Prehistoric Serbia
Encyclopedia
The best known cultural archaeological discoveries from the prehistoric period on the territory of modern-day Serbia are the Starčevo and Vinča
cultures
dating back to 6400-6200BC.
Serbia's strategic location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by many peoples.
-Vardar
corridor has seen regular waves of migrations through-out its history. It is one of probable paths of original human expansion into Europe.
This regions was home to several important Mesolithic
and Paleolithic
cultures. Some of the oldest traces of agriculture in Europe can be are found in this area. It's fertile river valleys are probable conduit through which agriculture has spread from middle-east and Asia minor
to central Europe.
Archeological sites in present day Serbia contain some of the earliest examples of metallurgy, especially copper processing.
During the bronze age this area has seen several migration of several ways of various Indo-European
groups, some of whom become permanently settled. In iron age lower Morava
valley become a Celto-Thraco-Illyrian interaction zone.
The period of prehistory in this area ends with the advance of reliable Greek
and later Roman
written sources, especially after the area was incorporated into Roman empire
as province of Moesia
.
Two skeletons of Mammoths have been found in Serbia, the first in Kikinda
in 1996, the second in Viminacium
(Kostolac
), June 2009, 1,5 million year old (mammuthus meridionalis
) thus one of the oldest mammoths of Europe
.
A fragment of a human jaw, was found in Sićevo and believed to be up to 250,000 years old. Many archaeological sites have been destroyed because of floodings.
During the last glacial maximum
the territory of Serbia was a part of a large Balkan Refugium
. Recent genetic studies show that 20%-30% of Serbian population carry Y-DNA Haplogroup I2
genetic markers, associated with the hunter-gatherer
population and Balkan Refugium
.
Lepenski Vir
is a mesolithic
archaeological site near Donji Milanovac
, dating to 7000 BC with the peak of culture in 5300-4800BC. Numerous piscine sculptures and peculiar architecture are testimony to a rich social and religious life led by the inhabitants and the high cultural level of these early Europeans. It is assumed that the people of Lepenski Vir culture represent the descendants of the early European population of the Brno
-Předmost
hunter gatherer culture from the end of the last ice age
. Archeological evidence of human habitation of the surrounding caves dates back to around 20,000 BC. The first settlement on the low plateau dates back to 7000 BC, a time when the climate became significantly warmer. Seven successive settlements were discovered on the Lepenski Vir site, with the remains of 136 residential and sacral buildings dating from 6500 BC to 5500 BC. Among other finds are the many characteristic sculptures, The sculptures can be separated in two distinct categories, one with simple geometric patterns and the other representing humanoid figures. The latter are the most interesting. All of these figural sculptures were modelled in a naturalistic and strongly expressionistic manner. Only the head and face of the human figures were modelled realistically, with strong brow arches, an elongated nose, and a wide, fish-like mouth. Hair, beard, arms and hands can be seen on some of the figures in a stylized form. Many fish-like features can be noticed. Along with the position which these sculptures had in the house shrine, they suggest a connection with river gods.
dates from 8,500BC to 10,500BC.
The Neolithic
Starčevo
and Vinča culture
s existed in or near Belgrade and dominated the Balkans
(as well as parts of Central Europe
and Asia Minor
) about 8,500 years ago. Some scholars believe that the prehistoric Vinča signs represent one of the earliest known forms of Writing system
s (dating to 6000-4000BC).
First evidence of Human Metallurgy is recorded between the 5th and 6th millennium
BC in Archaeological sites of Majdanpek
, Jarmovac and Pločnik
and Rudna Glava
Mine in Serbia
and Ai Bunar Mine in Bulgaria
The oldest copper axe in Europe was found at Prokuplje
, that indicated that Human use of metals (Metallurgy
) started in Europe around 7,500 years ago (~5,500BC in the Vincha culture) millenias earlier than Ötzi's axe (previously oldest metalworking)
invasion, represented by Vučedol culture
centered in region of Syrmia
. This culture has been linked with Proto-Illyrian and Mycenaean Greece
.
(start of the Iron Age
) until the conquering of the Balkans
in 168-75 BC (Roman Serbia
). The Thracians
, most notably Triballi
dominated Serbia before the Illyrian migration in the southwest. Greeks
colonized the south in the 4th century BC, the northernmost point of the empire of Alexander the Great being the town of Kale
.
