SLAVONSKI BROD INFO  

History of Slavonski Brod - a short overview

Prehistorical era in Slavonski Brod and surroundings

The geological finds of wider territory of Brod surroundings reach up to Palaeozoic period ( about 300 million years), and they are documented with the appearance of the eruptive rocks. The oldest traces of the appearance of the living things belongs to Tertiary (about 20 million years ) and are connected with the animal fossil comunities` finds of Panonian Sea ( petrified snails, shells, fishes, corals, stars, and etc.). The most important are the finds of the wertebra whale, species Mesocoetus agrami and shark˘s teeth remains, species Carcharodon megalodon.

The phenomenon of the continental mammals in this area is connected with Quaternary (about million years ). Especially often were finds of mammoth, cave˘s bear, bison, fallow deer. The most important finds represents the discovery of the elephant of the steppe. It is about the complete finds of the skull of the elephant of the steppe found during the excavation of Glogovica canal in town, in 1957. This exemplar belongs to species Mamuthus armeniacus and it is about 400.000 years old. It represents the most complete finds of that kind in this part of Europe.

The oldest traces of human˘s appearance on wider area of Slavonian and Bosnian Posavina till now belong to the period of the middle Palaeolithic (Older Stone Age - about 40.000 years old) - Musterien culture and it can be followed during the time of the younger Palaeolithic and Mesolithic ( about 10.000 years old).

The oldest finds of the human presence in Slavonski Brod surroundings reach up to the period of the older Neolithic (younger Stone Age - 8.000 years old). It was the period of the establishing first colonies and changing to sitting economy. Beside hunting and fishing and gathering food, man started dealing with cattle-breeding and agriculture, they lived in colonies that were half-buried in the ground - sod-houses…They used polished stone tools and arms (axes, darts, grindstones), and the manufacture of the ceramic things and weaving cloth started.

It looks like that the living conditions at the space of wide Brod surroundings in the period of the older Neolithic were especially favourable, because the great number of the oldest Neolithic culture colonies of South-eastern Europe were appeared - Starčevac culture. Just the wide area of the town Slavonski Brod is rich with finds that originate from this period and with a great certainty we can talk of the complex of the colonies or of the middle colony of this culture in Slavonia and in its˘ earlier phases. In immediate surroundings of the town and in it, there are about ten localities of this culture, and the most important finding places are: Igrač near Brod, Ciglana in Brod, Dužine near Zadubravlje.

About some 6.000 years ago, Sopot culture, peculiar Neolithic phenomenon originated in Slavonia. This culture represents exclusive Slavonian phenomenon and lasted till the end of the 4th millennium BC In that period, besides sod-house colonies, also appeared colonies with the overhead houses of the rectangular foundation. According to a great amount of localities in Brod surroundings (about 20) , it is perceptible that the intensity of the settlement and life was continued. The most important localities of this cultural phenomenon are: Marinci - Brodsko Vinogorje, Slobodnica, Klinovac - Klokočevik, Medvode - Glogovica and Topolice - Gornja Bebrina.

During the 3rd millennium BC in space of the Middle and Eastern Slavonia came a new population element and occupied this area - the bearers of the Baden culture. The Badens conquered this area like bearers of the New Age - the Eneolithic. The period of Eneolithic represents the period of the appearance of metallurgy - the manufacture of copper things. The bearers of the Baden culture brought into their way of living and they colonised other positions then the earlier mentioned during the Sopot culture. They lived in sod-house colonies, burnt up their dead or buried them, manufactured their peculiar shapes of ceramic vessels and ornamented them by engraving and with other similar procedures. It is presumption they are the bearers of the 1st (the oldest) Indo-European wave of migration on European territory. Not far away from Slavonski Brod - locality Saloš near Donja Vrba , metallurgical workshops were found in the remains of the Baden culture colonies. The similar traces of metal manufacture were found in locality Okukalj near Gornja Bebrina and with this Slavonski Brod surroundings became significant area for research work of the earliest metallurgy in Europe. Besides already mentioned localities, it is valuably to mention finding places in Rušćica (Taške) and Donja Bebrina (Paljevine).

