49Arheološki vestnik 73, 2022, 049–097; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AV.73.03; CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The archaeological site of Podsmreka 2 near 
Višnja Gora is located on a gentle slope descend-
ing towards the floodplain of the Višnjica stream. 
It was detected during the 1999 watching brief of 
the motorway flyover at Podsmreka (Fig. 1).1 The 
1  Drago Svoljšak from the National Museum of Slovenia 
headed the excavations. The author of the contribution ana-
lysed the small finds as part of her master’s thesis entitled 
Srednja bronasta doba na Dolenjskem – primer Podsmreka 
under the mentorship of Prof. Biba Teržan, defended in 
2008 at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. The 
ensuing excavations covered 7300 m2 between the 
local road from Višnja Gora to Ivančna Gorica and 
the railway line from Ljubljana to Novo mesto, 
revealing part of a settlement that had already 
been damaged during the road and railway con-
structions. It was additionally disturbed during 
agricultural activities, as sherds of prehistoric 
site (Podsmreka 1, 2 and 3) was comprehensively published 
in 2013, as part of the e-publications of the Arheologija na 
avtocestah Slovenije series, Vol. 42 (Murgelj 2013).
The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka
in the Dolenjska region
Keramika iz bronastodobne naselbine v Podsmreki
na Dolenjskem
Ida MURGELJ
Izvleček
V članku je predstavljena bronastodobna naselbina Podsmreka pri Višnji Gori, v kateri je bilo odkritih tudi pet sočasnih 
grobov otrok oziroma mlajših oseb. V naselbini je bila pomembna dejavnost zbiranje in predelovanje rdečega muljevca, 
rumenega meljevca in boksitnih oblic. Glavni poudarek je na tipološki in kronološki opredelitvi keramičnih najdb. Te 
so skupaj z gradivom iz Olorisa pri Dolnjem Lakošu pripomogle k oblikovanju pojma horizont Oloris-Podsmreka, ki 
na območju jugovzhodnih Alp obsega čas srednje in prehod v pozno bronasto dobo.
Ključne besede: Dolenjska; Podsmreka pri Višnji Gori; bronasta doba; horizont Oloris-Podsmreka; naselbina; grobovi; 
keramične najdbe; mineralne surovine
Abstract
Excavations at Podsmreka near Višnja Gora unearthed a Bronze Age settlement and associated five burials of children 
or juvenile individuals. They brought to light a wealth of finds that include accumulations of red mudstone, yellow silt-
stone and bauxite cobbles, the collecting and processing of which was an important activity of the settlement’s inhabit-
ants, but also quantities of pottery that is the topic of this contribution discussing, more particularly, its typological and 
chronological attribution. Together with the pottery from Oloris, it defines the phenomenon that is the Oloris-Podsmreka 
horizon, which covers the Middle and transition to the Late Bronze Age in the south-eastern Alpine area.
Keywords: Slovenia; Dolenjska; Podsmreka near Višnja Gora; Bronze Age; Oloris-Podsmreka horizon; settlement; 
burials; pottery; mineral raw material
50 Ida MURGELJ
pottery already came to light in the mixed layer 
some 20 cm deep, while the bulk of the remains 
lay at a depth of roughly 40 cm.
The excavations unearthed a settlement and five 
cremation burials attributable to the Virovitica 
group or the Oloris-Podsmreka horizon (Murgelj, 
Svoljšak 2003b; Murgelj 2014a). Similarly as the 
other settlements of the group, it was sited on 
slightly elevated ground above a waterway, in this 
case the Višnjica stream, which has a low gradient 
and is therefore prone to flooding (Gams 1984; 
Perko, Orožen Adamič 2001). The stream flows 
into the River Krka close to the latter’s spring in 
the cave of Krška jama, in immediate proximity 
to the Gradiček village.
HABITATION REMAINS
The excavation area was divided in two sectors, 
each with its own grid square numbers to facilitate 
documentation. The one in the north was named 
Sector 1, heavily damaged by construction work, 
the one in the south Sector 2 (Fig. 2).
The site had a simple basic stratigraphy (Murgelj 
2013, 9; Fig. 9): the cultural layer covered the un-
derlying geology with the bottoms of storage and 
refuse pits surviving to shallow depths in the latter.
Roughly 25,000 pieces of pottery were collected 
in the settlement, in 73 differently-sized concentra-
tions with individual sherds scattered in between 
(Fig. 2: red numbers [Sector 1, Concentrations 
1–17; Sector 2, Concentrations 1–56]). Some of 
the cluster concentrations indicated the existence 
of buildings measuring roughly 8 × 10 m in plan 
(Fig. 2: Buildings 1–4). In some cases, small finds 
were scattered around large storage and refuse pits, 
suggesting these were located in building interi-
ors. The ground plans of buildings were aligned 
in a northwest–south-easterly direction (Fig. 2). 
Archaeological remains were recorded across the 
whole of the excavated area and were presumably 
also present in the parts previously destroyed by 
construction work.
Of the archaeological remains, 64 concentra-
tions and five cremation burials are attributable to 
the Bronze Age, four concentrations to the Early 
Iron Age. Other finds include differently-sized 
and relatively shallow sunken features, 5 to 15 cm 
deep with bottoms recorded 40–50 cm below the 
present-day surface, which have been identified as 
refuse and storage pits. They contained pottery, 
but also fragments of quernstones, whetstones, in 
rare cases pieces of burnt daub, of red mudstone 
and even rarer animal bones. The Bronze Age settle-
ment yielded no metal finds with the exception of 
Fig. 1: Location of archaeological sites. Scale = 1:50000.
Sl. 1: Lega arheoloških najdišč. M. = 1:50000.
1 – Podsmreka 2; 2 – Ivančna Gorica. (© Atlas Slovenije, 2005)
51The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Fig. 2: Podsmreka 2. Plan of the Bronze Age habitation remains in Sectors 1 and 2.
Sl. 2: Podsmreka 2. Sektorja 1 in 2 z bronastodobnimi naselbinskimi ostalinami.
52 Ida MURGELJ
two pieces of sheet bronze (Murgelj 2013, G950, 
G951). In contrast, the find of a mould for casting 
rings (ib., G280) suggests that metallurgic activities 
did take place here.
The remains include practically no features such 
as postholes that would indicate the existence of 
earthfast or post-in-ground construction. The 
only exception is six holes in Sector 1, in Grid 
Squares 148 and 153, on a roughly 2 × 3 m large 
surface (Fig. 2). Three of these were dug at an 
angle, suggesting a building with a slanted roof 
construction.
Several pits with pottery sherds also had a 
considerable amount of crushed pottery on the 
ground around them, suggesting they formed the 
interior floor of buildings measuring some 8 × 10 
m (Buildings 1–4). Two such outlined buildings 
were in Sector 1, around Concentrations 8 and 
9, respectively, the other two in Sector 2, around 
Concentrations 56 and 8 (Fig. 2).
Buildings 5 and 6 date to the Early Iron Age 
(Murgelj 2013, 19) and will therefore not be dis-
cussed here.
Mineral raw material
The remains that attracted much attention were 
accumulations of red mudstone, yellow siltstone 
and cobbles of bauxite, more precisely oolitic 
bauxite ore.
The largest accumulation of red mudstone 
measured 6 × 6 m, it was some 80 cm deep with 
several pockets reaching even deeper. It was de-
posited in a pit, the edges of which could not be 
identified due to the effects of bedrock weather-
ing (Fig. 2: Sector 1/between Grid Squares 56–71 
and 62–67). Yellow siltstone, which has slightly 
coarser grains in comparison with mudstone, was 
found in smaller accumulations, with the largest 
one measuring 3 × 1.20 m (Fig. 2: Sector 2/Grid 
Square 31). According to geologist Tomaž Verbič, 
these are not natural formations, but rather col-
lected raw material deposited here for storage. 
Outcrops of both rocks are today known along 
the banks of the Višnjica stream, around Višnja 
Gora and in the Podsmreka quarry (Verbič 2013, 
322, Fig. 48–58).
Also found were differently-sized accumula-
tions of bauxite cobbles. The largest one was 
recorded in the southeast part of the excavation 
area (Sector 2), one also scattered on top of the 
largest accumulation of red mudstone (Sector 1). 
Individual cobbles were recovered across the rest 
of the settlement, but rarely in storage and refuse 
pits (Murgelj 2013, 18, Fig. 11a,b; 21; 22).
Fairly frequent were the finds of grinding stone 
tools such as grinders and grinding slabs. The 
latter are elongated and relatively thin slabs of 
quartz sandstone with carefully worked surfaces. 
One of them bears traces of red mudstone (Fig. 
3), which suggests that at least some were used to 
grind or crush siltstone and mudstone (Murgelj 
2013, 18, Fig. 23; 24).
The flat round grinders were made of different 
rocks and recovered in pits together with pottery 
sherds (Murgelj 2013, G80, G498, G882).
A similar grinder was unearthed in the hearth 
next to Grave 4 in the Bezdanjača cave, in the Lika 
region of Croatia (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, Pl. 
9: 2). The grinder and one of the pots from the 
hearth bore traces of red ochre, pieces of which 
were also placed at other skeletons. The deceased in 
this cave were carefully laid on the cave floor and 
grave goods placed around them. The red ochre 
was presumably used during the burial ritual pro-
viding a red pigment likely used for painting parts 
or the whole body of the deceased. As a symbol of 
eternal life, red ochre is believed to have marked 
the transition to the afterlife.
The red mudstone from Podsmreka cannot 
positively be identified as red ochre as we do not 
know the composition of other ochres used in 
mortuary rituals from the Palaeolithic onwards. It 
is likely that both rocks served to obtain pigments 
that the inhabitants used either for their own needs 
or as trading goods.
Fig. 3: Podsmreka 2. Grinding slab with traces of red 
mudstone and grinder. 
Sl. 3: Podsmreka 2. Terilna plošča s sledovi rdečega mul-
jevca in tolkač. 
53The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
GRAVES
Five burials with characteristics of the Virovi-
tica group were unearthed relatively close to one 
another in the southeastern part of the settlement 
(Fig. 4; Pl. 1–4). This part yielded finds from both 
the Bronze and Early Iron Ages (Fig. 2: Buildings 
5 and 6).
The graves were simple pits that contained an 
urn filled with ashes and cremated remains, and 
covered with either a sherd or a complete dish 
placed upside down. In the urns from Graves 1 and 
5, the cremated bones were visible just below the 
rim.2 It is a ritual characteristic of the Virovitica 
group (Ložnjak Dizdar 2011), which extended into 
this part of Slovenia. The pottery found scattered 
around the graves suggests that the dishes as urn 
covers were located just below the former ground 
surface, which in turn raises the possibility that the 
graves were covered with a small earthen mound 
as a grave marker.
The anthropological analysis of the cremated 
human bones has shown that they belonged to 
children and juvenile individuals (Leben Seljak 
2013), indicating that rather than an associated 
cemetery, the burials represent a specific custom 
of burying children and young members of a 
community inside the settlement.
In northern Croatia, there are several known 
Urnfield culture cemeteries (Premužić 2016, 19) 
ascribed to the Virovitica group, though the rela-
tionship between the settlements and associated 
cemeteries has only recently become clearer, for 
example at sites such as Popernjak, Jakopovec, Mač-
2  The pottery in the graves was in a poor condition, 
which led to the graves being excavated en bloc and taken 
to a conservation laboratory for further processing. The 
conservation procedure was conducted without the involve-
ment of an archaeologist and the data as to the placement 
of the bones inside the urn were lost.
Fig. 4: Podsmreka 2. Graves 1–5, view from above.
Sl. 4: Podsmreka 2. Grobovi 1–5, pogled od zgoraj.
54 Ida MURGELJ
kovec (Marijan 2010), Čepinski Martinci (Kalafatić 
2009) and Poljana Križevačka 2 (Ložnjak Dizdar 
2012). None of these sites, however, revealed burials 
inside the settlement as is the case at Podsmreka.
The graves from Podsmreka and the known 
ones of the Virovitica group share a simple, fun-
nel-shaped form of the grave pit that is only large 
enough to comfortably fit the urn. Differences 
are observable in the manner of placing the urn 
and goods in the grave pit. At Virovitica, ritually 
crushed pottery was first placed into the pit, on it 
the urn and other crushed pottery around the urn. 
In most graves, the urn containing the remains of 
the deceased was covered with an upturned dish. 
Deposited over the urn and goods was the ashes 
from the pyre, and the pit finally backfilled (Vinski-
-Gasparini 1973, 37). A similar situation has been 
recorded in the graves excavated at Voćin (Ložnjak 
2003) and Gaćište near Suhopolje (Pavišić 1992). 
The cemetery at Drljanovac, with a continuity of 
burial from the earliest Virovitica phase to Phase 
II of the Urnfield culture or the Zagreb group, 
also shows internal differences in the burial rite as 
Graves 7 and 9 held carefully cleaned bones, most 
likely washed and placed into the urn, though the 
disposition of other vessels is unclear. Because of 
the similarity with Graves 5 and 6 from the same 
cemetery, Grave 7 is attributed to Phase I of the 
Urnfield culture or Virovitica group (Majnarić-
-Pandžić 1989a, 15). The washed and crushed 
bones without ashes were also laid into the urn 
in Grave 7 at Moravče near Sesvete, a cemetery 
that shows considerable variety in the funerary 
ritual as well. Among its more intriguing burials is 
that in Grave 3, where ashes with bone fragments 
were placed on the bottom of the pit and covered 
with half of a dish, a burial otherwise typical of 
the Barice-Gređani group in northern Bosnia and 
southern Slavonia. All graves from the Moravče 
cemetery have been attributed to Phase I of the 
Urnfield culture and show no later elements (Sokol 
1988–1989; 1996, 33). The same dating pertains 
to the grave discovered by chance at Lepoglava 
(Šimek 2003), which held an urn covered with 
half a dish and no other pottery sherds. At Poljana 
Križevačka, eleven of the urns had cremated bones 
placed on the bottom and not reaching over half 
of the urn’s volume (Premužić 2016, 86–87).
The three contemporary graves excavated at 
the Potrčeva cesta site in Ptuj also differ from one 
another. One contained an urn and a jar, one an 
urn and a pedestal cup, as well as several pottery 
sherds next to it, while the pit of the third one was 
lined with cobbles and held a jug covered with a 
sherd and an upturned pedestal cup. All three pits 
were filled with fine sand mixed with ashes and 
cremated bones (Jevremov 1988–1989, 171, Fig. 1).
POTTERY
Of the 25,000 recovered pieces, the pottery pro-
duction analysis examined 998 selected and drawn 
pieces of vessels (Murgelj 2013). In the cases of 
more than one sherd of a single vessel, they were 
treated as a single item. The analysis followed the 
guidelines as formulated by Milena Horvat (1999) 
and identified grain size, method of manufacture 
and surface treatment, but not fabric composition 
(quartz, organic inclusions, iron oxides, clay pellets, 
grog or other unidentified particles).3
Grain size:
The highest share of pottery was made of a 
fine-grained fabric (74%), followed by pieces of 
medium-grained (25%) and rare coarse-grained 
fabrics (1%), while very fine-grained and very 
coarse-grained fabrics were absent.
Manner of manufacture and surface treatment:
All vessels were hand-built, but it was not possible 
to determine whether this was done with coils or 
bands as the surfaces were finely finished to the 
degree of concealing the details of manufacture.
Firing and surface colour:
The greatest share, i.e. 57% of the analysed 
items show firing in a reducing atmosphere with 
oxidation in the final phase; such fragments have 
a characteristic dark core and lighter interior and 
exterior surfaces. Less common is pottery fired 
in a reducing atmosphere, with a dark fracture, 
represented with 19.9%. Next, there is 12.3% of 
pieces that show fire damage and have not been 
included in any of the categories; their surface 
is either light grey, cracked, with visible burnt 
red inclusions or light grey to orange grey and 
completely burnt through, in both cases very 
light, porous and most often deformed. Pottery 
fired in an incomplete oxidising atmosphere is 
represented with 5.6%; it is grey at the core and 
lighter coloured on the surfaces. There is 4% of 
analysed pottery fired in an oxidising atmosphere, 
with uniform light red-brown colour of the core 
and both surfaces. The analysed assemblage also 
3  The detailed descriptions of the pottery finds are 
published in Murgelj 2013 (61–312).
55The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
includes 1% of pottery fired first in a reducing 
atmosphere (dark core), then briefly exposed to 
oxidising conditions (lighter layer) and finished 
again in reducing conditions, producing a layered 
light-dark fracture.
The analysis reveals that the greatest share of 
pottery of all types is made of a fine-grained 
fabric with the exception of pithoi, which are 
predominantly made of a medium-grained fabric, 
but also that most vessels were fired in a reducing 
atmosphere with oxidising conditions in the final 
phase, which produced a variety of light brown, 
red-brown to dark brown colours.
TYPOLOGICAL AND
CHRONOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTION
Dishes
Vessels were identified as dishes (Fig. 5) on the 
basis of their proportions, i.e. the rim diameter 
measuring 2.5 to 5 times the height of the vessel. 
They represent 4% of the analysed pottery and are 
divided into six types.
The wide dishes, which include Types S 2–S 
6, have different profiles, i.e. a smooth or a more 
pronounced rim-lower body junction and are 
either rounded or conical. They also differ in the 
number of handles, usually strap-shaped, which 
varies from one to four; single-handled dishes 
are most common. The handles are attached at 
the rim and shoulder, the neck and shoulder or 
on the belly.
As Ksenija Vinski-Gasparini already established, 
such wide dishes originate in the central Danube 
Basin, where they occur from the end of the Early 
to the Late Bronze Age (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, 39). 
They were mainly used as covers for urns or ashes.
Type S 1
It has a gently rounded body and rim with a flat 
lip thickened either on the exterior, the interior 
or both (Fig. 5: S 1).
Sector 1: Concentrations 3 and 9; Sector 2: 
Concentration 3 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G44, 
G281, G284, G673).
In Slovenia, this dish type has parallels from 
the settlement at Oloris, where it was identified 
as Type S 1 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 150, 
Fig. 7), but also in a dish from Pit SE 621 in the 
settlement at Sodolek (Kavur 2012, 81, Fig. 7: 2) 
and the dishes from Iška Loka, on the fringes of 
the Ljubljansko barje (Velušček 2005, Pl. 1: 7; 6: 9). 
It is attributed to BA C/D. Outside Slovenia, the 
same dating holds true of the dishes from a grave 
at Zbelava (Kalafatić, Kovačević, Vekić 2009, 38, Pl. 
4: 1) and the settlement at Podgojac – Glogovica 
(Kulenović 2016, 59, Pl. 4: 5). At the necropolis 
at Gređani, such dishes covered the cremated 
remains in Graves 29, 60 and 62 (Minichreiter 
1982–1983, Pl. 9; 16), and have been attributed 
to BA D and Ha A1.
Type S 2
It has a pronouncedly conical body and rim 
with a rounded lip frequently with a break in the 
interior profile. They have no or one handle, in 
some cases the strap handle occurring in combina-
tion with a tongue-shaped lug (Fig. 5: S 2).
Sector 1: Grid Square 185, Concentration 10; 
Sector 2: Concentration 8 and Grave 3 (Pl. 3: 1) 
(App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G148, G501, G716, 
G759, G1104).
Conical dishes are rare. Most similar to the 
examples from Podsmreka are those found in cre-
mation Graves 77 and 104 of the Salka I cemetery 
at the River Ipel’ in Slovakia, which are decorated 
with four prongs along the rim (Točík 1964, 17, 
Pl. 17: 6,23; 21: 10) and have been attributed to 
the Classic Tumulus culture (BA C). Also ascrib-
able to this type are the fragments from a grave at 
Zbelava, dated to BA C/D (Kalafatić, Kovačević, 
Vekić 2009, 40, Pl. 3: 4), and from the settlement at 
Kurilovec – Belinščica (Kudelić 2016, 28, Pl. 7: 3).
Type S 3
It has a slightly S-shaped profile and everted rim. 
It has no or one strap handle attached by way of 
plugs to the central part of the vessel (Fig. 5: S 3).
Sector 1: Grid Square 185 (Building 1), Concen-
trations 6, 9 and 14; Sector 2: Concentrations 8, 
21 and 23 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G118, G363, 
G378, G425, G576, G764, G897, G919).
The greatest number of such dishes came to light 
in the cemeteries attributed to the Virovitica group, 
to Phase I of the Urnfield culture (late BA C and 
D). They have been recorded in a damaged grave 
at Virovitica and Graves 1 and 2 at Sirova Katalena 
(Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 10: 3; 14: 2,4). At Mala 
Pupelica, a two-handled dish served as the cover 
of an ellipsoid urn with a pair of down-turned 
tongue-shaped lugs placed at maximum diameter 
and a pair of groove-encircled knobs (Majnarić-
Pandžić 1989a, 23, Pl. 2: 1). In the slightly later 
necropolis at Gređani, such dishes with one or 
56 Ida MURGELJ
four handles were found in Graves 36, 44 and 67. 
