Kakanj culture was a Neolithic culture of Old Europe. It appeared in Central Bosnia's town of Kakanj and covered periods dated from 6795–4900 BCE.Vander Linden, M., Pandžić, I., Orton, D. (2022) New radiocarbon dates for the Neolithic period in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka Ispitivanja (43) 7–34 (pdf)

History Central Bosnia and areas in Sarajevo, Visoko, and Zenica basins were the main areas of first prehistoric populations in Europe, especially along the shores of the Bosna river.

Central Bosnia was later populated by other cultures, like the Starčevo. They are all based in a unique culture that is known as the Kakanj culture, as the first findings were at a site in the Obre settlement of Kakanj.

Other known locations of the European original culture are sited at: Kakanj – Plandište, Papratnica; Visoko – Arnautovići, Okolište, and Tuk near Zavidovići. The Kakanj culture had strong influence on the development of the Butmir culture.

In what is now an obsolete view, Marija Gimbutas regarded the Kakanj culture as a local variant of the Starčevo, with elements of the Danilo group.

Settlements and artifacts The excavated settlements were not uniform. The site in Obre included rectangular houses with 1 or 2 rooms, with foundations made of stone and clay loam walls. Stone tools were predominant, especially molded hatchets. Tools like spatulas and needles were made out of bones.

The pottery was versatile, coarse, and monochrome. The surface of the monochrome ceramics was well polished, as is in Butmir culture.

The shapes included vessels with tall hollow conical stems, alongside bowls with thicker rims and 4-foot rhytons. Plastic was poorly represented.

See also

Old Europe Butmir culture Early history of Bosnia and Herzegovina

References

External links

Neolithic of Middle East and Southeastern Europe (in Bosnian) Analysis of prehistoric ceramics at Donja Papratnica and Zagrebnice near Kakanj (in Bosnian) Obre encyclopedia.com Pictures of artefacts found at Plandište New radiocarbon dates for the Neolithic period in Bosnia & Herzegovina