Everyday Life in Dardania
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Prishtina Summer University 2015 Everyday Life in Dardania Akad. Edi Shukriu During the millennia, Kosova inherited precious archaeological treasures, which allow ‘reading’ the life of different prehistoric periods and, at the same time, revealing cultural and other relationships of local inhabitants with those from neighboring areas. E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Pax romana - Ulpianë 3 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 • The early life in Kosova blossomed thanks to the riches of nature: mountains with thick woods, fertile fields and meadows, a variety of flora, fauna. gold, silver, lead, iron... It was also a result of the appropriate continental intertwined with Mediterranean climate and the very good geographic and geo-strategic position. • In this crossroads of Southeastern Europe, Dardanians - its most ancient known dwellers – were born. • The plenitude archaeological findings tell that the foundations of the people historically inhabiting this area – Illyrians, Greeks, Thracians, Moesians and, Dacians – were set with the intertwining of autochthonous Neolithic culture, as part of wider Balkan – Anadolic entirety, and the cultures brought in by Indo-European tribes during the Eneolithic period. E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Grandmothers of Seating Goddess 5 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Neolith – Eneolith Neolithic period Indo-Europians E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 The mild and humid Atlantic climate, which dominated during the Neolithic period, provided good conditions for extensive agriculture and stockbreeding (6000-3500). Dependence on soil and its products brought about sedentary settlements in valleys and along rivers, but also on the hill slopes washed by sunshine. The first settlements in Kosova are those of early Neolithic period, which were erected in Runik, Zhitkoc, Glladnica, Vlashnja, Tupec and Reshtan, to continue in the following period of middle Neolithic (Starçeva Culture) and the late Neolithic (Vinça Culture, Vinça-Tordosh phase). The culture created by the Neolithic inhabitants belongs to the wider Balkan – Minor Asian complex and is an expression of cultural interrelations between wider and diverse areas. Eneolithic age brought about significant changes being characterized with two key components relevant for further cultural developments and for Neolithic processes: 1. Introduction to and usage of copper by Neolithic inhabitants and 2. Influx of Indo-European tribes. 7 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Dardanians were the earliest historically known inhabitants in Kosova. Their roots consist of an Intertwining of Neolithic substratum with the Indo-European Eneolithic ad stratum, whereas their formation came about during the integrating processes of the Bronze Age achieving its final shape during the Iron Age from the XII century BC. Links between European and Asia Minor Dardanians have already been proven, but research into the time and direction of their movement should be further explored. Dardanian culture takes its final shape from the VIII century BC based on developments of the shift from Bronze to Iron Age (XII BC). Dardanian re-ancient culture could be devided into two phases: 1. Proto-Dardanian phase (XII - IX) and 2. Dardanian phase (VIII - IV). It includes the Dardanian pre-urban sub-phase (VI - IV). Settlements were placed on geo-strategic hilltops, always interrelated to one another since the IV century B.C. when the Dardanian state was established. The burial rituals were carried out in tumular necropolises till IV century B.C. 8 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Dardanians were one of the larger Illyrian entities. Dardanian tribes: Dardani, Galabri, Thunati, Dauni and others, Dardanians established their own specific compact territory and culture within the Illyrian compound which they called their country Dardania. The central territory of Dardania stretched over today’s Kosova, and it also included Northern Macedonia and Southern Serbia with Nish and Sanjac. 9 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 10 • Dardanians had a rich spiritual life - of special importance were the cult of sun and the cult of snake. Dardanian territory was the area where these two cults met and intertwined. • Special rituals were organized celebrating three most important events in a person’s life: birth, marriage and death (Nicolaus Damascenus, Fragmenta, 145 2). • Dardanians had been familiar with the concept of afterlife and that they paid for admission there with the valuable metal bars (the long iron bars from the warrior’s tumulus in Romaja of VI-V centuries etc.) 11 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 • Developments during the VI - IV B.C. brought the first signals of a differentiation in the Dardanian society, thus creating pre-conditions for the dawn of Dardanian ancient age. • The differentiation of Dardanian society is also evident by the wide variety of housing – from quadrangle buildings with columns to semi- underground houses. The later were generalized with ill-intent by the ancient Greek writer Strabon, when he wrote that Dardanians: … used to open dug holes under cattle fertilizer and lived there (Strab. VII 7). • In this phase of warrior democracy, the class of warrior elites became very wealthy and started concentrating power through the gained authority. 12 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Inhabitants, apart from engaging in agriculture, stock breeding, mining and metallurgy, also developed various crafts and more intensive commercial activities. Craftsmen produced arms, tools and jewelry. Dardanian gold products became popular even beyond Dardanian territories. Centuries later, Pliny (Naturalis Historiae XXIII 3, 12) will write: Even men wore on their upper arms (golden rings) which came from Dardania and were therefore called Dardanian. Among many arms products, the arch sword – machaira, is said to have had its origin in Dardania, became popular. 13 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 DARDANIAN STATE (IV – I centuries) The Dardanian state was established in the IV century B.C. due to the pre-urban development of the VI-IV centuries with the commencement of social differentiation and the establishment of urban centers. This state had stable political organization for the time and, it became the only large sustainable military and political power in the central Balkans during the IV– I centuries B.C.. It had an inherited throne and its army, it engaged in diplomatic efforts and offered military aid during its four hundred years of existence. It extended its territories and, at the same time, was attacked by Macedonian kings, but in return it never ceased attacking them either. It closed alliances with its neighbors, including Romans, but never failed to hit back whenever its freedom came in jeopardy. 14 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 • Dardania had a military system with troops organized in phalanxes (units). It was a Hellenic model, taken up later by Romans. • Phalanges had 8.000 soldiers each (Veget. Epit. R. mil. II 1, 2). It operated as a whole and every soldier had a specific place and role in it. This was a threatening military power for Macedonian and Roman invading politics. • Army consisted of cavalry and infantry, who were divided in different arms: spear-men, archers and swordsmen. Formations each had their commanders. • The largest part of the army consisted of infantry armed with heavy arms (Livius XXXI 43 3). • The fighting and withdrawing operations were performed in a disciplined manner, always keeping the line and never leaving the dead and wounded in the battlefield. • The army operated in dense lines and in an organized way, using various tactics. ...Dardanians turned their flags and positioned themselves in orderly lines against the enemy; the battle looked like a real war ...a few were killed, more were wounded, but none was captured, because they rarely leave their lines and holding fast to one another they jointly fight or withdraw (Livius, XXXI 43, 1). 15 E. Shukriu, Everyday Life in Dardania Prishtina Summer University 2015 Economy The riches of the lands and a good geographic position of ardania allowed for swift economic development. Agriculture and stock-breeding had a special significance in Dardanian economy. Mindful of references to large numbers of slaves – douloi – who worked on farms, one can assume the existence of large agricultural estates in Dardania. Atheneus (Deipnosophistae VI 272d 103), after using earlier sources, says: Agatharhidis, from Knid, in his book 38 of “Europaikon” says that Dardanians have large numbers of douloi (slaves); some Dardanians had 1.000 douloi, others even more. Each of these worked in farms during peace time, whereas in war time they participated in army, following their masters as their commanders. Dardanian products became well known and some exported in the ancient world: • golden rings - worn on the men forearm (Plin. Naturalis Historiae XXXIII 3 12). • iron (Descriptio totius mundi et gentium A 51) • lead (Descriptio totius mundi et gentium A 51) • pork fat (Descriptio totius mundi et gentium A 51) • caseus dardanicus (Dardanian cheese / Mont Scard cheese). (Descriptio