Origin and distribution of slightly biconical bowls with facetted or channeled rim from the end of bronze and the beginning of iron ages on the Balkan peninsula: Contribution to the study of ethnic and cultural movements in southeast Europe at the end of bronze and the beginning of iron ages
Authors: Bulatovic Aleksandar 
Published: May 2011

Slightly biconical shaped bowls, the upper cone (rim and shoulder) of which
is decorated with horizontal and slanted facets or slanted channels, as well
as semi-globular bowls of inverted rim decorated with horizontal facets or
slanted channels are characteristic of the end of Bronze Age and mark the
beginning of Iron Age in many cultural groups within the Balkan Peninsula.
Problem of their origin, chronology and distribution is present in
archaeological literature for a long time. Many authors perceived the
significance of this ceramic shape for the chronological, ethnic and cultural
interpretation of the Late Bronze, that is, of the Early Iron Ages within the
territory of the Balkans. Pottery from the burned layers in Vardina and
Vardaroftsa sites in the north of Greece, among which there were bowls with
inverted, slanted channeled rim, was designated way back by W. Heurtley as
Danubian pottery or Lausitz ware, connecting its origin with the Danube
Basin. Anumber of conclusions have been reached upon the study of finds of
slightly biconical bowls and bowls of inverted rim, decorated with channels
or facets, from several indicative sites from Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages
within the Balkan Peninsula and south part of the Middle Europe. It has been
stated that the bowls appear first within the southwest Slovakia and
northwest Hungary in the Br D period, to spread very fast, already in the Br
D/Ha A1 period, from its home territory to the east, to the northeast Hungary
and northwest Romania. Namely, this first spreading wave into these
territories brought along only variety Ia bowls, which were further
distributed to the south, during the Ha A1 period, to the central parts of
the Balkan Peninsula and consequently it can be concluded that these bowls
are somewhat older than other varieties. In the period Br D - Ha A1, in north
Hungary, under the influence of Gava Culture, on one hand, and Caka Culture,
on the other, appear also variety IIa bowls (turban dish), distributed to the
east with a new migration wave, in the same manner as was the case with the
first migration wave, but also to the south, along the Bakonjska Range, to
the present day Croatia and Slovenia, where, in the Ha A1/A2 periods, were
stated exclusively variety IIa bowls. Representatives of the variety Ia bowls
remained in the Pomoravlje region and Juzna Morava Basin, as confirmed by a
large number of these bowls and also by other ceramic shapes of that
stylistic and typological pattern, prevailing within this region in the Ha
A1/A2 periods. First variety IIa bowls (Mediana, Krzince) appear only during
the second migration wave coming from the north of the Balkans to the central
part of the Balkan Peninsula (Ha A2 period). These bowls, however, are
particularly characteristic of Macedonia and lower Povardarje, where variety
Ia bowls were not stated at all. The second migration wave representatives,
with turban dish bowls (variety IIa), were much more aggressive as witnessed
by many burned settlements from that period in the Vranjska-Bujanovacka
Valleys and Povardarje. During Ha B-C periods, bowls of both types
(particularly variety IIa) became inevitable part of ceramic inventory of
nearly all cultural groups in the Balkan Peninsula, which could be explained
by the spread of cultural influence of the new stylistic trend, though,
however, it could be possible that migrations, which at the time were
numerous and of greater or lesser intensity, were one of the spreading causes
of this ceramic shape into the east, south and west parts of the Balkan
Peninsula in the Ha B period. Representatives of the mentioned migrations,
which were carried out in at least two larger migration waves, bringing along
bowls to the Balkan Peninsula, are protagonists of historically known
migrations from that period, known under names of Doric and Aegean
migrations. The assumed direction of these migrations coincides mainly with
the distribution direction of bowl types I and II. Migrations spreading the
bowl types I and II started in the south part of the Middle Europe, but were
initiated by the representatives of the Urnenfelder cultural complex from the
Middle Europe, as observed in certain ceramic shapes, stated together with
type I bowls and originating from cultures of the Urnenfelder complex, and in
numerous metal finds, which were produced in Middle European workshops. It is
of interest to point out that bowl movements could be followed up to the
northwest shores of the Aegean Sea, but they are not stated in the south
Trace and in Troy, thus imposing conclusion that their representatives did
not reach Troy. Consequently, their possible participation in destruction of
VIIb2 layer settlements is utterly uncertain. The migrations, however,
started chain reaction of ethnic movements in the Balkans, causing many
ethnic and cultural changes within this territory which will lead to creation
of new cultural groups to mark the developed Iron Age. To what extent bowls
of this type, particularly variety IIa, left deep trace in the Iron Age
Cultures in the central Balkans, is shown in the fact that survivals of this
variety remained within these regions even several centuries later, in late
phases of the Ha C period (VI/V century BC).