A two-handled dish was found in Grave 10 of the 
Perkovci cemetery, which also forms part of the 
Gređani burial grounds (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 
32, 61, Pl. 10; 12; 17; 22). The same time frame is 
valid for the fragment a single-handled dish from 
the settlement at Kalnik – Igrišče (Vrdoljak 1994, 
30, Pl. 13: 1).
Type S 4
It has a slightly S-shaped profile, everted rim 
and stepped rim-body junction in vessel interior. 
One example has a large elongated knob or small 
tongue-shaped lug at mid-section (Fig. 5: S 4).
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, Grid Square 
185 (Building 1); Sector 2: Concentrations 3 and 
8 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G165, G666, G760).
The early examples of this type include the 
dishes attributed to Phase I of the Urnfield cul-
ture (BA C and D) from the cemetery at Moravče 
near Sesvete. There, the dish fragment from 
urn Grave 2 served as the urn cover, while the 
two-handled example with four prongs at the 
rim from Grave 7 was found complete and also 
covered the urn (Sokol 1996, 30, Fig. 6: 1; 12: 1). 
Other examples came to light in the settlements 
at Podgajac – Glogovica (Kulenović 2016, 60, Pl. 
6: 3) and Kurilovec – Belinščica (Kudelić 2016, 
28, Pl. 7: 1,2; 9: 2). The dishes found in Graves 4 
and 6 at Grabovica near Doboj, a cemetery of the 
Barice-Gređani group (Belić 1966, 33, Pl. VI: 4,7), 
and in Graves 15 and 16 at Gređani (Minichreiter 
1982–1983, 21, Pl. 6; 20) have been dated to BA 
D and Ha A1. Fragments of this dish type were 
found in a grave at Jakopovac – Blizna, covering 
the cremated bones of a woman aged 18–25 years 
at death (Bekić 2006, 108, Pl. 9: 29). The settle-
ment associated with this cemetery also yielded 
a sherd of such a dish, in a posthole dated to the 
12th–11th centuries BC (Bekić 2006, 107, Pl. 8: 5).
Type S 5
It has a rounded body, everted rim and a break 
at the interior rim-body junction. It has no or one 
strap handle attached below the rim. One example 
has a knob surrounded by a thin rib (Fig. 5: S 5).
Sector 1: Concentrations 8, 9, 10 and 12; Sector 
2: near Concentration 2, Concentrations 8, 16 and 
38, and Grave 2 (as urn cover; Pl. 2: 1) (App. 1; 
cf. Murgelj 2013, G100, G141, G389, G423, G424, 
G484, G507, G551, G662, G761, G762, G763, G874, 
G1012, G1101).
The early parallels include the dish from in-
humation Grave 165 in a tumulus of the Middle 
Bronze Age cemetery at Pitten, in Lower Austria. 
On the basis of the pin with a hole in the neck 
Fig. 5: Podsmreka 2. Types of dishes (S). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 5: Podsmreka 2. Tipi skled (S). M. = 1:6.
57The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
and a rosette-sectioned shank, the grave has been 
attributed to the early phase of the cemetery that 
began in BA B1 (Hampl, Kerchler, Benkovsky-Pi-
vovarová 1978–1981, 100, Pl. 229: 7; Benkovsky-
-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 32–33).
In the Moravče cemetery near Sesvete, dated 
to Phase I of the Urnfield culture, a similar dish 
with four prongs at the rim and stubs of four legs 
at the base came to light in Grave 3 (Sokol 1996, 
30, Fig. 7: 1). Attributable to the same time fra-
me is the dish from the settlement at Žlebič near 
Ribnica (Puš 1988–1989, 346, Pl. 3: 3). The dating 
proposed for the examples from the cave sites of 
Turjeva jama and Kovačeva jama is broader, i.e. 
14th–11th centuries BC (Bressan 1988–1989, 521, 
Pl. 3: 7; Knavs, Mlinar 2005, 70, Pl. 3: 3–6), the 
same for the dishes from Gradišče above Ajdovšči-
na, which have a slightly more curved neck and 
a very sharp rim-body junction, as well as two 
dishes from Most na Soči (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 
369, Pl. 1: 13,14; 5: 5,6). Also attributed to BA D 
and Ha A1 are the dishes found in the settlement 
at Iška Loka (Velušček 2005, Pl. 1: 5,6; 3: 12,13).
A single-handled dish from Grave 54 in the 
cemetery at Gređani covered the cremated remains 
of the deceased, similarly as in Grave 4 at Oriovac 
(Minichreiter 1982–1983, 44, 64, Pl. 15; 19: 8).
Type S 6
It has a rounded body, everted rim and single 
or double break in the interior. It has no or a sin-
gle handle attached just below the rim or at the 
junction with the lower body (Fig. 5: S 6).
Sector 1: near Concentration 8; Sector 2: Con-
centrations 21/I, 41 and 42, as well as Grave 3 
(Pl. 4: 1) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G117, G896, 
G1015, G1036, G1108).
In a grave at Matena, such a dish was used to 
cover the urn (Grahek 2017, 107, Pl. 3: 2). One 
example was found at Medvode, identified as Type 
S1 (Leghissa 2011, Pl. 2: 5). Most similar single-
-handled dishes came to light in Graves 2, 3 and 5 
of the Virovitica cemetery (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, 
Pl. 8: 2,9; 9: 3; 10: 4). Sharing the same dating are 
two-handled dishes with a pronounced break in the 
neck interior that were found in the Bezdanjača 
cave in Lika, more precisely in Group Grave 6 and 
Block 12 (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 34, Pl. 27: 
1; 36: 1). In another cave, Jozgina pečina, several 
sherds of conical dishes with a pronounced break 
in the neck interior were found (Drechsler-Bižić 
1987, 58, Pl. 5: 1,1a,2,2a), dated to BA C and 
early BA D.
Similar fragments come from the settlements at 
Ivanovci Gorjanski – Palanka, dated to BA C/D 
(Kudelić 2011, Pl. 2: 2), and Podgajac – Glogovica 
(Kulenović 2016, 60, Pl. 6: 1).
In the cemeteries of the Barice-Gređani group 
(BA D and Ha A1), such dishes were used to cover 
the cremated remains of the deceased. At Gređani, 
they were found in Graves 6, 10, 11, 22, 35, 41, 
45, 64 and 65 (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 14, Pl. 3; 
5; 7; 10; 11; 13; 16; 17). These dishes have a single 
strap handle with the exception of the example 
with four strap handles from Grave 45 and the 
examples without handles in Grave 65. The dish in 
Grave 64 also has four prongs at the rim, as does 
the upturned dish with two strap handles from 
Slavonska Požega. In the contemporary cemetery 
at Oriovac, the single- or two-handled dishes 
covered the cremated remains of the deceased in 
Graves 1, 5, 6 and 10 (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 
67, Pl. 19: 4,6; 20: 1,2,4); those in Graves 1 and 
5 had four prongs at the rim. This type may also 
include a dish from the settlement at Dubovo near 
Županja, also ascribed to the Barice-Gređani group 
(Marijan 2003, 21, Fig. 9).4
Bowls
The vessels identified as bowls (Fig. 6) have the 
rim diameter 1.5 to 2.5 times that of vessel height. 
They may or may not have handles. Bowls represent 
5.6% of the analysed finds and have been divided 
into eight types.
Type SK 1
It has a carinated profile and everted rim. It is 
predominantly without handles; when existing, 
the handle is attached at the rim or just below 
it and at the carination. These bowls of a small 
volume have been divided into Subtypes 1/1, 1/2, 
1/3 depending on the width of the everted rim 
with regards to the carination: the rim in Subtype 
1 is broader that the carination, in Subtype 2 it is 
as broad as the carination and in Subtype 3 it is 
narrower (Fig. 5: SK 1).
– Subtype SK 1/1
The bowl of Subtype SK 1/1 is considerably 
wider at the rim, in one example decorated with 
prongs, than at the carination (Fig. 6: SK 1/1).
4  This dating is supported by the result of the radio-
carbon analysis performed at the Inštitut Ruđer Bošković: 
2920±95 BP.
58 Ida MURGELJ
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, Grid Square 185 
(Building 1); Sector 2: Grave 5 (Pl. 4: 10) (App. 1; 
cf. Murgelj 2013, G119, G1123).
The earliest bowls of this form include a pronged 
example from cremation Grave 188 in the Middle 
Bronze Age cemetery at Pitten, which has been 
attributed to the Late Tumulus culture or early 
part of the Urnfield culture on the basis of the 
associated spherical-headed pin (Hampl, Kerchler, 
Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978–1981, 112, Pl. 231: 13; 
Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 98).
In the Vörs – Papkert B cemetery in Hungary, 
such a single-handled cup with four prongs at the 
rim was found in Grave 20–22, attributed to the early 
phase of the Urnfield culture or the early phase of 
the cemetery with a marked Tumulus culture tradi-
tion (Honti 1993, 147, Fig. 1: 1). The bowl from the 
settlement at Kurilovec – Belinščica is dated to BA 
B2 / C–BA D (Kudelić 2016, 28, Pl. 4: 1).
The SK 1/1 bowls have parallels in the Type Sk 
1 dishes from Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 
2002, 154, Fig. 9), one from Grave 2 at the Potrčeva 
cesta site in Ptuj (Jevremov 1988–1989, 175, Fig. 
3: 4) and one from Pit SE 621 in the settlement 
at Sodolek (Kavur 2012, 81, Fig. 7: 1); they date 
to BA C/D. Individual sherds also came to light 
in Turjeva jama or Kovačeva jama at the River 
Nadiža (Bressan 1988–1989, 521, Pl. 3: 5; Knavs, 
Mlinar 2005, 70, Pl. 3: 7).
In the Gređani necropolis, dated to BA D and 
Ha A1, such bowls with a single handle were found 
among the goods in Graves 16 and 22. In Grave 
32, probably of a child, a bowl with four prongs 
at the rim served to cover the urn (Minichreiter 
Fig. 6: Podsmreka 2. Types of bowls (SK). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 6: Podsmreka 2. Tipi skodel (SK). M. = 1:6.
59The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
1982–1983, 21, Pl. 6; 7; 10; 25). Sharing the same 
dating is a similar sherd recovered from the settle-
ment at Velimirovac – Arenda (Kulenović 2018, 
9, Pl. 1: 2).
– Subtype SK 1/2
The bowls of Subtype SK 1/2 have the rim of 
the same diameter as the body at the carination 
(Fig. 5: SK 1/2).
Sector 1: Concentrations 10, 17 and postholes 
(Patch 1); Sector 2: Concentration 4, Grave 3 (Pl. 
4: 4) and Grave 4 (Pl. 2: 4) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G482, G644, G685, G1111, G1116, G1130).
A parallel may be identified in a bowl from Žlebič 
near Ribnica, which is decorated with a cordon with 
impressions at maximum diameter that crosses a 
rib with impressions running from the rim across 
maximum diameter (Puš 1988–1989, 348, Pl. 9: 1). 
Similar bowls were found in the settlement at Most 
na Soči, of which only a carinated sherd survives 
and dates to BA C2–Ha A1 (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 
Pl. 8: 12), in Turjeva jama/Kovačeva jama (Bressan 
1988–1989, 521, Pl. 3: 6,8), at Medvode – Svetje 
(Leghissa 2011, Fig. 60; 106) and in Pit SE 287 of 
the settlement at Sodolek, attributed to BA C/D 
(Kavur 2012, 81, Fig. 8: 1).
Outside Slovenia, parallels come from the 
Bezdanjača cave, dated to BA C/D (Malinar 1998, 
142, Pl. II: 4,7), and from Virovitica attributed to 
the same time frame (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 
11: 9,10). Slightly later is the single-handled bowl 
from Grave 9 in the Gređani cemetery (Minichre-
iter 1982–1983, 17, Pl. 4), dated to BA D/Ha A1.
In habitation contexts, such bowls were found 
at Mačkovac – Crišnevi (Karavanić, Mihaljević, 
Kalafatić 2002, Pl. 1: 6; 2: 2; 4: 2), Ivanovci Gor-
janski – Palanka (Kudelić 2011, 22, Pl. 3: 2) and 
Podgajac – Glogovica (Kulenović 2016, 61, Pl. 8: 
4), but also in a grave at Zbelava (Kalafatić, Kova-
čević, Vekić 2009, 38, Pl. 3: 3), all from BA C/D.
An intriguing find is the single-handled bowl 
found in a well on an island at Dunakeszi and 
attributed to the late part of the Middle Bronze 
Age Tumulus culture or early part of the Urnfield 
culture, i.e. to BA C/D (Szilas 2002, 294, Fig. 3: 2).
Similar bowls were also unearthed in the settle-
ment at Gelsesziget, dated to BA C, and a slightly 
later cemetery at Balatonmagyaród – Hídvégpuszta, 
in Grave 12 attributed to BA D (Horváth 1994, 
Pl. 4: 2; 11: 6).
– Subtype SK 1/3
The bowls of Subtype SK 1/3 have the rim nar-
rower compared with the carination, the latter 
representing maximum diameter (Fig. 6: SK 1/3).
Sector 1: Concentrations 9, 12; Sector 2: Con-
centration 4 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G235, 
G547, G686).
The earliest examples of this subtype include the 
cup from Jozgina pečina, dated to BA C/D (Drechsler-
Bižić 1987, Pl. I: 3). Possibly slightly later are the 
cup from Turjeva jama or Kovačeva jama (Bressan 
1988–1989, 521, Pl. 3: 9) and the cup from Grave 
7 at Gređani (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 15, Pl. 4).
Type SK 2
It has a slightly everted rim, curved neck and 
horizontally faceted body (Fig. 6: SK 2).
Sector 1: Concentrations 2 and 16; Sector 2: 
Grave 4 (Pl. 2: 6,7) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G25, 
G624, G1118, G1119).
At Oloris, such bowls have been identified as 
Type Sk 4 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 154, 
Fig. 9). A similar sherd also came to light in the 
settlement excavated at Bratonci in the Prekmurje 
region (Guštin 2013, 37, Pl. 4: 4).
The earliest examples (BA C1/C2) include the 
bowls from northern Italian sites along the Po 
and its tributaries (Urban 1993, 12, Fig. 126: 9).
At Pitten, horizontal faceting on the body can 
be seen on a jar from cremation Grave 121 and a 
fragment of a single-handled bowl from crema-
tion Grave 135. The former, Grave 121, also held 
a pair of spherical-headed pins and a bracelet 
with rolled ends that date the burial to the Late 
Tumulus or Early Urnfield culture (Hampl, Ker-
chler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978–1981, Pl. 219: 
10; 222: 12; Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 98).
Attributed to Phase I of the Urnfield culture or 
BA C/D are the similar single-handled bowls from 
the hearth next to Grave 4 and from Grave 14 in 
the Bezdanjača cave (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 
35, Pl. 9: 1; 12: 4; Malinar 1998, 142, Pl. 2: 3), but 
also one from a grave at Voćin (Ložnjak 2003, 
35, Pl. 1: 1). The same time frame and decora-
tion pertain to the vessels from the settlements 
at Virovitica – Antunovac (Pavišić 1993, 25, Pl. 
1: 5) and Cerine 7 near Koprivnica (Kulenović 
2004, 318, Pl. 8).
Type SK 3
It has a rounded body and everted rim with a 
strap handle attached below it. Decoration is rare 
and comprises elongated knobs or small tongue-
shaped lugs at maximum diameter (Fig. 6: SK 3).
Sector 1: Concentrations 8 and 9; Sector 2: 
Concentration 23 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G98, 
G204, G207, G927).
60 Ida MURGELJ
The earliest examples include a single-handled 
dish from Pitten, which was found in the central, 
earliest Grave f of Tumulus 163, attributed to the 
initial phase of the cemetery, i.e. BA B1 on the basis of 
the associated pins and two bronze daggers (Hampl, 
Kerchler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978–1981, 96, 
Pl. 228: 2; Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 94).
Such cups from the Moravče cemetery near 
Sesvete are dated to Phase I of the Urnfield cul-
ture (BA C/D). From Grave 1, a two-handled urn 
bears two small tongue-shaped lugs at maximum 
diameter. Two were also found in Grave 8: one 
a two-handled bowl with elongated knobs at 
maximum diameter that covered the ashes of the 
deceased and the other decorated with four small 
tongue-shaped lugs (Sokol 1996, Fig. 4: 3; 15: 2,3). 
Sherds of two such bowls were laid into a grave at 
Zbelava (Kalafatić, Kovačević, Vekić 2009, 38, Pl. 3: 
1,2). Another similar example is a single-handled 
bowl from Grave 4 in Bezdanjača (Drechsler-Bižić 
1979–1980, 35, Pl. 8: 9). The same dating applies 
to such bowls from the settlements at Žlebič (Puš 
1988–1989, 350, Pl. 3: 1) and Podgajac – Glogovica 
(Kulenović 2016, 61, Pl. 9: 2). In the Gređani 
cemetery, Grave 8 held two single-handled bowls/
cups, one of which was decorated with three 
elongated knobs at maximum diameter, as was a 
single-handled bowl from Grave 27 (Minichreiter 
1982–1983, 15, 26, Pl. 4; 8).
Type SK 4
It has a conical or rounded body, curved neck, 
everted rim and strap handle attached at maximum 
diameter (Fig. 6: SK 4). It is similar in form to the 
dishes of Types S 3 and S 4, but has the propor-
tions of bowls.
Sector 1: Concentration 9; Sector 2: Concen-
tration 4 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G208, G684).
A similar vessel was found in the settlement 
at Kalnik – Igrišče (Vrdoljak 1994, 27, Pl. 7: 2). 
In the Gređani necropolis, single-handled bowls 
of this type were used as urn cover the cremated 
remains in Graves 38, 40, 50 and 52 (Minichreiter 
1982–1983, 33, 40, 43, Pl. 11; 14).
Type SK 5
It has a slightly S-shaped profile and an everted 
rim, in one example bearing prongs, and a strap 
handle attached below the rim. It is decorated 
with semicircular or straight cordons and round 
appliqués with impressions (Fig. 6: SK 5).
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, Grid Square 185 
(Building 1), Concentrations 9 and 12; Sector 2: 
Concentrations 6, 41 and Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 3) (App. 1; 
cf. Murgelj 2013, G135, G211, G263, G288, G364, 
G545, G705, G1096).
At Oloris, similar vessels have been identified as 
Type S 8 dishes (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 
Fig. 8). The examples from Most na Soči date to 
BA C2–Ha A (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 371, Pl. 8: 4,5).
Type SK 6
It has a slightly bell-shaped body and everted 
rim with a sharp interior rim-body junction (Fig. 
6: SK 6).
Sector 1: Concentrations 1 and 10; Sector 2: 
Concentrations 6 and 23 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G3, G465, G704, G921).
A similar single-handled bowl is known from 
Bezdanjača, found in the hearth next to Grave 5 
and dated to BA C/D (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 
35, Pl. 10: 5).
Type SK 7
It has a slightly rounded body and slightly 
everted rim, either without or with strap handles 
attached below the rim or on the upper body. It 
may be decorated with cordons bearing tongue-
-shaped lugs (Fig. 6: SK 7).
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, Grid Squares 
185, 190A (Building 1), Concentrations 3, 10 and 
12; Sector 2: Concentrations 3, 17, 27, 39 and 47 
(App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G70, G136, G180, G499, 
G549, G667, G876, G935, G1014, G1063, G1064).
The early examples include a bowl with two 
strap handles attached at the rim from Grave 2 
at Orešac, in the Banat region, which has been 
attributed to the early phase of the Middle Bronze 
Age (Majnarić-Pandžić 1989b, Pl. 2: 5), and a 
bowl with four small tongue-shaped lugs below 
the rim from Grave 8 in Bezdanjača, dated to 
BA C/D (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 34, Pl. 11: 
3). The fragment of the upper part of a vessels 
unearthed on Gradišče above Ajdovščina is later, 
dated to BA D/Ha A1 (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 379, 
Pl. 1: 9).
Type SK 8
It has a gently rounded body and slightly in-
turned rim with a flat, rounded or T-shaped lip 
thickened on the exterior, the interior or both. It 
has either no handles or strap handles attached at/
just below the rim or at mid-section (Fig. 6: SK 8).
Sector 1: Concentrations 3, 9, 10, 12 and near 
Concentration 8, Grid Squares 180 and 190A 
(Building 1); Sector 2: Concentrations 8 and 37 
61The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
(App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G71, G168, G185, G190, 
G285, G506, G518, G520, G544, G711, G995, G996).
This type includes several sherds with different 
rims that have been attributed to Phase I of the 
Urnfield culture (BA C/D) and found in the set-
tlement at Mali Zagreb in Špišić Bukovica (Pavišić 
1991, 9, Pl. 3: 1–2,4–7), as well as in Turjeva jama/
Kovačeva jama at the River Nadiža (Knavs, Mlinar 
2005, 70, Pl. 3: 2).
Others are among the BA D/Ha A1 finds from 
Gradišče above Ajdovščina (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 
Pl. 1: 4,7) and Kalnik – Igrišče; the latter settle-
ment yielded two such bowls (Vrdoljak 1994, 29, 
Pl. 14: 2,3).