The tribes of Autariatae and the Celtic Scordisci
are thought to have merged into one in the Lower Morava valley, Serbia, after 313 BC
, since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in Pecine
, near Kostolac
. Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and Celt
ic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a Celt
o-Thraco-Illyrian
interaction zone.
In 279 BC, after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans
, the Scordisci
tribal state was formed in Serbia
. They took the strategic hill fort of Singidunum
, modern Belgrade
and built Taurunum (Zemun
). They subjugated most of the tribes that came in their way, Illyrians
, West Thracians
and Paeonians and were at one time the most powerful tribe of the Balkans. From 141 BC and onwards they are fighting with the Romans
, they are defeated in 135 BC, victorious in 118 BC against Sextus Pompey and again in 114 BC against Gaius Porcius Cato
and then defeated in 107 BC, but are still holding a significant part of Pannonia
. They invade Macedonia
with the Dardani
and Maedi
, coming as far as Delphi
, plundering the temple but are eventually defeated and driven across the Danube in 88 BC. There they are subjugated by the Dacians under Burebista in 56-50 BC, and finally in 15 BC they are Roman subjects, beginning their Romanization.
In parts of Moesia
(northeast Serbia) the Celtic Scordisci
and Thracians
lived besides each other, evident in the archeological findings of pits and treasures, spanning from 3rd to 1st centuries BC.
Vinca culture
The Vinča culture is a Neolithic archaeological culture in Southeastern Europe, dated to the period 5500–4500 BCE. Named for its type site, Vinča-Belo Brdo, a large tell settlement discovered by Serbian archaeologist Miloje Vasić in 1908, it represents the material remains of a prehistoric society...
cultures
Prehistoric Balkans
The prehistory of Southeastern Europe , defined roughly as the territory of the wider Balkans peninsula covers the period from the Upper Paleolithic, beginning with the presence of Homo sapiens in the area some 44,000 years ago, until the...
dating back to 6400-6200BC.
Serbia's strategic location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by many peoples.
History
The territory of present day Serbia is situated in the central region of Balkan peninsula. It lays on one of the mayor migration routes connecting middle-east with central Europe. Traces of human population in this area go back to at least to 250 000. MoravaMorava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
-Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
corridor has seen regular waves of migrations through-out its history. It is one of probable paths of original human expansion into Europe.
This regions was home to several important Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
cultures. Some of the oldest traces of agriculture in Europe can be are found in this area. It's fertile river valleys are probable conduit through which agriculture has spread from middle-east and Asia minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
to central Europe.
Archeological sites in present day Serbia contain some of the earliest examples of metallurgy, especially copper processing.
During the bronze age this area has seen several migration of several ways of various Indo-European
Indo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
groups, some of whom become permanently settled. In iron age lower Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
valley become a Celto-Thraco-Illyrian interaction zone.
The period of prehistory in this area ends with the advance of reliable Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and later Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
written sources, especially after the area was incorporated into Roman empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
as province of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
.
Paleolithic
Paleolithic archeological evidence from the territory of present-day Serbia remain surprisingly scarce.Two skeletons of Mammoths have been found in Serbia, the first in Kikinda
Kikinda
Kikinda is a town and a municipality located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the North Banat District. The town has 42,000 inhabitants, while the municipality has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.The modern city was founded in 18th century...
in 1996, the second in Viminacium
Viminacium
Viminacium was a major city and military camp of the Roman province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. The archeological site occupies a total of 450 hectares. Viminacium is located 12 km from Kostolac, was devastated by Huns in the 5th century, but rebuilt by Justinian...
(Kostolac
Kostolac
Kostolac is a small Serbian town on the Danube river in the Braničevo District. The remains of the Roman capital of the province of Moesia Superior Viminacium are located near Stari Kostolac some 2 km to the east of Kostolac. Kostolac is situated in the municipality of Požarevac...
), June 2009, 1,5 million year old (mammuthus meridionalis
Mammuthus meridionalis
Mammuthus meridionalis is an extinct species of mammoth endemic to Europe and central Asia from the Pleistocene, living from 2.5–0.126 mya existing for approximately ....
) thus one of the oldest mammoths of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
A fragment of a human jaw, was found in Sićevo and believed to be up to 250,000 years old. Many archaeological sites have been destroyed because of floodings.
