25 research outputs found
Early Neolithic executions indicated by clustered cranial trauma in the mass grave of Halberstadt
The later phase of the Central European Early Neolithic witnessed a rise in collective lethal violence to a level undocumented up to this date. This is evidenced by repeated massacres of settled communities of the Linearbandkeramik (ca. 5600-4900âcal bc), the first full farming culture in this area. Skeletal remains of several dozen victims of this prehistoric warfare are known from different sites in Germany and Austria. Here we show that the mass grave of Halberstadt, Germany, a new mass fatality site from the same period, reveals further and so far unknown facets of Early Neolithic collective lethal violence. A highly selected, almost exclusively adult male and non-local population sample was killed by targeted blows to the back of the head, indicating a practice of systematic execution under largely controlled conditions followed by careless disposal of the bodies. This discovery significantly increases current knowledge about warfare-related violent behaviour in Early Neolithic Central Europe
Ancient DNA from European Early Neolithic Farmers Reveals Their Near Eastern Affinities
The first farmers from Central Europe reveal a genetic affinity to modern-day populations from the Near East and Anatolia, which suggests a significant demographic input from this area during the early Neolithic
4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites
Investigation of human diet during the Neolithic has often been limited to a few archaeological cultures or single sites. In order to provide insight into the development of human food consumption and husbandry strategies, our study explores bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data from 466 human and 105 faunal individuals from 26 sites in central Germany. It is the most extensive data set to date from an enclosed geographic microregion, covering 4,000 years of agricultural history from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The animal data show that a variety of pastures and dietary resources were explored, but that these changed remarkably little over time. In the human ÎŽ15N however we found a significant increase with time across the different archaeological cultures. This trend could be observed in all time periods and archaeological cultures (Bell Beaker phenomenon excluded), even on continuously populated sites. Since there was no such trend in faunal isotope values, we were able largely to exclude manuring as the cause of this effect. Based on the rich interdisciplinary data from this region and archaeological period we can argue that meat consumption increased with the increasing duration of farming subsistence. In ÎŽ13C, we could not observe any clear increasing or decreasing trends during the archaeological time periods, either for humans or for animals, which would have suggested significant changes in the environment and landscape use. We discovered sex-related dietary differences, with males of all archaeological periods having higher ÎŽ15N values than females, and an age-related increasing consumption of animal protein. An initial decrease of ÎŽ15N-values at the age of 1-2 years reveals partial weaning, while complete weaning took place at the age of 3-4 years
Neolithic Mitochondrial Haplogroup H Genomes and the Genetic Origins of Europeans
Haplogroup H dominates present-day Western European mitochondrial DNA variability (\u3e40%), yet was less common (~19%) among Early Neolithic farmers (~5450 BC) and virtually absent in Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Here we investigate this major component of the maternal population history of modern Europeans and sequence 39 complete haplogroup H mitochondrial genomes from ancient human remains. We then compare this âreal-timeâ genetic data with cultural changes taking place between the Early Neolithic (~5450 BC) and Bronze Age (~2200 BC) in Central Europe. Our results reveal that the current diversity and distribution of haplogroup H were largely established by the Mid Neolithic (~4000 BC), but with substantial genetic contributions from subsequent pan-European cultures such as the Bell Beakers expanding out of Iberia in the Late Neolithic (~2800 BC). Dated haplogroup H genomes allow us to reconstruct the recent evolutionary history of haplogroup H and reveal a mutation rate 45% higher than current estimates for human mitochondria
Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus
Recent genomic data have revealed multiple interactions between Neanderthals and modern humans, but there is currently little genetic evidence regarding Neanderthal behaviour, diet, or disease. Here we describe the shotgun-sequencing of ancient DNA from five specimens of Neanderthal calcified dental plaque (calculus) and the characterization of regional differences in Neanderthal ecology. At Spy cave, Belgium, Neanderthal diet was heavily meat based and included woolly rhinoceros and wild sheep (mouflon), characteristic of a steppe environment. In contrast, no meat was detected in the diet of Neanderthals from El SidrĂłn cave, Spain, and dietary components of mushrooms, pine nuts, and moss reflected forest gathering. Differences in diet were also linked to an overall shift in the oral bacterial community (microbiota) and suggested that meat consumption contributed to substantial variation within Neanderthal microbiota. Evidence for self-medication was detected in an El SidrĂłn Neanderthal with a dental abscess and a chronic gastrointestinal pathogen (Enterocytozoon bieneusi). Metagenomic data from this individual also contained a nearly complete genome of the archaeal commensal Methanobrevibacter oralis (10.2Ă depth of coverage)-the oldest draft microbial genome generated to date, at around 48,000 years old. DNA preserved within dental calculus represents a notable source of information about the behaviour and health of ancient hominin specimens, as well as a unique system that is useful for the study of long-term microbial evolution
