Bezirk Charkov, Ukraine: Die Infrastruktur im Gebiet der Dnepr-Severskij Donec-Wasserscheide in spätrömischer Zeit und zu Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit

The research in the modern district of Kharkiv (East Ukraine) devoted to settlement history of the 4th and 5th century AD in this area has been continued in 2014. The investigations were focused on analyzes of the data and publication of the first results. Based on the surveys of the past few years the distribution of Chernyakhov culture could be recorded more exactly. In Voitenki, an archaeological complex of the Chernyakhov culture, excavations were conducted by the co-operation partner. They brought to light a pottery kiln in the settlement and a number of graves on the cemetery where now 206 graves are known

On the Analysis and Interpretation of Pottery Production and Distribution

Ceramics are particularly well suited for investigating general patterns of the distribution of premodern products. Archaeometric methods, used to determine raw materials and production techniques, permit the identification of places of production. The work of the research group presented here pursues two objectives: (i) to investigate the usefulness of portable X-ray fluorescence equipment for the analysis of ceramics and (ii) to identify, interpret and study distribution areas of ceramic products in comparative prospective. The paper discusses key economic concepts, sets out the archaeometric methodology and presents initial results in the context of two examples

Region Charkov, Ukraine: Die Infrastruktur im Gebiet der Dnepr-Severkij Donec-Wasserscheide in spätrömischer Zeit und zu Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit

Research in the area of the modern district of Kharkiv (East Ukraine) is devoted to the settlement history of the 4th and 5th century AD, especially of the Chernyakhov culture. The investigations included excavations in Voitenki, a well known archaeological complex of the Chernyakhov culture consisting of a settlement and a cemetery. Surveys conducted along the rivers Kolomak, Mzha and in the area of Zmiev provided material and GPS-data of other mostly unknown archaelogical sites. Two test drillings were made for collecting data for a palynological analysis

Bezirk Charkov, Ukraine. Die Infrastruktur im Gebiet der Dnepr-Severskij Donec-Wasserscheide in spätrömischer Zeit und zu Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit. Die Arbeiten der Jahre 2017 und 2018

The joint project including scientists from the Ukraine and Germany is devoted to settlement history of the 4th and 5th century AD in the modern district of Kharkiv. Currently the investigations are focused on a region in the vicinity of Voitenki. Surveys during the last two years completed the data base about settlements of the Chernyakhov culture and brought to light a number of unknown settlements along the river Sukhoy Merchik. Now considerations based on facts are possible for the prospected region concerning the density of settlement or the distances between the settlements. Furthermore, least cost paths analyses offer information about the infrastructure. The analyses of ceramics from Voitenki and ten other settlements provide insight into the infrastructure of the region as economic space. The Excellence Cluster TOPOI offered the possibility to use several natural scientific methods (MGR, pXRF, WD-XRF, thin sections) based on the archaeological evaluation of the wheel-thrown pottery. One of the main results is that in Voitenki and the other settlements pottery was largely produced locally. Only few examples indicate that vessels were removed from one settlement to another. As an important part of this project excavations were continued in Voitenki itself. In part B of this settlement the area between pottery kilns has been examined. On the corresponding cemetery previously more than 230 graves had been found

Bezirk Charkiw, Ukraine. Die Infrastruktur im Gebiet der Dnepr-Severskij Donec-Wasserscheide in spätrömischer Zeit und zu Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit. Die Arbeiten des Jahres 2019

The joint project including scientists from the Ukraine and Germany was attended to several focus points. One of them was the settlement history of the 4th and 5th century AD in the vicinity of Voitenki. The surveys of previous years in this area have been analysed. Further investigations were focused on the sites near Perekop, where at least one huge settlement of the Chernyakhov culture is known by finds from the surface. For preparing detailed investigations a quadrocopter recorded the site and a survey offered first data for soil science. The excavations in Voitenki confirmed that the settlement was extended on both sides of a water-course. In part D a sunken floor building was discovered dating to the second half of the 3rd century, the horizon before the dissemination of the Chernyakhov culture. Excavations on the cemetery brought to light grave 233–240. The high number of excavated burials offers the opportunity for special investigations concerning the social structure of the Chernyakhov culture. Therefore another focus point of the project is devoted to this cemetery. In cooperation with anthropologists the ongoing analyses is focused on the burial rites and the evidences for the social structure of the buried community

Bezirk Charkov, Ukraine: Die Infrastruktur im Gebiet der Dnepr-Severskij Donec-Wasserscheide in spätrömischer Zeit und zu Beginn der Völkerwanderungszeit

The research in the modern district of Kharkiv (East Ukraine) devoted to settlement history of the 4th and 5th century AD in this area has been continued in 2014. The investigations were focused on analyzes of the data and publication of the first results. Based on the surveys of the past few years the distribution of Chernyakhov culture could be recorded more exactly. In Voitenki, an archaeological complex of the Chernyakhov culture, excavations were conducted by the co-operation partner. They brought to light a pottery kiln in the settlement and a number of graves on the cemetery where now 206 graves are known

Landschaftsarchäologie am DAI

The working group for landscape archaeology at the German Archaeological Institute (LAAD) aims to give a forum for the exchange and discussion of the methods and theories in this field. Landscape archaeology research with its special methods is of growing importance for a number of projects in several departments of the institute. Two meetings held in 2015 were the third and fourth workshop of this group at all. The third LAAD-meeting in Rome involved a methodological workshop about aerial surveys with UAV systems and an introduction in structure from motion technology. The fourth LAAD-meeting took place in cooperation with the DLR Earth Observation Center (EOC) in Oberpfaffenhofen and was focused on the possibilities for using of earth observation data for archaeological research and heritage management

Olbia, Ukraine: Grautonige Keramik der ersten Jahrhunderte n. Chr. im Unteren Bug-Gebiet

The main focus of the research project is to clarify the relation between the antique centre of Olbia and its vicinity with regards to the pottery production as a part of the economic structure. The grey wheel-made ceramics from all sites could be divided into two separate spectra of vessels of different shapes and decorations – Greek-Roman and Chernyakhov pottery. In 2013 portable XRF analysis was implemented for 284 samples from the area in study. As a result different pottery-groups could be identified by comparing their different chemical elements. Furthermore some preliminary results were obtained by comparing two spectra of vessels and four groups based on P-XRFAnalysis

Landschaftsarchäologie am DAI. Die Arbeiten der Jahre 2016 und 2017

Since landscape archaeology research is involved in many projects of the institute the working group for  landscape archaeology at the German Archaeological Institute (LAAD) has continued their meetings in 2016 and 2017. The fifth LAAD-meeting consisted of a  methodological workshop about low- or noninvasive methods of prospection held in Frankfurt and practical field work on an archaeological site in Oberbrechen (Hesse). There, participants could use geomagnetic measurement equipment or a drone and prepare a driving core. The sixth LAAD-meeting took place in cooperation with the DLR Earth Observation Center (EOC) in Oberpfaffenhofen and was focused on the possibilities for using of earth observation data for archaeological research and heritage management. In 2017 the seventh LAAD-Workshop held in Berlin was concentrated on drawbacks and opportunities of geomagnetic prospections