During the last glacial maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
the territory of Serbia was a part of a large Balkan Refugium
Refugium
Refugium may refer to:* Refugium , an appendage to a marine, brackish, or freshwater fish tank that shares the same water supply...
. Recent genetic studies show that 20%-30% of Serbian population carry Y-DNA Haplogroup I2
Haplogroup I2 (Y-DNA)
In human genetics, Haplogroup I2 is a Y-chromosome haplogroup. Until 2008, it was known as Haplogroup I1b. Haplogroup I2 might have originated in Southeastern Europe some 15,000 - 17,000 years ago and developed into three main subgroups : I2*, I2a, and I2b.-Subclades:Note: The systematic subclade...
genetic markers, associated with the hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
population and Balkan Refugium
Refugium
Refugium may refer to:* Refugium , an appendage to a marine, brackish, or freshwater fish tank that shares the same water supply...
.
Mesolithic
Lepenski Vir
Lepenski Vir is an important Mesolithic archaeological site located in Serbia in the central Balkan peninsula. It consists of one large settlement with around ten satellite villages. The evidence suggests the first human presence in the locality around 7000 BC with the culture reaching its peak...
is a mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
archaeological site near Donji Milanovac
Donji Milanovac
Donji Milanovac is a town in eastern Serbia. It is situated in the Majdanpek municipality, in the Bor District. It is located on right bank of Lake Đerdap on Danube...
, dating to 7000 BC with the peak of culture in 5300-4800BC. Numerous piscine sculptures and peculiar architecture are testimony to a rich social and religious life led by the inhabitants and the high cultural level of these early Europeans. It is assumed that the people of Lepenski Vir culture represent the descendants of the early European population of the Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
-Předmost
Predmost
Predmost is a settlement on the right bank of the River Poljanščica next to Poljane in the Gorenja vas - Poljane Municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.- External links :*...
hunter gatherer culture from the end of the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. Archeological evidence of human habitation of the surrounding caves dates back to around 20,000 BC. The first settlement on the low plateau dates back to 7000 BC, a time when the climate became significantly warmer. Seven successive settlements were discovered on the Lepenski Vir site, with the remains of 136 residential and sacral buildings dating from 6500 BC to 5500 BC. Among other finds are the many characteristic sculptures, The sculptures can be separated in two distinct categories, one with simple geometric patterns and the other representing humanoid figures. The latter are the most interesting. All of these figural sculptures were modelled in a naturalistic and strongly expressionistic manner. Only the head and face of the human figures were modelled realistically, with strong brow arches, an elongated nose, and a wide, fish-like mouth. Hair, beard, arms and hands can be seen on some of the figures in a stylized form. Many fish-like features can be noticed. Along with the position which these sculptures had in the house shrine, they suggest a connection with river gods.
Neolithic
Agriculture in SerbiaAgriculture in Serbia
Agriculture in Serbia is still a important section of Serbian economy. The total area of agricultural land exceeds 6 million hectares with 85% private ownership.The history of Agriculture in Serbia dates back to 10,500BC.-Production:...
dates from 8,500BC to 10,500BC.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
Starčevo
Starcevo-Körös
The Starčevo culture, also called Starčevo–Kőrös–Criş culture, is an archaeological culture of Southeastern Europe, dating to the Neolithic period between c. 6200 and 5200 BCE....
and Vinča culture
Vinca culture
The Vinča culture is a Neolithic archaeological culture in Southeastern Europe, dated to the period 5500–4500 BCE. Named for its type site, Vinča-Belo Brdo, a large tell settlement discovered by Serbian archaeologist Miloje Vasić in 1908, it represents the material remains of a prehistoric society...
s existed in or near Belgrade and dominated the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
(as well as parts of Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
) about 8,500 years ago. Some scholars believe that the prehistoric Vinča signs represent one of the earliest known forms of Writing system
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
s (dating to 6000-4000BC).
First evidence of Human Metallurgy is recorded between the 5th and 6th millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
BC in Archaeological sites of Majdanpek
Majdanpek
Majdanpek is a town and municipality in Bor District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Majdanpek has a population of 18,179 people, while the town of Majdanpek has a population of 7,367....
