Set of bronze jewellery from the site of Velika Humska Čuka near Niš, SE Serbia: A contribution to the study of interactions between Bronze Age communities of Central Europe and the Central Balkans

Abstract

The paper presents an extraordinary new find from the site of Velika Humska Čuka near Niš, in south-eastern Serbia. During the 2022 excavation campaign, a set of bronze jewellery was discovered, comprised of a pin, a band, ten saltaleoni, and ten circular pendants. Of particular importance are the finds of circular pendants, which are known throughout the Bronze Age in the territory of Europe. Such pendants are traditionally connected with Central Europe and the Hügelgräber culture, therefore representing an uncommon find for the Central Balkans. The paper provides a stylistic and typological analysis of jewellery, complemented with physical and chemical analyses, and further discusses the scope and effects of interactions between Central Europe and Central Balkans during the Bronze Age.

Keywords

• south-eastern europe
• central europe
• balkans
• velika humska čuka
• late bronze age
• hügelgräber
• bronze jewellery
• cultural transmission