17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Researchers have found in miniature ceramic bottles evidence of the oldest known use of cosmetics in the Balkans

In miniature ceramic bottles from excavations ascribed to the Lasinja Culture in the Southeast Prealps and the Vinča Culture in the Central Balkans, evidence of the oldest known usage of cosmetics in the Balkans was found.

A trio of researchers from Slovenia’s Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia at the for Preventive Archeology and Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen: Bine Kramberger, Christoph Berthold, and Cynthianne Spiteri describes the ceramic bottles containing the cosmetics and what they discovered inside them in their paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

As the Neolithic excavations speak of Vinča-Belo Brdo, near Belgrade in the territory of present-day Serbia and the discovery of the first sites of the Lasinja Culture in the southeastern Prealps and northern Croatia, the goal of a small biconical bottle-shaped ceramic vessels with perforated handles from the 5th millennium BC were a source of speculation.

Because of their small size, the bottles appeared to be some kind of children’s toy or medication vials at first glance. Also, it was noted that the bottles had holes in their handles, which suggests they would have been strung and hung on the waist or perhaps around the neck.

miniature ceramic bottles vinca culture
The miniature bottles from the Lasinja Culture were analyzed in this study.

In this study, the researchers took a closer look inside some of the bottles to learn more about what they may have previously carried.

Cerussite, often known as ‘white lead’ or carbonite, was found in over a dozen of the bottles after a thorough examination. Throughout history, it has been discovered in a variety of vessels from various locations across the world. Small particles of animal fat, beeswax, and plant oils were also discovered in the bottles, all of which were evidence of ingredients intended for skin application.

This research looked into fourteen miniature bottles found in seven distinct locales. Six of the miniature ceramic bottles were from the Lasinja sites in modern-day Slovenia, and eight came from the Borđoš  (Novi Beej) village in Serbia, which comprised mixed artifact assemblages of Vinča and Tisza styles.

The bottles have been dated to between 4350 and 4100BC, making them by far the oldest known evidence of cosmetic usage in Europe—they are also older than Mesopotamia and Egypt for cosmetic use. The bottles are thought to have been made and used by the Lasinja, who were Neolithic hunter-gatherers.

For more…

Related Articles

Serbian Archaeologists Unearth Roman Triumphal Arch Dedicated to Emperor Caracalla

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed an ancient Roman triumphal arch dating back to the third century at Viminacium, a Roman...

Anthropologists discovered a bone in the Grotte du Renne cave in France that could indicate the presence of a previously unknown lineage of Homo sapiens

9 August 2023

9 August 2023

A bone discovered in the Grotte du Renne cave in France may represent the existence of a previously unknown lineage...

Archaeologists find a Roman military watchtower in Morocco for the first time

7 November 2022

7 November 2022

A Roman military watchtower the first of its kind was discovered by a team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists in...

The oldest grave in northern Germany 10,500 years old

14 October 2022

14 October 2022

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest known human remains in northern Germany in a 10,500-year-old cremation grave in Lüchow, Schleswig-Holstein. The...

2,000-year-old Roman Military Sandal with Nails Found in Germany

25 June 2024

25 June 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman Military Sandal near an auxiliary Roman camp in Germany. Archaeologists from...

Unusual construction material may be linked to the Tower of Babel

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

Archaeologists have recently discovered bitumen and mortar plastered onto a brick dating back to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. This...

A Medieval Necropolis Discovered During Excavations at the site of the Future Bus Station in Sozopol, Bulgaria

4 April 2024

4 April 2024

A medieval necropolis was discovered during excavations at the construction site of a bus station in the old seaside town...

A 4000-year-old Fabric Found in a Cave of Skulls in the Judean Desert is the Oldest Dyed with Insect Dye

15 July 2024

15 July 2024

Researchers discovered an ancient textile dyed with kermes (Kermes vermilio) in Israel’s Cave of Skulls that dates back to the...

Archaeologists found gold coins from the time of Justinian the Great in Northern Bulgaria

3 September 2024

3 September 2024

Archaeologists have discovered five gold coins dating from the reign of Justinian the Great (483-565) in Debnevo, the largest village...

3,000-year-old Treasure on the Iberian Peninsula made with material from a meteorite

7 February 2024

7 February 2024

Scientists have recently discovered that some of the pieces in the amazing Bronze Age collection known as the Villena Treasure,...

The enigma behind King Tut’s’space dagger,’ according to archaeologists, has finally been solved

24 February 2022

24 February 2022

Archaeologists have finally solved the enigma of King Tutankhamun’s dagger, which was discovered 3,400 years ago. A new examination of...

40 Skeletons in Giant Jars Found in the Corsica Necropolis

16 May 2021

16 May 2021

Archaeologists working on the French island of Corsica discovered around 40 ancient graves where persons were buried inside gigantic jars...

Shackled skeleton identified as rare evidence of slavery found in Rutland

7 June 2021

7 June 2021

In Rutland, archaeologists discovered an ‘unusual’ skeleton of a Roman slave, who might have been a criminal sentenced to death....

“Human evolution” Migration out of Africa was affected by climate constraints.

25 August 2021

25 August 2021

The story of modern man’s migration from Africa still remains unclear in many aspects. Why did people migrate? Is it...

Archaeologists have discovered 85 ancient tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in Egypt’s Gabal al-Haridi region

5 May 2022

5 May 2022

The Egyptian archaeological mission discovered 85 tombs, a watchtower, and a temple site in the Gabal al-Haridi area of Sohag,...