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The archaeobotanical research of the macrobiotic remains from archaeological sites provides a valuable insight into the plant economy of the continental Celtic (Gaulish or Galatian) tribe of Scordisci, which lived around the rivers of Sava, Drava and Danube during the last three centuries before Christ. The field crop production of Scordisci was based upon cereals, grain legumes and oil crops. The importance of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.) in the everyday diets of Scordisci has been underestimated so far. Recent researches proved the presence of Byzantine oat (Avena byzantina K. Koch) at the Celtic tilths in the northern Balkans. Cereals were stored in mud-plastered granary baskets. The spectrum of grain legumes is as diverse as that of cereals. The latest analyses expand the list of oil plants with a new species – dragon’s head (Lallemantia iberica (M.Bieb.) Fisch. & C.A.Mey.). There is also the first evidence of a beer production facility in one of the Scordisci oppida, Čarnok., Arheobotanička istraživanja makrobiljnih ostataka na arheološkim lokalitetima pružaju uvid u biljnu privredu keltskog kontinentalnog (galskog ili galatskog) plemena Skordiska koje je poslednja tri veka pre nove ere živelo na prostoru oko reka Save, Drave i Dunava. Ratarstvo Skordiska se zasnivalo na proizvodnji žitarica, zrnastih mahunarki i uljarica. U najvećoj meri uzgajali su ječam, proso, jednozrnu pšenicu, golozrnu i dvozrnu pšenicu. Do sada je bio potcenjen značaj krupnika u ratarskoj proizvodnji ovog plemena. Novija istraživanja su po prvi put dokazala postojanje vizantijskog ovsa na keltskim oranicama u severnom delu Balkana. Uz ovu novu kulturu Kelti su sa svog neuspelog pohoda na Grčku poneli i korovsku biljku koja se u našim krajevima pojavljuje po prvi put — obični posunac. Žitarice su čuvane u silosima od pletera oblepljenog blatom. Inventar zrnastih mahunarki ne zaostaje po brojnosti u odnosu na žitarice. Uzgajaju se sočivo, grašak, sastrica, bob i urov. Lan je glavna uljarica, dok se sitna semena maka i lanika retko pronalaze. Najnovija, do sada neobjavljena istraživanja zaboravljenog uzorka iz 60-ih godina pršlog veka sa arheološkog lokaliteta Gomolava, dokazuju prisustvo još jedne uljarice u naseljima Skordiska — lalemancije. Na osnovu novih saznanja na drugim arheološkim istraživanjima uspeli smo da identifikujemo prvu pivaru na tlu Srbije u keltskom opidumu Čarnok.

Aleksandar Mikić was born in Pančevo, Serbia, on 9 January 1974, and died on 5 September 2021, Novi Sad, Serbia. He received BSc in 1998, MSc in 2008, and PhD in 2014 in Plant Genetics and Breeding at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture. He worked as Research Associate and annual legume breeder at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 2000 to 2018. His fields of interest encompassed conventional and molecular genetics, genetic resources, breeding, agronomy, agroecology, and crop history of annual legumes. Dr. Mikić co-authored more than 350 journal papers, about 120 international conference papers, over 10 book chapters and one book. He has also authored more than 30 cultivars of annual legumes and various forage crops registered in Serbia and abroad. Aleksandar's scientific horizons were endless, including archaeobotany, linguistics, plant biology, breeding, and farmers communities.

Arheobotanička istraživanja makrobiljnih ostataka na arheološkim lokalitetima pružaju uvid u biljnu privredu keltskog kontinentalnog (galskog ili galatskog) plemena Skordiska koje je poslednja tri veka pre nove ere živelo na prostoru oko reka Save, Drave i Dunava. Ratarstvo Skordiska se zasnivalo na proizvodnji žitarica, zrnastih mahunarki i uljarica. Na kraju gvozdenog doba se na dobro obrađenim i intenzivno korišćenim njivama u najvećoj meri uzgajaju ječam, proso, jednozrna pšenica i krupnik. Golozrna meka pšenica se seje na sve većim površinama. Na pojedinim njivama seje se dvozrna pšenica. Nova istraživanja su po prvi put dokazala postojanje vizantijskog ovsa na keltskim oranicama u severnom delu Balkana. Sve češće se pojavljuju i nalazi ugljenisanih zrna raži. Inventar žitarica dopunjuju pojedinačni nalazi italijanskog muhara i verovatno timofejeve pšenice. Žitarice su čuvane u silosima od pletera oblepljenog blatom. Inventar zrnastih mahunarki ne zaostaje po brojnosti u odnosu na žitarice. Uzgajaju se sočivo, grašak, sastrica, bob i urov.

