Changes through Time in the Early Neolithic Settlement of Kovačevo, Southwest Bulgaria

doi:10.1017/9781107337640.022

Chapter 18 - Changes through Time in the Early Neolithic Settlement of Kovačevo, Southwest Bulgaria

from Part IV - Southeast Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2022

Marion Lichardus-Itten

Edited by

Peter F. Biehl and

Eva Rosenstock

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Peter F. Biehl: Affiliation:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Eva Rosenstock: Affiliation:
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

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Summary

The Early Neolithic settlement of Kovačevo was founded during the period with particularly cold and arid climate conditions caused by the 6.2-Event. Excavations provide good evidence that the inhabitants were frequently struck by strong rainfalls and had thus to combat heavy inundations and remaining puddles. The invention of drainage pits under the buildings can therefore be interpreted as a result of regional adaptation to such weather conditions. This construction technique also existed at other sites in southeastern Europe. In Kovačevo such buildings represent nearly half of the excavated houses. They exist from the beginning of the Early Neolithic settlement (about 6200 calBC) and continue to be constructed until the Middle Neolithic (about 5400 calBC), which means that a custom initially motivated by climatic condition became part of local tradition and persisted over a period of 800 years, even after the wet period was over.

Keywords

Pit houses Stratigraphy Typology Coïne

Type: Chapter
Information: 6000 BC
Transformation and Change in the Near East and Europe
, pp. 301 - 318

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107337640.022 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2022

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Chapter 18 - Changes through Time in the Early Neolithic Settlement of Kovačevo, Southwest Bulgaria

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