Pottery from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age from Bada Bunar, near Karnobat

The subject of this report is pottery from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age, discovered during salvage excavations of the “Trakiya” motorway, LOT 5, km 6+700-6+800.

This area is located 5 km south of Karnobat (Христова 2007, 16). It consists of the lower outskirts of a hill with slight slopes, which is bordered by a small gully on the west side (fig. 1,1.2). In the farthest part of the investigated place, in close proximity to the gully, a partially preserved settlement structure has been excavated. In its northwestern part, the basis of wall section stones as well as the basis of a fireplace and a heap of pottery fragments were found. However, no post holes were registered. The preserved structures could be found at depth of 0,30 m from the first (machine-made) excavation level (Христова 2009, 34-40), others represent partially preserved pits from the Iron Age. It seems that they have disturbed the earlier cultural strata.

Fig. 1: 1 Bada Bunar: salvage excavations in 2006. 2 Bada Bunar: excavations in 2009.

The basic technological criteria of the investigated pottery are: the surface colour, the treatment of the surface, additives in the temper of the clay, and characteristics of the burning process. The descriptions were conducted employing visual, not microscope analysis.

Vessels with brown and grey colour of the surface predominate among pottery. Most pieces have a rough, unevenly smoothed surface on the outside and the inside of the vessel.

Based on the concentration and type of temper, four types of clay could be classified: very rough, rough, semi-rough and semi-fine, among which the rough and very rough predominate. Regarding the temper, the additives most frequently met are pebbles of different sizes, quartz particles and sand, though in some cases one can come across chamotte and organic matter. The wall section shows one, two or three “stripes” from the burning process.

When the clay is very rough the main temper consists of light and dark mica, large (0,7 sm), medium and small pebbles, which occur in medium or high frequency (fig. 2). Additional temper may be chamotte and organic matter although both substances appear in a minimal quantity (fig. 3). All fragments in this category belong to the deep vessels section. The thickness of the walls lies between 1 and 1,5 cm, the surface colour is grey, grey-black or brown and can have a red or grey shade. The surface is roughly smoothed, with a decoration of impressions in two or four rows, or with one or two plastic bands interrupted by small pits under the rim.

Fig. 2 and 3: Bada Bunar. Pottery fragments: temper.

Rough clay is characterized by a high concentration of medium and small pebbles, quartz particles, light and dark mica, sand and chamotte in minimal quantities. The fragments belong to deep vessels, pots and bowls with a wall thickness of 1 to 0,8 cm. Their surface is rough or roughly smoothed, with a brown colour and a red, grey or beige shade. They are without decorations or impressions below the rim. Some examples may have a plastic band interrupted by impressions or small pits.

The semi-rough clay could be distinguished by a temper of light or dark mica, medium and small pebbles and sand. Some finds have chamotte added in small quantities. The fragments are parts of bowls, dishes and pots with a wall thickness of 0,5 cm to 0,9 cm. Their surface is brown, with a red or grey shade. In some cases, however, the shade could be black if the inner and outer surface was well-smoothed. The decorations are impressions and fluting.

The main temper of the semi-fine clay consists of light and dark mica, sand and small pebbles. The fragments represent bowls and dishes, decorated with impressions, plastic bands interrupted by small pits and fishbone ornaments. The wall thickness ranges from 0,6 cm to 0,7 cm. The fragments have a brown surface, sometimes with a red, grey or grey-black shade.

From a functional point of view there are three types of pottery: pottery for the table (table ware), for the kitchen (kitchen ware) and for storage, which can be divided in four categories of vessels – deep vessels (for storing food and liquids), pots for preparing and storing food and liquids, bowls (for serving food and eating) and dishes (mainly for eating) (Лещаков 1988, 7). Generally, geometrical terms are used for their description, like cone, sphere, semi-sphere. The fragmentation of the ceramic material prevents the development of a detailed typology.

This category includes vessels whose shape makes them useful for containing supplies. They differ from type I of the pots due to the large thickness of the walls, their rough surface and their big mouth diameter. However, some of their forms might be included in the group of the pots, but they are included here by convention.

