stara Vodenica is a slightly elevated site on the
Vuka river bank, located northeast of village Jurjevac
Punitovački and at the road leading towards village
Beketinci (Osijek–Baranja County). The site was examined
within the scope of rescue excavations along
the highway route Beli Manastir – Osijek – Svilaj in
spring 2008. Research was conducted on a surface
area of 16.000 m2 where 44 mediaeval structures were
discovered. Other material found at this site was dated
to the Copper Age and Middle Bronze Age. Rescue
excavations, which took place at the same time, revealed
traces of a number of smaller and larger settlements
from the Early, High and Late Middle Ages in
the vicinity of this settlement. The site’s distinctiveness
is the exceptionally large number of clay projectiles
which were, next to fragments of vessels, discovered
in almost all mediaeval pits. Clay projectiles were discovered
in 27 mediaeval structures with the highest
concentration of finds in the northern part of the site.
The projectiles’ total weight is 46.974 kg; there are 81
completely preserved projectiles and 1038 fragments
of various states of preservation. The projectiles were
made of very fine and refined clay and only a small
number contains admixtures, mainly limestone. They
were hand-made and traces of fingers from the modeling
process are often palpable on their surfaces. Since
the projectiles were baked at different temperatures,
some have a reddish-orange colour, often with black
spots on the surface, while others are of darker grey
or almost black shades. Due to the aforementioned
differences and various shapes, their physical features
(weight, diameter) differ. The paper provides a
detailed analysis on projectiles from three structures
(well and two pits) in regard to the amount of projectiles
in them, the ratio between complete exemplars
and fragments and differences in the age determination
of the structures. Ball-shaped projectiles are the
most numerous ones, followed by flat-oval or roundshaped
exemplars, the cylindrical type is the least represented
one. The majority of projectiles has a diameter
between 5.5 and 6 cm, the length of the cylindrical
ones ranges between 6.5 and 8.5 cm. The projectiles’
average weight is 142.56 g, the lightest weighing only
27.27 g and the heaviest 390.77 g. In general, a large
number of projectiles has a very irregular shape, the
round-shaped ones often have one (the bottom) flat
side.
Discovered pottery and rare finds of metal objects
date the settlement into the 12th and 13th century, so
that the projectiles are also dated to this period. Results
of the radiocarbon analysis of charcoal and
bone samples from several different structures show a
slightly wider time frame, respectively the beginning
of occupation at this site already in the 10th century.
Research of other sites, where projectiles or at least
fragments of them were discovered, shows the geographical
expansion of their use, though, they can still
be considered as common objects in the Middle and
Late Middle Ages. However, the amount of discovered
projectiles is significantly less on most of these
sites, therefore, taking into account the surface area
of this settlement, it is not unfounded to speak about
a different significance of the site or its more specific
character. For now, there is no data about Croatian or
Hungarian sites which would confirm the appearance
of clay projectiles before the 11th century. The earliest
known use of projectiles so far was during the time of
the Bijelo Brdo Culture. They re-appear in the 14th and
15th century, which certainly indicates to their continuity
as shown also by the Croatian exemplars. Their
distribution is also not completly determined, the
present state of research only allows a certain grouping
of sites into the “northwestern group” (Podravina
and Prigorje) to wich belongs the Slovenian region
Prekmurje and Zala region in Hungary, where they
are particularly distinctive. Sites in Slavonia (mainly
along the Slavonika highway route) would be categorized
as the “eastern group”.
Finally, the research of this and other settlements
confirmed the knowledge and use of this type of weapon
for which there was not much material evidence on
our mediaeval sites in the past. This knowledge also
raises the question not only about the structure, but
also the origin of the population in these settlements,
which had to be well-trained for the successful handling
of this weapon. The reason for the occurrence
of such settlements, precisely locations that proof the
presence of armed slingshot users, might be internal
turmoil, local conflicts, border areas of estates, counties
or some other strategic areas, possibly along important
routes.
The paper provides also a brief survey covering an
extensive chronological, but also geographical range
through which facts about the slingshot, as a popular
and highly effective multi-purpose projectile weapon,
are determined.
Ključne riječi
Slavonia; high mediaeval; settlement; well; clay projectiles; sling
Hrčak ID:
92418
URI
Datum izdavanja:
17.12.2012.
Posjeta: 1.923 *