New Radiocarbon Dates from the Balkans (Dubene-Sarovka): Approach to the Early Bronze Absolute Chronology in Upper Thrace

Abstract

This paper addresses the absolute chronology of the earlier Yunatsite and Ezero cultures in Upper Thrace (South Bulgaria), from Early Bronze I and the beginning of Early Bronze II. The two newly obtained radiocarbon dates from Early Bronze Dubene-Sarovka (the Upper Stryama Valley) are published and discussed in a detailed stratigraphic and comparative Early Bronze I-Early Bronze II context. Date Bln-5233 (3490-3120 cal BC) is the first 14C date from the Upper Maritsa valley from Early Bronze I with well-defined stratigraphic context and values earlier than 3100 BC. This date adds new arguments to the discussion of the 14C dates from Yunatsite 15 and Plovdiv-Nebet Tepe, and addresses the question of the comparative chronology of Yunatsite I and Ezero I cultures from the late fourth millennium BC. The sample of the date Bln-5231 (2870-2620 cal BC) comes from a level on the border between Early Bronze I and Early Bronze II. On one hand, its values preceded the values of the earlier-obtained 14C dates from IIB layer and confirmed the stratigraphic sequence at Dubene-Sarovka tell. On the other hand, the calibrated values seem to be later than the vast comparative chronology of the end of the Dubene IIA-the beginning of Dubene IIB (ca. 3000 BC). Similar problems occur with dates from Yunatsite and Ezero. The published new dates from Dubene-Sarovka are part of the project on complex elaborating of the Early Bronze absolute chronology in the Balkans, and especially on contextual analysis of the 14C dates.