BURIAL CUSTOMS DURING THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE IN

THE NORTHERN PART OF WEST MORAVA VALLEY, SERBIA

KATARINA DMITROVI (aak Serbia)
Keywords: West Morava course, aak region, Middle Bronze Age, burial customs,
local characteristics
Abstract: The paper discusses various features of the Middle Bronze Age burials in the
northern part of the West Morava course in Serbia. According to the characteristic of
the way of burying, grave inventory, grave construction, it was possible to establish
differences between two geo-morphological zones of this area.

The river West Morava represents a very important natural

communication of the Central Balkans. Its valley connects the Inner Dinarides of
the West Serbia with the Morava Vardar transversal, the most important route
of the Balkans since the earliest times. The northern course of the West Morava
mostly be logs to the region of aak and it closely ties neigbouring territories.
It includes the river valley from the Ovar-Kablar gorge to Kraljevo, narrower
on the one side, and on the other hilly and mountainous Dragaevo region and
mountain Kablar range (Fig. 1).
It is important to emphasize that all the graves from the Bronze Age are
registrated exclusively under tumuli. Despite the fact that the whole territory is
surveyed very thoroughly, there is still no trace of flat necropolises existence.
Up to now, there have been 37 mounds excavated. 31 out of the 37 mounds are
from the Bronze Age (26 from mountanious regions and 5 from the valley)
(
,
,
, 2002, p.15-27). From the Middle Bronze Age
there are 59 grave units, buried in the 19 mounds. Since the greatest number of
excavated graves belongs to the Middle Bronze Age, it gave a good base to
provide some analyses. Beside relatively solid number of examined graves from
the Early and Middle Bronze Age, from the Late Bronze Age came only few
traces of their existence. It was very common to bury the deceased from the later
phases of the Bronze Age into the older mounds from the Early Bronze Age. The
calottal shape of the mound, easily visible in the landscape, probably was an
obvious sign as a monuments replacement, marking the place consecrated to the
burials (Fig. 2). All excavated mounds belong to the middle size object group,
with the diameter up to 20 m and height between 1 2 m. The calotte is usually

The Thracians and Their Neighbours in Antiquity. Studia in Honorem Valerii Srbu, Brila, 2009, p. 187-196

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Katarina Dmitrovi

made of earth, but rarely, stone can be used in mound construction (Dubac in
Janii, Fig. 3) (
,
,
2002, p.15-28). Examined mounds
had the central (primary) grave. The secondary graves have been buried on a
certain distance from the central one, usually concentrically distributed. It is
necessary to notice that the demolition of the central grave by secondary burials
is extremely rare.
During the Middle Bronze Age the burying is biritual incineration and
inhumation of the deceased. In comparison to the previous phase the Early
Bronze Age - here one can establish several changes regarding the way of the
burying, type and number of grave goods, and forms of grave constructions.

Fig. 1 map with the sites. 1. Dubac, Janii; 2. Veliko polje, Janii; 3.
Ravnine, Janii; 4. Ruja, Dualovii; 5. Kruevlje, Luani; 6. Ivkovo brdo,
Krstac; 7. Oljevac, Turica; 8. Babinjak, Donja Kravarica; 9. Grotnica, Gua; 10.
Ade, Prijevor; 11. Lugovi Bent, Mojsinje.

Burial customs during the Middle Bronze Age

Fig. 2 - Dubac, Janii, mound 1

189

Fig. 3 Dubac, Janii, mound 3

(after
1999, fig. 7)

Inhumation was registrated in the mounds from the Dragaevo region

and the Kablar range. Up to now, there have not been any inhumations from the
West Morava valley. The greatest number of 15 inhumated skeletons come from
the mounds from the site Dubac in Janii (Kablar), and 8 from the Dragaevo
mounds. The deceased are placed in slightly crouched position with arms bent
in elbows, hands near the face. Legs are bent in knees. The deceased were placed
on the right or the left side (there were totally 12 on the right and 6 on the left
side). A special form was marked at the site Dubac in Janii, mound 1, grave 9
and mound 3, grave 5 (Fig. 4). Here two skeletons were found in the stretched
position, lying on the stomach. Athropological analysis revealed that both
individuals were females (
1999, p.11,18). The deceased were
positioned directly on the soil or into constructions with frames made of stone e.g. Ruja in Dualovii, mound 13, graves 1 i 2 (Fig. 5) (
2002,
p.13,14). There are many examples where the graves were covered by stone:
Ruja in Dualovii, mound 13, grave 1 (
2002, p.13, fig. 6); Dubac
in Janii, mound 1, graves 2-5, 7 (
1999, p.7-10); mound 2, grave 4
and mound 3, graves 1, 2 and 4 (
1999, p.15-18).

