Dynamics and Communication of Prehistoric Societies in the Central Alpine Region. Concepts on Mobility, Networks and Transformation

Dynamics and Communication of Prehistoric Societies in the Central Alpine Region. Concepts on Mobility, Networks and Transformatio

Transition from Swifterbant to Funnelbeaker — A chronological model

In the area of the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany, the introduction of the Neolithic is delayed for about two millennia compared to the southern neighbour areas. The transition from the late Swifterbant culture to the first appearance of the Funnelbeaker Groups (TRB) in the eastern Netherlands, the western part of Lower Saxony to the northern Westphalia raises numerous questions, from cultural discontinuities to gradual transitions. This process describes the transformation from the Subneolithic of hunter-gatherer societies to a fully neolithic society in northwestern Europe, which can be understood here (delayed to the Middle and South German region) as the Early Neolithic. The Swifterbant phenomenon (approx. 5000–4000 BC) is proofed to perform a gradual integration of Neolithic features, like the introduction of ceramics, animal husbandry and horticulture. The Early Neolithic in this area marks a technological and socio-cultural transition zone, which we can identify around 4000–3500 BC. Although the first megalithic buildings of the TRB West Group were erected around 3600 BC, Swifterbant sites and findings can still be traced

Die Goldene Sonne am Calanda. Neues vom Goldbergwerk bei Felsberg

Brunner, Mirco; Buhlke, Anja (14 September 2016). Die Goldene Sonne am Calanda. Neues vom Goldbergwerk bei Felsberg (Unpublished). In: Rendez-vous am Mittag. Bündner Naturmuseum. 14.09.2016

Central European Early Bronze Age chronology revisited: A Bayesian examination of large-scale radiocarbon dating

In archaeological research, changes in material culture and the evolution of styles are taken as major indicators for socio-cultural transformation. They form the basis for typo-chronological classification and the establishment of phases and periods. Central European Bronze Age material culture from burials reveals changes during the Bronze Age and represents a perfect case study for analyzing phenomena of cultural change and the adoption of innovation in the societies of prehistoric Europe. Our study focuses on the large-scale change in material culture which took place in the second millennium BC and the emergence at the same period of new burial rites: the shift from inhumation burials in flat graves to complex mounds and simple cremation burials. Paul Reinecke was the first to divide the European Bronze Age (EBA) into two phases, Bz A1 and A2. The shift from the first to the second phase has so far been ascribed to technical advances. Our study adopted an innovative approach to quantifying this phenomenon. Through regressive reciprocal averaging and Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon-dated grave contexts located in Switzerland and southern Germany, we modelled chronological changes in the material culture and changes in burial rites in these regions in a probabilistic way. We used kernel density models to summarize radiocarbon dates, with the aim of visualizing cultural changes in the third and second millennium BC. In 2015, Stockhammer et al. cast doubt on the chronological sequence of the Reinecke phases of the EBA on the basis of newly collected radiocarbon dates from southern Germany. Our intervention is a direct response to the results of that study. We fully agree with Stockhammer’s et al. dating of the start of EBA, but propose a markedly different dating of the EBA/MBA transition. Our modelling of radiocarbon data demonstrates a statistically significant typological sequence of phases Bz A1, Bz A2 and Bz B and disproves their postulated chronological overlap. The linking of the archaeological relative-chronological system with absolute dates is of major importance to understanding the temporal dimension of the EBA phases

Transition from Swifterbant to Funnelbeaker: A Bayesian Chronological Model

The transition from the late Swifterbant culture to the first appearance of the Funnelbeaker Westgroup raises numerous questions, from cultural discontinuities to gradual transitions. This process describes the transformation from a late mesolithic of hunter‐gatherer societies to a fully neolithic society in Northwestern Europe. The Early Neolithic in this area marks a technological and sociocultural transition zone, which we can identify. Although the first megalithic buildings of the Funnelbeaker Culture were erected around 3600 BC, Swifterbant sites and findings can still be traced. Many studies assume a hiatus between these phases, which is based on a research‐historical but also a conservation‐related problem. With this contribution, we attempt to generate a chronological Bayesian model on the basis of absolute chronological data. The aim is to compare the numerous available radiocarbon data from different periods in one overview. It is a model to visualize discontinuities or overlaps of the currently available data. It becomes apparent that there is a slide overlap between the archaeologically defined chronological phases. This model serves as a basis for further discussion and chronological models

Chronology, mobility and cultural transfer in the central Alps. New examples and case studies from the inner alpine area in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

New radiocarbon dates from different sites such as graves and settlements give us the opportunity to get a clearer view on the absolute dating of the sites from this area. I am going to present an overview of the situation and a revised chronology of the Neolithic and Bronze Age sites from the inner alpine area and recommend a radiocarbon-based view on the development of the material culture