In the flat cremation cemetery at Grabovica 
near Doboj, where graves were arranged in rows 
and the burial revealed characteristics of the 
Barice-Gredžani group, a single-handled bowl of 
this type was placed in the grave next to the urn 
(Belić 1966, 34, Pl. VI: 5). A similar situation has 
been recorded in the Gređani necropolis, where 
Grave 42 held a two-handled bowl with a flat rim, 
spout just above the handle and foot-ring covering 
the cremated remains and dating to BA D/Ha A1 
(Minichreiter 1982–1983, 36, 40, Pl. 12; 13).
Cups
These are small vessels that make up 1.2% of 
the analysed finds; they have been divided into 
five types (Fig. 7).
Type SKO 1
It has a conical body, pedestal and single small 
handle, in some cases decorated with a cordon 
with impressions (Fig. 7: SKO 1). I distinguish 
between three basic subtypes of pedestal cups: 
conical, biconical and rounded. They came to light 
in both burial and habitation contexts (Murgelj 
2012, Fig. 2, 133–142).
Sector 1: Concentration 3; Sector 2: Concentra-
tions 3, 8, 42, 55, Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 4) (App. 1; cf. 
Murgelj 2013, G79, G668, G733, G1042, G1089, 
G1095).
The best preserved is the single-handled conical 
pedestal cup with a cordon decorated with oblique 
incisions and three small knobs, excavated in 
Concentration 3 (Murgelj 2013, G668).
Ksenija Vinski-Gasparini sought the origin of 
these cups, or pedestal goblets as she described 
them, in the central Danube Basin, where they 
can be traced from the final phase of the Middle 
Bronze Age through the earliest phase of the 
Urnfield culture and into Ha A (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, 40).
However, their distribution rather points to an 
origin between the Rivers Drava and Sava, in the 
area of the Virovitica group; in Slovenia, they only 
came to light at the sites of the Oloris-Podsmreka 
horizon (Murgelj 2012, 137, Fig. 2).
Type SKO 2
It has a conical body, foot-ring, rim thickened 
on the exterior or both the exterior and interior, 
lip decorated with impressions and strap handle 
attached at the rim and body (Fig. 7: SKO 2).
Sector 1: Concentration 2, posthole (Patch 1; Patch 
3) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G24, G1131, G1138).
Similar cups came to light in Graves 4 and 5 at 
Virovitica, one of them decorated with a cordon 
and garlands with impressions (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, Pl. 8: 9; 9: 7). Formally similar, but much 
larger are two vessels from Moravče near Sesvete; 
one was placed in Grave 2 and the other used as an 
urn in Grave 9; both are decorated with appliqués 
on the neck or shoulder. A slightly smaller example 
is the single-handled cup with four prongs at the 
rim from Grave 6 of the same cemetery (Sokol 
Fig. 7: Podsmreka 2. Types of cups (SKO). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 7: Podsmreka 2. Tipi skodelic (SKO). M. = 1:6.
62 Ida MURGELJ
1996, Fig. 2: 1; 11: 1; 17: 2). A similar fragment 
from a habitation context was found at Iška Loka, 
dated to BA D/Ha A1 (Velušček 2005, Pl. 1: 3).
Type SKO 3
It has a conical body, flat lip and strap handle 
attached just below the rim and on the body. It 
is decorated with elongated knobs at mid-section 
(Fig. 7: SKO 3).
Sector 2: Grave 4 (Pl. 2: 5) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G1117).
Type SKO 4
It has a cylindrical body and gently everted rim 
(Fig. 7: SKO 4).
Sector 1: Concentrations 9, 17 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G223, G643).
Miniature vessels
These small vessels in some cases imitate their 
larger counterparts. I distinguish between four 
types (Fig. 8).
Type MP 1
It is a cup with a cylindrical neck, carination 
at maximum diameter and oval-sectioned handle 
attached at the rim and maximum diameter (Fig. 
8: MP 1).
Sector 1: Concentration 16 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G615).
Type MP 2
It is a cup with a carination at maximum di-
ameter. Some are decorated with horizontal and 
vertical incisions (Fig. 8: MP 2). They are similar 
to the larger bowls of Type S 1.
Sector 1: Concentrations 9 and 10 (App. 1; cf. 
Murgelj 2013, G258, G528).
Type MP 3
It is a globular jug with an everted rim, grooves 
on the shoulder and strap handles attached just 
below the rim and at maximum diameter; some 
bear groove-encircled knobs at maximum diam-
eter (Fig. 8: MP 3). They are similar to the jars 
of L 3/1.
Sector 1: Concentrations 8, 9, 11 and 15; Sector 
2: Concentration 8 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G99, 
G374, G532, G578, G774).
Type MP 4
It is a rounded beaker with a gently everted rim 
and strap handles attached at the rim and shoulder 
(Fig. 8: MP 4).
Sector 2: Concentration 3 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G669).
These are the most numerous among the min-
iature vessels at Podsmreka. They have parallels 
from the cemetery at Potrčeva cesta in Ptuj, where 
a sherd of such a vessel was found in Grave 2 
(Jevremov 1988–1989, 175, Fig. 3: 5). A similar 
beaker, decorated with an incision and three knobs 
at maximum diameter was unearthed in the ne-
cropolis at Gređani, in Grave 39. Of interest in this 
necropolis are also Graves 66 and 70, which only 
held miniature pots (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 34, 
Pl. 11; 17; 18). Grave 66 contained eleven pots that 
formally imitate large dishes; five of them complete 
and upturned, others crushed and strewn around 
them. Grave 70 revealed a similar situation; it held 
seven pots, four of them upturned and others ritually 
crushed. Neither of the two graves held cremated 
remains, which led Kornelija Minichreiter to sug-
gest they were cenotaphs, prepared in the memory 
of missing individuals. Miniature beakers with a 
single handle, groove at the neck-belly junction 
and decorative knobs occur alongside other forms 
of miniature pottery that imitates larger vessels in 
the settlement at Mačkovac – Crišnjevi (Karavanić, 
Mihaljević, Kalafatić 2002, Pl. 2: 3–12), where they 
are dated to BA C/D.
Fig. 8: Podsmreka 2. Types of miniature vessels (MP). 
Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 8: Podsmreka 2. Tipi miniaturnih posodic (MP). M. = 1:6.
63The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Katalin Jankovits interprets miniature vessels 
as either children’s toys or cult vessels used in the 
burial ritual (Jankovits 1992, 75).
Amphorae
These are biconical vessels with a curved neck 
and everted rim. The paired strap handles are at-
tached just below the rim or at maximum diameter. 
They are decorated with grooves on the shoulder, 
as well as knobs with semicircular downturned 
grooves or knobs encircled with incised rings at 
maximum diameter (Fig. 9: A).
Sector 2: Concentration 38, Grave 2 (Pl. 2: 3) 
and Grave 5 (Pl. 4: 9) (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G1011, G1103, G1122).
Amphorae are rare finds at Podsmreka. What 
is also rare is the decoration on two sherds from 
graves, consisting of several parallel horizontal 
incisions on the shoulder coupled with knobs with 
semicircular downturned grooves (Murgelj 2013, 
G1122) or knobs encircled with incised concentric 
rings at maximum diameter (ib., G1103).
In Grave 5, an amphora was used as the urn 
that held the ashes and cremated remains of the 
deceased (ib., G1122).
Such knobs are also to be found on a single-
handled jug from Grave 116 at Pitten, which has 
been attributed to the beginnings of the cemetery, 
i.e. BA B1 on the basis of two disc-headed pins 
with a hole in the neck and rosette-sectioned shank 
(Hampl, Kerchler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978–1981, 
Fig. 218: 9; Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 
93). Of the same dating is the jug from Grave D 
of the cemetery at Iváncsa in Hungary (Kovács 
1977, 53, Fig. 3: 6), on which such a knob occurs 
in combination with vertical grooves separated 
by impressed dots.
In Slovakia, such knobs can be found on the 
vessels from the Šafarikovo cemetery attributable 
to the Piliny culture, i.e. to BA B2/C1 (Furmánek 
1977). They are also common on the vessels from 
the Salka I cemetery, of the Tumulus culture (BA 
C), adorning the shoulder or maximum diameter 
of vessels from cremation Graves 8, 31, 46, 62, 77, 
174, but also the vessels from the contemporary 
cemetery at Malá above Hron, in a cremation grave 
in Tumulus 34/3 (Točík 1964, Pl. 8: 10; 11: 5; 12: 
11; 14: 6; 17: 2; 29: 6; 35: 4).
In Moravia, this decoration mainly occurs on 
jugs and amphorae from habitation contexts, most 
commonly pits. Such examples came to light at 
Bohdalice, Jiříkovice, found together with pronged 
dishes, and at Mikulov and Věteřov (Říhovský 
1982, Pl. 3B: 3; 6D: 7; 9E; 16A: 1,4,6). In burial 
contexts, such vessels were found in urn Grave 2 at 
Kobeřice together with two nail-headed pins and 
in an inhumation grave at Křenovice together with 
a roll-headed pin. Several examples were found 
in a pottery hoard at Želešice (Říhovský 1982, Pl. 
7D: 5,6; 8B: 1; 17: 3,11,13,14,17). All these finds 
originate in the central Danubian Tumulus culture 
and continue into the transition from the Middle 
to the Late Bronze Age, i.e. in the Blučina-Kopčany 
phase (BA C/D).
Also early (BA B1–BA C2) are the vessels with 
such decoration from the Po Plain, which are 
formally close to the amphora from Podsmreka 
(Urban 1993, Fig. 95; 143: 1,14,15).
The second vessel identified as an amphora 
is represented by several sherds found in Grave 
2. It is decorated with horizontal incisions on 
the shoulder and a knob encircled with incised 
concentric rings at maximum diameter (Pl. 2: 3).
The motif of an encircled knob or the sun disc, 
as it is sometimes called in literature, was spread 
across wide areas from Hungary to Lika, Istria 
and the Po Plain, and in use from the Early to the 
Middle Bronze Age and early Ha A. It has been 
found among the habitation remains at Feudvar, 
on encrusted pottery from the early phase of the 
Early Bronze Age, i.e. BA A2 (Hänsel, Medović 
1994, 191, Fig. 7: 1–8). Attributed to the second 
Fig. 9: Podsmreka 2. Types of jugs (V) and amphorae (A). 
Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 9: Podsmreka 2. Tipi vrčev (V) in amfor (A). M. = 1:6.
64 Ida MURGELJ
half of the Middle Bronze Age is a sherd with 
such a motif found in the hillfort on Monkodonja 
(Hänsel, Mihovilić, Teržan 1997, 91, Fig. 44: 10). 
In northern Italy, the decoration of semicircular 
grooves and concentric rings appears on jars and 
amphorae already in BA B1 and continues to BA 
C2, usually at the same sites, mostly north of the 
Po and less common to the east and west (Urban 
1993, 128, Fig. 95).
A sherd found in the settlement at Gelsesziged, 
Hungary, has been attributed to the Tumulus cul-
ture or BA C (Horváth 1994, Pl. 5: 2).
In Moravia, such decoration occurs at the 
maximum diameter of vessels with a pronounce-
dly cylindrical neck found in the settlement on 
Blučina-Cezavy and in an urn grave at Ivančice 
(Říhovský 1982, Pl. 61C: 1; 64A: 2). These finds 
are dated to the transition from the Middle to the 
Late Bronze Age, to the Blučina-Kopčany phase 
(BA C/D). The same dating pertains to the jar 
decorated with three incision-encircled knobs that 
was found in a well on an island at Dunakeszi on 
the Danube (Szilas 2002, 295, Fig. 4: 1).
In the cemetery at Grabovica, near Doboj, the 
goods in urn Grave 4 included a vessel with a 
cylindrical neck and four elongated knobs encir-
cled with three or four shallow incised concentric 
rings at maximum diameter; the burial has been 
attributed to the Barice-Gredžani group, i.e. BA 
D/Ha A1 (Belić 1966, 33, Pl. VI: 6).
Similar in form and decoration are also the 
amphorae found in Blocks 13 and 14 in Bezdanjača 
and dated to BA C/D, as well as the subsequently 
found sherd bearing a knob encircled with con-
centric rings (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 35, Pl. 
37: 1; 39: 3; Malinar 1998, 142, Pl. 3: 21).
Jugs
They are vessels with a narrow curved neck, 
everted rim and rounded belly. The strap handle is 
attached just below the rim. One of the jugs bears 
incised decoration on the shoulder and maximum 
diameter, one a knob encircled with a wide groove 
at maximum diameter (Fig. 9: V).
Sector 1: Concentrations 9 and 16 (App. 1; cf. 
Murgelj 2013, G329, G330, G611).
Such jugs from Oloris have been identified as 
Type V 1 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 154, 
Fig. 9). A similar jug served as the urn in Grave 
3 at Potrčeva cesta in Ptuj, decorated with three 
knobs at maximum diameter and a groove on the 
shoulder; it has been dated to Phase I of the Urn-
field culture (Jevremov 1988–1989, 175, Fig. 4: 1).
Jars
Jars are the most numerous group of pottery 
and represent 16.9% of the analysed assemblage. 
They may or may not have handles and have been 
divided with regards to their proportions (the mi-
nimum neck diameter is the same or larger than 
the maximum diameter) and formal characteristics. 
I distinguish between fifteen types (Fig. 10–11).
Type L 1
It is relatively small, oval or biconical with a 
gently everted rim. One example is decorated with 
groups of vertical grooves and impressed dots, one 
with a knob at maximum diameter and one with 
horizontal or vertical incisions on the shoudler 
(Fig. 10: L 1).
Sector 1: Concentrations 3, 6, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Squares 185 and 190A (Building 1), in 
Concentrations 9 and 10 and posthole (Patch 3); 
Sector 2: Concentrations 2, 8, 17, 34, 37, 42 and 
43 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G91, G103, G138, 
G181, G265, G361, G388, G472, G481, G505, G660, 
G710, G713, G715, G877, G957, G994, G1038, 
G1050, G1139).
Similar jars from Oloris have been identified 
as Type L 6 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 147, 
Fig. 5). Further parallels come from the settlement 
at Žlebič near Ribnica, dated to BA C/ D (Puš 
1988–1989, 346, Pl. 7: 1), Turjeva jama (Knavs, 
Mlinar 2005, 69, Pl. 2: 4) and Gradišče above 
Ajdovščina, dated to BA C2/Ha A1 (Svoljšak 
1988–1989, 371, Pl. 1: 3).
Similar jars with two tongue-shaped lugs at 
maximum diameter came to light in the cemeter-
ies at Virovitica – Ciglana and Sirova Katalena, in 
the latter in Grave 4 (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 
11: 8; 15: 6), but also in Grave 27 in Bezdanjača, 
dated to BA C/D (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 35, 
Pl. 18: 1). Several similar single-handled jars have 
been found in Graves 30, 40 and 58 of the Gređani 
necropolis, dated to BA D/Ha A1 (Minichreiter 
1982–83, Pl. 9; 11; 15).
The jars of this type from Podsmreka include an 
example with unique decoration, of vertical grooves 
separated by impressed dots (Murgelj 2013, G660). 
This is the only piece with this decoration from 
Podsmreka. A similar decorative combination is 
known from the Šafarikovo cemetery, where it is 
65The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Fig. 10: Podsmreka 2. Types of jars (L 1 to L 13). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 10: Podsmreka 2. Tipi loncev (L 1 do L 13). M. = 1:6.
66 Ida MURGELJ
common and occurs on vessels of different forms 
dated from the early phase of the Piliny culture 
(BA B2/C1) onwards (Furmánek 1977, 300, Fig. 
5: 5; 7: 1).
Type L 2
It has an everted rim and long curved neck, in 
one example continuing into a rounded shoulder 
decorated with horizontal incisions (Fig. 10: L 2).
Sector 1: Concentration 3, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Square 185 (Building 1), in Concentra-
tions 9, 14, 17; Sector 2: Concentrations 8, 21/I, 
23, 28, 35, 37, 45, 49 and Grave 3 (Pl. 3: 3) (App. 
1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G2, G72, G102, G219, G261, 
G271, G577, G645, G738, G894, G922, G939, G941, 
G942, G943, G970, G976, G990, G1053, G1058, 
G1067, G1068, G1106).
At Oloris, similar jars have been identified as 
Type L 1 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 145, 
Fig. 4). Others are known from the settlement at 
Žlebič, dated to Phase I of the Urnfield culture 
or BA C/D (Puš, 1988–1989, 347, Pl. 1: 11,13; 
2: 3,10,11), and in Turjeva jama on the Nadiža 
(Knavs, Mlinar 2005, 69, Pl. 2: 2,5).
Type L 3
It has a rounded body, short curved neck and 
everted rim. Some are without handles, others 
with strap handles attached below the rim or at 
maximum diameter. I distinguish between Subtypes 
3/1 and 3/2 (Fig. 10: L 3).
– Subtype L 3/1
The jars L 3/1 has groove-encircled knobs at 
maximum diameter and incisions on the shoulder. 
It also has a handle, which would identify it as a 
wide-mouthed jug (Fig. 10: L 3/1).
Sector 2: Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 1), Grave 2 (Pl. 2: 2) 
and Concentration 42 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G1037, G1094, G1102).
At Oloris, a sherd of this type bears an incised 
horizontal line on the shoulder and a knob at 
maximum diameter (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 
2002, 59, Pl. 30: 4), similarly as the vessel from 
Grave 2 at Potrčeva cesta in Ptuj, the latter dated 
to BA C/D (Jevremov 1988–1989, 175, Fig. 3: 6). 
Another parallel came to light at Medvode – Svetje, 
in Pit 387 (Leghissa 2011, 193, Pl. 17: 1).
Most numerous parallels come from the cem-
etery at Moravče near Sesvete, more precisely from 
Graves 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 (Sokol 1996, Fig. 
5: 2; 7: 2; 9: 4; 10; 12: 2; 13: 1,2; 15: 1; 18: 2; 19: 
2). They are either single- or two-handled, almost 
all with one or more knobs at maximum diameter, 
some surrounded by a groove. Such vessels from 
the cemetery at Virovitica – Ciglana have been 
interpreted as cups. They were found in Graves 2, 
3, 5, 6 and the damaged graves (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, Pl. 8: 6,7; 9: 2,8; 11: 7), some bearing knobs 
without grooves. At Sirova Katalena, similar vessels 
were found in Graves 1 and 10 (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, Pl. 14: 1; 16: 1). Another parallel is the sherd 
with two horizontal grooves and a groove-encircled 
knob from the settlement at Mačkovac – Crišnevi 
(Karavanić, Mihaljević, Kalafatić 2002, Pl. 3: 1). Also 
similar is the urn with two downturned tongue-
shaped lugs and two groove-encircled knobs at 
maximum diameter from Mala Pupelica and the 
single-handled vessels with four knobs at maximum 
Fig. 11: Podsmreka 2. Types of jars (L 14 to L 15). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 11: Podsmreka 2. Tipi loncev (L 14 do L 15). M. = 1:6.
67The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
diameter from Grave 7 at Drljanovac, attributed 
to Phase I of the Urnfield culture together with 
a horizontally faceted dish with an inturned rim 
and a globular pedestal goblet (Majnarić-Pandžić 
1989a, 16, Pl. 2: 1; 6: 6). The same dating pertains 
to a sherd with similar decoration, of a horizontal 
incision on the shoulder and knob at maximum 
diameter, which was used as urn cover in Grave 2 
at Voćin (Ložnjak 2003, 37, Pl. 3: 2), the urn from 
a grave at Zbelava (Kalafatić, Kovačević, Vekić 
2009, 39, Pl. 2: 1), a sherd from the settlement 
at Ivanovci Gorjanski – Palanka (Kudelić 2011, 
22, Pl. 2: 3), several sherds from the settlement 
at Podgajac – Glogovica (Kulenović 2016, 59, Pl. 
7: 1–2; 8: 3) and a sherd from the settlement at 
Kurilovec – Belinščica (Kudelić 2016, 28, Pl. 6: 7).
Formally similar are a single-handled vessel 
decorated with a crescent-shaped appliqué on the 
belly from Hearth 1 beside Grave 5 and a vessel 
bearing an incised motif of hanging triangles 
from Grave 24, both from Bezdanjača and dated 
to BA C/D. Slightly later, from BA D/Ha A1 are a 
two-handled vessel in Group Grave 5 and a vessel 
with horizontal grooves on the neck from Block 
1 (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, Pl. 10: 1; 17: 1; 26: 
9; 29: 1). Ružica Drechsler-Bižić established that 
the associated goods in Grave 5 were rooted in 
the Middle Bronze Age Tumulus culture, though 
she saw the bronze sickle as chronologically most 
diagnostic, which Ksenija Vinski-Gasparini dated 
to BA D (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, 54). An almost 
identical vessel with an incised line on the shoul-
der was found in Jozgina pečina, dated to BA C/D 
(Drechsler-Bižić 1987, 58, Pl. 1: 4,4a).
– Subtype L 3/2
The jars L 3/2 are globular with a gently everted 
rim (Fig. 10: L 3/2).