A unique example of 2,572 carbonized pea seeds was recovered from the 11th century B.C. deposits at Hissar, a multilevel settlement of the Brnjica cultural group (1,350-1,000 B.C.) in southeast Serbia. Five hundred seeds maintained pea-like hilum, only few had preserved intact smooth-surfaced testa and the majority of seeds had no seed coat. Fortunately, only few seeds of other pulses were observed in the sample and their identity was clearly determined. Applying the exclusion principle, all the “naked”, 3-4 mm large seeds, mainly broad ellipsoid and less often globose, with flattenings or concavities, were determined to correspond to cultivated pea (Pisum sativum L.). Additionally, a high thousand seed weight of charred seeds (24.4 g) suggested cultivated status. To confirm our finding, we processed two samples with molecular tools. A sequence analysis of four chloroplast DNA loci (trnSG, trnK, matK and rbcL) in total length of 1329bp, showed intermediate position to cultivated P. sativum and wild P. sativum subsp. elatius.

Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) was a part of the everyday diet of the Eurasian Neanderthal population and the modern human Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers at the end of the last Ice Age. The major criteria to determine the domestication in bitter vetch and other ancient grain legumes are non-dehiscent pods, larger seed size and smooth seed testa. Bitter vetch seeds were found among the earliest findings of cultivated crops at the site of Tell El-Kerkh, Syria, from 10th millennium BP. Along with cereals, pea and lentil, bitter vetch has become definitely associated with the start of the 'agricultural revolution' in the Old World. Bitter vetch entered Europe in its south-east regions and progressed into its interior via Danube. Its distribution was rapid, since the available evidence reveals its presence in remote places at similar periods. Recently the first success has been obtained in the extraction of ancient DNA from charred bitter vetch seeds. The linguistic evidence supports the fact that most of Eurasian peoples have their own words denoting bitter vetch, meaning that its cultivation preceded the diversification of their own proto-languages.

Arheološki lokalitet Hisar je gradinsko naselje Brnjičke kulturne grupe (gvozdeno doba I u Pomoravlju), podignuto na vrhu, odnosno na platou brda Hisar koje kontroliše zonu ušća Jablanice i Veternice u Južnu Moravu i najveći deo Leskovačke kotline. Prilikom arheoloških istraživanja 2005. godine u objektima koji se vezuju za Brnjica II a fazu (12. vek pre nove ere) pronađene su dve velike količine ugljenisanih semena graška (Pisum sativum L) i urova (Vicia ervilia (L) Willd). Zalihe ove dve zrnaste mahunarke bile su skoro čiste, sa malim procentom nečistoća koje su pre svega činili plodovi, pre svega žitarica, drugih mahunarki (sočivo - Lens culinaris Medik. i bob - Vicia faba L), ali i biljaka uljarica, što ukazuje da su grašak i urov bili odvojeno uzgajani, a potom i odvojeno skladišteni. Ovi nalazi, a pre svega nesvakidašnji nalaz zalihe graška, potvrđuju dugu tradiciju uzgajanja mahunarki u leskovačkom kraju., A lucky find of 2,572 charred pea (Pisum sativum L) seeds in a single archaeobotanical sample from the hill fort settlement Hissar near Leskovac represents a unique example in Bronze / Iron Age research in South East Europe. Another mass storage of bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L) Willd) from the same site and period (Brnjica cultural group, beginning of the Iron Age in the Morava valley) confirms a long tradition of the city of Leskovac region as a pulse crop production centre in modern Serbia. Both pulse storages were almost pure with small amount of admixture from other crops mainly cereals, other pulses, such as lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) and broad bean (Vicia faba L), and oil/fibre plants. Both pulses were cultivated as main crops and were stored separately.

Primenom dve različite procedure ekstrahovana je drevna DNK iz ugljenisanih semena graška i urova starih 3200 godina sa lokaliteta Hisar kod Leskovca. Korišćena je modifikovana CTAB metoda i dobijena je relativno mala količina drevne DNK u poređenju sa drugom primenjenom metodom - komercijalno dostupnim kitom za izolaciju DNK. Nakon ekstrakcije primenjeno je umnožavanje celog genoma pomoću Phi29 DNK polimeraze. Umnožena DNK je korišćena za PCR reakciju primenom prajmera za 26S rDNK gen, koji je lociran u jedarnom genomu. Dobijen je fragment iste veličine kao i PCR fragment 26S rDNK savremenih srodnika graška i urova. Može se zaključiti da je moguće ekstrahovati drevnu DNK iz ugljenisanih semena graška i urova i koristiti je za dalje arheobotaničke analize na molekularnom nivou., The extracts were prepared from the samples of 3,200-year-old charred pea and bitter vetch seeds from the site of Hissar near Leskovac, South Serbia, using two different DNA extraction procedures. We used CTAB method with some modification and obtained low quantity of ancient DNA in comparison with the second method used - commercial available kit. After the extraction, a whole genome amplification using Phi29 DNA polymerase was performed. The amplified DNAs were used for PCR reaction using primers for 26S rDNA gene, which is located on the nuclear genome. The single band corresponding to 26S rDNA fragment from modern relatives was obtained. We conclude that DNA from charred pea and vetch seed can be extracted and used for further archaeobotanical analysis at the molecular level.

