Welcome to the scientific meeting ‘Prehistoric Wetlands and Lakes: bringing forward dendrochronology in archaeology’. It is an honor of the Center for Prehistoric Research to host this significant event with participants from various European countries. This event will be a meeting of numerous archaeologists who will share their knowledge and practices with settlements, objects and environment in wetlands. In the last few decades wetland archaeology had momentous step forward in the understanding of societies, material culture and landscapes in marshes, water meadows, bogs, fens, marine coasts, lakesides, channels, drainages and salt pools. The implementation of novel archaeological methods and paleoenvironmental sciences provided entirely new perspective of areas which were previously considered as marginal and inhabited by unsophisticatedcommunities essentially focused on subsistence. Current research and results in wetland archaeology indicate far more advanced societies which modified the landscape and built complex settlements where social identities were constructed and performed trough the relationships between people, objects, animals, places and time.

The latest advances and challenges in wetland archaeology will be presented in Ohrid scientific meeting with the contribution of more than 20 participants from Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, France, Holland, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia and Macedonia. Numerous Prehistoric sites from East, Central and Southeast Europe will be elaborated with particular focus on the pile dwellings, chronology, networks, agricultural societies, underwater archaeology, wetlands, inland waters, wooden structures, house models,bone tools and conservation. Special session with workshops on dendrochronology will be performed in order to introduce thoroughly the benefits of this scientific method and its incorporation within wetland archaeology. As an area with large number of wooden pile dwellings Lake Ohrid is a perfect setting for such workshop and discussions on experiences and challenges with dendrochronology.

The venue of scientific meeting on wetland archaeology and dendrochronology is located right above the Prehistoric settlement with pile dwellings which was gradually covered by the modern city of Ohrid. Recent survey and excavations confirmed Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic lakeside settlement at the area of Ohridati on the very coast of Lake Ohrid. Before any further archaeological exploration of this site, Millennium Palace Hotel will be perfect spot for sharing archaeological knowledge and discussing various issues concerning sites, material culture, chronology, protection etc. In sake of modern interaction with Prehistoric wetland settlements also an excursion will be performed, particularly on the Neolithic tell site in Pelagonia. As introduction to scientific meeting the participants will have lunch at the restaurant in the very center of Mogila village which is established onto the Neolithic tell surrounded by the large area of marshes in the past. This lunch will be exceptional opportunity for the participants to introduce one another and to present the partners of the project that initiated scientific meeting on wetland archaeology and dendrochronology.

The scientific meeting in Ohrid is part of the international project ‘Network in Eastern European Neolithic and wetland archaeology for the improvement of field techniques and dating methods’ in partnership with University of Bern (Switzerland), State Hermitage Museum (Russian Federation), Taras Shevchenko National University (Ukraine) and Center for Prehistoric Research (Republic of Macedonia). This project is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation which also funds the participation of delegates within the scientific meeting in Ohrid. Therefore, this event will be excellent occasion for the implementation of project aims and a significant contribution in promotion of latest knowledge and practices in wetland archaeology and dating methods.