Journal of Neolithic Archaeology
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Ethnoarchaeology of funeral practices: Aspects of the management of current dolmens and collective tombs in the tribal societies of Sumba Island (Indonesia)
Get PDFDieser Aufsatz präsentiert erste Ergebnisse eines ethnoarchäologischen Projekts auf der indonesischen Insel Sumba, das sich auf die Untersuchung der Praxis des Kollektivgrabes konzentriert. Ziel ist es, Referenzmodelle zu entwickeln, die für unsere Studien der europäischen neolithischen Gesellschaften verwendet werden können. Wie bei jedem ethnoarchäologischen Ansatz geht es nicht darum, fertige Lösungen zu liefern, sondern das Spektrum möglicher Hypothesen zu bereichern. Drei Aspekten wird in diesem Artikel besondere Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet: 1. die Existenz von “Dolmenpools”, d.h. Gruppen von Dolmen, die gleichzeitig von derselben sozialen Gruppe verwendet werden; 2. die Interpretation von Lücken in der Nutzung von bestimmten Megalithgräbern; 3. der Beitrag der Sumba-Daten zum Verständnis von Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen, wie sie die Paläogenetik liefert. Für jeden dieser Aspekte zeigen wir auf, welcher sozialen Logik die Belegung bzw. Nicht-Belegung der Dolmen folgt. Damit kann das “Dolmenpool”-Modell auch bei der Interpretation neolithischer Bestattungspraktiken in Megalithgräbern helfen, die mit den gängigen Deutungsansätzen schwer erklärbar sind..This paper presents the first results of an ethnoarchaeological project on the Indonesian island of Sumba, focusing on the study of the practice of collective burials. The aim is to develop reference models that can be used in our studies of European Neolithic societies. As with any ethnoarchaeological approach, the aim is not to provide ready-made solutions, but to enrich the range of possible hypotheses. Three aspects are given special attention in this article: First, the existence of “dolmen pools”, i. e. groups of dolmens used simultaneously by the same social group, second, the interpretation of “gaps” in the use of particular megalithic tombs, and third, the contribution of the Sumba data to the understanding of kinship relationships as provided by palaeogenetics. For each of these aspects, we show which social logic the occupation or non-occupation of the dolmens follows. In this way, the “dolmen pool” model can also help in the interpretation of Neolithic burial practices in megalithic graves, which are difficult to explain with the current interpretative approaches
Studying Neolithic lithics – from a cross-border dialogue to a common language
Get PDFIn diesem Beitrag soll ein kürzlich ins Leben gerufenes europäisches Gemeinschaftsprojekt vorgestellt werden, das sich mit lithischen Studien des Neolithikums befasst. Es vereint eine Gruppe von Archäolog*innen aus Frankreich, dem Vereinigten Königreich, Belgien, den Niederlanden und Deutschland, die unterschiedlichen Forschungstraditionen angehören. Unsere ersten Treffen verdeutlichten die Notwendigkeit eines grenzüber- schreitenden Dialogs und einer gemeinsamen Sprache für die lithische Analyse, zu der die Analyse des Rohmaterials, der Grundformproduktion und der Werkzeugproduktion gehören. Wir begannen damit, die Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den verschiedenen Ansätzen, die Möglichkeiten zur Überbrückung dieser Unterschiede, die archäologischen Ziele und die erforderliche Ausbildung herauszustellen. Unser Projekt zielt darauf ab, unsere Untersuchungspraktiken zu vereinheitlichen, um die internationale Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit zu fördern.This paper aims at introducing a recent European collaborative project dedicated to lithic studies of the Neolithic. It unites a group of archaeologists from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, who belong to different research traditions. Our first meetings stressed the need for a cross-border dialogue and a common language for lithic analysis, including raw material analysis, blank production and tool production. We began by highlighting the differences and proximities between the different approaches, the potentialities to bridge these differences, the archaeological goals and the training needed. Our project, therefore, aims to harmonise our study practices in order to promote international communication and collaboration
Burning the dead: Human bones subjected to fire in southwestern Swedish megalithic graves