Fig. 4 Dubac, Janii, mound 1,

grave 9 (after
1999, fig. 4)

Fig. 5 Ruja, Dualovii, mound 13,

grave 1

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Katarina Dmitrovi

Very similar stone constructions were noticed at the sites Ravnine in Janii
(Fig. 6) (
and
2002, p. 27), Kruevlje in Luani, grave 3
(
1969, p.7, fig.10). These constructions were without traces of the
deceased, and marked as cenotaphs. The unique construction excavated in
Dubac in Janii, mound 3, grave 3, represents the surface carefully made of
four stone slabs, rectangular in shape, with partly preserved frame (Fig. 7)
(
1999, p.17, fig.9). A child skeleton was lying on this surface.
Another similar surface, rectangular in shape, but made of smaller stone pieces
and pebbles, comes from the site Grotnica in Gua, mound 4, grave 1. The
cenotaphs from the mound 3 in the same necropolis are of the same shape
(
and
2005, p. 127,128, pl. III and IV). A very solid
construction another cenotaph - from the site Ivkovo brdo in Krstac
(Dragaevo) mound 6, grave 3, was also rectangular in shape, made of stone
slabs with stoned pavement (Nikitovi 2003, p.19, fig. 6).

Fig. 6 Ravnine, Janii, cenotaph

Fig. 7 Dubac, Janii, mound 3,

grave 3 (after
1999, fig. 9)

The orientation of the inhumated skeletons was various, but it was

possible to establish certain regularities: the most frequent (11 skeletons) was the
NW SE orientation. Direction N S and NE SW was noticed in three and W
E in two cases.
Incineration of the deceased also represents the typical burial form
during the Middle Bronze Age in this region. In the majority of Middle Bronze
Age graves prevails the ritual of cremation. Burnt bones are usually placed into a
recipient ceramic urn, often along with the grave goods.
Urns were placed in various ways:
1. Without any construction
- there are many examples where urns are placed directly into the
mound, without any construction: Babinjak in Donja Kravarica,
mound 3, graves 1, 2 and 3 (
2004, p.15,16, fig. 12-14),

Burial customs during the Middle Bronze Age

191

Dubac in Janii, mound 1, grave 10 and mound 2, grave 1

(
1999, p.11-13), Veliko Polje in Janii, grave 3
(
1996, p.27), graves from horizon I from Lugovi
Bent in Mojsinje (
,
,
2002, p. 47,48);
2. Stone contructions, made in several different features:
- urns placed on surfaces framed by stone with a layer of baked earth
and soot - Ivkovo brdo in Krstac, mound 3, urns 1, 3 and 4
(Nikitovi 2003, p.12,13, pl. II)
- urns placed into a construction made of stone slabs resembling a
small sarcophagus
(Fig. 8) Ravnine in Janii, urn 2 (
and
2002,
p. 26, T. IV), Ivkovo brdo in Krstac, mound 3, grave 3 (Nikitovi
2003, p.13, fig. 4).
- construction made of stone slab and pebbles vertically positioned
arround the urns
(Fig. 9) Ivkovo brdo in Krstac, mound 3, urns 1 and 2 (Nikitovi
2003, p.13, fig. 3), mound 6, urns 1 and 2 (Nikitovi 2003, p.19,
fig.6).

Fig. 8 Ivkovo brdo in Krstac, mound 3, grave 3

(after Nikitovi 2003, fig. 4)

Katarina Dmitrovi

192

urns rim covered by a stone slab (Fig. 9) Ivkovo brdo in Krstac,

mound 3, graves 2 and and 4 (Nikitovi 2003, p.13,14), Dubac in
Janii, mound 1, grave 10 (
1999, p. 11, fig.6) and
mound 2, graves 1 and 2 (
1999, p.13)
after earth filling, a circular or an oval pebble surface is placed
above the urns rim
(Fig. 10) Ivkovo brdo in Krstac, mound 3, graves 1 and 4
(Nikitovi 2003, p.13,14), Babinjak i Donja Kravarica, mound 3,
grave 1 (
2004, p.15, pl. IV), and Dubac in Janii,
mound 2, grave 2 (
1999, p.13)
urn placed on pebble surface - Grotnica in Gua, mound 3, grave 3
(
and
2005, p.128, pl. III ).

Fig. 9 Ivkovo brdo, Krstac,

mound 3, grave 2

Fig. 10 Ivkovo brdo, Krstac, mound 3,

grave 4

3. Wooden constructions:
- construction made of wooden logs above urns - Lugovi Bent in
Mojsinje, mound 1, grave 13 (
,
,
2002,
p.34)
4. Ritually fired surface:
- urns placed on a layer of ritually burnt earth - Ivkovo brdo in Krstac,
mound 3, urns 1 and 2 ( Nikitovi 2003, p.13)
- urns placed on the fireplaces Lugovi Bent in Mojsinje, mound 1,
graves 11 and 13 (
,
,
2002, p.34)
Beside the very common custom of placing cremated bones into the urn,
rarely was it noticed that burnt bones were placed directly on the soil, without
any recipient - Oljevac in Turica, grave 1 (
1994, p. 32) and
Dubac in Janii, mound 2, grave 5 (
1999, p.15).

