Mud-plastered granary-baskets at a Celtic Oppidum near Čarnok (Vojvodina, Serbia)

Abstract

In the Celtic Oppidum near Čarnok (Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia) remains of four mud-plastered granarybaskets were discovered. They are all dated to the period Gomolava VI-B (first half of the 1st century B.C.). Hulled barley and broomcorn millet were stored in the granary-baskets. The mesh of the granary-baskets was composed of young branches of oak tree (Quercus), common English elm tree (Ulmus cf. campestris L.), poplar / willow (Populus / Salix), purgin buckthorn (Rhamnus cf. cathartica L.), wayfaring tree (Viburnum cf. lantana L.), spindle tree (Euonymus cf. europaeus L.), barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) and a Pomoidae-tree. At least four different tree taxa were used for basket making. Construction of two-thousand-year old mud-plastered granary-baskets from the Pannonian plain is very similar to that of traditional granaries in some present-day villages in Africa. Additionally, one non-plastered basket was also discovered at Oppidum. It was build out of maple (Acer), barberry, buckthorn (Rhamnus) and branches of a pomaceous fruits tree (Pomoidae). .

Keywords

• archaeobotany
• Celts
• grain storage
• mud-plastered baskets
• Opidum Čarnok
• Vojvodina
• Serbia