23 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeology team discovers a 7,000-year-old and 13-hectare settlement in Serbia

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown Late Neolithic settlement near the Tamiš River in Northeast Serbia.

The discovery was made by a team from the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence, in collaborative partnership with the Vojvodina Museum in Novi Sad (Serbia), the Zrenjanin National Museum, and the Pančevo National Museum.

The newly discovered settlement is located near the modern village of Jarkovac in the province of Vojvodina. With the help of geophysical methods, the team was able to fully map its extent in March of this year. It covers an area of eleven to 13 hectares and is surrounded by four to six ditches.

“This discovery is of outstanding importance, as hardly any larger Late Neolithic settlements are known in the Serbian Banat region,” says team leader Professor Dr Martin Furholt from the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology at Kiel University.

Parallel to the geophysical investigations, the German-Serbian research team also systematically surveyed the surfaces of the surrounding area for artifacts. This surface material indicates that the settlement represents a residential site of the Vinča culture, which is dated to between 5400 and 4400 BCE.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



However, there are also strong influences from the regional Banat culture. “A settlement of this size is spectacular. The geophysical data also gives us a clear idea of the structure of the site 7000 years ago. This is also remarkable, as only a few settlements with material from the Banat culture are known from what is now Serbia,” says ROOTS doctoral student and co-team leader Fynn Wilkes.

Results of the geophysical survey of the previously unknown site of Jarkovac (Serbia). The settlement, whose surface material points to both the Vinča culture and the Banat culture (5400-4400 BCE), has a surface area of up to 13 ha and is surrounded by four to six ditches. The deep black angular anomalies indicate a large number of burnt houses. Credit: Cluster ROOTS/Museum of Vojvodina Novi Sad/National Museum Zrenjanin/National Museum Pančevo
Results of the geophysical survey of the previously unknown site of Jarkovac (Serbia). The settlement, whose surface material points to both the Vinča culture and the Banat culture (5400-4400 BCE), has a surface area of up to 13 ha and is surrounded by four to six ditches. The deep black angular anomalies indicate a large number of burnt houses. Credit: Cluster ROOTS/Museum of Vojvodina Novi Sad/National Museum Zrenjanin/National Museum Pančevo

Investigation of circular enclosures in Hungary

During the same two-week research campaign, the team from the Cluster of Excellence also investigated several Late Neolithic circular features in Hungary together with partners from the Janus Pannonius Museum in Pécs. These so-called “rondels” are attributed to the Lengyel culture (5000/4900-4500/4400 BCE). The researchers also used both geophysical technologies and systematic walking surveys of the surrounding area.

Thanks to the combination of both methods, the researchers were able to differentiate the eras represented at the individual sites more clearly than before. “This enabled us to re-evaluate some of the already known sites in Hungary. For example, sites that were previously categorised as Late Neolithic circular ditches turned out to be much younger structures,” explains co-team leader Kata Furholt from the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology at Kiel University.

A wheel model from the site of Szilvás (Hungary), which can be assigned to the Vučedol culture (3000/2900-2500/2400 BCE). Photo: Fynn Wilkes
A wheel model from the site of Szilvás (Hungary), which can be assigned to the Vučedol culture (3000/2900-2500/2400 BCE). Photo: Fynn Wilkes

New insights into the distribution of wealth and knowledge in the Neolithic period

The highlights of the short but intensive fieldwork in Hungary included the re-evaluation of a settlement previously dated to the Late Neolithic period, which is very likely to belong to the Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age Vučedol culture (3000/2900-2500/2400 BCE), as well as the complete documentation of a Late Neolithic circular ditch in the village of Vokány.

“Southeast Europe is a very important region in order to answer the question how knowledge and technologies spread in early periods of human history and how this was related to social inequalities. This is where new technologies and knowledge, such as metalworking, first appeared in Europe. With the newly discovered and reclassified sites, we are collecting important data for a better understanding of social inequality and knowledge transfer,” summarises Professor Martin Furholt.