Sector 1: Concentration 3, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Squares 185, 190, 190A (Building 1), 
in Concentrations 9, 10, 12, 16 and 17; Sector 2: 
Concentrations 3, 8, 21/I, 35, 45 and 55 (App. 1; 
cf. Murgelj 2013, G42, G122, G145, G177, G192, 
G216, G283, G296, G297, G360, G376, G466, 
G468–G470, G509, G557, G592, G622, G641, 
G671, G700, G712, G714, G739, G743, G766, 
G771, G780, G898, G1057, G1083).
Such jars from Oloris, identified as Type L 1, 
date to BA C/D (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 
145, Fig. 4), as do the examples from Žlebič (Puš 
1988–1989, 348, Pl. 4: 4), Grave 4 at Sirova Katalena 
(Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 15: 8), the settlement 
at Iška Loka (Velušček 2005, Pl. 5: 1) and Turjeva 
jama (Knavs, Mlinar 2005, 69, Pl. 2: 1,6).
Type L 4
It has a rounded body, gently everted rim and 
in some cases an interior break at the neck. The 
strap handle is attached below the rim, some have 
tongue-shaped lugs at maximum diameter (Fig. 
10: L 4).
Sector 1: Concentration 15, posthole (Patch 1); 
Sector 2: Concentrations 8, 23, 41 and 45 (App. 
1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G580, G709, G926, G1016, 
G1055, G1133).
Similar jars from Oloris have been identified 
as Type L 6 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 147, 
Fig. 5).
Type L 5
It has a rounded body, everted rim, short funnel-
shaped neck and depressed neck-shoulder junction 
(Fig. 10: L 5).
Sector 1: Concentration 15; 2: Concentrations 3, 
8, 30, 37 and 41 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G578, 
G670, G708, G746, G965, G991, G1017).
Vessels with a depressed neck-shoulder junction 
are known already in the Middle Bronze Age Ko-
szider phase (BA B1), in the Early Tumulus culture 
among the habitation finds at Estergályhorváti – 
Alsóbárándpuszta in Hungary, in the Late Tumulus 
culture from the settlement at Balatonmagyaród 
– Hídvégpuszta (BA C), also in Graves 9 and 22 
(Horváth 1994, Pl. 1: 1–9; 2: 1,8; 3: 7; 4: 1,3; 10: 
1,5; 12: 4) of the associated cemetery attributed 
to the early phase of the Late Bronze Age (BA D).
At settlements from Phase I of the Urnfield 
culture (BA C/D), they were found at Oloris and 
identified as Type L 5 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 
2002, 147, Fig. 5). Two parallels came to light in 
Graves 1 and 2 at Potrčeva cesta in Ptuj (Jevre-
mov 1988–1989, 171, 175, Fig. 2: 1; 3: 3), some 
in Žlebič (Puš 1988–1989, 348, Pl. 2: 2), Most na 
Soči (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 371, Pl. 4: 6,7) and Iška 
Loka (Velušček 2005, Pl. 5: 3).
Outside Slovenia, jars of this type came to 
light in habitation contexts at Virovitica – Antu-
novac (Pavišić 1993, 24, Pl. 1: 3), Jozgina pečina 
(Drechsler-Bižić, 1987, 58, Pl. 1: 1) and Ivanovci 
Gorjanski – Palanka dated to BA C/D (Kudelić 
2011, 19, Pl. 1: 1,3). In burial contexts, they were 
found in the cemeteries of the Virovitica group, 
more precisely in Graves 2 and 3 at Virovitica 
– Ciglana (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 8: 8,10), 
Grave 3 in Sirova Katalena, at the Desna bara site 
in Vukovar (ib., Pl. 15: 3; 17: 29) and in Graves 
1 and 4 at Moravče near Sesvete (Sokol 1996, 32, 
Fig. 4: 1,2; 9: 7,8). In Lika, a similar beaker with 
68 Ida MURGELJ
a grooved handle and a horse-shaped appliqué on 
the shoulder was unearthed in Group Grave 3 in 
Bezdanjača (Drechsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 34, Pl. 
24: 6). A single-handled beaker with an incision 
at the neck-shoulder junction was found in Grave 
46 at Gređani (Minichreiter 1982–1983, 39, Pl. 13).
Type L 6
It has a slightly rounded body, vertical slightly 
thickened rim and gently curved neck (Fig. 10: L 6).
Sector 1: Concentration 7; Sector 2: Concen-
trations 8 and 35 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G94, 
G782, G973).
The early examples include a small single-handled 
beaker with a cordon on the shoulder from the 
cemetery in Vörs – Papkert B, Hungary; it was found 
in Grave 20–22 attributed to the early phase of the 
cemetery (late BA C), with a marked tradition of 
the Tumulus culture (Honti 1993, 147, Fig. 1: 5). 
Another example is the jar from the settlement at 
Kurilovec – Belinščica (Kudelić 2016, 28, Pl. 10: 
2). Similar jars were found in Graves 30 and 35 at 
Gređani (Minichreiter 1982–1983, Pl. 9; 10) and in 
the settlement at Velimirovac – Arenda (Kulenović 
2018, 12, Pl. 4: 6), dated to BA D/Ha A.
Type L 7
It has a high oval body, short curved neck and 
gently everted rim. It is either undecorated or bears 
an applied cordon or tongue-shaped lugs on the 
shoulder (Fig. 10: L 7).
Sector 1: Concentration 10; Sector 2: Concen-
trations 21/I, 23, Grave 3 (Pl. 3: 2) (App. 1; cf. 
Murgelj 2013, G500, G895, G918, G1105).
Two jars with a pair of tongue-shaped lugs on 
the upper part were found in the cave of Spodmol 
pod Macesnovo gorico near Kočevje (Bavdek, 
Mihevc 1995, 82, Fig. 5). Such a jar from Rabelčja 
vas (Strmčnik-Gulič 1988–1989, 158, Pl. 6: 1) is 
dated to the Middle Bronze Age (BA B2–C1 to 
BA C2–D), the jar found in one of the storage pits 
at Medvode – Svetje (Leghissa 2011, Pl. 21: 1) to 
the Oloris-Podsmreka horizon. Snježana Vrdoljak 
ascribed the two examples from the settlement at 
Kalnik – Igrišče (BA D/Ha A2) to her Type A6b 
and noted that such jars came to light at numerous 
settlements and cemeteries of the Urnfield culture 
(Vrdoljak 1994, 27, Pl. 1: 1; 2: 2).
Type L 8
It has a rounded body, short conical neck and 
gently everted rim. One example has a cordon 
drawn out at the shoulder (Fig. 10: L 8).
Sector 1: Concentration 3; Sector 2: Concen-
trations 31, 41 and 55 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G41, G958, G1020, G1084).
It corresponds with the jars of Type L 2 from 
Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 145, Fig. 
4). Other examples were also found in the set-
tlements at Iška Loka (Velušček 2005, Pl. 7: 4,5), 
Gradišče above Ajdovščina, dated to BA D/Ha A1 
(Svoljšak 1988–1989, 371, Pl. 2: 13), and Ivanovci 
Gorjanski – Palanka, dated to BA C/D (Kudelić 
2011, 23, Pl. 4: 2).
Type L 9
It has a rounded body, roughly conical and 
rather thick-walled neck and mostly everted rim 
with a flat lip. It is either undecorated or bear 
applied vertical or oblique ribs or cordons with 
impressions and tongue-shaped lugs at maximum 
diameter (Fig. 10: L 9).
Sector 1: Concentrations 3, 8, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Square 185 (Building 1), in Concentra-
tions 9,16; Sector 2: Concentrations 8, 35, 45 and 
55 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G43, G110, G146, 
G206, G210, G267, G393, G585, G737, G767, 
G971, G972, G1052, G1085).
It corresponds with the jars of Type L 2 from 
Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 145, 2002, 
Fig. 4). A similar jar from Rabelčja vas (Strmčnik-
-Gulič 1988–1989, 160, Pl. 7: 1) has been attributed 
to the Middle Bronze Age (BA B2 to BA C/D). 
Sherds of this jar type from Grave 2 at Potrčeva 
cesta in Ptuj are also dated to BA C/D (Jevremov 
1988–1989, 175, Fig. 3: 8,9). The finds from the 
settlements at Gradišče above Ajdovščina and Most 
na Soči (Svoljšak 1988–1989, 371, Pl. 2: 14; 4: 8; 8: 
2) have been dated more broadly (BA C2/Ha A1). 
Other parallels come from the BA D settlement 
at Virovitica – Antunovac (Pavišić 1993, 24, Pl. 
1: 1) and from one of the destroyed graves of the 
Barice-Gređani group at Bajir in Slavonska Požega 
(Minichreiter 1982–1983, 67, Pl. 19: 1).
Type L 10
It has an oval body, gently conical or cylindrical 
neck, flat lip and rim that is slightly thickened on 
the exterior. One example has a slight break in the 
profile at the shoulder (Fig. 10: L 10).
Sector 1: Concentrations 1, 2, 3, near Con-
centration 8, in Grid Square 185 (Building 1), in 
Concentration 9 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G16, 
G53, G137, G209, G262).
It can be paralleled with some jars of Type L 2 
from Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 145, 
69The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Fig. 4) and Žlebič, which are made of a very co-
arse fabric and bear low finger impressions along 
the lip; they have been dated to BA C and D (Puš 
1988–1989, 350, Pl. 4: 1). Others were found in 
the settlements at Iška Loka (Velušček 2005, Pl. 1: 
1; 3: 4–6) and Ivanovci Gorjanski – Palanka, dated 
to BA C/D (Kudelić 2011, 23, Pl. 4: 3,4).
Type L 11
It has a gently rounded body and flat lip thick-
ened on the exterior. Some have a cordon with or 
without impressions applied at maximum diameter, 
others are decorated at the rim (Fig. 10: L 11).
Sector 1: Concentration 8, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Square 190A (Building 1), in Concen-
trations 9, 11, 13, 16, posthole (Patch 1); Sector 
2: Concentration 23 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G184, G186, G214, G282, G286, G287, G310, 
G316, G394–G397, G422, G541, G584, G699, 
G920, G1132).
It corresponds with the jars of Type L 10 from 
Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 150, Fig. 
6). Similar jars were found in the settlements at 
Most na Soči, dated to BA C2/Ha A1 (Svoljšak 
1988–1989, 371, Pl. 7: 5), and Kalnik – Igrišče, 
the latter site yielding a jar with impressions along 
the rim and applied shoulder cordon, as well as 
four tongue-shaped lugs identified as Type A3e 
(Vrdoljak 1994, 24, Pl. 4: 2).
Type L 12
It has a rounded or biconical body and hori-
zontally everted rim with a flat lip. One jar is 
decorated with applied cordons and ribs combined 
with vertical incisions, another one with horizon-
tal incisions above maximum diameter and three 
groove-encircled knobs (Fig. 10: L 12).
Sector 1: Concentrations 5, 10; Sector 2: Con-
centration 8 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G88, G480, 
G502, G765).
Type L 13
It has an asymmetric T-shaped rim, in some 
cases inturned. Some vessels are decorated with 
different combinations of applied ribs/cordons or 
vertical/horizontal incisions. It includes a single 
example of a rim externally decorated with cordons 
and a knob encircled by a thin rib (Fig. 10: L 13).
Sector 1: Concentration 3, near Concentration 
8, in Grid Squares 180 and 190A (Building 1), in 
Concentrations 9, 12, posthole (Patch 3); Sector 2: 
Concentration 3 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G45, G188, 
G212, G257, G377, G575, G672, G1142, G1143).
Such jars from Oloris are marked as Type L 
11 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 150, Fig. 6).
Type L 14
It has an oval or biconical body, poorly de-
fined neck and flat lip. A pair of strap handles 
is attached at or below maximum diameter, with 
groove-encircled knobs between them. Some vessels 
are also decorated with a groove on the shoulder 
(Fig. 11: L 14).
Sector 2: Concentrations 1, 3, 33 and 52 (App. 
1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G655, G665, G955, G1075).
Parallels are the jars of Type L 10 from Oloris 
(Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 150, Fig. 6), a jar 
from Žlebič dated to BA C/D (Puš 1988–1989, 347, 
Pl. 2: 1) and a two-handled jar from the settlement 
at Kalnik – Igrišče (Vrdoljak 1994, 39, Pl. 3: 1).
From burial contexts, a similar jar was found in 
Grave 2 at Sirova Katalena, from BA C/D (Vinski-
Gasparini 1973, Pl. 14: 3).
Type L 15
It has a globular body and wide everted rim. It 
is decorated with applied horizontal and oblique 
cordons, as well as tongue-shaped lugs, most 
frequently bearing impressions (Fig. 11: L 15).
Sector 1: Concentrations 2, 3; Sector 2: Con-
centrations 8, 16, 18 and Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 2) (App. 
1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G26, G40, G758, G872, G878, 
G1093).
Formal parallels from Oloris are those of Type 
L 1 (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 145, Fig. 4). 
Similar ones from Svetje in Medvode have been 
identified as pithoi due to their great size (Leghissa 
2011, Pl. 6: 1; 11: 2; 119). Also similar is a jar sherd 
from Iška Loka dated to BA D/Ha A1 (Velušček 
2005, 73, Pl. 5: 1). The jar from Bratonci in the 
Prekmurje region is slightly smaller (Guštin 2013, 
38, Pl. 3: 11). In the Virovitica cemetery, such jars 
were mainly used as urns, decorated with groups 
of ribs, an incised line on the shoulder and pairs 
of tunnel-shaped handles or tongue-shaped lugs at 
maximum diameter; they came to light in Graves 1 
and 4, and among the finds from destroyed graves 
(Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 7: 2,6; 11: 1,2,3,5,6,8), 
but also in Grave 4 at Sirova Katalena (ib., Pl. 15: 
6). The ellipsoid jar with a pair of strap handles 
and knobs at maximum diameter, found covered 
with a dish in a grave from Lepoglava (Šimek 2003, 
154, Fig. 2; 3), has also been attributed to Phase I 
of the Urnfield culture or BA C/D.
Standing out among the finds from the settle-
ment at Podsmreka is a jar decorated with a plain 
70 Ida MURGELJ
applied cordon and three tongue-shaped lugs 
at maximum diameter, with a chevron-shaped 
cordon applied from the lugs towards the rim 
(Murgelj 2013, G878). Pottery sherds with such 
decoration are known from sites attributed to BA 
C/D, for example at Oloris (Dular, Šavel, Tecco 
Hvala 2002, Pl. 11: 10), Sodolek (Kavur 2012, 
81, Fig. 7: 3), the settlement at Mali Zagreb in 
Špišić Bukovica (Pavišić 1991, 6, Pl. 1: 1) and the 
cemetery at Moravče near Sesvete, where the one 
in Grave 7 was used as urn cover (Sokol 1996, 32, 
Fig. 13: 3). A sherd with such decoration from 
Cerine 7 near Koprivnica has a round appliqué 
with an impression at the rib junction (Marković 
2003, 51, Fig. 5: 1).
Pithoi
These comprise large vessels that come in 
different forms. They represent 1.1% of the 
analysed finds and have been divided into four 
types (Fig. 12).
Type P 1
It has an ellipsoid body, high, curved and con-
stricted neck and everted rim. Strap handles are 
attached at maximum diameter. It has a groove 
at the neck-shoulder junction (Fig. 12: P 1).
Sector 2: Concentration 35 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G968).
The earliest formal parallels include a two-
-handled amphora with a cylindrical neck and 
a sharp neck-shoulder junction found in Grave 
851 at Franzhausen and attributed to the Middle 
Bronze Age or BA B1/B2 (Neugebauer 1994, 150, 
Fig. 83: 13). Sharing the same dating are four si-
milar ellipsoid or biconical jars with two or four 
strap handles at maximum diameter, unearthed 
in the Orešac cemetery, in the Banat region 
(Majnarić-Pandžić 1989b, 43, Pl. 2: 2,4; 3: 2,3).
A similar ellipsoid jar with horizontal handles 
was found in Rabelčja vas, in Pit 100; the pottery 
and rare metal finds date this settlement to BA 
B2/C1 – BA C2/D (Strmčnik-Gulič, 1988–1989, 
158, Pl. 1: 12). Formal similarities are also ob-
servable in the pithoi from Krka and Krška jama 
(Murgelj 2018, 56, Pl. 1: 1; 4: 1; 5), and the pithos 
sherds from storage and refuse pits at Svetje in 
Medvode (Leghissa 2011, 120, Fig. 70), dated to 
the Oloris-Podsmreka horizon.
Formally similar jar, with a groove on the neck 
and a pair of strap handles at maximum diameter, 
was used as an urn in Grave 2 at Virovitica and 
dated to BA C/D (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 8: 
1). The same time frame pertains to the smaller 
jar with a broad neck from Grave 4 in Moravče 
near Sesvete (Sokol 1996, 30, Fig. 8: 3) and the 
two-handled jars from Bezdanjača, where they 
came to light in group Grave 1 and Block 14 (Dre-
chsler-Bižić 1979–1980, 35, 42, Pl. 22; 28: 1; 35: 5; 
39: 4), and from Jozgina pečina (Drechsler-Bižić 
1987, 58, Pl. 2: 2; 3: 2). Four similar jars came to 
light in the well on an island at Dunakeszi on the 
Danube. All jars have an everted rim, cylindrical 
neck with a groove at the neck-shoulder junction 
and a pronounced belly. Two of the jars have a 
pair of tunnel-shaped handles at maximum dia-
meter, the third one a groove-encircled knob at 
maximum diameter and a pair of tongue-shaped 
lugs on the lower belly, while the fourth one has 
three knobs with three semicircular grooves each. 
The fourth one was found together with a cup 
(SK 1/2) in the layers deposited when the well 
was still in use, all others in later deposits. The 
finds have been attributed to the Late Tumulus 
culture or BA C/D (Szilas 2002, 295, Fig. 3: 4; 
4: 1; 5: 1,2).
The southernmost part of the Urnfield culture 
cemetery at Dvorišče SAZU in Ljubljana yielded 
the lower part of an urn, containing the remains 
of a young woman, which is similar to Type P 
1; it is dated to the 13th/12th centuries BC or 
1270–1120 cal. BC (Gaspari 2010, 22, Fig. 11–13).
Type P 2
It has an oval body with an everted rim. It is 
decorated with an applied cordon and four oppo-
sing tongue-shaped lugs (Fig. 12: P 2).
Sector 2: Concentration 16 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G873).
Type P 3
It has a globular body, externally thickened rim 
and flat lip. In some cases, the lip is decorated 
with impressions (Fig. 12: P 3).
Sector 1: Concentrations 4, 10; Sector 2: Con-
centrations 36, 37 and 41 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 
2013, G81, G503, G984, G989, G1034).
A similar jar came to light in Rabelčja vas, 
dated to the Middle Bronze Age or BA B2/BA 
C/D (Strmčnik-Gulič 1988–1989, 158, Pl. 4: 1). 
Also similar are the sherds of vessels with a flat 
lip or T-shaped rim unearthed in the settlement 
at Žlebič and dated to BA C/D (Puš 1988–1989, 
347, Pl. 4: 2,3,5; 6: 7).
71The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Type P 4
It has a large and bell-shaped body, everted 
rim and rounded or flat lip. It bears an applied 
cordon and tongue-shaped lugs, with or without 
impressions, on the upper half of the mid-section 
(Fig. 12: P 4).
Sector 1: Concentrations 4, 10; Sector 2: Con-
centration 37 (App. 1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G82, G83, 
G527, G988).
DECORATION
Decoration shows different manners of pro-
duction: applied, incised, grooved, modelled and 
impressed (Fig. 13). The discussion below will only 
take into account the chronologically or culturally 
diagnostic decorative manners.
Applied decoration
This is the most common decorative technique 
observed on the pottery from Podsmreka. It most 
frequently takes the shape of cordons, which can 
be either plain, bear impressions or oblique slashes, 
followed by knobs and round appliqués.
Ribs and cordons
These frequently occur in combination with 
tongue-shaped lugs at maximum diameter (Fig. 13: 
O4–O7). They can be plain or bear impressions 
to match the lugs, but there are also examples 
of cordons/ribs with impressions and plain lugs. 
Less common is the combination of a decorated 
or plain rib/cordon and round appliqué with an 
impression (Fig. 13: O8–O9).
Fig. 12: Podsmreka 2. Types of pithoi (P). Scale = 1:6.
Sl. 12: Podsmreka 2. Tipi pitosov (P). M. = 1:6.
72 Ida MURGELJ
Ribs and cordons can be applied in a variety 
of ways, as either straight, semicircular (Fig. 13: 
O10) or zigzag lines (Fig. 13: O11). They touch 
each other either perpendicularly or at an angle 
(Fig. 13: O12,O16). They can be plain or decorated 
or both (Fig. 13: O16), in some cases combined 
with small knobs (Fig. 13: O15).
Knobs
They can be either rectangular and similar to 
small tongue-shaped lugs (Fig. 13: O17) or ro-
und (Fig. 13: O18), usually applied at maximum 
diameter or just above it. Those surrounded by 
a thin groove are fairly common (Fig. 13: O20), 
those with a wide groove (Fig. 13: O21) or a thin 
rib less so (Fig. 13: O22,O23). Exceptional are a 
body sherd completely covered with small knobs 
(Fig. 13: O19) and the sherds of two amphorae 
with knobs enclosed with either incised concentric 
circles (Fig. 13: O24) or downturned semicircular 
grooves (Fig. 13: O25).
