It perhaps takes a special kind of courage to perform at Malta’s National Theatre, Manuel Theatre, built in 1731 by the Knights of St. John, in one of the oldest working theatres in Europe, as a young 18-25 year old artist staging a Maltese production. There they are, handling a space and expectation of audience that has seen arguably the greatest shows of Malta, but still working with amazing 'but we think we can make an extraordinary piece of music theatre...’
Manuel Theatre 9th April 2022 Dancers Opera Ciklu, Photography by Karl & Camille Fenech
Introducing tales from 21st Century women, set to lyrics, music and dance highlighted contemporary social issues. Without using the obvious, subtly but significantly tweaking the story interpretation, reunited with the nuclear family in the production. Led by their teacher’s motto: “There is nothing more beautiful than giving your soul to the audience:” the performers were able to zoom in and out and tell a bigger story of individuals and about community
We were invited to join a 70 minute journey through various life struggles as the young cast of opera singers and dancers experimented with contemporary youth opera and dance, inviting the audience to join the conversation.
As ancient worlds consciousness researcher, Serbian/Maltese author and businesswoman Natasa Pantovic and I sat knee to knee from one another, she spoke proudly to me of her several accomplishments throughout her life.
Since I had previously researched that she had written up to ten books as an author, several of which had taken years to write, I began with my first question:
“I researched that you’re an author that has written up to ten books within your career, this doesn’t sound like much of an overnight process, so how many years did it take you to write them, and when did you begin?”
“It is a lifetime Journey isn’t it?”
She answered, laughing gently before continuing. “I have published my very first book in 1993 in Serbia, a very long time ago, I’m actually at the moment fifty four years old, so I had a huge amount of years to do all of this.”
The archaeologists identiied amazing 120 Starčevo settlements in the region around the rivers Sava, Danube, and Drava.
"Late Neolithic Culture Vinča sites" is the term now used to identify the archaeological complex of people, and cultural heritage that belonged to ancient civilization settlements in Serbia, western Bulgaria and southwestern Romania.
Early Neolithic settlements in the northwestern Balkans were usually located in valleys of major rivers, on fertile land. Archaeological evidence indicates that, during the Early Neolithic, settlements were relatively small. They consisted of small rectangular houses made of wattle and daub.
In western Romania, more than 300 Early Neolithic sites have been identiied, in the region of Šumadija in Serbia, around a 200 Starčevo Culture sites have been noted, while in tHungary, there are 230 sites. The site size varies from 0.2 ha to as large as 12 ha.
So far, only a few Early Neolithic settlements have been excavated.
The excavated settlement in Serbia, called Biserna Obala-Nosa near Subotica is from the Starčevo-Körös Culture, with several houses and as many as forty storage pits. Pit walls were covered with clay. The Neolithic community using this settlement was sedentary, and the settlement was long-lived.
Their above ground houses were diferent from the traditional Neolithic architecture in southern parts of the Balkans. Within the Starčevo settlements the majority of ovens, fireplaces, were located in the open. Various zones for comunal or ritual purpose were identified. Distinct areas represent houses, spaces for production of pottery, or stone tools, food storage places had been also identiied.
The setting up of the Starčevo Culture settlements in Bosnia are linked to the exploitation of the salt mines.
At first, these were settlements which today look like hills of various sizes. In Sesklo in Thessaly (Greece) the excavation of the hill of Kastraki has revealed a tell type settlement from the Early and Middle Neolithic. In the history of archaeology, archaeologists of all nations had explored these artificial hills.
The prominent position of the hill and their history, including the social memory, have in Balkan's countries revealed the Neolithic communities and their ancient settlements.
The tells and flat settlements often had coexisted, surrounded with an established social and economic network, and bound by identity.
The collective identity of Neolithic groups is evidenced, bound by a trench, or a dry wall, in south-eastern Europe, during the Neolithic, fortiications were rare. Putting up fortiications as defence against wild beasts also has a symbolic role, separated nature from culture.
Archeologists and sociologists emphasize that the houses were set in a circle surrounding a public space or a large central dugout or fireplace.
Archaeological excavations in Slavonski Brod, measured areas of 6200 m², in Galovo over 2200 m², and Tržnica in Vinkovci, over 12000 m². In Galovo, radiometric measurements indicate that the construction of the Neolithic settlement was done in several phases, while in Tržnica in Vinkovci, the evidance suggest a single layer settlement In Vinkovci, another house from the Starčevo Culture has been excavated.
At the famous Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in central Anatolia, we find a different story, dating from 7400 - 6 200 BC, houses were built like honeycomb – they shared walls. The way in was an opening in the roof, which was also the only source of light.
