The Earth Beneath Your Feet
Archaeology on the Motorways in Slovenia
Pod Kotom - sever
IRN 15525
Motorway section
Geographicaf coordinates
Pri mary topographicol map sheet TTN 5
Cadastral register
Krog- archaeological site Pod Kotom - sever
MP
03/2 Vučja Vas-Beltinci
x 588153 y 165874 z 187
Radgona 40
c.c. Krog cadastral plot nos. 1355, 1356/1 . 2, 1357, 1358, 1359 / 2,
1360, 1362,1363, 1367/ 1,2, 1368/1,2,1372,1383/ 1, 2, 1384/1 , 1386,
1388, 1389, 1390, 1391 / 1,1392/ 1, 3.1395/ 1,1661 / 1, 1662/ 1,1663,
166 5, 1666, 1667, 1668 & 1669
Site type
Period
1ethod ond date of discovery, site discovered by
Settlement
Prehistoric, Late !ron Age, Roman , Medieval
Archaeological survey 1998- 1999, Bojan Oj uric, Branko Kerman
and Irena Savel
Excavation 2001
Fieldwork method ond date
Excavation director
Excavated area
Site archive kept by
Branko Kerman
24,000
m2
Pokrajinski muzej Murska Sobota
Occupation at the site Pod Kotom-sever depended
greatly on the underlying geology of sandy gravel and
gravel point bars, which were created by the river Mura.
Subsequent sedimentation filled the depressions between the point bars with silty sand, which gradually
levelled out the terrain. Agricultural activity furthered
the levelling process.
One of the earliest finds from the site is a large Early
Bronze Age vessel, which was found in the centre of the
excavated area on the extreme eastern profile of the pro-
Catalogue of Arceological Sites
Early Bronze Age pithos
Wide-bodied Late Bronze
Age ves sel with bosses and
protrusions
Roman jar pot with com bed
or furrowing decoration
jected motorway route. The storage vessel is an isolated
example and is located outside the occupation area. Severa] small undated features were discovered in the
vicinity. A similar example is known from
the Kotare-krogi site, where a comparable storage ves sel was discovered approximately 30 m from
the settlement.
The nature of the La te
Bronze Age occupation is more
certain. Two concentrations of
buildings from this period can be
identified on the basis of the excavated
structures. The first group is located in
the central part of the excavated area. Small
features (postholes) are arranged around a large pit that
contained a large amount of pottery, including a well
preserved Bronze Age vessel. The second greatest concentration of La te Bronze Age structures is located on
the northern periphery of the excavated area. The outstanding finds include two wide-bodied Late Bronze
Age vessels, which were deposited a few metres
away from the remaining structures. In addition to the postholes, the settlement remains consist of three large and two
small pits . The former are of irregular shape with flat bases and containa large number of potsherds.
They can be interpreted as rubbish
pits. The latter two are more difficult to interpret. Both the pits contained extant pottery
flasks, as well as bone fragments , a considerable
amount of charcoal and burnt day.
The well that was found in the centre of the settlement remains occupied a central position in the Late
Bronze Age settlement. Potsherds and charcoal were
also found in the fill.
A large ditch or water channel running along the
southern side of the excavation played a significant role
during occupation in the La te !ron Age as well as Roman period. The channel fill contained mixed La
Tene and Roman potsherds, which were found in
different filllayers . A thin layer of prehistoric pottery was found in the base of the channel.
A La Tene warrior cremation grave was discovered
at the edge of the channel. The crema ted bone and
charcoal of the burial were accompaied by metal gra ve
goods, including a clearly visi ble sword bent around the
grave, and scissors, as well as other unidentifiable artefacts. Pottery dishes and small jugs were also present.
The Roman settlement is located to the west of the
above-mentioned ditch. The most significant of all the
221
The Earth Beneath Your Feet
Late Bron ze Age (?) fiask-
Archaeology on the Motorways in Slovenia
structures that could be attributed to the Romanised indigenous people was a large irregular pit, a large, deep
welL In addtion to pottery, the well fill contained traces
of a wooden lining beneath a moist layer of sil t. A smaller jar was found at the bottom of the well.
Some long and narrow ditches containing Roman
potsherds were discovered on the southern side of the
excavated area. Occasional finds of Slavic pottery indicate that occupation continued on the Pod Kotom-sever
site into more recent periods. A rubbish pit containing
High medieval pottery was discovered at the southern
edge of the site.
shaped jug with narrow neck
BRANKO KERMAN
References
DJURIC, BOJAN , Poročilo
o arheoloških raziskavah na najdišču Pod kotom- sever, Ljubljana 1999KERMAN , BRANKO , Poročilo o arheološkem zaščitnem izkopavanju na
arheološkem najdišču Pod kotom - sever na trasi AC Vučja vas-Beltinci, Maribor, 2001.
- , "Pod kotom sever" , Enciklopedija Slovenije, Vol. 16, Ljubljana
2002,
p. 160.
VERBIČ, TOMAŽ,
najdišču
222
Geološka spremljavo arheoloških izkopavanj na
Pod kotom- sever, Ljubljana 2001.