A large body sherd has been found in Concen-
tration 33 of Sector 2 that is decorated with densely 
and randomly applied knobs (Murgelj 2013, G955).
Such decoration appears on different forms of 
vessels already in the Early Bronze Age in the area 
of the Hatvan culture (BA A2) in Hungary. The 
single-handled beaker from Hatvan – Boldoga has 
Fig. 13: Podsmreka 2. Types of decoration (O).
Sl. 13: Podsmreka 2. Tipi okrasa (O).
73The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
vertically distributed knobs, the single-handled beaker 
from Galgamács has knobs irregularly distributed 
across the belly. Beakers are usually single-handled, 
as are the two examples from Tiszafüred, which 
have knobs arranged in vertical and horizontal 
lines across the neck and belly, with vertical and 
oblique ribs and incisions in between. Such vessels 
also occur as grave goods, for instance in Grave 
6 at Örveny – Temetődomb, with knobs arranged 
in regular vertical lines across the neck and belly, 
while the single-handled beaker from Nyíregyház 
has knobs in regular horizontal lines across the 
belly. The pithos from Tiszakarád – Bábahomoka 
is decorated with irregularly distributed knobs, 
whereas regular linear distribution can be seen on 
a body sherd from Felsődobsz (Kalicz 1968, Pl. 27: 
10; 60: 6; 92: 5; 99: 20; 103: 15,16; 104: 7; 117: 4).
In Moravia, sherds with linearly distributed 
knobs came to light at the Early Bronze Age (BA 
A2) sites of Hodonice and Budkovice ascribed to 
the Věteřov group (Stuchlík 2001, 448, Fig. 7: 13,14).
In the Middle Bronze Age, such decoration was 
used in northern Italy, in the Po Plain (Urban 
1993, Fig. 91).v
The sherd with knobs applied in straight lines 
from the settlement at Gelsesziget has been dated 
towards the end of the Tumulus culture or BA C 
(Horváth 1994, 221, Pl. 5: 3).
The settlement at Mačkovac – Crišnjevi (BA C 
/ Ha A1) yielded a jar fragment with a group of 
knobs applied near the base (Karavanić, Mihaljević, 
Kalafatić 2002, 53, Pl. 3: 4). Relatively large knobs 
also adorn the miniature vessel from the settlement 
at Ivanovci Gorjanski – Palanka, dated to BA C/D 
(Kudelić 2011, 21, Pl. 1: 2). The similar appliqués 
led Borivoj Čović to ascribe the site at Barice, near 
the Jaružani–Laminci village, to the Early Bronze 
Age and tie it to the Hatvan culture that was also 
discovered in Slavonia (Čovič 1983, 68, Pl. 1: 4).
Oval and round appliqués
Applied decoration further includes oval or round 
appliqués with a flat top or a round depression 
(Fig. 13: O26–O28).
A specific example of applied decoration is a 
T-shaped rim sherd that bears ribs and a knob 
encircled with a thin rib (Fig. 13: O29).
Incised decoration
All incisions are of the same colour as the sur-
rounding surface, showing that decoration was 
executed prior to firing. It comprises horizontal, 
vertical and oblique incised lines (Fig. 13: O30–
O32). They occur in a combination of horizontal 
and vertical incisions (Fig. 13: O33), as a vertically 
hatched band (Fig. 13: O34) or obliquely hatched 
triangles (Fig. 13: O35). A specific example is a 
thickened rim with a flat lip that is decorated 
with short incisions along the exterior and upper 
surfaces (Fig. 13: O36).
Incisions adorn different types of vessels from 
both sectors of the site. In Sector 1, incised sherds 
came to light in Concentrations 9, 10 and 12 (App. 
1; cf. Murgelj 2013, G36, G258, G261, G264, G329, 
G330, G438–G448, G450, G451, G455, G465, G480, 
G481, G550, G566–G568, G574, G575). Sector 2 
yielded an amphora sherd in Grave 2 that bears 
a knob encircled with incised concentric circles 
(Concentration 12 [Pl. 2: 3]; Murgelj 2013, G1103). 
Incisions are either vertical, horizontal or most 
commonly occur as hatched triangles.
Incised hatched triangles
Pottery sherds with this motif (Fig. 13: O35) 
came to light in several grid squares of Sector 1, 
more precisely in Concentration 9 and Building 2 
(Murgelj 2013, G438–G448, G451). Their highly 
fragmented state does not allow for a recon-
struction of either the vessel form or decorative 
design, though it is clear they constitute a single 
large vessel.
Incised hatched triangles usually decorate the 
shoulder, upper belly or the whole belly. Such 
vessels came to light in the settlement at Es-
tergályhorváti – Alsóbárándpuszta, Hungary, in 
its Koszider phase (BA B1) that corresponds with 
the early phase of the Tumulus culture (Horváth 
1994, Pl. 2: 1–3), and in the Developed Tumulus 
culture phase (BA C) of the settlements at Bala-
tonmagyaród – Hídvégpuszta (ib., Pl. 3: 3,6) and 
Gelsesziged (ib., Pl. 4: 7; 6: 3,4,6). In the Pitten 
cemetery, Austria, vessels with this decoration can 
be traced from the early phase of the cemetery 
(BA B1), represented by Grave 163 f (Hampl, Ker-
chler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978–1981, Pl. 227: 
6), to Ha B represented by Grave 78 (ib., Pl. 240: 
3,5). In Croatia, such fragments came to light in 
the settlements at Ivanovci Gorjanski – Palanka, 
dated to BA C/D (Kudelić 2011, 24, Pl. 5: 4), and 
Podgajac – Glogovica (Kulenović 2016, 62, Pl. 3: 
3; 11: 2). The same dating pertains to the vessels 
from Oloris incised with groups of oblique and 
horizontal lines, as well as hatched triangles. The 
incisions here were largely made prior to firing, 
74 Ida MURGELJ
in some cases afterwards. The decoration can be 
found on the shoulder, maximum diameter or 
everted rim with a flat lip (Dular, Šavel, Tecco 
Hvala 2002, 159, Fig. 11: O12,O13,O14). Incised 
hatched triangles and straight lines also adorn two 
amphorae unearthed in the prehistoric settlement 
at Šiman near Gotovlje, which date to the Middle 
or transition to the Late Bronze Age (Tomažič, 
Olić 2009, 21, G373, G375).
Grooving
Several sherds of pottery from Podsmreka bear 
horizontal grooves on the neck or maximum di-
ameter (Fig. 13: O42).
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, in Grid Squares 180 
and 185 (Building 1), in Grid Square 148 (Building 
2), Concentration 9; Sector 2: Concentrations 28 
and 31, Grave 5 (Pl. 4: 9; cf. Murgelj 2013, G137, 
G139, G166, G296, G340, G944, G962, G1122).
The decorative technique is characteristic of 
the Middle Bronze Age in the Po Plain, where it 
already appears in BA A2 and continues to BA 
C2 (Urban 1993, Fig. 120). The sherds from Istria 
are attributed to the same time frame, unearthed 
in the settlements at Gradac – Turan, in Layer 
3 (Mihovilić 1997), and Monkodonja (Hänsel, 
Mihovilić, Teržan 1997). At Oloris, several strap 
handles bear longitudinal grooves, but they are 
not more accurately datable (Dular, Šavel, Tecco 
Hvala 2002, Pl. 1: 10; 2: 14; 4: 4).
Modelling
Groove-encircled knob
Sector 1: Concentrations 3, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 
17; Sector 2: Concentration 1, Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 
1), Grave 2 (Pl. 2: 2), near Concentration 20, in 
Concentrations 21, 21/I) and 42 (cf. Murgelj 2013, 
G99, G107, G480, G548, G611, G650, G655, G724, 
G893, G899, G914, G1094, G1102).
 Such knobs usually adorn the maximum diam-
eter with the exception of a dish that bears a knob 
encircled with a thin rib on the body (Murgelj 
2013, G874).
This decoration was very common in the Middle 
Bronze Age in Hungary, whence it spread to Slavonia 
(Vinski-Gasparini 1973), Moravia (Říhovský 1982), 
Slovenia (Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002), but also 
Istria (Hänsel, Mihovilić, Teržan 1997, 89, Fig. 40: 
7) and the Po Plain (Urban 1993, 180, Fig. 95).
The example from the settlement at Balatonmag-
yarod – Hidvegpuszta, southeast of Lake Balaton 
(Horváth 1994, Fig. 3: 5), is attributable to the 
Developed Tumulus culture or BA C.
In Austria, vessels with this decoration came 
to light in the Middle Bronze Age cemetery at 
Pitten, in Graves 10, 80, 89 and 116 (Hampl, Ker-
chler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1978-1981, Pl. 199: 
10; 211: 7,11; 218: 9). The last of the enumerated 
graves also contained two disc-headed pins with a 
neck perforation and rosette-sectioned shank that 
date to the initial phase of the cemetery, to BA B1 
(Benkovsky-Pivovarová 1982–1985, 93).
This ornament in Moravia characterises the 
pottery of the late phase of the Middle Bronze 
Age Tumulus culture or of the transition from the 
Middle to the Late Bronze Age and the Blučina-
Kopčany phase (BA C/D), when sites show a mixing 
of the Late Tumulus and Early Urnfield cultures. 
The pottery hoard from Lednice included a large 
ellipsoid jar with this decoration on the shoulder. 
Other parallels came to light in the storage pits 
at Moravský Žižkov and Jezeřany – Maršovice 
(Říhovský 1982, Pl. 10: 3; 12A: 5; 33C: 5,7).
In Slovenia, early parallels come from Middle 
Bronze Age sites. The earliest were found in the 
settlement at Brinjeva gora, where two single-
handled jugs bearing an incised line on the shoulder 
and groove-encircled knobs on the belly (Pahič 
1981, Fig. 28: 1,2; Gabrovec 1983, 42, Pl. 1: 13) 
are similar to the Type L3/1 jars from Podsmreka. 
At Oloris, where we would expect more numerous 
examples of this decoration, only three sherds and 
one complete jar with four handles separated by 
a single groove-encircled knob were recovered 
(Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 2002, 172, Pl. 4: 13; 
14: 1; 22: 9,10). The sherds with such decoration 
from the habitation context of Dolenjska include 
those from Korinjski hrib above Veliki Korinj 
(Dular et al. 1995, Pl. 1: 9; 2: 15,16; Grahek 2020, 
Pl. 13.5: 20; 13.7: 2,9) and Žlebič (Puš 1988–1989, 
Pl. 3: 4). The parallels geographically closest to 
those from Podsmreka are the pithoi from Krka 
(Gabrovec 1991, 200, Fig. 11; Dular, Šavel, Tecco 
Hvala 2002, 179, Fig. 24; Murgelj 2018, Pl. 1; 4: 1; 
5; Škvor Jernejčič 2020, 24, Pl. 20: 1; 22).
In Croatia, parallels came to light in both 
habitation and burial contexts, dated to Phase I 
of the Urnfield culture or BA C and D. At Cerine 
7 near Koprivnica, groove-encircled knobs are 
among the most common forms of decoration, 
occurring on the belly (Marković 2003, 51, Fig. 5: 
4,9). They are also known from the settlement at 
75The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Mačkovac – Crišnjevi, which yielded a particularly 
interesting rim sherd that bears such a knob on 
the interior side (Karavanić, Mihaljević, Kalafatić 
2002, Pl. 3: 1,6,7). A sherd with such a knob on 
the belly also came to light in the settlements at 
Antunovac in Virovitica (Pavišić 1993, 25, Pl. 2: 
4) and Kurilovec – Belinščica (Kudelić 2016, 34, 
Pl. 8: 2–3; 9: 4). Numerous knobbed sherds were 
found in the necropolis at Moravče near Sesvete 
(Sokol 1996, Fig. 5: 2; 9: 1; 12: 2; 13: 1,2; 15: 1), 
where some of the knobs were of a small size 
and without a surrounding groove, unearthed in 
Graves 1, 3, 4, 5 and 10 (ib., Fig. 4: 1; 7: 2; 9: 4,8; 
5: 1; 19: 1,2). The cemetery at Virovitica yielded 
grooveless knobs on a biconical cup from Grave 
5 (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, Pl. 9: 4).
Vessels with pronged rims
Sector 1: near Concentration 8, Grid Square 
185A (Building 1); Sector 2: Grave 1 (Pl. 1: 3,4) 
and Grave 5 (Pl. 4: 10) (cf. Murgelj 2013, G123, 
G1095, G1096, G1123).
Prongs at the rim can mainly be found on differ-
ent types of dishes, bowls and cups, at Podsmreka 
more precisely on the SK 5 bowl and SKO 1 cup 
from Grave 1, as well as the bowl from Grave 5. 
Pronged rims of a Middle Bronze Age date, its 
early part to be precise, can be found on vessels 
of the Koszider phase (BA B1) in the settlement 
at Estergályhorváti – Alsóbárándpuszta, Hungary, 
and among the finds of the Tumulus culture (BA 
C) from the settlement at Balatonmagyaród – 
Hídvégpuszta (Horváth 1994, Pl. 2: 10; 3: 10). The 
tumulus at Pitten revealed prongs at the rim on a 
cup and a pedestal dish from cremation Grave 50a, 
a sherd from Grave 104 and a bowl from Grave 
188 (Hampl, Kerchler, Benkovsky-Pivovarová 
1978–1981, Pl. 206: 2,6; 214: 6; 231: 13). Graves 
104 and 188 also contained a spherical-headed pin 
characteristic of the late phase of the cemetery, i.e. 
dating to the Late Tumulus and beginning of the 
Urnfield culture period (Benkovsky-Pivovarová 
1982–1985, 97).
Pronged dishes are common finds in the cemeter-
ies of Moravia, in a time when tumuli hold both 
inhumation and urn burials. They were unearthed 
in urn Grave 2 at Bučovice, in an inhumation 
grave of the Brno – Malomĕřice cemetery, in the 
Lednice pottery hoard and in Tumulus 4 of the 
Suchohrdly cemetery, the last one more precisely 
in inhumation Graves 2 and 3, and urn Grave 5 
(Říhovský 1982, Pl. 1C: 2; 2: 10; 11: 5,6; 14: 10; 20A: 
1,10; 20B: 2; 21: 17). They have been identified as 
an element of the Tumulus culture that continues 
into the early phase of the Urnfield culture, i.e. in 
the Blučina-Kopčany phase (BA C/D).
Similarly as in Moravia, the graves of the central 
Danubian Tumulus culture at Smolenice also hold 
inhumations and cremations, and in them dishes 
with differing numbers of handles and four prongs 
at the rim (Dušek 1980). This is a time and place 
of mixing Tumulus and Urnfield cultures (BA 
C/D). Erzsebet Patek dates the pottery finds with 
prongs from BA C onwards and sees them as a form 
originating in the Tumulus culture (Patek 1968, 
99, Pl. 1; 6: 1,2,4). Such finds are also known from 
the tumulus cemeteries at Dedinka (Paulík 1984, 
Fig. 11: 1) and Čaka (Točík, Paulík 1960, Fig. 25: 
1), which are typical representatives of the Čaka 
horizon (BA D) in Slovakia.
Impressed decoration
Impressing occurs on cordons and ribs, as well 
as rims and maximum diameters (Fig. 13: O37–
O41). A specific example is a beaker adorned with 
a combination of round impressions and vertical 
grooves (Fig. 11: O42; Murgelj 2013, G660).
INCIDENCE OF POTTERY TYPES
AT PODSMREKA
The combination tables produced by analysing 
the typologically identified vessels show the number 
of examples of individual types according to Con-
centrations of presumed buildings and according 
to graves (App. 1), as well as the combination of 
vessel types according to these contexts (App. 2). 
The analysis involved three buildings that yielded 
the most typologically diverse finds and their 
interrelationships.
Building 1 in Sector 1 comprised Concentration 
8 in Grid Squares 180, 185, 185A, 190 and 190A 
(Fig. 2), Building 2 in the same sector comprised 
Concentrations 9, 16 and 17 in Grid Squares 141, 
142, 143, 146, 147, 148, 152 and 153, while Building 
4 in Sector 2 comprised Concentration 8 in Grid 
Squares 14, 18, 19, 20, 24 and 25. The vessel types 
from these buildings were also compared against 
the vessel types from graves.
For Building 1, analysis revealed seventeen 
different vessel types (five types of dishes, five 
of bowls and seven of jars), nineteen types for 
Building 2 (three types of dishes, five of bowls, 
76 Ida MURGELJ
seven of jars, one jug, one cup and two miniature 
vessel types) and sixteen types for Building 4 (four 
types of dishes, one bowl, nine jar, one cup and 
one miniature vessel type).
Seven types of vessels are common to all three 
buildings (two types of dishes, one bowl and four 
jar types). Buildings 1 and 2 have further five 
types in common (two bowl and three jar types), 
Buildings 1 and 4 further two types of dishes. The 
combination table also shows that these buildings 
were inhabited roughly contemporaneously.
An interesting comparison is that between the 
vessel types from the above-mentioned buildings 
and those from the graves associated with the set-
tlement. A total of fifteen vessel types (three types 
of dishes, four bowl, four jar, two amphora and two 
cup types) are represented in graves (Pl. 1–4). The 
graves and the three buildings all revealed the S 5 
dishes and L 2 jars; the graves and Buildings 1 and 
2 also the SK 5 bowls, the graves and Buildings 1 
and 4 also the S 2 dishes, the graves and Building 
1 also an S 6 dish and an SK 1/1 bowl; this makes 
up six types of vessels in common.
The L 3/1 jar type came to light in three exam-
ples at the site, two of them in graves and one in 
Concentration 42 in Sector 2. The concentration 
revealed four types of vessels that include L 1 jars 
that tie the concentration to all three above-men-
tioned buildings, S 6 dishes that tie it to Building 
1 and an SKO 1 cup that ties it to Building 4.
Their comparison shows the same vessel types 
in graves and in buildings, which suggests their 
contemporaneity or only a minor difference in 
time span.
The pottery types from Podsmreka reveal a Middle 
Bronze Age origin. The dishes are all (except Type 
S 1) wide, which is a feature of Middle Bronze Age 
pottery. The earliest are those of Type S 5, which 
in the Lower Austrian cemetery at Pitten already 
appeared in the early part of the Middle Bronze 
Age (BA B1). Possibly slightly later (BA C) are the 
S 2 conical dishes, with parallels from the Slovak 
cemetery at Salka I. Other dish types have parallels 
from sites in Slovenia and Croatia (settlements, 
cemeteries, pits) that mostly date to Phase I of 
the Urnfield culture or the Virovitica group (BA 
C and partly D), but may last all to Ha A1.
The earliest among the bowls are those of Type 
SK 3 with parallels from Pitten (BA B1). The 
horizontally faceted SK 2 bowls already occur 
in the Middle Bronze Age in the Po Plain and 
its immediate vicinity, though the sites closer to 
Podsmreka, in Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Slo-
venia reveal them towards the end of the Middle 
and the transition to the Late Bronze Age (BA 
C/D); they can also be found in later contexts, 
up to Ha A1.
Of the jars, Type L 5 with a grooved neck-body 
junction appears to be early, with parallels from 
Hungary dating from the early part of the Middle 
Bronze Age (BA B1) onwards. Parallels from the 
Middle Bronze Age onwards also show the jars 
of Types L 7 and L 9 to be of an early dating. All 
other jar types date from the late part of the Middle 
Bronze Age or transition to the Late Bronze Age 
(BA C/D) to Ha A1.
The P 1 and P 3 pithoi are early and date to the 
Middle Bronze Age. This is particularly true of the 
ellipsoid P 1 pithos with a constricted neck, groo-
ved neck-body junction and four strap handles at 
maximum diameter. They continue to be present 
in Phase I of the Urnfield culture (BA C/D) and 
are later replaced by different forms.
Similarly as at Oloris, the pottery from Pod-
smreka bears quite varied decoration. It predo-
minantly comprises cordons and ribs (with or 
without impressions) in different combinations. 
Other decoration includes several manners cha-
racteristic of the Middle Bronze Age. First and 
foremost, these include groove-encircled knobs, 
most commonly with a thin groove, in rare cases 
a wide groove or a groove itself encircled with a 
thin rib. This is a frequent Middle Bronze Age 
motif in Hungary, Slovakia, Moravia, Austria, less 
frequent in Slovenia, but also found in Istria and 
the Po Plain. In Slovenia and northern Croatia, it 
is common at sites attributed to BA C/D.
Also of an early date is decoration involving 
knobs surrounded by semicircular downturned 
grooves. It can be found on Middle Bronze Age 
pottery from Austria, Hungary and Slovakia, even 
the Po Plain. Slightly later finds come from sites 
in Moravia that have been attributed to the Bluči-
na-Kopčany phase, i.e. to the transition from the 
Middle to the Late Bronze Age (BA C/D).