The results are being incorporated into the interdisciplinary project “Inequality of Wealth and Knowledge” of the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS, which is focussing on these issues. The analyses are still ongoing.

Kiel University

Cover Photo: © Fynn Wilkes

Related Articles

A Viking ship discovered at Salhushaugen Cemetery in Norway

22 April 2023

22 April 2023

Archaeologists in Norway, a 20-meter-long Viking ship has been discovered using georadar on a mound previously believed to be empty....

Archaeologists have discovered the origins a Herefordshire Stone Age monument

22 August 2021

22 August 2021

Archaeologists have finally uncovered the mysterious origins of Arthur’s Stone, named after the mysterious legends of King Arthur, who inspired...

The Iremir Mound illuminates the pre-Urartian period in East Van

27 July 2021

27 July 2021

Archaeological findings unearthed in the excavations carried out at the İremir Mound in the Gürpınar district of Van, in eastern...

600 Years Old Sword and Equipment Found in Olsztyn

22 April 2021

22 April 2021

Aleksander Miedwiediew, a history buff, and detectorist discovered a bare sword, a sheath, and a knight’s belt with two knives...

An 8,500-year-old trepanned skull discovered in Çatalhöyük

23 December 2023

23 December 2023

Traces of trepanation (skull drilling operation) were found on a skull found in the 9,000-year-old Çatalhöyük, near the modern city...

1,800-year-old Bronze military medal with Medusa head found in southeastern Turkey

5 October 2022

5 October 2022

A military medal believed to be almost 1,800 years old has been found by archaeologists in Turkey. The discovery was...

The Secret of the Shipwrecks at Theodosius Harbor: 1,600 Years Old Women’s Sandals and Comb

11 April 2023

11 April 2023

The 1,600-year-old sandals and comb unearthed during the excavations of Theodosius Harbor (Portus Theodosiacus), the second-biggest harbor built on the...

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

24 August 2024

24 August 2024

Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled the first and largest astronomical observatory from the 6th century BCE in the Buto Temple at...

Ancient Mosaics Unearthed in İznik Hint at Residence of Roman General

4 August 2025

4 August 2025

A recent archaeological breakthrough in the ancient city of İznik, formerly known as Nicaea, has unveiled richly decorated Roman mosaics...

From Ancient Scripts to Digital Insights: TLHdig 0.2 Breathes New Life into Hittite Cuneiform Tablets

27 March 2025

27 March 2025

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Boğazköy-Hattuša, once the capital of the Hittite Empire during the late Bronze Age (circa...

5,000-Year-Old Mysterious Ritual Pits Unearthed in Germany Reveal Burned Homes, Dog Sacrifices, and Human Skulls

1 August 2025

1 August 2025

Archaeologists uncover over 5,000-year-old ritual pits filled with burned structures, dog remains, and human skulls in Saxony-Anhalt, suggesting complex ceremonies...

Ancient Fish Traps in Denmark Challenge the Neolithic Revolution Narrative and Rewrite Stone Age History

1 July 2025

1 July 2025

A stunning archaeological discovery on the Danish island of Lolland is transforming our understanding of the Neolithic transition. Researchers from...

The oldest Celtic Dice ever discovered in Poland

24 September 2023

24 September 2023

A dice, probably dating from the 3rd and early 2nd centuries BC, was discovered at the Celtic settlement of Samborowice...

White grape pips found in the Negev dated may be the oldest of its kind worldwide

29 April 2023

29 April 2023

Researchers from the University of York, Tel Aviv University, and the University of Copenhagen provide new insight into the mystery...

New Findings from 3,000-year-old Uluburun shipwreck: Uzbekistan Nomads Supplied a Third of the Bronze Used Across Ancient Mediterranean

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

A new study of the 3,o00 years old Uluburun shipwreck revealed a complex ancient trading network during the late bronze...