Miloje Vasić

Miloje Vasić (; 16 September 1869 – 4 November 1956) was a Serbian archaeologist, regarded as one of the most distinguished representatives of the humanistic studies in Serbia.

Professor at the University of Belgrade and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, he was the first educated Serbian archaeologist, and is considered as the founder of the modern archaeology in Serbia. Also known for his widely eclectic interests outside of archaeology, his most significant accomplishment was discovery of the Neolithic site of Vinča culture in 1905 and subsequent excavation, which began in 1908. to Persa (née Stojadinović), a housewife, and Milojko Vasić, a tailor. Miloje was one of eleven children, but only he and his two sisters survived through childhood.

He graduated from the gymnasiums in Veliko Gradište and Belgrade, and the Faculty of Philology and history at the Velika škola from 1888 to 1892. He then became a gymnasium professor at Veliko Gradište (1892–93), Negotin (1893–94) and Belgrade (1894–95). In March 1895 he accepted an invitation by Mihailo Valtrović, then director of the National Museum in Belgrade, to become his deputy.

Obtaining a scholarship from the Serbian government, Vasić went to Germany to study philology, art history and classical archaeology. He spent four semesters at the Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin, before moving to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Mentored by one of the greatest names of classical archaeology of the day, professor Adolf Furtwängler, he received a PhD in 1899 with the thesis Torch in the culture and arts of the Greeks, published in Belgrade in 1900. which allowed narrow cooperation between two institutions, both dealing with archaeology.

He spent World War I in exile and when government refused funds to museum's renewal after the war ended, Vasić resigned as director. In 1920 he became an assistant professor at the university and was promoted to the full professorial tenure in 1922. He retired in 1939, after turning 70, but continued to teach honorary until 23 March 1941 when he was removed from the university and Veselin Čajkanović took over Archaeological seminar. Due to the lack of personnel, he was reactivated after the World War II in 1947 before finally retiring in 1955.

Archaeology Vasić was interested in prehistoric and classical archaeology and particularly medieval Serbian archaeology and sculpture. After graduating in Belgrade, he already published two noted, scientifically well documented works in Starinar, oldest journal of the Serbian archaeological society, on Roman cities of Pincum (known for Pincum relief) and Viminacium, modern Veliko Gradište and Kostolac, respectively. After finishing his studies in Germany he excavated prehistoric settlements of Jablanica, near Međulužje (1900), Čaršija, near Ripanj (1904) and Mali Drum, near Popović (also in 1904), all south-east of Belgrade. He published his findings in domestic and foreign scientific journals. Based on those articles, he compiled a massive study Contributions to the solving Trojan problems, which was published in the Serbian Royal Academy's journal Glas SKA (1906, LXX). In his study, Vasić pointed out that the Neolithic cultures of Danube valley are clearly connected to the simultaneously existing cultural complex of the Southeastern Europe (Aegean region, Asia Minor, Ionia), rather than those of the Northern Europe, which was a dominant scientific opinion at the time.

The find was discovered in 1905 and Vasić excavated it in four turns. Initial work was done in 1908. He published his findings in several foreign journals, getting the scientific circles familiar with the site. He returned to Vinča in 1911–13, financially backed by the Russian Archaeological Institute of Constantinople. In this period, in 1911 and 1912, he also discovered a massive medieval necropolis at the Beli Breg locality. Materials he compiled during this excavation were destroyed during the World War I so they were never published. Third turn was in 1924.

Fourth excavation was the largest and the longest, from 1929 to 1932. It was financially supported by archaeologist Gordon Childe, who was a patron of the University of Belgrade. Excavation was systematic and conducted by the most current archaeological methods of the day. In 1931, a mass burial site with nine skeletons was found. Vasić believed that success of the culture can be accredited to the vast mines of cinnabar, or mercury sulfide, at the nearby Avala mountain, which settlers of Vinča melted and used in metallurgy. Childe also supported Vasić's efforts to publish the findings in his magnum opus, the monumental monograph Prehistoric Vinča volumes I-IV (1932–36).

