A rectangular structure has been uncovered by researchers from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) at Svinjarička Čuka in Serbia.
Archaeologists have excavated the remains of a prehistoric house dating back approximately 8,000 years.
According to experts, this discovery offers insights into the origins of sedentary communities in Europe and sheds light on early agricultural societies on the continent.
“New findings at Svinjarička Čuka provide fundamentally new insights and data that are likely to alter previous models of settlement development in the Balkans,” said Barbara Horejs, an archaeologist and scientific director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the OeAW, in a press release.
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The house, described by the OeAW as an “exceptional” discovery, was built around 8,000 years ago using wattle-and-daub techniques combined with wooden posts.
“Partially collapsed and burnt architectural elements covered the floors inside the house, along with artifacts, tools, and scattered vessels in what appears to have been an open space,” Horejs explained.
The structure contains evidence that its inhabitants stored food, such as grains and seeds, providing fascinating insights into the lives of these early Neolithic farming pioneers.
The Neolithic period in the Balkans began around 6,500 BCE (approximately 8,500 years ago) and lasted until roughly 3,500 BCE (about 5,500 years ago), although the exact dates vary by region. This period marked the transition from hunting to agriculture and permanent settlements, with some of Europe’s earliest farming communities emerging in this region.
The latest findings at Svinjarička Čuka challenge traditional assumptions that people in the region during the Early Neolithic were nomadic or only seasonally settled.
“Instead of nomadic or seasonally settled small groups, Neolithic pioneers in the Balkans apparently constructed stable houses with facilities for provisioning and grain storage,” Horejs stated.
Excavations at Svinjarička Čuka have been ongoing since 2018, and archaeologists have documented several settlement phases from the Early to Middle Neolithic.
These findings are attributed to the Starčevo culture, one of the earliest Neolithic cultures in Serbia and the broader Balkan region. The Starčevo culture is known for introducing agriculture and animal domestication to the area, along with establishing small, semi-permanent villages, Newsweek reports.
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