The sun disc motif or knob encircled with 
concentric incisions already appears in the Early 
Bronze Age (BA A2), among the encrusted pottery 
at Feudvar. In the Middle Bronze Age, this motif 
can be found on the vessels from Hungary, Istria 
and the Po Plain. Slightly later, from the transition 
from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, are the 
examples found at Moravian sites and Bezdanjača 
in the Lika region, the latest ones those from the 
cemetery of the Barice-Gređani group at Grabovi-
77The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
ca near Doboj, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Belić 
1966), dated to BA D/Ha A1.
Small knobs densely distributed across the whole 
vessel are also an early decorative design. They 
can already be found in the Early Bronze Age (BA 
A2) in the area of the Hatvan culture, where they 
represent one of the most characteristic designs. 
It can also be found on contemporary pottery 
from sites in Moravia, in the Middle Bronze Age 
also on the pottery from sites in northern Italy. 
In Hungary, it is known towards the end of the 
Tumulus culture (late BA C), in northern Croatia 
among the habitation finds dated to BA C/Ha A1.
At Podsmreka, the incised hatched triangles 
on a large vessel represent Middle Bronze Age 
ornamentation. Vessels with such decoration of a 
BA B1 date are known from Hungary, where they 
can be traced to the transition to the Late Bronze 
Age. In Pitten, Austria, vessels decorated in this 
manner date from BA B1 to Ha B. The parallels 
closest to Podsmreka are those from Oloris and 
Šiman near Gotovlje, which are attributed to the 
Middle or transition to the Late Bronze Age.
Early decorative manners further include prongs 
on the rims of dishes and bowls. In the Middle 
Bronze Age (BA B1–C), they can be found in 
Hungary, as well as at Smolenica in Slovakia. 
Those from Austria and Moravia come from 
sites dated to the transition to the Late Bronze 
Age (BA C/D). Slightly later are the examples 
from the Čaka horizon (BA D) in Slovakia. In 
Slovenia and northern Croatia, examples have 
been unearthed in habitation and burial contexts 
attributed to BA C/D.
The analysis of the forms and decorative motifs 
has revealed strong Middle Bronze Age elements, 
which are particularly apparent in the decora-
tion. Influences and possibly even imports were 
arriving to Podsmreka from the Danube Basin 
and the area between the Rivers Sava and Drava 
in Croatia; there are also ties with the Virovitica 
group, though these do appear to be less strong 
that those with the cemetery at Moravče near 
Sesvete, which also shows early elements in forms 
and even more so in decoration.
The analysis further revealed no later formal 
and ornamental features, from the BA D/Ha A1 
transition, such as oblique faceting and grooving, 
sharp vessel profiles and high handles.
The above leads to the conclusion that the settle-
ment at Podsmreka was inhabited in the Middle 
Bronze Age (BA B2/C) and was abandoned in the 
early part of the Late Bronze Age (BA D).
THE PLACE OF PODSMREKA
AMONG THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE
SITES OF DOLENJSKA
Scarce finds show that Dolenjska in the initial 
part of the Middle Bronze Age (BA B1) belonged 
to the Middle Bronze Age Tumulus culture together 
with the rest of central and eastern Slovenia. These 
finds include a pin with a perforated thickened 
neck, which came to light in uncertain circum-
stances, but possibly in a tumulus in the area of 
Stična (Stare 1964–1965, 211, Pl. 1: 1; Svoljšak 
2000, 115, Pl. 3: 4; Teržan 2008, 273, Fig. 38), and 
a conical-headed pin with a perforated thickened 
neck from Dobrava near Dobrnič (Stare 1964–1965, 
211, Pl. 1: 2; Šinkovec 1995, 119, Pl. 36: 253; 
Svoljšak 2000, Fig. 3: 3). The settlement pattern 
of this period, but also towards its end and in the 
transition to the Late Bronze Age is unclear, with 
several hilltop settlements in Dolenjska yielding 
pottery sherds of a form or decoration that hints 
at a Middle Bronze Age date (Dular et al. 1995).
One such hilltop settlement is on Korinjski hrib 
above Veliki Korinj5 (Fig. 14), where the earliest 
finds, attributed to the Bronze Age, include sherds 
decorated with groove-encircled knobs, tunnel-
shaped and strap handles, with cordons with and 
without impressions, as well as a cup with applied 
knobs. In addition to the pottery, there are also 
several metal objects, such as a chronologically 
diagnostic pin with a flattened spherical head 
and two bronze sickles (Dular et al. 1995, Pl. 2: 
3,5,7–16; 3: 3,5–7). Both types of bronze artefacts 
are common in the hoards of Phase II in north-
western Croatia dated to Ha A1 according to the 
Central European chronology (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973). The fragment of a Wetzleinsdorf type pin 
shows that Veliki Korinj was inhabited in the early 
part of the Middle Bronze Age, in BA B1 (Grahek 
2020, 293, Pl. 13.2: 16). The pottery finds include 
numerous ones with parallels from the sites of the 
Oloris-Podsmreka horizon, dating from BA B2/
C1 to Ha A1 (Grahek 2020, 294). With the finds 
from Podsmreka, they share six types of jars (L 
2, L 3/1, L 3/2, L 8, L 9, L 11, L 12), two types 
of dishes (S 1, S 5) and an SK 8 bowl, as well as 
groove-encircled knobs (Grahek 2020, Pl. 13.8: 
3,7,8; 13.7: 2; 13.9: 1–2,5; 13.10: 4; 13.6: 12–13; 
13.5: 10,11; 13.4: 1).
5  It was Jernej Pečnik who discovered the settlement 
(1904) and found remains from prehistory and the Ro-
man period.
78 Ida MURGELJ
The pottery from Makovec above Zagorica pri 
Dobrniču6 (Fig. 14) includes several forms analo-
gous to the pottery from Podsmreka, as well as 
sherds with cordons/ribs and tongue-shaped lugs 
decorated with impressions or small incisions, 
strap handles and large flat quernstones (Dular et 
al. 1995, Pl. 6: 1–8,12,13; 5: 5–8; 8: 1–8; Fig. 16).
The earliest habitation traces from Sveta Ana 
above Vrhpeč7 (Fig. 14) point to the Copper Age. 
The subsequent layer, attributed to the Late Bronze 
Age, mainly contained undiagnostic pottery sherds, 
as well as two rim-and-body fragments similar in 
form to the Type L4 jars from Podsmreka (Fig. 9: 
L 4). Also of interest are the sherds of three bowls 
recovered from the humus topsoil (Dular et al. 
1991, 80, Pl. 7: 10,11; 9: 1–3).
Gradišče near Trebnje8 (Fig. 14) yielded several 
pottery forms that are not common on other hill-
forts of Dolenjska, particularly jars or pithoi with 
an internally faceted rim, several forms of bowls 
6  Simon Rutar first mentioned the settlement in 1899, 
but it was only trial trenched in 1990.
7  Alfonz Müllner was the first to mention the settle-
ment (Müllner 1879, 98), but it was only investigated in 
recent times with a single trial trenches that revealed four 
habitation phases (Dular et al. 1991, 66).
8  The settlement was discovered during the 1987 recon-
naissance (Dular et al. 1991, 81).
and tongue-shaped lugs (Dular et al. 1991, 82, Pl. 
11: 1–13; 14: 1–12; 17: 1–11; 18: 1–5; 20: 4).
Habitation traces came to light not only on 
hilltops, but also in the lowland, in proximity to 
rivers or streams.
The construction work conducted in 1985 at 
Male Dole pri Stehanji vasi (Fig. 14), for example, 
revealed the remains of a jar with a thickened rim 
and flat lip, and a strap handle bearing a knob flat-
tened with an impression attached at the rim. The 
jar was found on a slope above a valley holding a 
small permanent lake and has been attributed to 
the Late Bronze Age (Pleterski 1986, 244), though 
the rim form and decoration show similarities with 
the finds from Podsmreka.
At Ivančna Gorica (Fig. 14), the 2008 and 2009 
rescue excavations in the old bed of the local 
stream revealed large quantities of pottery and 
several bronze finds (Fig. 15) that may have come 
there from the presumed settlement located on the 
slope below the church of St Joseph. The earliest 
identified object is a bronze biconical-headed 
pin with a perforated neck, cruciform-sectioned 
shank and decoration consisting of semicircular 
and straight incisions (Fig. 15: 1). It is a Paarstadl 
type pin, same as the example from Brinjeva Gora 
(Gabrovec 1983, 40–51, Pl. I: 10–12; Pahič 1985, 
Pl. 14: 4; Pahič 1990, 11) and that from Dobrava 
Fig. 14: Bronze Age site in western Dolenjska.
Sl. 14: Bronastodobna najdišča na območju zahodnega dela Dolenjske.
(Base / Osnova: Republiška geodetska uprava, 1982)
79The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
Fig. 15: Ivančna Gorica (from Plestenjak et al. 2013). Select parallels for the finds from the Podsmreka 2 site. Scale 1–3 = 
1:2; 4–15 = 1:4.
Sl. 15: Ivančna Gorica (po Plestenjak et al. 2013). Izbor predmetov za primerjavo z najdiščem Podsmreka 2. M. 1–3 = 1:2; 
4–15 = 1:4.
80 Ida MURGELJ
Fig. 16: Dolenji Podboršt (from Masaryk 2013). Select parallels for the finds from the Podsmreka 2 site. Scale = 1:4.
Sl. 16: Dolenji Podboršt (po Masaryk 2013). Izbor predmetov za primerjavo z najdiščem Podsmreka 2. M. = 1:4.
81The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
near Dobrnič (Šinkovec 1995, 119, Pl. 36: 253; 
Svoljšak 2000, 115, Fig. 3: 3), all culturally linked 
to the central European Tumulus culture and dated 
to the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age, i.e. 
BA B1 (Innerhofer 2000, 34, Pl. 2; 7; 14–16; Map 
3; – Plestenjak et al. 2013, 33, Pl. 7: 4). Vessels with 
groove-encircled knobs, T-shaped rims, externally 
thickened flat and pronged rims also point to a 
Middle Bronze Age provenance. The pottery finds 
with close parallels from Podsmreka comprise 
eight types of jars (L 1, L 4, L 5, L 9, L 11, L 12, 
L 13, L 14), three types of bowls (SK 1/2, SK 3, 
SK 5, SK 8), the S 5 dish type, a jug and several 
sherds of MP 3 miniature vessels, which shows a 
contemporaneous existence of the two settlements. 
The chronologically last of the Bronze Age finds is 
a club-headed pin decorated with thin horizontal 
incisions flanking an incised herringbone motif 
and probably also a miniature cup with oblique 
grooves on the body (Fig. 15: 2,16), dated to BA 
D/Ha A1 (Říhovský 1979, 151; Teržan 1995, 327; 
Plestenjak et al. 2013, 31–36, Pl. 4: 1).
Few pottery sherds from Mrzlo Polje near Ivančna 
Gorica (Fig. 14) are similar to the finds from 
Podsmreka. They are sherds of a flat thickened 
rim, wall sherd with a knob surrounded by a thin 
groove and a fragment of a dish similar to those 
of Type S5 at Podsmreka. The pottery was scarce 
and scattered across the cultural layer, where it 
was probably deposited by water action from the 
same settlement as the above-mentioned finds 
from Ivančna Gorica (Jerin 2008, 62, 65, G 213, 
G 218, G 265, G 271, G 318).
In 1975, construction work on the grassland of 
the local parish church between the Krka village 
and the hamlet of Gradiček near Krška jama (Fig. 
14) unearthed several ceramic vessels that were 
damaged and most likely originally belonged to 
a burial. In 2003, cavers exploring Krška jama 
stumbled upon the remains of at least four skel-
etons and numerous sherds of prehistoric pottery 
similar to those mentioned above. The pottery 
remains consist of pithoi and jars decorated with 
groove-encircled knobs and dishes with prongs at 
the rim with very close parallels among the pot-
tery from Podsmreka dated to BA B2/C (Murgelj 
2018; Škvor Jernejčič 2020, 24–32).
The 2007 excavations at Dolenji Podboršt pri 
Trebnjem (Fig. 14) revealed a fairly large Bronze 
Age settlement. Similarly as at Podsmreka, the pot-
tery remains were unearthed in differently-sized 
concentrations. The two settlements also share as 
many as eight types of jars (L 1, L 2, L 3/2, L 4, L 
9, L 11, L 12, L 13), four types of dishes (S 1, S 2, 
S 5, S 6), six types of bowls (SK 1/2, SK 1/3, SK 
2, SK 5, SK 6, SK 8), as well as pithoi of Types P 
1 and P 3 (Fig. 16; Masaryk 2013, 49). The scarce 
decoration comprises applied cordons and ribs 
with and without impressions, groove-encircled 
knobs and incised hatched triangles. The settle-
ment has been dated between BA B2/C and BA 
D, devoid of elements characteristic of Ha A1 
similarly to Podsmreka. The dating is supported by 
two radiocarbon dates that span the late 16th and 
second half of the 15th century BC, respectively 
(Masaryk 2013, 90–91, Fig. 60, 61).
The Bronze Age settlement known in literature 
under the geographic name of Žlebič (Fig. 14) is 
located several hundred metres away from the 
Žlebič village, on a small elevation on the left 
side of the road connecting Ribnica and Kočevje. 
Although its investigations only took the form of 
a two-day rescue excavation in advance of quarry 
expansion, they yielded a formally and ornamen-
tally rich pottery assemblage pointing to human 
habitation in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages 
(Puš 1988–1989). The assemblage is comparable 
to that from Podsmreka in both form and decora-
tion, as presented in the discussions on individual 
pottery types.
CONCLUSIONS
The Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka is lo-
cated on a gentle slope above the Višnjica stream, 
a location similar to those of several other settle-
ments from the Middle (BA B, C) and the early 
part of the Late Bronze Age (BA D) known from 
northeastern Slovenia and Dolenjska. It was also 
a location in an easily passable area with valleys 
open to the east and to the cultural influences 
coming from there.
The pottery recovered from the settlement has 
most formal parallels from sites dated to BA C/D. 
However, a number of pottery types have parallels 
from sites with earlier beginnings, dated from BA 
B1 or B2 onwards. Examples of the latter are the 
Type S 2 and S 5 dishes, SK 3 bowls, jars of Types 
L 1, L 5, L 7, L 9 and the P1 and P 3 pithoi. Of this 
early dating are also the groove-encircled knobs, 
incised decoration, vessels with prongs at the 
rim and those with T- or P-shaped rims, as Biba 
Teržan already noted. She also showed that only 
few graves of the Virovitica group held pottery 
decorated with elements typical of the Bronze Age 
82 Ida MURGELJ
Tumulus culture; she saw archaic elements in the 
vessels from Krka and Moravče near Sesvete, for 
which she proposed a dating to BA B2–C or the 
central Danubian phase of MD III after Hänsel 
(Teržan 1995, 327; ead. 1999, 132; Hänsel 1968, 
Map 18, App. 7).
The distribution of the pottery remains within 
the settlement at Podsmreka suggests several buil-
dings that stood some 8 to 10 metres apart (Fig. 
2), a distance that is a broad estimate as the site 
had been damaged by construction work in several 
places. In comparison with other sites of the same 
time frame, Podsmreka is among the rare ones 
that revealed no postholes, which could signify a 
different construction method. The excavation area 
was quite large, but did not identify the edge of the 
settlement, hence it is impossible to say whether it 
had some sort of a fortification (as at Oloris, for 
example, where the settlement was found to have 
been enclosed within a palisade and a defensive 
ditch) or was an open type settlement, without 
defensive structures.
A particular feature of the settlement at Pod-
smreka is the five urn burials irregularly distributed 
in the southeast part of the excavation area. The 
remains in four of them, which contained crema-
ted remains among the ashes, were subjected to 
an anthropological analysis (Leben Seljak 2013, 
320–321). Graves 1 and 2 held young children 
(2–4 years old), Grave 3 a slightly older child (4–6 
years old) and Grave 5 a juvenile individual of 
unidentifiable sex, possibly a young woman (15–30 
years old). The burials probably do not represent a 
cemetery, but rather reflect the custom of burying 
children or young individuals within settlements.
These burials are also the earliest urn graves 
in Slovenia, alongside those from Ptuj (Potrčeva 
cesta) and one from Kamnik, that are associated 
with the Virovitica group. They are linked to 
the grave from Ptuj by way of an L 3/1 jar and 
a pedestal cup (SKO 1), though the said pottery 
from Podsmreka does appear to be more archaic 
and shows more similarities with the graves from 
Moravče near Sesvete. The graves of the Virovitica 
group typically have a predominance of pottery 
among the grave goods, whereas metal objects 
are rare and weapons and tools all but absent. 
The exception in this respect is the burial from 
Kamnik, which held an urn and a pedestal dish, 
as well as a spherical-headed pin, which makes 
it one of the last graves of the group (Gabrovec 
1985, Fig. 1). The number of known cemeteries and 
graves from this time in Slovenia is low, though 
this most likely reflects the state of investigations; 
the archaeological excavations in advance of the 
motorway cross construction in Slovenia have re-
vealed a fair number of contemporary settlements, 
but not the associated cemeteries. The new pottery 
analysis based on parallels and radiocarbon dates 
has attributed the burials at Podsmreka to BA B2/C 
(Škvor Jernejčič 2020, 15–24).
The settlement at Podsmreka also stands out for 
its gathering and processing activities, evidence of 
which are the accumulations of red mudstone and 
yellow siltstone that are not naturally occurring 
here. The processing most likely involved grinding 
the mineral raw material to produce pigments. 
We might imagine it was included in the trading 
network not only among the nearby settlements, 
but also with more distant regions. In this period, 
trading most likely involved exchanging goods 
and raw materials, with products of copper and 
bronze being of particular significance, such as 
tools, jewellery and weapons, but also less appa-
rent commodities such as pigments for dying 
textile. The pigments such as those produced at 
Podsmreka were used to dye textile in vibrant red 
and yellow colours, possibly also to dye leather, 
wood or house daub. With regards to pigments, 
we should also mention red ochre, which was used 
in the funerary ritual; in the Bezdanjača cave, for 
example, pieces of it are associated with several 
burials (Drechsler-Bižić, 1979–1980, 251).
Chronologically, the Bronze Age settlement 
at Podsmreka is contemporary with the Virovi-
tica group in Croatia. Ksenija Vinski-Gasparini 
identified this group and attributed it, within her 
chronological system, to Phase I of the Urnfield 
culture with a strong tradition of the Tumulus 
culture in the central Danube Basin. She saw the 
core of the group in the area between the Rivers 
Sava and Drava, reaching in the west to the Kalnik 
Mountains and the River Krapina, in the south 
across the Sava to northern Bosnia, in the east to 
the confluence of the Rivers Drava and Danube. 
She dated the group to the transition from the 
Middle to the Late Bronze Age (BA C/D), which 
is the late 14th and early 13th century BC in terms 
of the central European chronology (Vinski-Ga-
sparini, 1973; 1983, 552). As for the end of the 
group, she saw clear evidence of it in the arrival 
of the Baierdorf Velatice group towards the end 
of BA D (around 1230 BC) or in the numerous 
appearance of hoards that she marked as Phase II 
of the Urnfield culture (Vinski-Gasparini 1973, 
65; ead., 1983, 557).
83The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka in the Dolenjska region
The duration of this group, but particularly 
its beginnings, have been the subject of many 
discussions. Janez Dular, for example, dated it 
from the late BA C do Ha A1. Using the pottery 
typology for Oloris and Rabelčja vas, he proposed 
a division of the Virovitica group into early (BA 
C–D) and late phases (BA D–Ha A1; Dular, Šavel, 
Tecco Hvala 2002, 205–206; Dular 2011, 130). He 
believed that the dating to BA B2–C, as Biba Teržan 
proposed on the basis of a nail-headed pin from 
Oloris that is characteristic of the Middle Bronze 
Age (Teržan 1995, 327), was too early as examples 
of such pins also came to light in later contexts 
(Dular 1999, 96).
Comparing the sites that yielded vessels de-
corated with incised triangles, groove-encircled 
knobs, T- and P-shaped rims, Biba Teržan argued 
that the beginnings of the settlement at Oloris 
date as early as BA B2/C1 and that the settlement 
was influenced by the central European Tumulus 
culture (Teržan 1999, 2010).
The publication on the radiocarbon dates from 
Slovenia obtained at the many sites excavated in 
advance of the motorway cross construction in 
Slovenia shed new light on the subject. The cultural 
phenomenon that succeeded the Tumulus culture, 
and known in Croatia as the Virovitica group, also 
reached into eastern and central Slovenia, where 
it has been identified as the Oloris-Podsmreka 
horizon. The pottery recovered at the sites of this 
horizon revealed common forms and decoration 
(Teržan, Črešnar 2014, 683–685). The horizon has 
a fairly broad span, with the beginnings reaching 
to the second half of the 16th and its decline to 
the late 13th or first half of the 12th centuries BC.
