History of the Macedonian People

HISTORY OF THE MACEDONIAN PEOPLE 1 2 INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL HISTORY HISTORY OF THE MACEDONIAN PEOPLE SKOPJE 2008 3 Editor: Todor Chepreganov, Ph.D. Authors: Aneta Shukarova, Ph.D. Mitko B. Panov, Ph.D. Dragi Georgiev, Ph.D. Krste Bitovski, Ph.D. Academician Ivan Katardziev Vanche Stojchev, Ph.D. Novica Veljanovski, Ph.D. Todor Chepreganov, Ph.D. 4 MACEDONIA IN THE PREHISTORIC TIME On the territory of Macedonia an active life is registered even in the earliest stages of the human prehistory. The climate, geomorphology, and other natural factors on the whole territory of Macedonia were pre- conditions for establishment of an organized life and for the creation of different cultures whose evolution had a continuous course from the period of the first agricultural communities to the end of the Iron Age. The archeological and anthropological researches of the artifacts from the first settlements in Macedonia are where the basic knowledge which is crucial for the explanation of the origin of the later populations as well as the origin of the historical and cultural influences and movements came from. The territory of Macedonia is situated in the core of the Balkan’s natural crossroads and connects the two largest cultural spheres: the Ae- gean and the Anatolian, as the nuclei of the oldest farming and stockbreeding communities, or the inner part of the Balkan Peninsula and the Middle Europe. The natural routes along the river valleys have the particular role from this aspect; the valley of the river Vardar, which joins the valley of the river Morava enables communication of the Aegean World and Panonia while Strumeshnica, through lower reaches of the river Struma makes a link between southern Thrace and the front part of the Middle Asia. The valley of the river Drim joins the southern Adriatic coastline. The great influence comes from the routes on the mountain curves of the massifs around the region of Ohrid and Prespa which connect this region with the Albanian cultures as well as the Osogovo Moun- tain and Maleshevski Planini, which connect Macedonia with the middle reaches of the river Struma and Central Bulgaria. 5 Paleontological explorations reveal the facts about the life during the period of Paleolith and Mesolite, in particular in Pellagonia, at the area of Veles, in the cave of Makarovec at the canyon of the river Babuna and in the region of Shtip, where the material proof of the first bone and stone made weapons and tools are discovered (pin shaped, stone made tools of the man – huntsman); in the burial discovered near Shtip, a skele- ton of a man was found, whose age dates from year 9000 BC). The artifacts from the Mesolithic Age (between the year 10,000 and 5,000 BC) such as: axes, hammers, flint made knives, crushing stone, pestles, mor- tars, needles, bone made and horn made chisels, prove the existence of the first farming and stock-breeding communities. The map of the archeological locations shows the existence of nearly 160 Neolithical sites (from the period of the year 5,300 to 3,200 BC), mainly settlements placed on fertile land along the river valleys and at the mountain basis of the valleys of Pellagonia, Skopje, Kumanovo, Strumica, Radovish and Polog. Such evidences are also found in the region of Ovche Pole and Ohrid Basin. In eastern Macedonia, so-called Azenbegovo and Vrshnik group is characteristic with the elements of the eponymous settlements and late Neolithic culture called Angelci – the village of Zelenikovo. In the multi-layered settlements the life was organized in wooden houses on quadrangle or rectangular base, with double- row roof coated with mud and colored in white or red, sometimes decorated with plastic ornaments; in each house there was a stove, a fireplace, and rarely some cult objects (Tumba Madzari). The evidence of Tumba Madzari confirms the dense construction of the settlements in which houses are grouped around a common sanctuary and with equal orienta- tion. At the region of Ohrid the settlements have a different aspect. Name- ly, there are pile-dwellings, which are analogous of the Adriatic cultures. It is supposed that the inhabitants of the Pre-Ancient Macedonia were mainly dealing with farming (cultivation of cereal grains and grow- ing of leguminous plants), stockbreeding (sheep, pigs, goats and lives- tock) as well as fishing and hunting. The pottery production was not only for domestic, everyday living purposes (in the early Neolithic period the pottery was mainly roughly made, monochrome or red colored, decorated with ornaments and geometrical motifs in white color – Amphora and deep oval dishes) but great attention was paid on the artistic and esthetic expression (variety of shapes and pottery of bigger size occurred, small earthenware, jugs, Amphora-s, cups on high, cone-shaped leg, pottery painted with dark brawn geometrical lines) while the cult ceramic objects were made in artisan workshops. Among the religious artifacts the domi- 6 nant Deity is the Goddess of Fertility – The Big Mother, a sculpture of a woman’s body in terracotta, whose low part transforms into the form of