Burial customs during the Middle Bronze Age

193

Already mentioned was a very interesting situation on the site Ravnine

in Janii. It consisted of three urns with bones; three stone framed constructions
cenotaphs, and three fireplaces, without central grave unit. (
2002). The construction with frames made of stone, oval and rectangular in
shape, without the deceased, may have imitated previously described grave
construction for skeletal inhumation (Fig. 6). Hence only incinerated traces of
the deceased placed into ceramic urns were found in this mound, these
constructions (cenotaphs) in relation with the custom of incineration can be
indicative for opening very interesting questions on relations between
inhumation and incineration during the Middle Bronze Age. Since the pieces of
the bronze jewellery were found on the fireplaces, they can be understood as
certain ritual units closely tied to the placement of the urns and the grave
construction (Fig. 12).
The grave inventory was found both in skeletal and in cremated graves
(Fig. 4 and 11). It usually consisted of parts of the costume, jewellery,
sometimes burned along with the deceased, ceramic vessels and very rarely
weapons. The grave inventory is generally richer and more numerous in relation
to the Early Bronze Age. Firstly, the bronze objects - mainly jewellery that
belongs to the Central European forms - appear from the middle phase (
1997, p. 44,45). Rarely can one find the weapons. The so-called Aegean knives,
represented by four examples, are characteristic in this region. Concentration of
the metal objects is noticed in the graves from the mountanious parts of the
region. On the other side, in the Middle Bronze Age graves from the West
Morava valley, there are only five bronze object found.

Fig. 11 Dubac, Janii, mound 1,

grave 10 (after
1999, fig. 5)

Fig. 12 Ravnine, Janii, fireplace

with adornment

Ceramic vessels as grave inventory were characteristic especially for the graves
from the West Morava valley. This interesanting disproportion in the
archaeological material testifies on various funeral rituals between inhabitants in

194

Katarina Dmitrovi

two geomorphologically different zones of this region. The numerous cenotaphs

point out a well-developed funerary cult. These places have all characteristics of
the genuine grave places, but without the traces of the deceased.
As it was already explained, during the Middle Bronze Age in the aak
region, burials of deceased were biritual. Both ways of burials were used
simultaneously. There is much bigger number of investigated graves in relation
to the Early Bronze Age. This fact can testify of growing population thanks to
the developing economy and better living conditions. The majority of examined
graves belong to the middle and later phases of the Middle Bronze Age. The fact
is, having in mind all excavation results on this territory so far, that biritual
burying is present only in the mountainous regions (Dragaevo and Kablar
range). The deceased from the West Morava valley were exclusively cremated.
Among inhumated deceased, it is necessary to emphazise two female skeletons,
both placed on the stomach, from the mound necropolis in Dubac, Janii. This
unique position points out some special ritual pattern. The graves with cremation
are almost doubled in relation to the inhumation ones. The burnt bones were
usually placed into an urn, often followed by some burial constructions.
The inhabitants of the aak region during the Middle Bronze Age,
despite being heterogeneous, are strongly mutually connected by using tumuli
for burring of the deceased. This fact probably defines their common origin. It
is well known that funerary rituals depends on many factors (tradition, economy,
religion, fashion etc.) and often represent the most important national distinction.
Grave forms, on the other hand, usually point out on class, community, tribe or
part of the people (
1979, p.79). Generally, the Middle Bronze Age
burials from the aak region belong to the West-Serbian variant of the Vatin
group after M. Garaanin (Garaanin 1983), spread in the West Serbia. Some
local differences regarding the ritual, the number and the type of the grave
goods, can indicate cultural influences from stronger cultural centres. There is an
opinion, that the territory to the west from aak (mountainous parts) was under
the influences coming through the Drina region, and the eastern parts (the river
valley) were under the influence from the Great Morava region (
and
2002, p. 32). These cultural emissions certainly influenced genesis of the
particular ethno-cultural communities that represented a base for formation of
Paleo-Balcan tribes. According to all cited characteristics of the burial rituals
during the Middle Bronze Age - grave forms, stylistic typological features of
the findings, and their relations, it can be assumed that the mountain Jelica,
separating the West Morava valley from Inner Dinarides massif, represents a
potential border between different cultural influences. Sharply defined
difference, again regarding burials, between mountainous territories and the
valley is also known during the Iron Age (Dmitrovi and Ljutina 2008).
According to the funerary customs D. Srejovi recognized the line Western

Burial customs during the Middle Bronze Age

195

Morava Southern Morava separated Paleo Balkan tribes Dardanians with

Triballoi. (
1979, p.83). The border line between Roman provinces
Moesia Superior and Dalmatia went through the zone near the line north-south,
following the mountain Jelica direction (Alfldy 1965, p. 27 sq; Wilkes 1969,
p.79). Having in mind that the level of investigated archaeological sites in this
territory is still insufficient for giving definite conclusions, we assume that these
coincidences are not accidental.
Katarina Dmitrovi
National Museum aak - Serbia
E-mail: katarina.dmitrovi@gmail.com

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