Early mediaeval hoard of iron objects from Rujkovac and similar finds from the central Balkans

A rare early medieval hoard of iron objects, discovered near the village of Rujkovac in southern Serbia, provides new insights into metallurgical and economic activities in the Central Balkans during the 10th to 11th centuries. The hoard, likely belonging to a Byzantine context, includes tools such as a pickaxe, mattock, scythe, plowshare, and four Hungarian-type stirrups, which were dated using typological analysis. Similar finds from the region, including those from Gamzigrad-Romuliana (Palace of Galerius), Strezevo (Macedonia), and others, suggest a renewed economic and agricultural activity during this period, contradicting previous misinterpretations about their occurrence in the Central Balkans. The study highlights the significance of these hoards in understanding the population growth, metallurgical revival, and economic renewal in Byzantium and its surrounding regions.

Bugarski, I., & Ivanisevic, V. (2013). Early mediaeval hoard of iron objects from Rujkovac and similar finds from the central Balkans. Starinar, (63), 131–152. https://doi.org/10.2298/sta1363131b