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Der Autor betrachtet neue Bronzefunde, Sicheln, Fibeln, Nadeln und Halsringe aus dem Zentralbalkan, die seit der Publikation von vier PBF-Bänden zu diesen Themen bekannt geworden sind. Er stellt fest, dass sie grošteils mit den vorigen Zuordnungen nach Typen und Varianten korrespondieren, anders gesagt, dass die Reihe Prähistorische Bronzefunde (PBF) ein sehr nützliches Instrument für das Studium der Metallzeiten ist. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. OI 177020: Archäologie Serbiens: Kulturidentität, Integrationsfaktoren, technologische Prozesse und die Rolle des Mittelbalkans in der Entwicklung europäischer Vorgeschichte]

The so-called Illyrian helmets, with a rectangular opening for the face, are a frequent topic in archaeological literature for several reasons. They are distributed over a large territory - on the Balkan Peninsula and beyond, so many archaeologists from various countries were involved in their study. Then there is the great diversity of forms, where each type or subtype represents a theme in itself posing various questions, and finally new Illyrian helmets appear all the time, even in regions far from their main concentration areas, or with unfamiliar details, demanding new analyses and explanations. The author discusses their division into types and subtypes, chronology, variants, and comes to the conclusion that a proper study of this theme will be possible only when various aspects of their appearance, including ancient written sources as well as the material culture of this period in particular regions, are taken into consideration because of their complex and versatile role in ancient Balkan history.

Princely graves of the Iron Age represent a particular phenomenon in archaeology, which is constantly the subject of interest. They are usually dated to the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 5th century. The author discusses the chronology of princely graves in the Central Balkans and analyses their appearance in each part of this territory: on the Glasinac plateau, in Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija, Montenegro, North Albania and Nordwest Bulgaria. He concludes that they date from the middle of the 7th to the middle of the 4th century, depending on the cultural and socio-economic situation in the respective area. In the middle of the 7th century princely graves in the true sense of the word were known only on the Glasinac plateau, in the Ilijak necropolis. At the end of the 7th and in the beginning of the 6th century they still appear on Glasinac, though in greater number and in various parts of the plateau. In northwest Bulgaria a grave dating to the second half of the 7th century was found, which would, according to grave goods, correspond to the Glasinac princely graves. On the other hand, there are no princely graves in Serbia and north Albania from that time but some outstanding warrior graves are known, belonging possibly to the chiefs of smaller warlike bands, whose power was limited. Princely graves from Arareva gromila on Glasinac, Pilatovići by Požega and Lisijevo Polje by Berane date to the beginning of the second half of the 6th century, and according to their characteristics represent princes, whose power and wealth were considerable and known to the neighbours. Culmination of the rise of the princes in this region was demonstrated by the graves from Novi Pazar, Atenica, and Pećka banja, which date to the end of the 6th and the first quarter of the 5th century. Some decades later there are several rich graves, e.g. the recently discovered grave from Velika Krsna, which could belong to a prince, but can not be compared with the wealth of the previous princely generation. In the middle of the 4th century, new rich princely burials are seen in the graves in Belsh in Albania and Vratsa in Northwest Bulgaria. Their appearance was conditioned by a new socio-political climate. All this proves that one should be cautious when dating the princely graves in this region to the »end of the 6th/beginning of the 5th century BC«.

The author discusses the silver and gold jewelry in the collection of Mr Milutin Mišić from Belgrade, which includes several fragmented silver "Scharnier" fibulae, silver beads, two silver rings, and a golden appliqué. The objects come from an unknown site in the village Nikinci in Srem. The most important items are the fibulae. According to their characteristics size, finish of the head and the catch plate, combination of silver and gold - the "Scharnier" fibulae are unique in their genre and indicate the existence of an important local goldsmith’s workshop in Srem. The dating of the entire find is uncertain because it is not chronologically unique. Two silver rings and raspberry-like beads could belong to the 5th century BC while silver fibulae and beads of silver wire should be most probably dated to the 4th century, Two silver beads - cylindrical and spherical - could possibly belong to the 1st century BC.