Fig. 4: Bada Bunar. 1-5 Type I: Deep vessels with a straight rim; 6-9 Type II: Deep vessels with bulging walls; 10-11 Type III: Deep vessels with inverted walls; 12-15 Type IV: Deep vessels with walls turned outward; 16 Type V: Deep vessels with a funnel mouth.

Type I. Deep vessels with a straight rim (fig. 4,1-5). The lip can be either straight or evenly cut (fig. 4,1.5) or reduced and rounded (fig. 4,4). The decoration consists of impressions in two or four rows. Some examples even have impressions on the lip.

Type II. Deep vessels with a slightly bulging wall (fig. 4,6-9). The lip could be rounded (fig. 4,6), thinning and rounded (fig. 4,7) or obliquely cut (fig. 4,8.9). The decorations consist of impressions in two or three rows, some could be situated on the lip.

Type III. Deep vessels with inverted walls (fig. 4,10.11). The lip could be rounded or reduced. Sometimes there was decoration; it consisted of two plastic bands interrupted by impressions below the rim.

Type IV. Deep vessels with walls turning outward (fig. 4,12-15). The lip of the rim could be rounded (fig. 4,12.13.15) or reduced on the outside (fig. 4,14). In some cases the decoration consisted of two plastic bands with impressions, situated under the rim. Type V. Deep vessels with a funnel mouth (fig. 4,16).

The category includes vessels that have a smaller mouth diameter in comparison to the finds in the previous category. They are deeper. This is what makes their purpose different.

Type I. Pots with a straight rim (fig. 5,1). The lip is evenly cut. The decoration in some cases consists of plastic bands interrupted by impressions under the rim and small pits under the plastic band.

Type II. Pots with a spherical shape (fig. 5,2-3). The rim could vary from aslant to reduced and curved out examples.

Type III. Pots with inverted walls (fig. 5,4-6). The lip is round and aslant. The decoration consists mostly of impressions under the rim in one or more rows.

Type IV. Pots with convex walls and funnel handles under the rim with rounded and aslant lip (fig. 5,7-8). As a subtype we could distinguish a vessel with a low cylindrical neck and tunnel handles under the rim (fig. 5,8).

Fig. 5: Bada Bunar. 1 Type I: Pots with straight walls; 2-3 Type II: Spherical pots; 4-6 Type III: Pots with inverted walls; 7-8 Type IV: Pots with tunnel lugs under the rim; 9 Type I: Conical dishes with a funnel mouth; 10-15 Type II: Inverted conical dishes.

This category includes open vessels; the biggest diameter is at the rim.

Type I. Dishes with a conical body and a funnel mouth (fig. 5,9). The lip is round. The transition from the rim to the body is clearly distinguishable.

Type II. Dishes shaped like an upside down intersected cone (fig. 5,10-15). The lip is round, in some cases reduced and curved outwards (fig. 5,14.15). As an exception it is shaped differently when there is a funnel handle under the rim (fig. 5,12). The decoration consists of impressions at the break.

The bowls are more closed in comparison to the previous vessel types. There are four types of bowls.

Fig. 6: Bada Bunar. 1-7 Type I: Conical bowls with a funnel mouth; 8-9 Type II: Hemispheric bowls; 10 Type III: Spherical bowls; 11-16 Type IV: Inverted conical bowls.

Type I. These are bowls distinguished by their conical body and funnel mouth (fig. 6,1-7). Sometimes in the breaking zone of the vessel’s wall a funnel handle could be situated (fig. 6,5-7). The lip could range from rounded to obliquely cut. The decoration consists of impressions or a plastic band with impressions. In some cases there could be an incised decoration on the inside (fig. 6,7).

Type II. Bowls with a semi-spherical body (fig. 6,8.9). The lip is round or slightly sharp and curved inwards, the decoration usually consists two lines of impressions.

Type III. Bowls with a spherical body. The rim and lip are round and curved inwards (fig. 6,10).

Type IV. Bowls with a body shaped like a turned cone (fig. 6,11-16). Their lip could be alternating from rounded to slightly sharp and reduced. One of the fragments is decorated with a fishbone ornament (fig. 6,16).

There can be tunnel (fig. 7,6-10) or quasi-tunnel lugs (fig. 7,11) with knobs functioning as handles (fig. 7,1-5) and vertical handles (fig. 7,12-14).