New observations on this matter can also be 
found in the study by Brina Škvor Jernejčič (2020) 
on the cremation and inhumation burials form 
Slovenia that date from the Middle to the early 
part of the Late Bronze Age. Among others, she 
proposed that the Oloris-Podsmreka horizon 
be divided into the early (late 16th and the 15th 
century BC or BA B1–C1), middle (14th century 
BC or BA C2) and late phases (13th century BC 
or BA D). With regards to the cremations from 
Podsmreka and inhumations from Krška jama, she 
used parallels and radiocarbon dates to attribute 
them to BA B2/C, i.e. the middle phase of the 
Oloris-Podsmreka horizon.
The evidence of the Podsmreka settlement being 
inhabited in the Middle and the transition to the 
Late Bronze Age includes four radiocarbon dates 
of charcoal samples from different concentrations 
(Beta Analytic, Miami, Florida; Murgelj 2014b, 
448–450).
The conventional and median dates delimit the 
duration of the settlement to roughly one hundred 
years, while the calibrated dates provide a broader 
span (Fig. 17): from 1420 to 1100 BC (2 Sigma) 
and from 1400 to 1140 BC (1 Sigma).
We can conclude that the Bronze Age settlement 
in Podsmreka was inhabited in BA B2/C and that 
it lacks later elements, such as oblique grooving 
and faceting on the rim and maximum diameter, 
sharper profiles of vessels and high handles as the 
characteristics of the Baierdorf Velatice group, 
speaking against the settlement continuing to be 
inhabited in BA D and Ha A1.
Translation: Andreja Maver
PIT                       
Concentration 9/
Sect. 1
PIT                       
Concentration 8/
Sect. 2
POSTHOLE       
Patch 1 
PIT                       
Concentration 10/
Sect. 1
Conventional radiocarbon age 3080  ± 40 BP 3040  ± 40 BP 3020  ± 40 BP 2990  ± 40 BP
2 Sigma calibration                
(95% probability) 1420–1260 BC 1400–1190 BC 1390–1130 BC 1380–1100 BC
1 Sigma calibrated results     
(68% probability) 1400–1300 BC 1380–1260 BC 1320–1210 BC 1290–1140 BC
Intercept of radiocarbon age 
with calibration curve 1380 (3330 BP) 1300 (3250 BP) 1280 (3230 BP) 1250 (3200 BP)
Fig. 17: Podsmreka 2. Radiocarbon dates.
Sl. 17: Podsmreka 2. Radiokarbonske datacije.
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Zeitschrift 95/2, 447–490.
TERŽAN, B. 1995, Stand und Aufgaben der Forschung 
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Ergebnisse eines Kolloquiums Hermann Muller-Karpe 
gewidmet, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, 
Monographien 35, 323–372.
TERŽAN, B. 1999, An Outline of the Urnfield Culture 
Period in Slovenia / Oris obdobja kulture žarnih grobišč 
na Slovenskem. – Arheološki vestnik 50, 97–143.
TERŽAN, B. 2008, Stiške skice / Stična Skizzen. – In: S. 
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– Katalogi in monografije 38 (2010), 189–326.
TERŽAN, B. 2010, Diskusijski prispevek o srednji bronasti 
dobi v Prekmurju (Diskussionsbeitrag zur mittleren 
Bronzezeit im Prekmurje). – Zbornik soboškega muzeja 
15, 151–171.
TERŽAN, B., M. ČREŠNAR 2014, Poskus absolutnega 
datiranja starejše železne dobe na Slovenskem / Attempt 
at an absolute dating of the Early Iron Age in Slovenia. 
– In: B. Teržan, M. Črešnar (eds.), Absolutno datiranje 
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dating of the Bronze and Iron Age in Slovenia, Katalogi 
in monografije 40, 703–724.
TOČÍK, A. 1964, Die Gräberfelder der Karpatenländischen 
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Age settlement on the edge of the Ljubljansko barje. – 
Arheološki vestnik 56, 73–89.
VERBIČ, T. 2013, Geološke razmere na najdišču in okolici. 
– In: I. Murgelj, Podsmreka pri Višnji Gori, Arheologija 
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88 Ida MURGELJ
Ob arheološkem nadzoru pri gradnji avtocestnega 
nadvoza pri Podsmreki (sl. 1)1 so bili odkriti nasel-
binski ostanki in pet žganih grobov, ki pripadajo 
virovitiški skupini oziroma horizontu Oloris-Pods-
mreka (Murgelj, Svoljšak 2003a; Murgelj 2014a). 
Podobno kot ostale naselbine te skupine je tudi ta 
ležala na rahlo dvignjenem pobočju nad dolino po-
toka Višnjica, ki je zaradi majhnega padca poplavna 
(Gams 1984; Perko, Orožen Adamič 2001). Potok 
se izliva v reko Krko blizu njenega izvira v Krški 
jami, v neposredni bližini vasi Gradiček.
Naselbinske ostaline
Osnovna stratigrafija je bila enostavna (Murgelj 
2013). Kulturna plast je ležala na geološki osnovi, 
v katero so bila plitvo vkopana dna shrambnih in 
odpadnih jam. Keramične najdbe so ležale v večjih 
in manjših skupkih /zgostitvah (sl. 2: rdeče št.), 
zgostitve na nekaterih mestih so nakazovale tlorise 
stavb velikosti približno 8 m × 10 m (sl. 2: stavbe 
1–4). Tlorisi stavb so si sledili v vrsti, usmerjeni 
severozahod–jugovzhod. Znotraj njih so bile tudi 
večje shrambne in odpadne jame. Gre za različno 
velike, razmeroma plitve kotanje, globoke od 5 do 
15 cm, na globini od 40 do 50 cm pod današnjo 
površino. Poleg kosov keramičnega posodja so bili v 
jamah še ostanki žrmelj in brusov, v redkih primerih 
koščki prežganega hišnega ometa, koščki rdečega 
muljevca in redki odlomki živalskih kosti. Kovin-
skih najdb, z izjemo dveh neopredeljivih koščkov, 
ni bilo, najden pa je bil odlomek kalupa za vlivanje 
obročkov, kar kaže na metalurško dejavnost.
Posebnost naselbine, ki je pritegnila pozornost, 
so bili večji in manjši kupi rdečega muljevca, ru-
menega meljevca in oblic boksita oziroma oolitne 
1  Izkopavanja so potekala pod vodstvom Draga Svolj-
šaka iz Narodnega muzeja Slovenije. Obdelavo najdb je 
prevzela podpisana v okviru svojega magistrskega dela, ki 
ga je pod naslovom Srednja bronasta doba na Dolenjskem 
– primer Podsmreka in pod mentorstvom akad. prof. dr. 
Bibe Teržan zagovarjala na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze 
v Ljubljani leta 2008. Leta 2013 je bilo v elektronski ob-
liki izčrpno objavljeno v zbirki Arheologija na avtocestah 
Slovenije 42 (Murgelj 2013).
boksitne železove rude, ki kažejo na to, da so 
surovino pobirali in zbirali ter skladiščili na tem 
mestu (sl. 2). Ostanki rdečega muljevca so se 
ohranili tudi na eni izmed terilnih plošč (sl. 3), 
ki so bile poleg kamnitih tolkačev dokaj pogosto 
orodje v tej naselbini in kažejo, da so vsaj nekatere 
med njimi uporabljali za mletje oziroma trenje 
muljevca in meljevca. Okrogli tolkači, ploski na 
zgornji in spodnji strani, so bili narejeni iz različnih 
kamnin. Odkriti so bili v jamah, skupaj z ostanki 
keramičnih posod.
Podoben okrogel tolkač je bil odkrit na ognjišču 
ob grobu 4 v jami Bezdanjači v Liki (Drechsler-Bižić 
1979–1980, t. 9: 2). Na tolkaču in v posodi s tega 
ognjišča so bili ostanki rdeče okre, koščki te so bili 
položeni tudi v druge grobove. V tej jami odkriti 
skeleti so bili skrbno položeni na izbrana mesta s 
pridatki, razporejenimi okoli njih. Najverjetneje so 
rdečo okro uporabljali prav pri obredu pokopa. Z 
zmleto in razmočeno okro so dobili rdečo barvo, 
ki so jo verjetno uporabili za barvanje delov ali 
celega telesa preminulega. Verjetno je rdeča barva 
kot simbol večnega življenja označevala prehod v 
posmrtno življenje.
Ali gre pri podsmreškem rdečem muljevcu za 
rdečo okro, ne moremo trditi z gotovostjo, ker 
ne poznamo sestave ostalih oker, ki se v zvezi z 
grobnim ritualom pojavljajo že vse od paleolitika. 
Verjetno sta obe kamnini služili za pridelavo bar-
vila, ki so ga tedanji prebivalci bodisi uporabljali 
sami bodisi so z njim trgovali.
Grobovi
V jugovzhodnem delu izkopane naselbine je 
bilo na razmeroma majhnem prostoru odkritih pet 
grobov v maniri, značilni za virovitiško skupino 
(t. 1–4). Grobovi so ležali na območju naselbine, 
kjer so bile odkrite najdbe iz bronaste in starejše 
železne dobe (sl. 2). Gre za preprosto vkopane 
jame, v katere je bila postavljena žara, napolnjena 
s pepelom in ostanki žganih kosti pokojnika, po-
krita s črepinjo ali celo skledo, z dnom, obrnjenim 
navzgor (sl. 4). V grobovih 1 in 5 smo opazili, da 
so bile kosti pokojnih položene tik pod vrhom 
Keramika iz bronastodobne naselbine
v Podsmreki na Dolenjskem
Povzetek
89Keramika iz bronastodobne naselbine v Podsmreki na Dolenjskem
žare.2 Tak ritual je značilen za virovitiško skupino 
(Ložnjak Dizdar 2011), ki je segala tudi v ta del 
Slovenije. Zaradi keramike, razpršene okoli grobov, 
je verjetno, da je dno pokrovne sklede ležalo tik 
pod nekdanjo hodno površino, kar nas napeljuje 
k misli, da so bili grobovi označeni z zemljenim 
nasutjem ali manjšo gomilo.
V antropološko analizo so bili vključeni štirje 
grobovi, v katerih so se med pepelom ohrani-
li ostanki zgorelih koščic (Leben Seljak 2013, 
320–321). V grobovih 1 in 2 sta bila pokopana 
mlajša otroka (2 do 4 leta), v grobu 3 nekoliko 
starejši otrok (4 do 6 let), v grobu 5 pa juvenilna 
oseba nedoločljivega spola, verjetno mlada ženska 
(15 do 30 let). Verjetno v podsmreškem primeru 
sploh ne gre za posebno grobišče, ampak navado 
pokopavanja otrok oziroma mladih oseb znotraj 
naselbine.
Na območju severne Hrvaške je iz starejše 
kulture žarnih grobišč (KŽG) znanih kar nekaj 
nekropol, pripisanih virovitiški skupini (Premužić 
2016, 19), vendar postaja šele v zadnjem času bolj 
jasen odnos naselbin in pripadajočih grobišč v 
neposredni bližini, npr. na najdiščih Popernjak, 
Jakopovec, Mačkovec (Marijan 2010), Čepinski 
Martinci (Kalafatić 2009) in Poljana Križevačka 2 
(Ložnjak Dizdar 2012). V nobenem od omenjenih 
primerov grobovi niso bili odkriti v naselbini, kot 
je primer v Podsmreki.
Primerjava grobov iz Podsmreke s tistimi iz 
virovitiške skupine je pokazala, da jim je skupna 
preprosta grobna jama, običajno lijakaste oblike in 
samo malo večja od žare. Opazimo lahko razlike 
v načinu polaganja žare in pridatkov v grobove. V 
Virovitici so v jamo najprej položili obredno razbite 
posode, nanje so postavili žaro, okoli nje so nato 
položili dele razbitih posod. V večini primerov je 
bila na žaro z ostanki pokojnika poveznjena skleda 
z navzgor obrnjenim dnom. Na žaro in pridatke je 
bil najprej nametan pepel z grmade, nato je bila 
grobna jama zasuta z zemljo (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, 37). Podobno situacijo razkrivajo grobovi v 
Voćinu (Ložnjak 2003) in Gaćištu pri Suhopolju 
(Pavišić 1992). Na grobišču v Drljanovcu, kjer se 
kaže kontinuiteta pokopov od najstarejše viroviti-
ške faze do II. faze kulture žarnih grobišč oziroma 
skupine Zagreb, so v načinu pokopavanja opazne 
2  Grobovi so bili zaradi slabega stanja posod izkopani 
v bloku zemlje in odpeljani v konservacijo v nadaljnjo 
obdelavo. Ker pa je bil postopek konservacije izpeljan brez 
strokovnega posveta z arheologom, so žal podatki o tem, 
kako so bili v žaro položeni kostni ostanki, izgubljeni.
razlike. V tamkajšnjih grobovih 7 in 9 so bile kosti 
skrbno očiščene, najverjetneje oprane in zložene 
v žaro, ni pa povsem jasno, kako so bile prilože-
ne ostale posode. Grob 7 je zaradi podobnosti z 
grobovoma 5 in 6 pripisan I. fazi kulture žarnih 
grobišč oziroma virovitiški skupini (Majnarić-
-Pandžić 1988a, 15). Oprane in zdrobljene kosti 
brez pepela so bile položene tudi v žaro v grobu 7 
v Moravčah pri Sesvetah, kjer je med posameznimi 
grobovi prav tako opazna razlika v obredju. Med 
bolj zanimivimi s tega grobišča je grob 3, kjer je 
pepel z ostanki kosti položen v jamo in pokrit s 
polovico sklede. Tak način pokopa spominja na 
ritual, značilen za skupino Barice-Gređani v severni 
Bosni in južni Slavoniji. Vsi grobovi z grobišča v 
Moravčah so pripisani I. fazi kulture žarnih grobišč 
in ne kažejo mlajših elementov (Sokol 1988–1989; 
1996, 33). Iz tega časa je tudi naključno odkrit grob 
v Lepoglavi (Šimek 2003), v katerem je bila žara 
pokrita s polovico sklede, drugih lončenih črepinj 
ni bilo. V Poljani Križevački je bilo pri 11 žarah 
ugotovljeno, da ostanki žganih kosti, položeni 
na dno žare, niso presegali polovice prostornine 
žare (Premužić 2016, 86–87). Tudi trije grobovi 
s Potrčeve ceste na Ptuju, ki sodijo v isti čas kot 
navedeni grobovi iz Hrvaške, kažejo vsak svoje 
posebnosti. V prvi grob sta bila položena žara in 
lonec, v drugem je bila žara in ob njej skodelica 
na nogi ter več fragmentov keramike. Tretji grob 
je bil na vrhu obložen z oblicami, v grobni jami 
pa je bil vrč, pokrit s fragmentom keramike in 
poveznjeno skodelico na nogi. Vsi trije grobovi 
so bili zasuti z mivko, pomešano s pepelom in 
žganino (Jevremov 1988–1989, 171, sl. 1).
Keramične najdbe
Od 25.000 kosov keramike je bil način izdelave 
analiziran pri 998 izbranih in narisanih kosih (Mur-
gelj 2013). Iz analize je razvidno, da največji delež 
pripada finozrnati lončarski glini, ki je večinsko 
zastopana pri vseh tipih posodja (sl. 5–11), razen 
pri pitosih (sl. 12), kjer prevladuje drobnozrnata 
lončarska glina. Večina posod je bila žgana re-
dukcijsko in oksidacijsko v končni fazi. Površine 
tako žganih posod so svetlejših barv kot jedro, 
prevladujejo pa odtenki svetlo rjave, rdečerjave 
do temno rjave barve.
Tipološka in kronološka opredelitev najdb ter 
načini okraševanja (sl. 13) so podrobneje predsta-
vljeni v monografski publikaciji (Murgelj 2013). 
Primerjava števila primerkov posameznih tipov 
90 Ida MURGELJ
posod v zgostitvah domnevnih stavb in grobovih 
ter medsebojna kombinacija tipov posod pa sta 
razvidni iz kombinacijskih tabel (pril. 1; 2).
Tipi keramike v Podsmreki kažejo srednjebro-
nastodobni izvor. Sklede so vse (razen tipa S 1) 
široke (sl. 5), kar je značilnost keramike srednje 
bronaste dobe. Najzgodnejša je oblika skled tipa 
S 5, ki se na spodnjeavstrijskem grobišču v Pittnu 
pojavi že v zgodnji srednji bronasti dobi (Bd B1). 
Nekoliko mlajše, morda Bd C, so konične sklede 
S 2 z analogijami na slovaškem grobišču Salka I. 
Ostali tipi skled imajo primerjave na slovenskih 
in hrvaških najdiščih (v naselbinah, grobiščih, 
jamah), ki so po večini datirana v I. stopnjo KŽG 
oziroma virovitiško skupino (Bd C in delno D), a 
morda trajajo vse do stopnje Ha A1.
Med skodelami (sl. 6) je najstarejši tip SK 3 z 
analogijami v Pittnu (Bd B1). Zanimive so vodo-
ravno fasetirane skodele SK 2, ki se na območju 
Padske nižine in njenega neposrednega sosed-
stva pojavljajo že v srednji bronasti dobi. Bližnje 
primerjave najdemo v Avstriji, na Madžarskem, 
Hrvaškem in v Sloveniji, kjer se pojavljajo proti 
koncu srednje bronaste dobe in na prehodu v 
pozno bronasto dobo (Bd C/D). Najdemo jih tudi 
v mlajših kontekstih, do stopnje Ha A1.
Med lonci (sl. 10; 11) se stara oblika kaže pri 
tipu L 5, ki ima poudarjen kaneliran prehod na 
ramenu; na madžarskih najdiščih se pojavlja od 
zgodnje srednje bronaste dobe (Bd B1). Stara 
oblika se z analogijami od srednje bronaste dobe 
kaže tudi pri loncih tipa L 7 in L 9. Vsi ostali tipi 
loncev so datirani v čas od pozne srednje brona-
ste dobe oz. prehoda v pozno bronasto dobo (Bd 
C/D) do Ha A1.
Pitosi P 1 in P 3 (sl. 12) so starih oblik, z izvo-
rom v srednji bronasti dobi. Še posebej izrazit je 
trebušast pitos P 1 z ozkim vratom, poudarjenim 
kaneliranim prehodom na ramenu in štirimi traka-
stimi ročaji na največjem obodu. S svojo značilno 
obliko so prisotni še v času I. faze kulture žarnih 
grobišč (Bd C/D), nato pa jih zamenjajo drugačne 
oblike posod.
Okras (sl. 13) je v Podsmreki, podobno kot v 
Olorisu pri Dolnjem Lakošu, dokaj pester. Največji 
delež pripada rebrom (okrašenim in gladkim), ki so 
različno nalepljena na posodo (vodoravno, pošev-
no, navpično in v različnih kombinacijah) (sl. 13: 
O1–O16). Med drugim okrasjem pa jih kar nekaj 
kaže manire, značilne za srednjo bronasto dobo. Na 
prvem mestu so bradavice, obdane s kaneluro, ta 
je najpogosteje ozka. Redkejši so primeri s široko 
kaneluro ali s kaneluro, ki jo obkroža drobno rebro 
(sl. 13: O20–O23). Tak način krašenja je pogost 
v srednji bronasti dobi na območju Madžarske, 
Slovaške, Moravske, Avstrije, manj pa v Sloveniji; 
najdemo ga tudi v Istri in Padski nižini. V Slove-
niji in na severnem Hrvaškem so tako okrašene 
posode pogosto prisotne na najdiščih, pripisanih 
času Bd C/D.
Staro je tudi krašenje z bradavicami, obdanimi 
s polkrožnimi, navzdol obrnjenimi kanelurami (sl. 
13: O25). Sledimo jim lahko od srednje bronaste 
dobe v Avstriji, na Madžarskem in Slovaškem, naj-
demo jih celo v Padski nižini. Nekoliko mlajše so 
najdbe z moravskih najdišč, datirane so v stopnjo 
Blučina-Kopčany, to je na prehod srednje v pozno 
bronasto dobo (Bd C/D).
Okras sončnega koluta oziroma bradavica, 
obkrožena z vrezanimi koncentričnimi krogi (sl. 
13: O24), se pojavi že med inkrustirano keramiko 
v Feudvarju v zgodnji bronasti dobi (Bd A2). V 
srednji bronasti dobi so tako okrašene posode na 
Madžarskem, v Istri in v Padski nižini. Nekoliko 
mlajši, iz prehoda srednje v pozno bronasto dobo, 
so primeri z moravskih najdišč in Bezdanjače v 
Liki, najmlajši pa z grobišča tipa Barice-Gređani 
v Grabovici pri Doboju v Bosni in Hercegovini 
(Belić 1966), kjer so datirani v Bd D/Ha A1.
Star način krašenja predstavljajo še drobne bra-
davice, gosto razporejene po stenah posode (sl. 13: 
O19). Najdemo jih že v zgodnji bronasti dobi (Bd 
A2) na območju kulture Hatvan, kjer predstavljajo 
enega od značilnih načinov okraševanja posod. V 
tem času so na enak način krasili posode tudi na 
moravskih najdiščih, v srednji bronasti dobi pa 
tudi v severni Italiji. Na Madžarskem jih najdemo 
še proti koncu kulture grobnih gomil (konec Bd 
C), na severnem Hrvaškem pa med naselbinskim 
gradivom, datiranim v čas Bd C/Ha A1.
