Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic lids from Damyanitsa, southwestern Bulgaria

This paper examines 190 ceramic lids from the Late Neolithic (second half of the 6th to beginning of the 5th mill. BC) and Early Chalcolithic (first half of the 5th mill. BC) layers of the settlement of Damyanitsa in Southwest Bulgaria. Damyanitsa offers a range of lid types, allowing for a detailed typology and tracing their development from the Late Neolithic to the Early Chalcolithic periods. A detailed typological division is offered in order to facilitate comparisons with lids from contemporaneous sites in Bulgaria and within the broader context of southeastern Europe. The majority of the lids have small sizes with a base diameter of up to 15.0cm (89%). No significant differences in the shape and technology of lids are observed between the two periods. A particular type of lid, distinguished by its grooves, suggests that some of these lids may have been utilized for the purpose of sealing vessels for long-distance transport or storage of liquids or foodstuffs. The function of these grooves is to hold the lid to a specific vessel type, representing an evolutionary development in the functionality of the lids.