NOTES AND NEWS date for the tablets in the earliest part of that links between the Balkans and the Aegean, phase, VinEa A. Neustupnjr (1968, 35) noted which is itself linked, even if tenuously before that an ‘idol-shaped pendant’ illustrated by the Bronze Age, with Mesopotamia and Vlassa (1963, 489, fig. 6, No. 5) resembled the Egypt. ‘anchor ornaments’ common in the Early Calibration has by no means proved a Bronze Age of the Aegean area. He also stated panacea for all the anomalies of C14 dating, that such clay ‘anchors’ were very character- and dates calculated by means of calibration istic of the Late Chalcolithic Cotofeni culture for periods where there is no independent of Transylvania, but without citing any paral- check are not necessarily correct. The more that lels to back his claim. It would be interesting can be done in the way of narrowing the range to have a full publication and detailed analysis of archaeological probabilities, whether by new by a competent specialist of the objects found excavations or by assessing the material with the Tartaria tablets. already available, the better. The archaeo- As for C14 dates it is necessary to remember logical evidence is itself an important part of that those for the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of the scientific data that must be considered in the Balkans cannot be weighed effectively as connexion with C14 dating. It is only by yet against the evidence of archaeological checking the C14 results against the archaeolo- correlations. The archaeological situation is gical probabilities that any lurking imper- still very fluid, and chronologies for the fections in the method can be brought to light Balkans some two thousand years or more and eventually, no doubt, eliminated. apart may be constructed without undue violence to the evidence. The Tartaria tablets v. MILOJEI~. 1965. Die Tontafeln yon Tgrtarig are only straws in the wind. But excavations (Siegenbiirgen) und die absolute Chronologie still continuing in Thessaly and Macedonia des mitteleuropaischen Neolithikums, Ger- promise to forge much closer archaeological mania, XLIII,261-73. The First International Congress of Thracology This conference was held in Sofia in July 1972 excellent films were shown of Thracian (sasu under the Chairmanship of Professor V. strictu) mounds and treasures. An exhibition Georgiev. It was a gathering which included was mounted, for the occasion, of material Russian, Greek, Turkish, American and from museums throughout the country, which western European scholars, as well :as many ranged from early Neolithic figurines to 3rd- from the Balkan countries and eastern Europe. century AD bronze statuettes, but which concen- The subject for discussion was all aspects of trated mainly on the 1st millennium BC. High- Thracian culture. The Congress was formally lights included replicas of the Panegurigte and divided into three parts : history, language, and Valcitran treasures, the new Sofia treasure, the art and archaeology; the last was tlhe most bronze greave from Vraca (c. 4th-century BC), comprehensive, both in the quantity of the 4th-century harness-trappings of silver from papers, and in the amount of interest and Lukovic and Letnica, and of gold from Mezek, discussion generated. and a gold La The torc from Tchibar (c. Among the large amount of material pre- 300 BC) together with casting moulds from an sented was a newly discovered treasure, which unpublished hoard near Razgrad. included a large gold bowl of the Hallstatt After the conference was formally concluded period, from excavations in Sofia; several new a two-day expedition was organized to visit sites Bronze and Iron Age sites were discussed, and and museums. All praise must go to the extreme some of the most stimulating argument generosity and efficiency of our Bulgarian developed around the relationship between hosts who provided transport and two nights’ local ‘knobbed ware’ and Troy VII b:z. Some accommodation free of charge. The expedition J 49 ANTIQUITY covered a great deal of ground in a short time. suffered from some of the same difficulties and At Saranci (the prehistoric dep6t of the Sofia disabilities as those to which Dr Alexander drew Archaeological Museum outside Sofia), there attention in ANTIQUITY for September 1972, was an exhibition of pottery from Karanovo, writing about the International Congress of and the unpublished material from Chavdar, Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences in and at Kazanlak Museum a well-arranged Belgrade the year before. The numbers, display of unpublished material from Kazanlak though less, were still too great for convenience. Tell. The party was shown the excavated The list of some 360 participants, given to Neolithic settlement at Stara Zagora and the everyone on arrival, bore little relationship to excavations in progress in the Roman town of those actually present. Some allowance must Augusta Traiana; and the first day ended at always be made for unavoidable alterations at Malka Vereia, the depdt of the Stara Zagora the last minute, but the proportion here was Archaeological Museum, with the material from intolerably high, and had the same effect on Tell Asmak, and Mme CiEikova’s excavation at the programme of papers as at Belgrade, PHeniEevo. On the second day a visit to the tell according to Dr Alexander’s account. Regret- site at Karanovo was followed by one to the tably persons from this country were not excavations at the Bronze Age tell at Nova innocent in this respect. The large number of Zagora which begins in date where Ezero ends. papers to be accommodated had caused an Pottery was on show for the occasion from embarrassed executive to cut down the time Ezero and the Nova Zagora settlement. allotted to each very sharply, and these allotted Finally the expedition went to Plovdiv for a times were too often ignored. The need should quick visit to the Hellenistic and Roman citadel perhaps be considered for supporting presidents before ending up at the Archaeological Museum. of sections in taking a much stricter line, It was perhaps a pity that the preliminary although in international gatherings, where information did not make it sufficiently clear feelings are sensitive, this is not always easy. that ‘Thracian’ was to extend back to the Also the proper use and purpose of circulated earliest Neolithic sites in Bulgaria; as a result, summaries of papers to be given requires some both the conference itself and the excursion thought; are they simply summaries to be were to some extent outside the spheres of expanded in full session, or rather a means of interest of the many participants concerned with by-passing some exposition and providing a later periods. However, for the early prehis- point of departure for discussion? In the event torians the conference was of considerable the time for discussion was generally inadequate value and the Bulgarian organizers must be though here the smaller linguistic section may congratulated on their success. It was agreed have been more successful. that the next congress should take place in These thoughts arise from congresses and Romania in 1977. JOSEPHINE HOLMES conferences in general and are not a criticism of the arrangements at Sofia, which was a very Miss N. K. Sandars writes : enjoyable occasion thanks to the hard work and Although more specialized, and limited in generous hospitality of our Bulgarian hosts. scope, this year’s Sofia Congress of Thracology , a b PLATE. xv: AIR RECONNAISSANCE, RECENT RESULTS, 30 (a) Crop marks (TF 081066) 1-5km. N of Barnack, Northants., 21.6.1970; (b) crop marks (TFog5I14) 0..5 km. NE of Barholm, Lincs., 22.6.1960; (c) crop marks TF (099066) 0.5 km. N of Bainton, Northants., 11.7.1962. Vertical photographs :scale I: 2,500 Set pp 144 7 Photos C'oZ9vright rerrrt rd, Unitierrzty of Cambridge ilC P C C PLATE XVIII (above) : Accurate marking of the location and dimensions of a site at Pirincay, Ecuador, March Ig72, using the giant scale; taken with a go mm. lens at 1.5 km. distance PLATE XIX (this page) : (a) Thegiant scale, 10 m. long, used to show the size, location and height above jlood plain of the site of Pirincay, Ecuador, March 1972 (6) The scale in use in a desert environment in the Helmand Valley, ,4fghanistan, I966 Seep. 144 Photos: Hammond 2 .