The Early and Middle Bronze Age in the Central Balkans

This article is from World Archaeology issue 137

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This volume examines  the later phases of the Early Bronze Age and the Middle Bronze Age in the central Balkans, offering a comprehensive review of the archaeological evidence from the region. The book is organised into five chapters: an introductory chapter; a second chapter devoted to the Early Bronze Age; a third addressing the Middle Bronze Age; a fourth focusing specifically on chronological issues; and  a concluding chapter.

Aleksandar Bulatovic begins by laying out the geographical and chronological framework of the study and providing a concise overview of the history of research in the region. Although the author engages with absolute dating, the book largely adopts a relative chronological framework. Rather than covering the entire Early Bronze Age, it focuses on the period conventionally defined in the region as the Early Bronze Age – namely, the later part of the  3rd millennium BC – excluding much of the earlier portion of this period from detailed archaeological consideration.

Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 constitute the core of the volume, presenting and discussing the archaeological contexts in considerable detail. The overall structure of the book is schematic and broadly traditional, being organised primarily along geographical and chronological lines rather than according to thematic concerns. While this approach allows a clear and orderly presentation of the evidence, it also renders the diachronic development of certain phenomena between the Early and Middle Bronze Age less readily apparent to the reader.

The geographical scope of the study largely corresponds to the territory of present-day Serbia and northern North Macedonia. Within this framework, Bulatovic provides a systematic catalogue of sites, beginning with settlements, followed by cemeteries, and finally movable finds. Particular emphasis is placed on pottery, the most abundant category of material culture, which is presented in detail both in plates organised by site and through typological classification. This is particularly valuable as a concise synthesis of the most characteristic vessel forms in the region. In addition, archaeozoological data are presented in colour illustrations, offering an overview  of subsistence strategies in both the Early and Middle Bronze Age.

In Chapter 2, the archaeological contexts are used to address several key issues, including the introduction of the horse into the central Balkans, developments in mining and metallurgy, the spread of tumuli, and the nature of  interactions between this region and the steppe. Particularly noteworthy is the discussion of double-handled beakers (kantharoi), a characteristic vessel form of the period, as well as of another key topic: the emergence of cremation practices.

Chapter 4 addresses the absolute chronology of the region, presenting the available radiocarbon dates in tabular form and employing Bayesian modelling to refine these chronological frameworks.

Overall, this volume is a highly  valuable contribution to the field. It brings together both legacy and newly available data in a systematic, clear, and accessible manner, offering a solid foundation for future research on the Bronze Age of the central Balkans.

REVIEW BY MAJA GORI

The Early and Middle Bronze Age in the Central Balkans 
Aleksandar Bulatovic
Oxbow, £40 
ISBN 979-8888572078