The first traces of permanent human settlements in our area date back to the Neolithic (New Stone Age) as well as later periods. This was certainly influenced by the presence of large rivers (the Tisza), where people had favorable living conditions (water, fertile land, hunting and fishing, communications, etc.). Traces of such settlements in our area have been discovered in several places (Borđoš, Matejski Brod, Garajevac in Novi Bečej, the Selo šport site in Kumane, etc.), and one of them (Matejski Brod), as a significant archaeological site, was placed under state protection (by the decision of the Institute for the Protection and Scientific Study of Cultural Monuments NRS No. 1652/50 from December 30, 1950).
Matejski Brod - the archaeological site is located about 7 km southwest of Novi Bečej. During excavations conducted in 1954 and earlier, remains of human settlements were found here in three soil layers dating from the Neolithic period, around 2500 BC; the late Bronze Age, around 1500-1000 BC; and the Middle Ages. Visible traces of houses - semi-dugouts with a regular rectangular shape, whose corners are regularly oriented towards the main cardinal points, and with floors made of wooden substructures and clay coatings, were discovered here. Among other items, a lot of baked ceramics of the Vinča and Tisza types were found, as well as a grave with a skeleton, and some materials from the Bronze and Hallstatt periods. In total, the findings include: 7 houses, one grave with a skeleton, remains of ovens, ceramic remains, tools made of clay and bones, one hearth, and one equestrian grave.
The found items are housed in the Zrenjanin Museum, with some in the Vršac Museum.
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