An extraordinary discovery in southern Serbia sheds light on the origins of sedentary life in Europe. Archaeologists have uncovered an 8,000-year-old house in Svinjarička Čuka, providing new insights into early agricultural societies and the spread of Neolithic innovations in the Balkans.
Were the first farming societies in Europe nomadic, or were they (seasonally) sedentary? How did sedentary life spread between Anatolia and Europe, and how did the first sedentary people influence agricultural techniques on our continent?
An Austrian-Serbian team of archaeologists, led by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), discovered the remains of a rectangular house in Svinjarička Čuka, built around 8,000 years ago.
“The new finds in Svinjarička Čuka provide significantly new insights and data that are likely to change previous models on the development of settlement in the Balkans,” says Barbara Horejs, archaeologist and scientific director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the ÖAW.
The building, constructed from wattle and daub combined with wooden posts and exceptionally well-preserved by fire, offers crucial clues to the construction methods and way of life of these early agricultural pioneers.
Sedentism Replaces Nomadism in Europe
“The partially collapsed and burned architectural elements covered stacked floors inside the house, as well as artifacts, tools, and scattered vessels in what was likely an outdoor area,” explains ÖAW researcher Barbara Horejs, describing the archaeological discovery. The various installations for food, grain, and seed storage are also particularly significant.
For Horejs, one thing is clear: the discovery challenges previous models that assumed the early settlers of Europe were nomadic or only seasonally settled, based on the widespread pits often interpreted as remains of light huts.
“Instead of nomadic or seasonally settled small groups, the Neolithic pioneers in the Balkans appear to have built stable houses with facilities for storing supplies and grain,” she explains.
Burnt remains of a house of Neolithic pioneers around 8000 years ago in Svinjarička Čuka. (© F. Ostmann/ÖAI/ÖAW)
Microarchaeology to Analyze Sediments and Remains
Excavations at Svinjarička Čuka, ongoing since 2018, have uncovered several settlement phases from the early to middle Neolithic period, attributed to the Starčevo culture. This culture represents the oldest Neolithic communities in the Balkans and played a central role in spreading agriculture from Anatolia to Europe. The current excavations also raise new questions:
“The geographical and cultural origins of these groups, and their possible interactions with regional hunter-gatherers, are still open questions that we are now investigating further,” says Horejs.
To analyze the finds in detail, researchers are using microarchaeological methods, including sediment examinations, and the analysis of botanical and zoological remains, as well as chemical soil studies.
“Applying microarchaeological methods provides new data on the use of these early houses and on the coexistence of humans and animals, which likely developed in Europe during the Neolithic period around 8,000 years ago,” says Horejs.
Elisabeth Nagy taking samples of sediments for microarchaeological investigations. (© F. Ostmann/ÖAI/ÖAW)
Field School and Art Projects in Serbia
In addition to the scientific work, students from the University of Vienna gained practical experience through a field school. The project also brought together art and science, as artist Elham Hadian participated in the new “Artist-in-Archaeology” program. Her works, inspired by the discoveries, will be exhibited at the Barvinskyi Art Gallery in Vienna in 2025.
This article is a translated version of the Austrian Academy of Sciences report on the discovery, titled, ‘First sedentary people in Europe: 8,000-year-old house discovered in Serbia.’
Top image: Excavations which were completed in 2024 on the river terrace of Svinjarička Čuka, Serbia. Source: © M. Börner/ÖAI/ÖAW
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