Ring-shaped pendants of the Balkan-Carpathian region and Anatolia and the transition to the early bronze age

The paper describes a group of metal items known in the literature as ringshaped pendants. They are typical for the Late Eneolithic of the Balkan-CarpathianRegion. They are also found in Anatolia where they are traditionally dated to EBA II-III(3rd mill BC). The author supports a wider chronological range of Anatolia pendants, i. e.from the second half of 4th mill BC (Ikiztepe) to EBA II (Baklatepe). The pendants areexamined in the context of relationship of the Eneolithic Balkan cultures with the Anatoliansites dating to the end of the Eneolithic - beginning of the Early Bronze Age. The spreadof this type of items is linked to the breakup of the Eneolithic Metallurgical Province anddevelopment of a new Circumpontic Province during the EBA. Ring-shaped pendants helptrace the direction of the links, i. e. from the Balkans to the coastal areas of Anatolia.