The finds
The finds from the locality of Ploshteko near Drenkovo represent an interesting collection in which objects related to daily activities are underrepresented, except for some flint tools (particularly end scrapers) exclusively made of the high quality “Balkan flint”.
The largest group of finds has non-utilitarian purposes, including clay figurines which make up to 30% of the entire collection. Several interesting figurines were found in the Early Neolithic settlement of Ploshteko. In one of them, the neck is greatly elongated, and the nose is “pinched” forward thus acquiring a characteristic triangular shape. This figurine is strongly reminiscent of some of the earliest examples of its kind from Northern Greece (Mavropigi and Giannitsa B).
Another interesting figurine that was discovered in the Late Neolithic phase of Drenkovo I looks like a man wearing a ram’s mask on his head. Could it be that its attire depicts some ritual costume reminiscent of the mummer’s masks used even still in traditional Balkan folk traditions of Kuker games?
Another figurine that draws particular attention was found in the Late Neolithic layer of the settlement. It depicts a seated woman with a slightly inclined body. Although its head, arms and legs are missing, it is reminiscent of another clay figurine, though male, which was found in the Late Neolithic settlement of Govrljevo, near Skopje in North Macedonia. The Macedonian discoverers nicknamed it “Adam”. Could it be that we found its partner “Eve” in Drenkovo?
Even though some objects from Drenkovo I have a primary practical application, their decoration is quite intriguing and hints at prehistoric symbolism. One of them is a fully preserved lid, measuring 8 cm in diameter and displaying an impressive, incised decoration. It depicts a spiral-meander and inscribed chevrons. These motifs commonly decorate the pots of the Akropotamos-Topolnitsa culture, but the execution technique (incision) of this particular lid is rather characteristic for another cultural area – that of Vinča.
Finally, a mysterious ceramic object was discovered in the Late Neolithic settlement of Ploshteko which represents a small cylinder with a spiral decoration and short lines on the edges. It looks like a kind of seal, and it is not impossible that it was rolled onto fabrics or baked goods. However, the scientists researching this material have not reached an agreement about the purpose of this kind of object.
