Military gear: tools for achieving, maintaining and demonstrating status and domination

During these past months, in cooperation with the CPR, Nikola Stefanovski, a researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (Halle, Germany), has performed a photo-documentation and 3D scanning of prehistoric military gear in Macedonia. The project entitled “Military gear: tools for achieving, maintaining and demonstrating status and domination” encompasses the period between the 9th and the end of the 5th centuries BC and follows the burial rites involving weapons. Analyzing the material and its context, Stefanovski studies the concept of identity construction of prehistoric soldiers. He follows the wider implications of this act, for example manipulation with symbols, but also the combat techniques and the other practical aspects of warfare. While making the comprehensive catalogue, about 100 items from seven Macedonian museums were photographed, some of which were 3D scanned. The purpose of 3D scanning was to facilitate the approach of future researchers to the items, but also to provide a new tool to the museums which would improve the presentation of the finds. Besides Nikola Stefanovski, who made the documentation, the project also included Miško Tutkovski as a photographer and Jugoslav Pendić who was responsible for the 3D scanning.