, Jarmovac and Pločnik
Pločnik (archaeological site)
Pločnik is an archaeological site in the village of the same name in Toplica District, Serbia. A 120 hectare settlement belonging to the Neolithic Vinča culture existed on the site from 5500 BCE until it was destroyed by fire in 4700 BCE....
and Rudna Glava
Rudna Glava
Rudna Glava is a mining site in present-day eastern Serbia that demonstrates one of the earliest evidences of European copper mining and metallurgy, dating to the 5th millennium BC. Shafts were cut into the hillside, with scaffolding constructed for easy access to the veins of ore. It belongs to...
Mine in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Ai Bunar Mine in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
The oldest copper axe in Europe was found at Prokuplje
Prokuplje
Prokuplje is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 43.24° North, 21.59° East. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 27,163 inhabitants, while population of municipality is 43,631. It is the administrative center of the Toplica District of Serbia. It is one of the...
, that indicated that Human use of metals (Metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
) started in Europe around 7,500 years ago (~5,500BC in the Vincha culture) millenias earlier than Ötzi's axe (previously oldest metalworking)
Bronze Age
The start of Bronze age in northern Serbia is marked by the Indo-EuropeanIndo-European
Indo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan race, a 19th century and early 20th century term for those peoples who are the native speakers of Indo-European languages...
invasion, represented by Vučedol culture
Vucedol culture
The Vučedol culture was a Indo-European culture that flourished between 3000 and 2200 BC , centered in Syrmia and eastern Slavonia on the right bank of the Danube river, but possibly spreading throughout the Pannonian plain and western Balkans...
centered in region of Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
. This culture has been linked with Proto-Illyrian and Mycenaean Greece
Mycenaean Greece
Mycenaean Greece was a cultural period of Bronze Age Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. Athens, Pylos, Thebes, and Tiryns are also important Mycenaean sites...
.
Iron Age
This period spans over a time from the end of the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(start of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
) until the conquering of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
in 168-75 BC (Roman Serbia
Roman Serbia
The territory of what is today the Republic of Serbia was under Roman rule for about 600 years, from the 1st century BC until the Slavic invasions of the 6th century....
). The Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
, most notably Triballi
Triballi
The Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined....
dominated Serbia before the Illyrian migration in the southwest. Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
colonized the south in the 4th century BC, the northernmost point of the empire of Alexander the Great being the town of Kale
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
.
The tribes of Autariatae and the Celtic Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
are thought to have merged into one in the Lower Morava valley, Serbia, after 313 BC
313 BC
Year 313 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Brutus...
, since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in Pecine
Pecine
Pečine is a village in the mountains above the right bank of the Idrijca River in the municipality of Tolmin in the Littoral region of Slovenia....
, near Kostolac
Kostolac
Kostolac is a small Serbian town on the Danube river in the Braničevo District. The remains of the Roman capital of the province of Moesia Superior Viminacium are located near Stari Kostolac some 2 km to the east of Kostolac. Kostolac is situated in the municipality of Požarevac...
. Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
o-Thraco-Illyrian
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
interaction zone.
In 279 BC, after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a south-eastern movement into the Balkan peninsula from the 4th century BC. Although Celtic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notable incursions, and settlements, within the...
, the Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
tribal state was formed in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. They took the strategic hill fort of Singidunum
Singidunum
Singidunum is the name for the ancient city in Serbia which became Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was recorded that a Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in the 3rd century BC following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 75 BC and later garrisoned...
, modern Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and built Taurunum (Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
). They subjugated most of the tribes that came in their way, Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, West Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
and Paeonians and were at one time the most powerful tribe of the Balkans. From 141 BC and onwards they are fighting with the Romans
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, they are defeated in 135 BC, victorious in 118 BC against Sextus Pompey and again in 114 BC against Gaius Porcius Cato
Gaius Porcius Cato
Gaius Porcius Cato , was son of Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus, consul 114 BC, obtained Macedonia as his province, and fought unsuccessfully against the Scordisci. He was accused of extortion in Macedonia, and was sentenced to pay a fine...
and then defeated in 107 BC, but are still holding a significant part of Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
. They invade Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
with the Dardani
Dardani
Dardania was the region of the Dardani .Located at the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe is uncertain. Their territory itself was not considered part of Illyria by Strabo. The term used for their territory was , while for other tribes had...
and Maedi
Maedi
The Maedi , were a Thracian or Illyrian tribe, which in historic times, occupied the area between Paionia and Thrace, on the southwestern fringes of Thrace, along the middle course of the Strymon, between the Kresna Gorge and the Rupel Pass...