The Greek Geographer Strabo says the Autariatae used to be the largest and the strongest of Illyrian tribes. The historical context in which they are mentioned is dated to the second half of the fourth century BC, but the tribe is described as neither strong nor large. After that date, there is no further record of them. Therefore the inference seems reasonable that their acme should be dated to a period prior to the fourth century BC. According to archaeologists and modern historians, the Autariatae lived in south-eastern Bosnia, south-western Serbia and northern Montenegro, i.e. in the territory where a powerful Early Iron Age group has been identified and named the Glasinac group after the Glasinac plateau east of Sarajevo. It was at the peak of its power between the mid seventh and mid fth centuries BC as dated by settlements and graves as well as a large number of small finds weapons, pottery, jewellery, imported bronze vessels etc. On the strength of these chronological and chorological parallels, numerous instances of correspondence that cannot be coincidental, the author presumes a possible link between the Glasinac group and the Autariatae. And yet, despite many arguments for the identification of the Autariatae with the Glasinac group it remains a hypothesis, more or less plausible. Identifications of the kind are always tentative. But if there is in the central Balkans an archaeologically attested group that may be identified with a tribe referred to in classical sources, then it certainly is the case of the Glasinac culture and the Illyrian tribe of Autariatae. The issue should be viewed from a different angle too. Namely, despite the relatively clear chronology of the Iron Age in the Balkans, with precisely delineated developmental stages and with classes of material typical of each stage, regional groups are difficult to differentiate. The only one that stands out as a distinctive cultural whole in all of its developmental phases is the Glasinac group in the west, while in other areas the small number of graves still makes reliable identification of groups impossible despite plentiful finds. For that reason one cannot speak with any certainty about the material culture of the Triballi, the Dardanians or even the Paeonians, to mention but the main ethnic groups. Or, more precisely, at present there are no groups as clearly differentiated as the Glasinac culture that may be identified with those tribes. Further research will undoubtedly clarify these obscurities. Meanwhile, patience is needed and the acceptance of what seems plausible at the moment - a connection between the Glasinac group and the Autariatae.

Figures of birds and bird heads are frequently represented in the Bronze and Iron Age in Europe. Birds are usually represented as amulets, vases and parts of vases, parts of complex objects or compositions and are among the most wide spread symbols that are connected with cult, magic and mythology of that time. There has been much discussion on this topic up to now. There are many assumptions concerning the role of different bird representations in the spiritual life of man of that period, which are still not firmly based. Our goal, in the study of this topic, is not to talk about these assumptions, more or less acceptable, but to pay more attention to the creation of bird figures and heads and to conclude to what extent it is possible to identify ornithological, among these numerous representations, individual birds, characteristics of their morphology and way of life. Namely, if the premise is correct, that the users of these ornithomorphic objects as well as their craftsmen, were able to differentiate bird types, morphologically and bionomically, or more correctly taxonomic groups of bird types (families, subfamilies, tribes genuses), to the extent to which these differences are expressed lexicological (nomenclatorilly), in the majority of classical languages then the attempt to make a further step towards the ornithological identification of motifs of these objects can be considered possible. In cases when it seems that the details on an object and their combination can be used for a more convincing identification, we take the freedom to speculate about the cultural-economic value of the recognized birds. Here we deal with three examples of bird representations from the Bronze and Iron Age of the Central Balkans. These are: the Dupljaja Cart, the Posamenterie Fibula from Dobrinci and the Bronze Cart from Glasinac, with the help of which we will try to demonstrate this new type of collaboration between archaeology and ornithology. We hope that this new approach will show all its usefulness in the future. Sometimes, a view "from another angle", on some archaeological problems may provide valuable results, not only in identification of bird representations, but also as a means of understanding the wider cultural or social-economic significance of the prehistoric period in question.

nema