Pages: 253-260

Taken as whole, history of almost all European prehistoric archaeologies is marked with development of material culture studies and recognizing its association with chronology and periodization. Observed chronological value of diagnostic objects—so called Leitfossils, such as certain types of vessels, jewelry, weapons and tools was often taken as rule, while its cultural, functional and socio-economic significance was neglected. Current paper will examine some of the most frequently referred types of Eneolithic clay vessels in Serbia and Southeastern Europe, and try to answer whether their chronological and cultural attribution has changed. Rather than redundant generalization of the problem, depositional contexts, possible functional attributes of objects and their macro-regional distribution were discussed in order to stress the variability and distinctiveness of each item’s life-biography. Also, since there is vague discrepancy in the terminology dealing with the study of prehistoric pottery in Southeastern Europe, I proposed a personalized terminology for analyzed vessel forms.

Keywords: Serbia, Eneolithic, material culture, pottery, chronology

Information about author: 

Miloš Spasić (Belgrad, Serbia). Curator of Prehistoric Collection. City Museum of Belgrad.
Е-mail: [email protected]