Institute of Archaeology

Ovaj rad pruža prvu studiju grupe zašiljenih koštanih oruđa iz nedavno otkrivenog i dijelom istraženoga prapovijesnog naselja na području današnjeg Stobreča kod Splita, odnosno, po svemu sudeći, njegova srednjeg i kasnog brončanodobnog horizonta. Provedene su detaljne analize sirovine, tehnologije izrade, tipologije i funkcije kako bi se rekonstruirali aspekti svakodnevnog života ove prapovijesne zajednice te produbio uvid u njezine ekonomske aktivnosti i strategije iskorištavanja resursa. Istraživanje je pokazalo dominantnu upotrebu kostiju domaćih životinja, uz prisutnost lovne komponente. Morfološke karakteristike kostiju, kao i razvijene metode obrade, bile su ključne za oblikovanje oruđa poput probojaka, šila, igala i projektila. Funkcionalna interpretacija, temeljena na mikroskopskoj analizi tragova, ukazuje na obradu kože i biljnih vlakana te tekstilnu proizvodnju, kao i potencijalnu upotrebu u lovu ili ratovanju. Obogaćujući skromnu građu o prapovijesnim koštanim izrađevinama na istočnojadranskom priobalju, ova studija istodobno naglašava važnost interdisciplinarnoga holističkog pristupa za cjelovitu rekonstrukciju prapovijesnih praksi.

Abstract Gold-in-glass (GG) beads, composite ornaments encapsulating metal foil between glass layers, are widely distributed across the Mediterranean and Inner Asia, yet their presence and transmission remain insufficiently understood. In particular, the mechanisms by which Mediterranean natron composite glass circulated within pastoral-nomadic steppe networks require clarification. This study examines two GG beads from a third–fourth century CE burial at Tautekeli in the Kazakh Altai, a corridor linking the central and eastern steppe. Integrated SEM–EDS and micro-CT analyses demonstrate natron soda–lime glass compositions and reveal differing production strategies: one bead combines distinct glass batches, while the other derives from a single source. Structural evidence supports a drawn-tube core with viscous outer-layer application rather than formation by double tubes. This study provides new insight into the technological flexibility of GG bead production and shows that Mediterranean natron glass continued circulating across Eurasian steppe networks into the third–fourth centuries CE.

Using the official records of the North Ossetian Regional Committee of the CPSU, introduced into scholarly circulation for the fi rst time, this article examines the main trends and characteristics of North Ossetia’s socio-political development from 1953 to 1964. Drawing on archival documents, this article explores the reaction of the population of the North Ossetian ASSR to key political events in the USSR (the arrest of L. P. Beria in 1953, the condemnation of Stalin’s personality cult at the 20th Congress of the CPSU, the defeat of the “anti-party group” in June 1957, etc.), as well as the policies of the regional party and state leadership, headed by V. M. Agkatsev, fi rst secretary of the North Ossetian regional committee of the CPSU. The authors highlight key areas where public activity was most evident during this period.

The interaction between prehistoric humans and plant resources is key to understanding the origin and spread of agriculture. As a pivotal region for the transmission of East Asian continental cultures to the islands of Southeast Asia, the trajectory of rice ( Oryza sativa ) cultivation along the South China coast continues to be debated, largely due to the lack of direct evidence. This study employs micro-CT scanning to analyze Neolithic pottery sherds from the Hengyu site (6194–5582 cal a BP) in the lower Min River region of Fujian province. The findings reveal plant impressions composed primarily of rice chaff, accompanied by small quantities of minute weed seeds. The proportions of non-shattering rice spikelet bases (38%) and pedicels (33%) are significantly lower than those recorded in the contemporaneous lower Yangtze region. This indicates a lower degree of domestication and a delayed development of rice cultivation in this area. The findings suggest that within a mixed subsistence economy combining a broad-spectrum subsistence strategy with agriculture, the lag in rice domestication may have stemmed from the combined effects of low population pressure, a mobile lifestyle, and extensive rice management strategies. This pattern reflects a distinct prehistoric trajectory of rice cultivation in the coastal regions of South China. The study offers new evidence of localized agricultural adaptations in these areas and underscores the considerable potential of micro-CT scanning for advancing archaeobotanical research.