The extracts were prepared from the samples of 3,200-year-old charred pea and bitter vetch seeds from the site of Hissar near Leskovac, South Serbia, using two different DNA extraction procedures. We used CTAB method with some modification and obtained low quantity of ancient DNA in comparison with the second method used - commercial available kit. After the extraction, a whole genome amplification using Phi29 DNA polymerase was performed. The amplified DNAs were used for PCR reaction using primers for 26S rDNA gene, which is located on the nuclear genome. The single band corresponding to 26S rDNA fragment from modern relatives was obtained. We conclude that DNA from charred pea and vetch seed can be extracted and used for further archaeobotanical analysis at the molecular level., Primenom dve različite procedure ekstrahovana je drevna DNK iz ugljenisanih semena graška i urova starih 3200 godina sa lokaliteta Hisar kod Leskovca. Korišćena je modifikovana CTAB metoda i dobijena je relativno mala količina drevne DNK u poređenju sa drugom primenjenom metodom - komercijalno dostupnim kitom za izolaciju DNK. Nakon ekstrakcije primenjeno je umnožavanje celog genoma pomoću Phi29 DNK polimeraze. Umnožena DNK je korišćena za PCR reakciju primenom prajmera za 26S rDNK gen, koji je lociran u jedarnom genomu. Dobijen je fragment iste veličine kao i PCR fragment 26S rDNK savremenih srodnika graška i urova. Može se zaključiti da je moguće ekstrahovati drevnu DNK iz ugljenisanih semena graška i urova i koristiti je za dalje arheobotaničke analize na molekularnom nivou.

Tokom iskopavanja grobnice iz perioda tetrahije (kraj 3./početak 4. veka) u neposrednoj blizini južnog bedema carske palate Felix Romuliana sakupljeni su ostaci životinja i biljaka. Životinjske kosti sakupljene su iz sloja koji je prekrivao grobnicu (označen kao sloj A) (tamno-mrka glinovita zemlja sa ostacima sitnijeg građevinskog šuta i fragmentima kasnoantičke srednjovekovne i recentne grnčarije, prosečne debljine oko 35 cm), iz sloja svetlo mrke zemlje ispod njega (označen kao sloj B), koji čini i ispunu grobnice van centralnog groba, zatim tokom iskopavanja centralnog groba u grobnici i dečjeg groba u istočnom uglu grobnice. Otkriveni su ostaci govečeta (Bos taurus), mule (Equus caballus x Equus asinus), ovce (Ovis aries), ovce ili koze (Ovis/Capra), svinje (Sus domesticus) i psa (Canis familiaris), malobrojni ostaci divljih životinja - jelena (Cervus elaphus) i lisice (Vulpes vulpes), kao i jedna kost ptice. Najbrojniji su ostaci govečeta. Zastupljene su najmanje dve jedinke. Na osnovu dužine metakarpusa izračunata je visina grebena od 131.2 cm prema indeksu koji je dao Matolcsi (1970: 113). Na osnovu ovoga se može pretpostaviti da ne pripada sitnijoj lokalnoj rasi, nasleđenoj iz gvozdenog doba, čiji se uzgoj na teritoriji Mezije može pretpostaviti na osnovu podataka iz susednih provincija, već krupnijoj rasi uvedenoj iz Italije. Kosti psa otkrivene su samo u centralnom grobu u grobnici. Pripadaju nekoj većoj rasi psa. I ostaci mule izgleda da su se primarno nalazili samo u centralnom grobu u grobnici. Radi se o većem broju fragmenata i izolovanih zuba koji svi potiču iz iste donje vilice. Starost jedinke kojoj je vilica pripadala je oko 3 godine. Mule, hibridi konja, bile su omiljene životinje u Rimskom svetu. Korišćene su za jahanje vuču pluga i kola, i za nošenje tereta (Clutton-Brock, 1987: 98). Ostaci mule nisu do sada bili otkriveni na nalazištima iz antičkog perioda sa teritorije Srbije. Na osnovu sastava faune i zastupljenosti različitih delova skeleta, During the excavations of a tomb located outside the defence walls of the imperial palace, Felix Romuliana, animal and plant remains were collected the analysis of which is the subject of the present study. The faunal remains include the bones and teeth of domestic animals - mule (Equus caballus x Equus asinus), domestic ox (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), sheep or goat (Ovis/Capra), pig (Sus domesticus) and dog (Canis familiaris), a few remains of wild animals - red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fox (Vulpes vulpes), and bone of a bird. Until now, no remains of mule have been discovered on sites originating from the classical period at the territory of Serbia. As for plant remains, pieces of carbonized oak wood (Quercus) and maple wood (Acer) were found, as well as a carbonized seed of a cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera vinifera) and a tiny fruit of goosegrass (Galium aparine).