Sociocultural and economic transformations in SE Central Europe during the Late Copper Age decisively affected the course of the European Bronze Age. Few settlement sites, which could provide an insight into these changes, have survived the millennia of intensive agriculture well. Even fewer have been systematically and extensively excavated. The excavations at Vucedol, Croatia, brought to light extensive and diverse remains of a Late Copper Age settlement dating from the late 4th and early 3rd millennia B.C. This report focuses upon the architectural remains belonging to the latest phase of this stratified site, which is characterized by the classic "Vucedol" incrusted ware. More than 15 household clusters, including several well-preserved ones, have been exposed within the residential area of the site. The recent evidence, in conjunction with data from earlier excavations at the same site, provides comprehensive information about the layout, size, and character of the settlement. Complex spatial organization, differential burial customs, and position in the regional site hierarchy suggest the existence of a ranked society and a role of Vucedol as a regional center immediately antedating the Early Bronze Age.
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