V srednjebronastodobni maniri je bila okrašena 
tudi velika posoda z vrezanimi šrafiranimi triko-
tniki (sl. 13: O35). Tako okrašene posode najdemo 
v srednji bronasti dobi (Bd B1) na Madžarskem, 
kjer jim lahko sledimo do prehoda srednje v pozno 
bronasto dobo. V avstrijskem Pittnu so posode s 
takim okrasom datirane v čas od Bd B1 do Ha B. 
Na Podsmreki najbližjih najdiščih v Olorisu pri 
Dolnjem Lakošu in Šimanu pri Gotovljah pa so na 
podlagi analogij datirane v srednjo ali na prehod 
srednje v pozno bronasto dobo.
Med stare načine krašenja prav tako spadajo 
sklede in skodele, ki imajo ustje modelirano v 
rogljičaste izrastke (sl. 13: O29). V srednji brona-
sti dobi (Bd B1–C) jih najdemo na Madžarskem, 
v ta čas so opredeljene tudi najdbe iz Smolenic 
91Keramika iz bronastodobne naselbine v Podsmreki na Dolenjskem
na Slovaškem. V Avstriji in na Moravskem so 
tako okrašene posode znane z najdišč iz prehoda 
srednje v pozno bronasto dobo (Bd C/D). Med 
mlajše sodijo primeri iz horizonta Čaka (Bd D) na 
Slovaškem. V Sloveniji in na severnem Hrvaškem 
jih najdemo tako med naselbinskim kot grobnim 
gradivom, pripisanim Bd C/D.
Analiza oblik posodja in načina krašenja nam je 
pokazala močne srednjebronastodobne elemente, 
ki so še posebej izraziti pri okrasu. V Podsmreko 
so vplivi ali celo importi morda prihajali iz Po-
donavja in medrečja Save in Drave na Hrvaškem, 
pri čemer ne moremo spregledati vezi z virovitiško 
skupino. A se te vezi zdijo šibkejše kot z grobiščem 
v Moravčah pri Sesvetah, ki prav tako v oblikah, še 
bolj pa v okrasju kaže starejše elemente. Analiza je 
prav tako pokazala, da oblike in okras ne kažejo 
značilnosti mlajšega obdobja (prehod Bd D/Ha 
A1), za katere so značilni poševno fasetiranje in 
kaneliranje, ostri profili posod in presegajoči ro-
čaji. Na podlagi teh značilnosti lahko rečemo, da 
je naselbina v Podsmreki živela v srednji bronasti 
dobi (Bd B2/C), nekje na začetku pozne bronaste 
dobe (Bd D) pa je življenje v njej zamrlo.
Mesto Podsmreke v okviru
dolenjskih najdišč srednje bronaste dobe
Dolenjska je na začetku srednje bronaste dobe 
(Bd B1), podobno kot ostala osrednja in vzhodna 
Slovenija, pripadala srednjebronastodobni kulturi 
grobnih gomil, za kar govori le nekaj posamez-
nih najdb. Najverjetneje iz gomile izvirata igla 
s preluknjanim odebeljenim vratom iz okolice 
Stične, ki je bila najdena v nejasnih okoliščinah 
(Stare 1964–1965, 211, t. 1: 1; Svoljšak 2000, 115, 
t. 3: 4; Teržan 2008, 273, sl. 38), ter igla s stožčasto 
glavico in preluknjanim odebeljenim vratom iz 
Dobrave pri Dobrniču (Stare 1964–1965, 211, t. 1: 
2; Šinkovec 1995, 119, t. 36: 253; Svoljšak 2000, sl. 
3: 3). Poselitev v srednji bronasti dobi, ob njenem 
koncu in na prehodu v pozno bronasto dobo ni 
povsem jasna. Na nekaterih višinskih naselbinah 
na Dolenjskem so bili odkriti posamezni kosi 
keramike, ki bi jih zaradi oblike ali okrasa lahko 
obravnavali tudi kot srednjebronastodobne (Dular 
et al. 1995).
Na Korinjskem hribu nad Velikim Korinjem3 
(sl. 14) so bile med najstarejšim gradivom, pripi-
3  Naselje je odkril že Jernej Pečnik (1904) in na njem 
ugotovil ostaline iz prazgodovine in rimskega obdobja.
sanim bronasti dobi, značilne črepinje, okrašene 
z bradavicami s kaneluro, ter tunelasti in trakasti 
ročaji, odlomki posod z rebri z odtisi ali brez njih 
in skodelica z nalepljenimi bradavicami. Poleg 
keramike je bilo odkritih tudi nekaj kovinskih 
predmetov, med katerimi so datacijsko pomembni 
igla s sploščeno kroglasto glavico in dva bronasta 
srpa (Dular et al. 1995, t. 2: 3,5,7–16; 3: 3,5–7). 
Obe vrsti bronastih predmetov sta pogosti v 
depojih II. stopnje v severozahodni Hrvaški, ki 
so datirani v stopnjo Ha A1 po srednjeevropski 
kronologiji (Vinski-Gasparini 1973). Obljudenost 
Velikega Korinja v začetku srednje bronaste dobe 
(Bd B1) izpričuje tudi najdba fragmenta igle tipa 
Wetzleinsdorf (Grahek 2020, 293, t. 13.2: 16), 
številne keramične najdbe pa lahko primerjamo 
s tistimi z najdišč horizonta Oloris-Podsmreka, 
datiranimi od Bd B2/C1 do Ha A1 (Grahek 2020, 
294). S podsmreškimi oblikami jih druži šest tipov 
loncev (L 2, L 3/1, L 3/2, L 8, L 9, L 11, L 12), dva 
tipa skled (S 1, S 5) in skodela (SK 8), od okrasa 
pa s kaneluro obdane bradavice (Grahek 2020, 
t. 13.8: 3,7,8; 13.7: 2; 13.9: 1–2,5; 13.10: 4; 13.6: 
12–13; 13.5: 10–11; 13.4: 1).
Na Makovcu nad Zagorico pri Dobrniču4 (sl. 14) 
so med keramičnim gradivom za nas zanimive 
nekatere oblike posod ter črepinje z rebri in jezi-
častimi držaji, okrašenimi z odtisi ali drobnimi 
vrezi, trakasti ročaji in velike ploščate žrmlje (Dular 
et al. 1995, t. 6: 1–8,12–13; 5: 5–8; 8: 1–8; sl. 16).
Na Sveti Ani nad Vrhpečjo5 (sl. 14) prvi znaki 
poselitve kažejo na bakreno dobo. Naslednja plast 
je vsebovala neznačilne koščke keramike, še na-
slednja je pripisana pozni bronasti dobi. Značilni 
črepinji predstavljata fragmenta ustja z ostenjem, 
ki sta podobna podsmreškim loncem tipa L 4 (sl. 
9), zanimivi pa so tudi fragmenti treh skodel, ki 
so bili najdeni v vrhnji humusni plasti (Dular et 
al. 1991, 80, t. 7: 10,11; 9: 1–3).
Gradišče pri Trebnjem6 (sl. 14) je zanimivo zaradi 
nekaterih oblik posodja, ki niso pogoste na drugih 
dolenjskih gradiščih. Izstopajo lonci oziroma pitosi 
z ustji, fasetiranimi na notranji strani, ter nekatere 
oblike skodel in jezičasti držaji (Dular et al. 1991, 
82, t. 11: 1–13; 14: 1–12; 17: 1–11; 18: 1–5; 20: 4).
4  Naselje je prvi omenil leta 1899 Simon Rutar, vendar 
je bilo sondirano šele leta 1990.
5  Naselbino je prvič omenil Alfonz Müllner (Müllner 
1879, 98), z eno sondo, ki je pokazala štiri poselitvene faze, 
raziskana pa je bila šele v novejšem času (Dular et al. 1991, 66).
6  Naselbina je bila odkrita z rekognosciranjem leta 
1987 (Dular et al. 1991, 81).
92 Ida MURGELJ
Ob višinskih naselbinah se sledovi poselitve 
kažejo tudi v nižinah, blizu rek oziroma potokov. 
Eno takih naselij je bilo odkrito v Malih Dolah 
pri Stehanji vasi (sl. 14) leta 1985 med gradbenimi 
deli. Na pobočju, ki se spušča proti dolini, v kateri 
je jezerce, ki ne presahne, so bili najdeni ostanki 
lonca z ravno odrezanim razširjenim ustjem, na 
katerega je pripet trakast ročaj z okroglo sploščeno 
bradavico z vtisom. Najdba je pripisana mlajši 
bronasti dobi (Pleterski 1986, 244), vendar pa 
oblika ustja in okras kažeta podobnosti z gradivom 
iz Podsmreke.
V Ivančni Gorici (sl. 14) je bila med zaščitnimi 
izkopavanji leta 2008 in 2009 v stari strugi potoka 
odkrita večja količina keramičnih in nekaj bronastih 
najdb, ki bi tja lahko prišle iz domnevne naselbine 
na pobočju pod cerkvijo Sv. Jožefa. Najstarejši 
predmet je bronasta igla z bikonično glavico in 
predrtim vratom, okrašena s polkrožnimi in ravnimi 
vrezi ter križno profiliranim trupom. Igla (sl. 15: 1) 
pripada tipu Paarstadl, ki se z iglo z Brinjeve gore 
(Gabrovec 1983, 40–51, t. I: 10–12; Pahič 1985, t. 
14: 4; Pahič 1990, 11) in iglo iz Dobrave pri Dobr-
niču (Šinkovec 1995, 119, t. 36: 253; Svoljšak 2000, 
115, sl. 3: 3) navezuje na srednjeevropsko kulturo 
grobnih gomil, datirana pa je v sam začetek srednje 
bronaste dobe, tj. Bd B1 (Innerhofer 2000, 34, t. 
2; 7; 14–16; karta 3; Plestenjak et al. 2013, 33, t. 
7: 4). Srednjebronastodobno provenienco kažejo 
posode, ki so okrašene z bradavicami s kaneluro, 
z ustji v obliki črke T, z ravno odrezanimi in na-
vzven razširjenimi ustji in ustje, preoblikovano 
z rogljastim izrastkom. Med najdbami, ki imajo 
dobre paralele v Podsmreki, je osem tipov loncev 
(L 1, L 4, L 5, L 9, L 11, L 12, L 13, L 14), trije tipi 
skodel (SK 1/2, SK 3, SK 5, SK 8), skleda S 5, vrč 
in nekaj odlomkov miniaturnih posodic MP 3, kar 
dokazuje, da sta bili naselbini nekaj časa poseljeni 
sočasno (sl. 15). Med bronastodobnimi najdbami 
sta najmlajši igla s kijasto glavico, okrašena s tan-
kimi vodoravnimi vrezi, med katerimi je vrezan 
motiv smrekove vejice, in verjetno tudi miniaturna 
skodelica s poševno kaneliranim trupom (sl. 15: 
2,16), datirana v stopnjo Bd D/Ha A1 (Řihovský 
1979, 151; Teržan 1995, 327; Plestenjak et al. 2013, 
31–36, t. 4: 1).
Podsmreškemu gradivu je podobnih tudi nekaj 
profiliranih koščkov keramike z Mrzlega Polja pri 
Ivančni Gorici (sl. 14). Gre za ravno odrezana 
razširjena ustja, odlomek ostenja posode z brada-
vico, obdano z ozko kaneluro, in fragment sklede, 
ki je podobna podsmreškim tipa S5. Keramika je 
bila redko posejana v arheološki plasti, kamor je 
najverjetneje zašla z naplavinami iz naselbine, ki ji 
pripadajo opisane najdbe iz Ivančne Gorice (Jerin 
2008, 62, 65, G 213, G 218, G 265, G 271, G 318).
Ob cesti med vasjo Krka in zaselkom Gradiček 
pri Krški jami (sl. 14) so leta 1975 ob gradbenih 
delih na farovškem travniku poškodovali več 
keramičnih posod, ki so najverjetneje pripadale 
grobu. Leta 2003 so jamarji v Krški jami našli 
ostanke najmanj štirih skeletov in številne kose 
prazgodovinske keramike. Pri obeh najdbah gre 
za pitose in lonce, okrašene z bradavicami, ki jih 
obdaja kanelura, ter sklede z roglji na ustju, ki 
imajo zelo dobre primerjave v keramičnem gradivu 
iz Podsmreke in so datirani v Bd B2/C (Murgelj 
2018; Škvor Jernejčič 2020, 24–32).
V Dolenjem Podborštu pri Trebnjem (sl. 14) 
je bila med izkopavanji leta 2007 odkrita večja 
bronastodobna naselbina. Keramika je bila tako 
kot v Podsmreki v večjih in manjših zgostitvah. 
Obe naselbini povezuje tipološko podobno gradivo 
(sl. 16), saj ju druži kar osem tipov loncev (L 1, 
L 2, L 3/2, L 4, L 9, L 11, L 12, L 13), štirje tipi 
skled (S 1, S 2, S 5, S 6) in šest tipov skodel (SK 
1/2, SK 1/3, SK 2, SK 5, SK 6, SK 8) ter pitosi P 1 
in P 3 (sl. 16; Masaryk 2013, 49). Keramične čre-
pinje nimajo veliko okrasa, vendar lahko opazimo 
različno nalepljena, razčlenjena in gladka rebra, 
s kaneluro obdane bradavice in vrezane šrafirane 
trikotnike. Naselbina je datirana v čas od Bd 
B2/C do Bd D in podobno kot Podsmreka nima 
elementov, značilnih za HaA1. Datacija naselbine je 
podprta z radiokarbonskima analizama, ki kažeta 
na čas poznega 16. in drugo polovico 15. st. pr. n. 
št. (Masaryk 2013, 90–91, sl. 60; 61).
Bronastodobna naselbina blizu vasi Žlebič (sl. 
14) leži na manjši vzpetini vzdolž cestne povezave 
med Ribnico in Kočevjem. Čeprav so bila zaradi 
širitve kamnoloma izvedena le dvodnevna zaščitna 
izkopavanja, so dala po oblikah in okrasu bogato 
keramično gradivo, ki kaže na poselitev v srednji 
in mlajši bronasti dobi (Puš 1988–1989). Žlebiško 
keramično gradivo je primerljivo s podsmreškim 
tako v oblikah kot okrasu.
Sklep
Bronastodobna naselbina v Podsmreki se uvršča 
v virovitiško skupino, ki ima jedro v medrečju Save 
in Drave, na zahodu sega do pogorja Kalnik in 
reke Krapine, na jugu prek Save v severno Bosno 
in na vzhodu do izliva Drave v Donavo. Prva jo je 
na Hrvaškem opredelila Ksenija Vinski-Gasparini 
93Keramika iz bronastodobne naselbine v Podsmreki na Dolenjskem
in jo v svojem kronološkem sistemu postavila v I. 
stopnjo KŽG z močno tradicijo kulture grobnih 
gomil srednjega Podonavja. Časovno jo je opredelila 
na prehod srednje v pozno bronasto dobo (Bd C/Bd 
D) v smislu srednjeevropske kronologije, tj. konec 
14. in začetek 13. st. pr. n. št. (Vinski-Gasparini, 
1973; 1983, 552). Spodnja časovna meja skupine se 
ji je zdela jasno opredeljena s prodorom skupine 
Baierdorf Velatice proti koncu Bd D (ok. l. 1230) 
oziroma s pojavom velikega števila depojev, kar 
je označila kot II. stopnjo KŽG (Vinski-Gasparini 
1973, 65; ead, 1983, 557).
O trajanju te skupine, predvsem o njenih za-
četkih, je bilo kar nekaj polemik. Tako je Janez 
Dular predvidel trajanje od konca Bd C skozi 
celo D do Ha A1. Za Oloris in Rabelčjo vas je 
na podlagi tipologije keramike predlagal delitev 
virovitiške skupine na starejšo (Bd C–D) in mlaj-
šo fazo (Bd D–Ha A1; Dular, Šavel, Tecco Hvala 
2002, 205–206; Dular 2011, 130). Prezgodnja se 
mu je zdela datacija v Bd B2–C, ki jo je postavila 
Biba Teržan na podlagi igle z žebljičasto glavico iz 
Olorisa pri Dolnjem Lakošu, značilne za srednjo 
bronasto dobo (Teržan 1995, 327), kar je uteme-
ljeval s primeri, kjer se pojavljajo tudi v mlajših 
kontekstih (Dular 1999, 96). Biba Teržan je na 
podlagi primerjav najdišč s keramiko, okrašeno 
z vrezanimi trikotniki in bradavicami s kaneluro, 
ter z značilnimi ustji v obliki črke T in P zago-
varjala stališče, da so zgodnji začetki naselbine v 
Olorisu pri Dolnjem Lakošu že v Bd B2/C1 in da 
je bila pod vplivom srednjeevropske kulture gomil 
(Teržan 1999, 2010).
Nov kulturni pojav, ki je nasledil kulturo brona-
stodobnih gomil, na Hrvaškem imenujejo virovitiška 
skupina, segal pa je tudi na območje vzhodne in 
osrednje Slovenije, kjer se je zanj uveljavilo poi-
menovanje horizont Oloris-Podsmreka. Najdišča 
tega horizonta združujejo podobne oblike posod 
in okrasa (Teržan, Črešnar 2014, 683–685). Ča-
sovni razpon je precej širok, z začetkom v drugi 
polovici 16. st. in zatonom v prvi polovici 12. st. 
pr. n. št., kot kažejo radiokarbonske datacije z 
območja Slovenije, pridobljene z velikega števila 
raziskanih najdišč pri gradnji avtocestnega križa.
Nove ugotovitve prinaša tudi študija Brine Škvor 
Jernejčič (2020) o žganih in skeletnih grobovih z 
območja Slovenije, ki so datirani v čas od srednje 
do začetka pozne bronaste dobe. Za horizont Olo-
ris-Podsmreka je predlagala delitev na zgodnjo (tj. 
Bd B1–C1, konec 16. in 15. st. pr. n. št.), srednjo 
(tj. Bd C2, 14. st. pr. n. št.) in pozno stopnjo (tj. Bd 
D, 13. st. pr. n. št.). Žgane grobove iz Podsmreke 
in skeletne iz Krške jame je na podlagi analogij in 
radiokarbonskih datacij časovno opredelila v Bd 
B2/C, torej v srednjo stopnjo horizonta Oloris-
-Podsmreka.
Obstoj naselbine pri Podsmreki v srednji in 
na prehodu v pozno bronasto dobo podpirajo 
tudi štiri radiokarbonske datacije vzorcev oglja 
iz različnih zgostitev (Murgelj 2014b, 448–450). 
Konvencionalna in vmesna datacija omejujeta 
trajanje naselbine na okoli 100 let, medtem ko je 
pri kalibriranih datacijah razpon večji (sl. 17): od 
1420 do 1100 BC (2 Sigma) in od 1400 do 1140 
BC (1 Sigma).
Zaključimo lahko z ugotovitvijo, da je bila 
bronastodobna naselbina v Podsmreki obljudena v 
času Bd B2/C, nima pa mlajših elementov (pošev-
no fasetirana in kanelirana ustja ter obodi posod, 
ostrejši profili posod in presegajoči ročaji), ki bi 
kazali na njeno obljudenost še v stopnji Bd D in 
Ha A1 in kar naj bi bila posledica vpliva skupine 
Baierdorf Velatice.
Zahvala
Za potrpežljivost in vse vzpodbudne besede se zahvalju-
jem prof. Bibi Teržan in glavni urednici Sneži Tecco Hvala.
Slikovno gradivo: Sl. 3; 4 (foto: Drago Svoljšak). – Sl. 5–13; t. 1–4 (risba: Ida Murgelj).
Illustrations: Figs.: 3; 4 (photo: Drago Svoljšak). – Figs. 5–13; Pls. 1–4 (drawing: Ida Murgelj).
Ida Murgelj
Narodni muzej Slovenije
Prešernova 20
SI-1000 Ljubljana
ida.murgelj@nms.si
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9988-3266
94 Ida MURGELJ
Pl. 1: Podsmreka 2. 1–8 Grave 1. All pottery. Scale = 1:3.
T. 1: Podsmreka 2. 1–8 grob 1. vse keramika. M. = 1:3.
95The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka, in the Dolenjska region of Slovenia
Pl. 2: Podsmreka 2. 1–3 Grave 2; 4–9 Grave 4. All pottery. Scale = 1:3.
T. 2: Podsmreka 2. 1–3 grob 2; 4–9 grob 4. Vse keramika. M. = 1:3.
96 Ida MURGELJ
Pl. 3: Podsmreka 2. 1–4 Grave 3. All pottery. Scale = 1:3.
T. 3: Podsmreka 2. 1–4 grob 3. Vse keramika. M. = 1:3.
97The pottery from the Bronze Age settlement at Podsmreka, in the Dolenjska region of Slovenia
Pl. 4: Podsmreka 2. 1–8 Grave 3; 9–11 Grave 5. All pottery. Scale = 1:3.
T. 4: Podsmreka 2. 1–8 grob 3; 9–11 grob 5. Vse keramika. M = 1:3.