End of the Bronze and begining of the Iron Age in Northeast Bosnia

Abstract

End of the Bronze and beginning of the Iron Age in the North West Bosnia is the process that lasted 6 centuries, from 1300 to 700 BC. At the beginning of this period area of North West Bosnia was inhabited by the Urnfield culture bearers. Their material culture showed that they composed same ethnic group with the ethnos from the area between rivers Sava, Drava and Danube. Entire population attached to this area represents just part of the master area defined by West Pannonia and East Alps. This area represents heart zone characterized in early Bronze age, and it is recognized in the later periods of Urnfield culture of other areas. This is reflected by the identity of cultural manifestations, firstly by the funerary rituals (incineration of deceased and depositing the ashes into urns covered with bowls), and also by the large number of pottery forms (bowls and biconical urns with buckled rims). On the other hand there are very strong impacts of the elements of Urnfield culture from the Baierdorf-Velatica cultural group on the material culture of the area between rivers and northwest Bosnia. Examples of decorative pins and typical ceramic forms imply to the origins and analogies with Central European Hugelgraber culture. Closest connections with our area we find in the cultural groups of Virovitica, Zagreb, Velika Gorica and Dalj.