Identification of coins using a digital fingerprint
Das Landesamt fĂŒr Denkmalpflege und ArchĂ€ologie â Landesmuseum fĂŒr Vorgeschichte - Sachsen-Anhalt hat in Kooperation mit dem Fraunhofer-Institut fĂŒr Fabrikbetrieb und -automatisierung (IFF) in Magdeburg ein innovatives Verfahren entwickelt, mit dem einzelne MĂŒnzen anhand eines individuellen âdigitalen Fingerabdrucksâ eindeutig und unverwechselbar beschrieben und identifiziert werden können. Dieses âOptical System for Coin Analysis and Recognitionâ, kurz O.S.C.A.R., ist ein optisches Datenerfassungssystem mit Softwareanalyseverfahren und basiert auf der photometrischen Stereoanalyse. Messdaten zur Objektgeometrie, Farbigkeit und OberflĂ€chenstruktur einer MĂŒnze werden dabei genutzt, um einen individuellen ErkennungsschlĂŒssel zu generieren, der bei einer Suchabfrage mit der Datenbank abgeglichen wird.The Landesamt fĂŒr Denkmalpflege und ArchĂ€ologie â Landesmuseum fĂŒr Vorgeschichte - Sachsen-Anhalt has developed an innovative process in cooperation with the Fraunhofer-Institut fĂŒr Fabrikbetrieb und -automatisierung (IFF) in Magdeburg, with which coins can be described and identified unmistakably by an individual "digital fingerprint". This âOptical System for Coin Analysis and Recognitionâ, O.S.C.A.R., is an optical data acquisition system with software analysis techniques based on photometric stereo analysis. Measurement data on the object geometry, color and surface structure of a coin are used to generate an individual recognition key, which is matched to the database during a search query
Populationsdynamik und Kulturwandel im mitteldeutschen Neolithikum
Haak W, Gronenborn D, Dresely V, Alt, KW (2006) Population dynamics and culture change in Neolithic central Germany. Nature and Spirit 22 (2): 29-33http://www.uni-mainz.de/FB/Biologie/Anthropologie/AG%20Alt/AG%20Alt_Publikationen/PublikationenFrameset-22.htm
Tragödie im nördlichen Harzvorland?Anthropologische Bearbeitung und Interpretationdes eisenzeitlichen Massengrabes von Wester-hausen, Ldkr. Quedlinburg
Bei den bauvorbereitenden Ausgrabungen an der Trasse fĂŒr die neue BundesstraĂe B6n konnte 2oo3 nahe der Ortschaft Westerhausen, Ldkr. Quedlinburg, ein Aufsehen erregender Befund freigelegt werden: In einer annĂ€hernd runden Grube lagen die gut erhaltenen Skelette mehrerer Menschen in zum Teil unnatĂŒrlichen Körperhaltungen ĂŒber- und nebeneinander (Jacobi u. a. 2oo7).
Anhand einiger weniger mit einem der Skelette assoziierter Artefakte konnte der Befund in die frĂŒhe vorrömische Eisenzeit datiert werden
HolozÀne fluviale Geomorphodynamik und Besiedlungsgeschichte in einem kleinen Einzugsgebiet am nördlichen Harzrand
Am nördlichen Harzrand zwischen Benzingerode und Heimburg (Sachsen-Anhalt) konnten bei archĂ€ologischen Ausgrabungen mehrere bis zu 100 m lange AufschlĂŒsse in pleistozĂ€nen und holozĂ€nen Sedimenten des Hellbach-SchwemmfĂ€chers bearbeitet werden. Ăber pleistozĂ€nen Sedimenten eines ca. 2 km breiten SchwemmfĂ€chers mit Eiskeilpseudomorphosen, Kryoturbationserscheinungen sowie zentimetermĂ€chtigen Lösslagen, sind verschiedene holozĂ€ne Kolluvien, Auesedimente und Bodenbildungen auf einem kleineren, ca. 200 m breiten SchwemmfĂ€cher abgelagert worden bzw. entstanden. Stellenweise vorhandene Schwarzerdereste sowie mit schwarzem Bodenmaterial gefĂŒllte Pfosten- und Vorratsgruben unterschiedlicher vorgeschichtlicher Epochen deuten auf eine relativ weite Verbreitung von spĂ€tpleistozĂ€nen und frĂŒhholozĂ€nen Schwarzerden in der Region hin. Im Auenbereich finden sich an der Basis der holozĂ€nen Kolluvien Reste von schwarzen, humosen, stark tonigen Horizonten mit einem lössĂ€hnlichen Sediment im Liegenden. Ob es sich hierbei um in situ gebildete Schwarzerden bzw. Schwarze Auenböden oder um anthropogene, durch Brandwirtschaftsweisen geschaffene, schwarze Horizonte handelt, ist noch unklar. Holzkohle aus dem schwarzen Horizont konnte auf rund 5.500 v. Chr. datiert werden. Das lössĂ€hnliche Sediment im Liegenden ergab OSL-Alter von ca. 5.910 v. Chr. (7,9 ± 0,5 ka). Nach Ende dieser StabilitĂ€tsphase kam es zu einer oder mehreren gröĂeren Ăberflutungen des damaligen Auenbereichs. In dieser AktivitĂ€tsphase wurde der schwarze Horizont gekappt und zunĂ€chst mit Grobmaterial, spĂ€ter von einer meist 10-20 cm mĂ€chtigen feinmaterialreichen, dunkelbraunen Sedimentschicht ĂŒberlagert. Diese Schicht bildete fĂŒr lĂ€ngere Zeit die OberflĂ€che, enthĂ€lt kaiserzeitliche Funde in situ und wird im Hangenden von gröberen Sedimenten und mĂ€chtigen, zweiphasigen mittelalterlichen Auelehmen abgedeckt. Rinnen im jĂŒngsten Auelehm enthalten ziegel- und kalksteinreichen Schotter und reprĂ€sentieren vermutlich den letzten Lauf des Hellbachs vor seiner Begradigung in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Nach den vorliegenden Befunden ist ein Zusammenhang zwischen den einzelnen fluvialen AktivitĂ€tsphasen und der Besiedlung und Wirtschaftsweise im Einzugsgebiet des Hellbaches sehr wahrscheinlich, kann jedoch nicht zweifelsfrei nachgewiesen werden.researc