Fig. 7: Bada Bunar 1-5 Knobs; 6-11 Tunnel lugs and quasi-tunnel lugs; 12-14 Vertical handles; 15 Main decoration techniques.

The main techniques for decorations are described by the different types of impressions – oval, triangular, slanting, rhomboid, occasionally on plastic bands. According to its position the decoration occurs under the rim or on the rim’s lip itself. The most common type of decoration consists of two or four lines with small pits, below the rim. The small pits occur on the plastic band as well. The dishes and bowls feature characteristic impressions on the rim. Channeling on the inside of the vessel and the so-called fishbone ornament are characteristic (fig. 7,15).

When assessing the indicated shapes and decorations it comes to mind that their analogies can be found mainly in the ceramic complex of the bearers of the Cernavodă III culture. The latter is very well researched in Romania (Morintz/Roman 1970, 557-570; Morintz/Roman 1968, 81-98). It can be found in Slovakia, Hungary and Austria (Oanţă- Marghitu 2008: date of access 23.03.2008), as well as in Bulgaria, with examples from villages in northeast Bulgaria, near Koprivets (Zmeykova 2001, 220-221), Mirovtsi (Змейкова 1992, 33-44), Durankulak II a, Kragulevo and Dulgopol; and in the south – in the vicinity of the Ropotamo river (Драганов 1990, 161-174), Drama-Merdžumekja near the river Tundja (Lichardus/Iliev 2001, 166-199; Лихардус/Фол/Гетов 2001, 44) and Jasdač near the city of Čirpan (Panayotova/Mikov/Hristov 2004, 191-197) (Fig. 8). Among the southernmost locations, which are influenced by the cultural complex Cernavodă III – Baden (Boleraz), are the sites near Sitagroi (Sitagroi IV) and Dikilitash (Dikilitash IIIA) (Séferiadés 2001, 112; Nikolova 2001, 236).

The deep vessels from type I have parallels among the types of Drama-Merdžumekja (Lichardus/Iliev 2001, 185-186), Durankulak II a, the villages of Cernavodă, Malu Roşu - Giurgiu and Locusteni (Zmeykova 2001, 218, 229). Those from type II bear analogies to the vessels from Drama-Merdžumekja (Лихардус/Фол/Гетов 2001, 43), Mirovtsi (Змейкова 1992, 41), Durankulak II a (Драганов 1990, 161, 167), Malu Roşu - Giurgiu, Brza Vrba and throughout the entire Baden complex (Zmeykova 2001, 218, 231).

The vessels from type III could be found in Drama-Merdžumekja (Lichardus/Iliev 2001, 185, 187), Mirovtsi (Змейкова 1992, 40), Durankulak II a (Драганов 1990, 16) and Nitriansky Hrádok of the Baden (Boleráz) complex (Zmeykova 2001, 218, 231). The pots from type IV are similar to those from Slobozia and Malu Roşu - Giurgiu (Morintz/Roman 1968, Abb. 32/1-3; Abb. 35/2).

Type I dishes bear analogies to the vessels in Durankulak II a (Драганов 1990, 167 фигура V,34), and the bowls from type I are similar to those from Jasdač (near the city of Čirpan) (Panayotova/Mikov/Hristov 2004, 196, Abb.2.2). The shapes of bowls with a conical body and small sizes that could be considered as part of drinking vessels, are also known from the ceramic complex of the Cernavodă I culture (Roman 2001, 32, Abb. 6/9; Morintz/Roman 1968, 48). One could come across them during the transitional period (Илчева 1996, 16) and later, among the pottery of Baden and Boleráz (Němejcová-Pavúková 1992, 374; Köninger/Kolb/Schlichtherle 2001, 664). The fishbone ornament existed throughout the entire cultural complex of Cernavodă III Baden (Boleráz) with variations of the angles between the curved lines (Jevtić 2001, 337; Govedarica 2001, 366; Morintz/Roman 1968, 94).

Fig. 8: Cernavodă III culture area in Bulgaria.

Similarly to some other sites in Bulgaria, all structures at Bada Bunar have been disturbed. That is why a more precise characterization of this initial stage of the Early Bronze Age will be subject to future research.

The discussed ceramic assemblage marks one more spot of the Cernavodă III distribution area south of the Balkan range.

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