, coming as far as Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
, plundering the temple but are eventually defeated and driven across the Danube in 88 BC. There they are subjugated by the Dacians under Burebista in 56-50 BC, and finally in 15 BC they are Roman subjects, beginning their Romanization.
In parts of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
(northeast Serbia) the Celtic Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
and Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
lived besides each other, evident in the archeological findings of pits and treasures, spanning from 3rd to 1st centuries BC.
Cultures and tribes
| Name (Group) |
Time | Territory | Notes | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agrianes Agrianes The Agrianians a Paeonian-Thracian tribe, who chiefly inhabited the area of present-day Northeastern statistical region of Republic Of Macedonia and Pčinja District of southern Serbia, north of the Thracian Maedi tribe, who were situated in what is now the Greek region of Macedonia and Western... (Paeonian-Thracian) |
511 BC | Pčinja Pcinja District The Pčinja District expands to the southern parts of Serbia, bordering Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. Its seat is in the city of Vranje.... |
a Thraco-Paeonian tribe that fought in Alexander the Great's light infantry as javelin throwers. They fought the Triballi in 335 BC. | |
| Triballi Triballi The Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined.... (Thracian) |
424 BC | SE Serbia | a Thracian Thracians The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family... tribe inhabiting southeastern Serbia |
Požarevac Požarevac Požarevac is a city and municipality in eastern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Braničevo District of Serbia... Hisar Hill Hisar Hill The Hisar, is a hill near Leskovac and Prokuplje, Serbia which is the town's symbol. As the word "hisar" derives from Turkish and means "fortress", it is the site of the medieval fortress with a still well preserved tower, popularly called the Tower of Jug Bogdan, who was a hero of the Battle of... Ljuljaci Ljuljaci Ljuljaci is a village located in the Knić municipality in the Šumadija District, Serbia. According to the 2002 census there was 369 people inhabiting the village, in 1991 the number was 475.... |
| Macedonians Ancient Macedonians The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios... (Greeks Greeks The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.... ) |
~400 BC | Pčinja Pcinja District The Pčinja District expands to the southern parts of Serbia, bordering Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. Its seat is in the city of Vranje.... |
Macedonians governed an urban town in the 5th, 4th and 3rd centuries BC before being razed by the Scordisci. | Krševica Kale-Krševica Kale-Krševica is an Ancient Macedonian archaeological site of more than 4 hectares and so far some 1,000 squares have been excavated with a former fortified town in the hills of Krševica overlooking Bujanovac and Vranje, to the south of Ristovac in southern Serbia... |
| Autariatae Autariatae The Autariatae or Autariates were an ancient people that eventually became the most powerful Illyrian tribe. Their territory was called... (Celto-Illyrians Illyrians The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula... ) |
313 BC | S Serbia | The tribes of Autariatae and the Celtic Scordisci Scordisci The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era... are thought to have merged into one in the Lower Morava valley, Serbia, after 313 BC 313 BC Year 313 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Brutus... , since excavations show that the two groups made burials at the same exact grave field in Pecine Pecine Pečine is a village in the mountains above the right bank of the Idrijca River in the municipality of Tolmin in the Littoral region of Slovenia.... , near Kostolac Kostolac Kostolac is a small Serbian town on the Danube river in the Braničevo District. The remains of the Roman capital of the province of Moesia Superior Viminacium are located near Stari Kostolac some 2 km to the east of Kostolac. Kostolac is situated in the municipality of Požarevac... . Nine graves of Autariatae dating to 4th century BC and scattered Autariatae and Celtic graves around these earlier graves show that the two groups mixed rather than made war and this resulted in the lower Morava valley becoming a Celt Celt The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria.... o-Thraco-Illyrian interaction zone. |
|
| Scordisci Scordisci The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era... (Celtic) |
279 BC | C Serbia | a Celtic tribe formed in Serbia after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans Gallic invasion of the Balkans Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a south-eastern movement into the Balkan peninsula from the 4th century BC. Although Celtic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notable incursions, and settlements, within the... in 279 BC. |
Singidunum Singidunum Singidunum is the name for the ancient city in Serbia which became Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was recorded that a Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in the 3rd century BC following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 75 BC and later garrisoned... |
