Archaeological Sites on the Brestovac – Staro Petrovo Selo Expressway Route

Tijekom 2010. g. ekipa arheologa Instituta za arheologiju iz Zagreba u suradnji s arheolozima nadležnih muzeja - Gradski muzej u Požegi i Gradski muzej u Novoj Gradiški, obavila je terenski pregled zemljišta na kojima je planirana izgradnja trase brze ceste od Brestovca kod Požege do Starog Petrovog Sela istočno od Nove Gradiške. Planirana trasa brze ceste od Brestovca do Starog Petrovog Sela započinje na sjeveru od ceste Požega – Nova Gradiška i na tom dijelu se spaja s budućom obilaznicom oko grada Požege i Velike. Od ovog mjesta brza cesta prelazi preko Požeške gore prema jugu kroz zapadni dio Slavonske Posavine do autoceste Zagreb – Lipovac. Na trasi buduće ceste u dužini od 16 km evidentirana su 3 arheološka lokaliteta iz prapovijesnih i kasnosrednjovjekovnog razdoblja. Nakon terenskog pregleda lokaliteti su preventivno zaštićeni i izrađen je elaborat „Kulturno-povijesna baština“ kao dio Konzervatorske studije o utjecaju na okoliš izgradnje planirane ceste u kojem se propisuje prije izgradnje ceste načiniti pod nadzorom arheologa probne rovove radi pravovremenog utvrđivanja i zaštite potencijalnih arheoloških nalazišta koja površinskim pregledom terena nisu mogla biti uočena. Također potreban je stalni arheološki nadzor kod skidanja humusa i gornjih slojeva zemljišta i zaštitna arheološka istraživanja na površinama evidentiranih i preventivno zaštićenih zona arheoloških nalazišta.In 2010, a team of archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb in co-operation with archaeologists from the responsible museums (Požega and Nova Gradiška Town Museums) conducted a field survey of the terrain planned for the construction of the expressway from Brestovac near Požega to Staro Petrovo Selo east of Nova Gradiška. The planned expressway route from Brestovac to Staro Petrovo Selo starts north of the Požega-Nova Gradiška road where it meets the future Požega and Velika bypass. From this point, the expressway runs southwards across Požeška Gora through the western part of Slavonska Posavina to the Zagreb-Lipovac motorway. Along the route of the future road, over a distance of 16 km, 3 archaeological sites from the prehistoric and late mediaeval periods were documented. After archival and field surveying, the sites were preventively protected and a study entitled “Cultural-Historical Heritage” was carried out as part of the Conservation Study of the Environmental Impact of the Planned Road Construction, which regulates construction conditions. This had the specific aim of saving valuable cultural heritage from destruction in line with the Ordinance on Archaeological Excavations (Official Gazette 102/10). The Ordinance stipulates obligatory trial-trench excavations under the supervision of archaeologists before the commencement of any road construction, with the aim of the timely identification and protection of potential archaeological sites that could not be identified in field surveys. Permanent archaeological supervision is also necessary during the removal of humus and upper layers of soil, and archaeological rescue excavations need to be conducted of documented and preventively protected zones of archaeological sites