The Archaeological Remains of Settlement at Sites with Smelting Workshop Features in the Podravina Region (Croatian Drava River Basin)

Abstract

This work presents the results of targeted archaeological excavations of settlement structures investigated at sites in the vicinity of Hlebine and Virje in the Croatian Drava River basin (Podravina region). These were the positions of Dedanovice and Velike Hlebine, along with Volarski Breg and Sušine, where earlier investigations had confirmed metallurgical activities connected to the processing and production of iron. On the basis of the analysis of fragments of pottery vessels, which itself is based on the morphological and technological characteristics of the collected pottery material, a determination was made of the chronological classification for the settlement units from which the pottery came, through the application of relative chronological methodology. The relative chronological image derived from the pottery vessels, supplemented by other small finds of objects of everyday usage, has been confirmed by absolute dating from charcoal samples from the same settlement units. This comprehensive analysis of the immobile and mobile material has confirmed the settlement of the vicinity of Virje and Hlebine during the period of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, or rather the period when intensive metallurgical activity was noted at these sites. Life was also documented as having existed at these sites during the earlier prehistoric period, as well, continuing into later periods, also during the High Middle Ages and early Modern periods, which indicates that this area, because of its natural and geographical features was considered favourable for settlement over the course of many centuries. Keywords: Hlebine, Virje, settlement features, pottery fragments, Late Antiquity, Middle Ages