house; this unique Middle Neolithic representation of the Goddess from the Valley of Skopje is a protector of the home and the family; the cults of fire and domestic animals were also respected and they were all related to some religious rites in the sanctuaries. The late Neolithic Age is a period when big social changes began. They were caused by the demographic movements of the neighboring area’s populations. The transition time from Neolith to Metal Age is well known as Eneolith (from the end of the IV to the end of the Millennium BC) and is connected with the great migrations that were caused by the movements of the Steppe and Nomadic Indo-European peoples, which settled the Balkan Peninsula and assimilated with the autochthonous population. This caused the creation of new prehistoric ethno-cultural entities of a specific material culture that is testified by many archeological proofs. As a result of an intensive use of copper this period is called Copper Age. The copper was used for production of jewelry, weapons, and tools and contributed to the development of trade. The people from this period were mainly farming, stockbreeding and hunting. The Regional Cultural Group of Shuplevac – Bakarno Gumno in Pellagonia, which is connected with the localities at the valley of Kumanovo (Nagorichane) and also the valley of East Bregalnica, is particularly interesting; some Eneolithic settlements are discovered near the Fortress Kale in Skopje, in Pellagonia, at the Ohr- id and Prespa Basin, and at the region of Kochani. The settlements were constructed usually on some higher platforms – tumba, and were naturally protected. The exceptions are the pill-dwellings at the Ohrid Lake. The discovered artifacts of small plastic objects demonstrate the rich spirituality and religious life of this cultural group. Due to be men- tioned are the following evidences: Zoomorphic statues, male and female examples from Burlichevo, a small ceramic statue of male torso in sitting position from Govrlevo (near Skopje) so-called “Adam from Macedonia”, small female statuettes in sitting position from Crnobuki and Bakarno Gumno, stone scepter from Shuplevac (a proof of the Indo-European origin of the population), a copper axe with a blade and circular opening (Vranishta, Kravari, the area of Prilep); the jewelry made of shells be- longs here as well, modeled bracelets and seals, that prove the communi- cations of this cultural group with the Mediterranean peoples. The Bronze Age at the Aegean and Macedonian territory began earlier in comparison with the areas in the north. Most of the evidence 7 from this period is found in the valley of Pellagonia (before and after the year 1900 BC) exemplified in the cultural group called Armenochory. The archeological findings of this cultural group are similar with the findings from various excavation places in Aegean Macedonia and particularly with those dug in the valley of the river Vardar and in the District of Thessalonica. Special similarity of these findings was confirmed with the findings in Albania, such as the models of the cups, which contained two handles and the glasses that were only with one handle. These groups are somehow connected with the rough gray ceramics and the way it was decorated. From the findings of arms and tools, people were mainly farming, stockbreeding, hunting as well as doing artisan (pottery, twist texture, weaving texture). The settlements were larger and constructed over the previous Eneolithic settlements; some traces of necropolises were also discovered containing burnt dead bodies, and in Varosh near Prilep there is a necropolis outside the settlement with graves – cisti, which were fenced and paved with stone plates. From the early bronze period in Macedonia a megalithic observatory is discovered, called Kokino (near Staro Nagorichane, at the area of Kumanovo); the observatory composed of volcanic rocks, marks the places where the Sun and the Moon rise in the period of summer solstice, win- ter solstice and equinox. Kokino was a kind of a sanctuary used for ob- servation of the space bodies’ movements in order to create a religious calendar for determination of the dates of rites; the Observatory also de- termined the days dedicated to seasonal work in the farming and the stockbreeding activities. A special characteristic in this period is the working of bronze, so called “Macedonian bronze”. Numerous artifacts discovered in the archeological localities at the village of Patele near Osogovsko Ezero (the Lake of Osogovo), Vardino at the upper reaches of the river Vardar, in Radanie, at the necropolis of Suva Reka near Gevgelija, in Pellagonia and at the region of Ohrid, such as (fibulas, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, bronze made small bowl-shaped dishes with a handle) Typical characteristic in this period are also the trade relationships established with the Mycenaean World and with the south in general, in the direct line of Thessaly – Haliacmon (Bistrica) – Pellagonia – Polog – Ibar, or on the road-line Pletvar – Vardar; the artifact of this period is the Mycenaean sword in Tetovo.

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