Mark askes
> I am unfamiliar with the "Starchevo/Körös complex". I assume
"Körös"
refers to the river in Hungary.
Mark
The Starcevo-Koros culture seems to have begun as a development out
of
the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (Argissa) culture, reinforced by painted
pottery traditions from Anatolia. Argissa in Thessaly, Greece is a
Tell type site, around 1,5 ha, with one of the earliest Neolithic
occupations in the area including preceramic phase as well, very much
like Starcevo-Koros-Cris occupations, thin occupational layer,
without
definite structures and with rather important aspect of hunting in
the
subsistence.
I quote
"The original Starcevo site (village) is located about 20 miles
east-northeast of Belgrade Yugoslavia (Serbia). This archaeological
site is the origin of the Starcevo culture, and is located on the
northern bank of the Danube River. This site is also known as and
called, the Starcevo-Grad site. There are other sites categorized
under the name Starcevo in Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, and
Bosnia. All the Starcevo sites in the Balkan area are known for
turning up Neolithic age pottery. Along with the pottery, the
Starcevo
sites are known to represent the earliest agricultural, and
cattle-breeding population in the central Balkans.
The concept of a "Starcevo Culture" was derived from an excavation in
1928 by M. Grbic and later from larger scale digs in 1931 and 1932.
Here, a lack of stratified sites coupled with scarcity of radio
carbon
dates, have resulted in a creation of typological ceramic sequences,
rather than absolute chronologies. The first attempt of a
chronological sequence of pottery from the Starcevo sites was done by
V.Milojcic. Milojcic used pottery from various sites to establish a
four part ceramic sequence and relative chronology known as: Starcevo
I, II, III, IV. Archaeological finds of pottery in Macedonia and
Serbia have been dated as far back as 5,800 b.c. Starcevo sites are
mainly found on river terraces on gentle slopes near springs and
streams. A few cave sites have been found, but most are located in
open spaces. Most sites reveal cultural deposits less than 1 meter in
depth. At these shallow depths, it is clearly evident disturbances
were made by natural and man-made occurrences. In conclusion, the
Starcevo sites provide an interesting archaeological history to the
ceramic pottery used thousands of years ago. It gives archaeologists
a
pathway into the past to come up with how humans lived during these
times."
More recently
Starcevo -Danube bank, Serbia- Thin occupational layer site on Danube
river terrace above the flood plain, epomymus for the earliest
Neolithic culture of the Central Balkans and appropriate pottery
style
characterised with rarely painted (usually lack on red or white) with
incised, impressed and roughened decorations. Site catchment between
floodplain and higher alluvial plateau, as well as numerous pit
dwellings and faunal assamblage consisting of wide variety of hunting
game along the domesticates (apart from the domesticates red and roe
deer, auroch, horse, boar, beaver, fox, wolf, bear, badger, otter,
wildcat, geese, swan, pke catfish, carp...) are all characteristical
for Starcevo culture.
Divostin site -Morava valley, Serbia- Neolithic site with early
Starcevo levels. Typical example of single occupation layer site,
however shifting of occupational focus produced spead over
considerable area 80x60 mt. Important as only traces of rectangular
timber framed buildings in Starcevo-Koros-Cris complex recovered in
Divostin I.
Padina site -Danube Gorge, Serbia- Site of Danube Gorge sedentary
foragers. Has two phases. Phase A is dated on 8300-6300 BC and
consists of less regular structures of hollows, stakes and hearths
and
have yielded some number of inhumations mainly within the structures
and within the settlement. Phase B is dated just before 6000 BC and
have produced trapesoidal structure not dissimilar from Lepenski Vir
ones, causing much controversy over yielding Starcevo pottery as well.
For rival theories on the coming of Agriculture to Europe including
C-S's demic spread, have a look at the following
http://www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/rug/AR210/TransitionsToFarming/wave.ht
m
http://www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/rug/AR210/TransitionsToFarming/wave.ht
m
http://www.le.ac.uk/archaeology/rug/AR210/TransitionsToFarming/indie.h
tm
Regards
John