Prehistoric occupation at Tash bair near Novgrad (Ruse District) and its cultural-historical position in the Eastern Balkans

Abstract

The Tash bair mountain ridge at the confluence of the Yantra and the Lower Danube has been the subject of intensive archaeological research by a Bulgarian-German team since 2018. Significant prehistoric settlement sites existed there in the Late Neolithic, Middle Bronze Age, and Early Iron Age. Based on the stratigraphic observations of the settlement layers, a substantial relative chronological classification for the prehistoric periods was elaborated for the first time. Beyond this, a series of radiocarbon dates allows a first absolute chronological classification of the extensive find inventories from the prehistoric periods. The development of occupation at these sites was closely linked to the development of the water system in the lowlands of the Yantra and Studena reka rivers, which continues into historical times. During the prehistoric period, it was an important center where various cultural groups can be found that are also characteristic of the northern bank of the Danube (Wallachia). Apparently, Tash bair functioned for a long time as a bridgehead between the two banks of the Lower Danube, which emphasizes its strategic position.