The new investigations of the Bronze and Iron Age sites in the Zenica area

Abstract

The paper present results of the investigations on the prehistoric sites in the vicinity of the city of Zenica conducted during 2018 and 2019. Based on the cooperation between the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and City Museum of Zenica we applied geophysical prospection, air-borne laser scanning and excavations in order to get a better understanding of the Bronze and Iron Age developments in this specific part of the central Bosnia along the Bosna River. This research is emebeded within the project “Visualizing the unknown Balkans, supported by the Innovation Fond of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Apart from previously known and to smaller extent excavated hillfort Kopilo, our work also focused on the sites situated on the ridge above Gradišće in the northern part of the Zenica Basin. What appears to be indicative of this micro-region are high attitudes (600-900 m a.s.l.) of the identified Bronze and Iron Ages settlements in comparison to the situation in the neighboring valleys and basins of the central Bosnia. Such position provided mutual visual contact between the sites and an excellent control of the entry and exit from the Zenica Basin. Our work also brought evidences of prehistoric stone mounds on the ridge above Gradišče. The numerous archeological finds indicatate the importance and a long continuity of the hillforts such as Kopilo that obviuolsy lasted unti the advanced La Téne Period.