Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the scientific meeting ‘Prehistoric Wetlands and Lakes: bringing forward dendrochronology in archaeology’. It is an honor of the Center for Prehistoric Research to host this significant event with participants from
various European countries. This event will be a meeting of numerous archaeologists who will share their knowledge and practices with settlements, objects
and environment in wetlands. In the last few decades wetland archaeology had
momentous step forward in the understanding of societies, material culture and
landscapes in marshes, water meadows, bogs, fens, marine coasts, lakesides,
channels, drainages and salt pools. The implementation of novel archaeological
methods and paleoenvironmental sciences provided entirely new perspective of
areas which were previously considered as marginal and inhabited by unsophisticated communities essentially focused on subsistence. Current research and
results in wetland archaeology indicate far more advanced societies which mod
ified the landscape and built complex settlements where social identities were
constructed and performed trough the relationships between people, objects,
animals, places and time.
The latest advances and challenges in wetland archaeology will be presented in
NEENAWA Scientific Meeting with the contribution of more than 20 participants
from Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia
and Macedonia. Numerous prehistoric sites from East, Central and Southeast
Europe will be elaborated with particular focus on the pile dwellings, chronology, networks, agricultural societies, underwater archaeology, wetlands, inland
waters, wooden structures, house models, bone tools and conservation. Special
session with workshops on dendrochronology will be performed in order to in
troduce thoroughly the benefits of this scientific method and its incorporation
within wetland archaeology. As an area with large number of wooden pile dwellings Lake Ohrid is a perfect setting for such workshop and discussions on experiences and challenges with dendrochronology.
The venue of scientific meeting on wetland archaeology and dendrochronology is located right above the prehistoric settlement with pile dwellings which
was gradually covered by the modern city of Ohrid. Recent survey and excavations confirmed Neolithic and Chalcolithic lakeside settlement at the area
of Ohridati on the very coast of Lake Ohrid. Before any further archaeological
exploration of this site, Millennium Palace Hotel will be perfect spot for sharing
archaeological knowledge and discussing various issues concerning sites, material culture, chronology, protection etc. In sake of modern interaction with prehistoric wetland settlements also an excursion will be performed, particularly
on the Neolithic tell site in Pelagonia. As introduction to scientific meeting the
participants will have lunch at the restaurant in the very center of Mogila village which is established onto the Neolithic tell surrounded by the large area of
marshes in the past. This lunch will be exceptional opportunity for the participants to introduce one another and to present the partners of the project that
initiated scientific meeting on wetland archaeology and dendrochronology.
The scientific meeting in Ohrid is part of the international project ‘Network in
Eastern European Neolithic and wetland archaeology for the improvement of
field techniques and dating methods’ in partnership with University of Bern
(Switzerland), State Hermitage Museum (Russian Federation), Taras Shevchenko
National University (Ukraine) and Center for Prehistoric Research (Republic of
Macedonia). This project is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation
which also funds the participation of delegates within the scientific meeting in
Ohrid. Therefore, this event will be excellent occasion for the implementation of
project aims and a significant contribution in promotion of latest knowledge and
practices in wetland archaeology and dating methods.
Goce Naumov
Center for Prehistoric Research
