Shaping connectivity along the Danube, Sava, and Drava rivers under the Ottomans

This paper discusses the preliminary results of an archaeological study on ceramics from Ottoman-period riverine settlements (the 16th-17th centuries) located in the Middle Danube region. The focus is on the marshland situated between the Danube, Sava, and Drava rivers, an area that was part of the long-standing frontier between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary. Following the conquest of Belgrade in 1521, the Ottomans took control of all settlements between the rivers, initiating the forced resettlement of local population and waves of migrations. Within this dynamic socio-political landscape, a new horizon of material culture emerged, characterised by the wide distribution of pottery with uniform morphological traits. This phenomenon reflects the regional connectivity of communities settled along the rivers, shaped within the Ottoman network in Southeastern Europe. The study investigates this connectivity through patterns of common pottery distribution across the Srem region in Serbia. This pottery was used in medium-size towns connected by the rivers. The research examines the regional variability of ceramic wares by comparing data on their morphology, quantities and technological traits. All data were systematically recorded in a database and interpreted in relation to archaeological and historical evidence concerning settlements, the fluvial environment, migration patterns, and broader socio-economic conditions.