| Celegeri Celegeri Celegeri were a Celtic tribe, together with the Dindari a branch of the Scordisci that migrated to Illyria after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. They inhabited Moesia Superior , and are registered by Pliny as living between the Dardanoi and the Triballi. They appear in... (Celtic) |
279 BC | Vojvodina | ||
| Moesi Moesi The Moesi were a Daco-Thracian tribe who inhabited present day Serbia and Bulgaria, part of the then Roman province of Moesia, which was named after them in 87 AD by the Romans after the Romans under Crassus defeated them in the 29 BC.- History :... (Thraco-Dacian Thracians The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family... ) |
88 BC | E Serbia | a Thraco-Dacian tribe inhabiting Serbia, giving their name to the Roman province of Moesia. | |
| Dardani Dardani Dardania was the region of the Dardani .Located at the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe is uncertain. Their territory itself was not considered part of Illyria by Strabo. The term used for their territory was , while for other tribes had... (Thraco-Illyrian Thracians The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family... ) |
88 BC | S Serbia | a Thraco-Illyrian Thraco-Illyrian Thraco-Illyrian refers to a hypothesis that the Thraco-Dacian and Illyrian languages comprise a distinct branch of Indo-European. Thraco-Illyrian is also used as a term merely implying a Thracian-Illyrian interference, mixture or sprachbund, or as a shorthand way of saying that it is not... tribe that settled Triballi lands in 88 BC. They gave their name to a province of south Serbia in 4th century AD. |
Ulpiana Ulpiana Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda. Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipljan... |
| Amantini Amantini Amantini was the name of an Pannonian Illyrian tribe.They greatly resisted the Romans but were sold as slaves after their defeat.The Amantini were close to Sirmium but the tribe was probably present in southern areas as well due to the existence of a city name Amantia.This would make the south... (Celto-Illyrians) |
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| Cornacates (Celtic) |
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| Roman Serbia The territory of what is today the Republic of Serbia was under Roman rule for about 600 years, from the 1st century BC until the Slavic invasions of the 6th century.... for tribes inhabiting the territory of Serbia after 75 BC |
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Sites
- Lepenski VirLepenski VirLepenski Vir is an important Mesolithic archaeological site located in Serbia in the central Balkan peninsula. It consists of one large settlement with around ten satellite villages. The evidence suggests the first human presence in the locality around 7000 BC with the culture reaching its peak...
: civilization dating to 7000BC, surrounding caves inhabited 20,000BC - BresnicaBresnicaBresnica is a settlement in the Ormož Municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area traditionally belonged to the Styria region and is now included in the Podravska statistical region.-External links:*...
- AništeAništeAnište is a fortress in Serbia. It is located east from confluence of Ljig into Kolubara. Today, only small underground remains are left....
: Neolithic (Starcevo culture) - Gornja GorevnicaGornja GorevnicaGornja Gorevnica is a village in the municipality of Čačak, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 1399 people....
- Trsine: Early Copper Age (VinčaVincaVinca is a genus of six species in the family Apocynaceae, native to Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus .-Description:Vinca plants are subshrubs or herbaceous, and have slender trailing stems 1–2 m long...
) - KlenakKlenakKlenak may refer to:* Klenak , a village in Ruma municipality, Vojvodina province, Serbia* Klenak, a part of Kaluđerica, suburb of Belgrade, Serbia* Klenak , a village in Montenegro...
- Adžine, Njive: Early Neolithic - Early Bronze Age (Starcevo-Vinca) - Mala Vrbica - Ajmana: Neolithic onwards (Proto-Starcevo)
- VršacVršacVršac is a town and municipality located in Serbia. In 2002 the town's total population was 36,623, while Vršac municipality had 54,369 inhabitants. Vršac is located in the Banat region, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. It is part of the South Banat District.-Name:The name Vršac is of Serbian...
: Upper Palaeolithic, Late Neolithic (Vinča), Bronze Age, Late Iron Age - Donja Branjevina: Neolithic
- Vlasac: Mesolithic-Neolithic
- OpovoOpovoOpovo is a town and municipality in South Banat, in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 4,664, while Opovo municipality has 10,938 inhabitants.-Name:...
: Neolithic (Vincha) - KaraburmaKaraburmaKaraburma is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Palilula.- Location :...
, Horseman's grave - Krajčinovići, Bronze Age
- BukovacBukovacBukovac is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Petrovaradin urban municipality , in the Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population is 3,595 .-The name:The name Bukovac is thought to be derived from the word for a tree - 'bukva'...
, necropolis