摘要：Stara Vodenica is a slightly elevated site on the Vuka river bank, located northeast of village Jurjevac Punitovački and at the road leading towards village Beketinci (Osijek–Baranja County). The site was examined within the scope of rescue excavations along the highway route Beli Manastir – Osijek – Svilaj in spring 2008. Research was conducted on a surface area of 16.000 m2 where 44 mediaeval structures were discovered. Other material found at this site was dated to the Copper Age and Middle Bronze Age. Rescue excavations, which took place at the same time, revealed traces of a number of smaller and larger settlements from the Early, High and Late Middle Ages in the vicinity of this settlement. The site’s distinctiveness is the exceptionally large number of clay projectiles which were, next to fragments of vessels, discovered in almost all mediaeval pits. Clay projectiles were discovered in 27 mediaeval structures with the highest concentration of finds in the northern part of the site. The projectiles’ total weight is 46.974 kg; there are 81 completely preserved projectiles and 1038 fragments of various states of preservation. The projectiles were made of very fine and refined clay and only a small number contains admixtures, mainly limestone. They were hand-made and traces of fingers from the modeling process are often palpable on their surfaces. Since the projectiles were baked at different temperatures, some have a reddish-orange colour, often with black spots on the surface, while others are of darker grey or almost black shades. Due to the aforementioned differences and various shapes, their physical features (weight, diameter) differ. The paper provides a detailed analysis on projectiles from three structures (well and two pits) in regard to the amount of projectiles in them, the ratio between complete exemplars and fragments and differences in the age determination of the structures. Ball-shaped projectiles are the most numerous ones, followed by flat-oval or roundshaped exemplars, the cylindrical type is the least represented one. The majority of projectiles has a diameter between 5.5 and 6 cm, the length of the cylindrical ones ranges between 6.5 and 8.5 cm. The projectiles’ Use of Slings in mediaeval Slavonia with Regard to the numerous Finds of clay Projectiles at Site Stara vodenica near Jurjevac Punitovački Key words: Slavonia, high mediaeval, settlement, well, clay projectiles, sling average weight is 142.56 g, the lightest weighing only 27.27 g and the heaviest 390.77 g. In general, a large number of projectiles has a very irregular shape, the round-shaped ones often have one (the bottom) flat side. Discovered pottery and rare finds of metal objects date the settlement into the 12th and 13th century, so that the projectiles are also dated to this period. Results of the radiocarbon analysis of charcoal and bone samples from several different structures show a slightly wider time frame, respectively the beginning of occupation at this site already in the 10th century. Research of other sites, where projectiles or at least fragments of them were discovered, shows the geographical expansion of their use, though, they can still be considered as common objects in the Middle and Late Middle Ages. However, the amount of discovered projectiles is significantly less on most of these sites, therefore, taking into account the surface area of this settlement, it is not unfounded to speak about a different significance of the site or its more specific character. For now, there is no data about Croatian or Hungarian sites which would confirm the appearance of clay projectiles before the 11th century. The earliest known use of projectiles so far was during the time of the Bijelo Brdo Culture. They re-appear in the 14th and 15th century, which certainly indicates to their continuity as shown also by the Croatian exemplars. Their distribution is also not completly determined, the present state of research only allows a certain grouping of sites into the “northwestern group” (Podravina and Prigorje) to wich belongs the Slovenian region Prekmurje and Zala region in Hungary, where they are particularly distinctive. Sites in Slavonia (mainly along the Slavonika highway route) would be categorized as the “eastern group”. Finally, the research of this and other settlements confirmed the knowledge and use of this type of weapon for which there was not much material evidence on our mediaeval sites in the past. This knowledge also raises the question not only about the structure, but also the origin of the population in these settlements, which had to be well-trained for the successful handling of this weapon. The reason for the occurrence of such settlements, precisely locations that proof the presence of armed slingshot users, might be internal turmoil, local conflicts, border areas of estates, counties or some other strategic areas, possibly along important routes. The paper provides also a brief survey covering an extensive chronological, but also geographical range through which facts about the slingshot, as a popular and highly effective multi-purpose projectile weapon, are determined.
关键词：Slavonia; high mediaeval; settlement; well; clay projectiles; sling