He became corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts on 18 March 1948 and full member on 27 May 1952.

Works Vasić published some 210 scientific and expert works, noted for their erudition. Other important works include Pincum or Veliko Gradište (1894), Viminacium Colony (1895), Neolithic site Jablanica near Međulužje in Serbia (1901), Žuto Brdo. Contributions to the understanding of the Iron Age in the Danube valley (1907), Excavation of the prehistoric settlement of Vinča (1910) and Gradac, prehistoric site of the La Tène period (1911).

List of selected works:

Original title English translation Year Published in Pincum или Велико Градиште Pincum or Veliko Gradište 1894 Starinar No 11, Belgrade Колонија Виминацијум Viminacium Colony 1895 Starinar No 12, Belgrade Како треба слике посматрати How the paintings should be watched 1898 Бранково коло, No 4, Sremski Karlovci Die Fackel in Kultus und Kunst der Griechen Torch in the culture and arts of the Greeks 1900 Belgrade Die neolitische Station Jablanica bei Medjulužje in Serbien Neolithic site Jablanica near Međulužje in Serbia 1901 Archiv für Anthropologie, No 27, Braunschweig Југословенска уметничка изложба Yugoslav art exhibition 1904 Српски књижевни гласник, No 13, Belgrade Преисторијска вотивна гривна и утицаји микенске културе у Србији Prehistoric assertive hand-shaped bracelet and influences of the Mycenaean culture in Serbia 1906 Starinar, No 1, Belgrade Прилози ка решавању тројанских проблема Contributions to the solving Trojan problems 1906 Glas SKA, No LXX, Belgrade Жуто Брдо. Прилози за пoзнавање гвозденог доба у Дунавској долини Žuto Brdo. Contributions to the understanding of the Iron Age in the Danube valley 1907, 1910, 1911 Starinar, No 2, No 5, No 6, Belgrade South-eastern Elements in the Prehistoric Civilisation of Serbia – 1908 Annual of the British School at Athens, No 14 Die Haupterbegnisse der prähistorischen Ausgrabungen in Vinča im Jahre 1908 Excavation of the prehistoric settlement of Vinča in 1908 1910 Prähistorischen Zeitschrift, No 2, Berlin Die Datierung der Vinčaschicht Dating of Vinča stratum 1911 Prähistorischen Zeitschrift, No 3, Berlin Градац, преисторијско налазиште латенског доба Gradac, prehistoric site of the La Tène period 1911 Glas SKA, No 86, Belgrade Архитектура и скулптура у Далмацији од почетка IX до почетка XV века Architecture and sculpture in Dalmatia from the beginning of the IX to the beginning of the XV century 1922 Belgrade Археолошки институт Срба, Хрвата и Словенаца Archaeological institute of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1927 Српски књижевни гласник, No 22, Belgrade Преисторијски колутасти накит из Босне Prehistoric ring-shapred jewelry from Bosnia 1926–27 Starinar, No 3/IV, Belgrade Жича и Лазарица Žiča and Lazarica 1928 Belgrade Преисторијска Винча I Prehistoric Vinča Vol. I 1932 Belgrade Преисторијска Винча II Prehistoric Vinča Vol. II 1936 Belgrade Преисторијска Винча III Prehistoric Vinča Vol. III 1936 Belgrade Преисторијска Винча IV Prehistoric Vinča Vol. IV 1936 Belgrade Јонска колонија Винча Ionian colony of Vinča 1948 Зборник Филозофског факултета у Београду, No 1, Belgrade Кроз културни сlој Винче Through the cultural layer of Vinča 1950 Споменик САН, No 77, Belgrade Кличевачка некропола Necropolis of Kličevac 1952–53 Старинар, No 3-4, Belgrade