In contrast to the Near East and Anatolia, in Vinča, people favoured timber as the construction material. With mudcovered wickerwork, with a north-west to south-east orientation and dozens of metres between each house. The area surrounding the long houses was used for production of pottery, used as gardens, farm yards or places in which other daily activities were taken place. The area adjacent to the houses was sometimes used for burials, usually children.
On their Radmilovic estate at Vinča Serbia, the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Agriculture had built a replica of the prehistoric fishermen's village within Mali Dunav (Little Danube). The houses were reconstructed on the basis of archaeological and etno-archaeo data. The project was managed by an architect, a master builder in traditional materials, an archaeologist, & the curator of the Belgrade City Museum. For the reconstruction of houses a traditional mix of clay (30%), sand (40%), and chaff (30%) was used.
a monhtly interview series from Nataša Pantović that examines what are the thoughts of the people we admire, the ideas that define us, with the ancient history explored.
Nataša Pantović & Physics Teacher Jasminka Cuculović | Ada Safari Podcast #1 Parenting Teenagers or Taming a Dragon (full)
#AdaSafari podcast where Nataša spoke to Jadranka Cuculovic - a Physics Teacher, about parenting teenagers troubles.
Nataša Pantović LIVE at Malta Poets Society 2022, Dr Rudolf Ragonesi at University Book Festival, NARD 2022
Friday 17 June 2022 at 7:08 pm
Universty Book Festival Dr Rudolf Ragonesi LIVE launching Spring A Book of Aphorisms artbook
Malta Book Festival 2022 Dr Rudolf Ragonesi Live Launching Spring A Book of Aphorisms
Malta Book Festival 2022 Nataša Pantović Live Launching Metaphysics of Sound: In Search of the Name of God
University of Malta Book Festival 2022 Nataša Pantović Live Launching the new novel Metaphysics of Sound: In Search of the Name of God
So privileged to be asked by Malta Book Council the Founder of University Book Festival to present my new book on the Ancient Mediterranean history. If you are interested in the history beyond the usual, check this exploration of Amarna Letters, better known as Amarna Heresy, a philosophical discussion from Ancient Egypt's Babylon about God Monotheism and Trinity written 3,000 years ago; the ancient History of Egypt and writing, learn about Inanna Poems of the Sumerian High Priestess or about the Macedonian Derveni Papyrus and new Interpretation. Such an awe research of the Ancient Greek Θεοs within the book "Metaphysics of Sound. in Search of the Name of God or a Brief History of the World Beyond the Usual" in Malta.
Animal Activists Unite! Presented by Nataša Pantović at NARD21 Malta Animal Rights Day 2021, June 06 2021. The Event was organized by a Maltese NGO Animal Liberation Malta in Mosta's most amazing garden with an amphitheater directly facing a sun-set + some most beautiful people from Malta, Macedonia, Japan, Greece, Libya, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, England, and many more countries. What a gathering of young...
NARD 2022 Natasa Pantovic Speech
Unfortunately the LIVE recording of the following speech failed the organizers & stopped after 30sec.., "The fight for conscious living has been with the humankind since the beginning of time. We have an honor to be predecessors of giants like #Pythagoras who 2,500 years ago gave us (Europe) music, mathematics, and the noble vegetarian fight. I will share with you positive stories of conscious people involved in changing the world & good omens: This year, I met a 70 years old conscious artist & farmer when hiking through Serbian hills managing his organic farm (and a community center), next to a stream, as a vegan, mindfully; Blessings to his work!When consulting in the UK, visiting a client, a car in front of me suddenly hit the breaks, with a car behind me causing a chain accident, 4 cars bumped into each other. The cause was a duck with its ducklings crossing the British country road; None of us minded! After a 100 years volunteers have helped a turtle hatch on a Maltese beach. It took many sleepless nights for this to materialize. Hope she comes back again. One of our Authors, a Founder of NGO Gaia has personally planted his 10,000th tree. I call this to be a good OMEN. We can together help Gaia be healthier, & our animals live happier. Let's do it!"
Malta Poets Society Nataša LIVE Valley of the Souls from Art of 4 elements: Discover Alchemy through Poetry for Yogi Paulo found dead at Sea
Malta Poets Society Nataša LIVE Sea-Shell Spirit Wish from Art of 4 elements: Discover Alchemy through Poetry
Malta Poets Society LIVE May 2022, Nataša Pantović Reading from Art of 4 Elements: Discover Alchemy through Poetry
Nataša Pantović LIVE with Magic Spell from Tree of Life and Dr Rudolf Ragonesi with Spring, A Collection of Aphorisms at the University Book Festival 2022. Music by Norman Cristina.