Due to the natural historical development, Baden culture in Slavonia had transformed 4.500 years ago in Kostolac culture, from which later it developed Vucedol culture - the most important eneolitic culture event in Slavonia . In its˘ later phases it expanded to a great part of the Middle and South-eastern Europe. Unfortunately, in Brod surroundings we have, so far, established only sporadic evidences of these cultures on localities: Gornja Bebrina - Okukalj, Donja Vrba - Saloš and Donja Bebrina - Paljevine.

At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, the Vucedol culture reached its˘ end and great changes started in these places - a new Age has been generated - the Copper Age. It was the begininig of use of copper alloies usually in combination with lead, tin or arsenic - the use of bronze. The traces of the earliest cultural events of this Age have not been found in Brod surroundings. The ceramic remains of Vatin culture were discovered in Donja Bebrina locality - Paljevine - the cultural phenomenon (time frame the end of early Bronze Age and the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age). A large number of localities is connected with the remains of "Brod culture". It is known very little about the middle Bronze Age because there were no systematic researches none of the localities, although there were about ten of them in wider area of Brodsko Posavlje up today. The most important localities in Brod surroundings are: Slavonski Brod - Galovo, Gornja Bebrina - Bidevi, Donja Bebrina - Malo selište, Stari Slatnik - Jelas polje.

The late Bronze Age started about 3300 years ago. It was the starting period of the culture of the glow fields in Slavonia. The bearers of this culture had developed technology of re-making and treatment of bronze. Very good strategical and traffic position, and also the close proximity of Bosnia rich with mineral made possible a real explosion of settlement around Slavonski Brod. Most of the colonies were situated in the valley by the river Sava where most of the covered necropolis and closets were found. The Brod surroundings is exceptionally important area for research work on the closet phenomenon of the Bronze Age. These were probably travelling skilled workmen closets - the founders of the bronze objects. About twenty such closets have been found so far that included several thousands of bronze things of the different shape and purpose: tools and arms ( sickles, axes, knifes, razors, spears, swords, daggers and etc.) and jewellery ( necklaces, bracelets, rings, fibulas, appendage, shackles, needles, belts and etc). The raw`s bronze belts, vessels for casting and moulds for bronze casting.. The most significant closets are: Brodski Varoš - Jarača, Slavpnski Brod - Bjeliš I and II, Slavonski Brod - Livadićeva Street and Poljanci - Donje polje (more of them).

People of that time built overhead houses of wood and mud in square shape, and because they built them in swamp areas they were of the pile-dwelling shape. The most important (out of 15 espied in Brod surroundings) are: Završje - Gradište, Sibinj - Visovac, Rušćica - Vretena, Slavonski Brod - Bjeliš, Slavonski Brod - the foundation of the theatre-concert hall and Garčin - Ilian˘s wood. The significant archeological finds of necropolis were discovered in Vranovci (Gomilice), Oriovac and Stari Perkovci (Dobrevo). It was about the burial of burned bones of the dead so that bones are buried in urns (so called "gređan type).

The occurrence of the older Iron Age in Slavonia was not accompanied with violent changes because they continued to live in the spirit of tradition of the bearers of glow fields` culture under new cultural influences from the East and the West. In everyday˘s life the role of bronze disappeared, shapes of things became simpler, and the iron`s role increased.This period started in the 8th century B. C. Because of unexplored localities from this period we can only talk about sporadic finds of the older Iron Age in Slavonski Brod surroundings. The most significant localities are: Slavonski Brod, Sibinj and Završje.

New migration movements began in the 5th century BC by removing Celts from Gaul to the East. They arrived and captured localities near Brod and Slavonia in the 4th century B C That was the beginning of the younger Iron Age. They were experts in treatment of and re-making iron like expressive warriors, so they considered themselves as masters. They were skilful in the manufacture of ceramic materials on quickly rotating wheel, glass and enamel treatment .They minted coins like Greeks and Romans. They built fortified colonies with walls of fired ground - the oppidum. One oppidum was espied in locality Donja Bebrina -Paljevine. Most significant localities near Brod are: Gornja Bebrina - Bidevi, Slavonski Brod - the centre of town, Završje - Gradište and Klokočevik - Gardun grad.

The rule of Celts had lasted out on these localities untill the end of the 1st century B. C., when Romans broke in this area.

Translated by Mirta Bušić