Rasho Rashev Introduction Рашо Рашев Увод н и дум и Christina Angelova, Mark. Stefanovich Henrieta Todorova Христина Ангелова, Марк Стефанович Хенриета Тодорова Кратка биография

and on the body.

Spécial attention should be paid to two frag­ments from kantharos-like vessels from Damyanit­za and Topolnitza (tables IV. 1, 2). They represent one and the same composition of semi-ellipses, locatcd on the two sides of the neck, and large cir-cular areas on the body. A vertical black line passes along the middle part of the hanclle and empha-sizes the symmetry of the composition.

A positive-négative composition has been registered on an S-shaped vessel (table IV.3). The area under the mouth is filled up with semi-ellipses, and the middle part of the body is covered with a wide belt. A négative motif-trian­gle results on the shoulders of the vessel.

A fragment, found in Bulgarchevo, is an exception of the above characterization (table VII.5). It is a part of a dish, which had been probably put on a amical stool. The vessel is made of beige, very carefully purified clay, but pores have appeared as a resuit of the firing. The engobe has almost eliminated this effect on the outer surface, but it is very well seen on the inner side. The composition is performed with red and brown paint. The red paint covers larg-er areas (belts), and the brown Unes pass over it. The inner side of the vessel has been painted densely in red as well.

The polychromatic ceramics has been regis­tered in some settlements in Northern Greece. In the valley of the Struma River, it is présent in Dimitra (French 1964, fig. 4.20-22, 5.1-3), Gal-Iepsos (Schachermeyr 1955, abb. 23.5, 10), and Acropotamos-Group C (Myloxas 1941, 559). In Dimitra it is characteristic of phase Dimi­tía III, along with graphite décoration, incised and painted in "black on red" style (Gram.meno.s 1991, 75, pin. 46, 460-462). The polychromatic ceramics is a rare phenomenon to the east, in the Dramska lowland. Only two fragments are known, which were found in the phase Sitagri 111 (Renfrew etal. 1986, 403, Fig. 12,9.2; 12,10.7). To the west of the Struma valley, it has been reg­istered in the valley of the Aliakmon River and in Servia (French 1970, 7, Ridley/Wardle 1979. 216). The polychromatic ceramics in the listed settlements has similar indicators (clay, shapes, motifs) to those of the ceramics from the val-

ley of middle Struma. Only one fragment from Dimitra stands out with its beige clay and bi-con-vex shape (French 1964, fig. 5.3).

There are two geographic regions where polychromatic ceramics is present: Thessalia and Asia Minor. The polychromatic ceram­ics in Thessalia appears during the phase Di-mini Tzangli and is especially popular during the Dimini Arapi phase (Hauptmann/Milojcic 1969, 29, 60-64). There are three types of poly­chromatic ceramics, which can be differenti­ated in the phase Dimini Tzangli, one of which is similar to ours - it has a red ornamentation, confined by a dark line on a light background (Démoule et al. 1988, 29-33). But the presence of a light background in the form of a white en­gobe is especially typical for Thessalia. In this respect, only a fragment from Bulgarchevo (ta­ble VII.5) exhibits greatest similarities.

Some fragments with a polychromatic or­namentation, which were found in Can Hasan, Asia Minor (French 1963, 39, fig. 6.13, 15, 7.1-2; French 1965, 121), are very similar to the ma­terial, we have presented. They offer the same color combinations: red belts, confined by black

lines on a red or brown-red background, simi-lar motifs, as weil as shapes. The polychromatic ceramics appears in the phase Chan Hasan 2A.₍, which is referred to the middle Chalkolith and continues to exist tili the end of this phase. It is accompanied by painted ceramics - black on a red or beige background.

The polychromatic ceramics in the valley of middle Struma is closely related with the com-plex of red ceramics, which is characteristic of the last phase of Damyanitza and the earliest phase of Strumsko (Pernici ieva 1992, 224-225). The painted ceramics of type Acropotamos, lo­cal variant (group A), which exhibits notable similarities with respect to clay, shapes, and

Table VIII. 1-4, 6-7. Strumsko; 5, 8. Damyanitza.

evcn motifs, to the ceramics, wc bave presented, is belonging to this complex as well (Grebska-Kulov 1994).

The polychromatic ceramics in the valley of middle Struma is undoubtedly a local product, which has appeared on the basis of foreign in­fluences. At the présent level of research it is hard to prove if it is related to the ceramics from Thessalia or Asia Minor. A fragment, found in Bulgarchevo, which reminds very much of the ceramics fiom Thessalia, could plead for this connection.

The polychromatic ceramics in the valley of middle Struma is an important chronological indicator for the end of the late Neolith and the beginning of the early Eneolith.