Tell Yunatsite, Southern Bulgaria: New Insights on the Fifth millennium BC in the Balkans

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The prehistoric tell at Yunatsite in the Maritsa River valley (Southern Bulgaria) is among the biggest tell sites in the Balkans. During large-scale excavations a medieval cemetery, fortification from the Roman period, and layers from the Iron Аge, Early Bronze Age and Chalcolithic have been revealed. The studies in the last years have concentrated on the thick Chalcolithic layer (fifth millennium BC). They reveal a complex settlement and social structure. The tell itself is actually the fortified part of a larger settlement that emerged around the beginning of the fifth millennium BC. Long-distance trade and craft specialization have been attested. The copper tools and pottery crucibles suggest local metallurgical production, while a small golden bead dated to the mid-fifth millennium BC is one of the earliest golden artifacts known so far. The final Chalcolithic settlement was destroyed by an enemy attack around 4200 cal BC and provides important evidence for the end of the Copper Age cultures in the Balkans. The presentation highlights the most interesting results from the latest excavations and their significance for understanding the cultural processes, technological innovations and social dynamics in the fifth millennium BC Balkans.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 29868