Get PDFIn diesem Beitrag wird über eine Reihe neuer Radiokarbondaten von verbrannten menschlichen Knochen berichtet, die aus Megalithgräbern in Südwestschweden geborgen wurden. Ziel war es, mögliche chronologische Muster dieser Deponierungen aufzudecken. Es werden sowohl die Lage der Knochen innerhalb des Grabes als auch die Charakterisierung der verbrannten Knochen erörtert. Die Megalithgräber im Untersuchungsgebiet wurden hauptsächlich für aufeinanderfolgende Körperbestattungen während des Neolithikums genutzt, aber auch in jüngeren Perioden immer wieder begangen. Daher wurde bisher angenommen, dass die verbrannten menschlichen Knochen aus späteren Perioden stammen, als die Brandbestattung die vorherrschende Bestattungspraxis war, obwohl es Hinweise auf neolithische Brandbestattungen gibt. Die Radiokarbondaten zeigen, dass die meisten verbrannten Knochen tatsächlich aus einer nachneolithischen Wiederverwendung der Gräber stammen. Unerwarteterweise wurden einige Deponierungen auch in das Neolithikum und die Frühbronzezeit datiert, was parallele Praktiken von Körper- und Brandbestattungen während dieser Zeiträume bestätigt. Außerdem deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass die Platzierung der verbrannten Knochen und die Behandlung der menschlichen Überreste im Laufe der Zeit variierten.In this paper, a series of new radiocarbon dates on burnt human bones recovered from megalithic graves in southwestern Sweden is reported. The purpose was to reveal possible chronological patterns of these depositions. Both the location of the bones within the grave and the characterisation of the burnt bones are discussed. The megalithic graves in the study area were mainly used for successive inhumation burials and have been subjected to extensive reuse throughout prehistory. Burnt human bones have therefore been assumed to originate from later periods when cremation was the dominant burial practice, although indications of Neolithic cremations occur. The radiocarbon dates demonstrate that most of the burnt bones derived from later reuse of the graves. More unexpectedly, several depositions also dated to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, confirming parallel practices of inhumation and cremation during these periods. Furthermore, the results indicate that the placement of the burnt bones and the treatment of the human remains to some degree varied over time
Review and Synthesis of the Early Neolithic Cultural Development in Fars, Southern Iran
No full textAfter the eve of domestication of some wild species of cereal grains as well as sheep, goat, and pig in the Iranian central Zagros Mountains in the 2nd half of the 8th millennium BC, the process of Neolithization and sedentism began with earnest outside of this core region. This initial Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) phase appeared in Lowland Susiana, in the province of Khuzestan, southwestern Iran, and in highland province of Fars around 7200 BC. While the Pottery Neolithic (PN) phase in Susiana developed into a set of regionally uniform material culture, the contemporary PN landscape in Fars developed into a mosaic of regional cultures with both related and unrelated ceramic tradition. Yet, from the onset of PN, these early communities had inter-regional connection, as the presence of Persian Gulf shells, copper, and obsidian in many of these early settlements indicate. This mosaic of different ceramic traditions eventually developed into two distinct pottery traditions with specific geographic distribution in northern and southeastern Fars
Kutahi: A Pottery Neolithic Culture in the Shiraz Plain, Fars, Iran
No full textThe British Council in Shiraz was established in 1960 and Paul Bevan Gotch was appointed as its regional director until 1966. During this time, he regularly met, hosted and corresponded with archaeologists working in the Fars region. These relationships as well as the reports of the archaeological fieldworks conducted on the Fars, especially in the Kor River Basin, inspired Gotch to do some regional surveys on the Persepolis and Shiraz plains. He identified a total of six prehistoric sites on the Shiraz plain, of which the site of Kutahi was one of the most important. As Gotch mentioned this site as being ploughed and regularly bulldozed during his surveys, it is likely that it was later levelled and subsequently vanished forever due to the growth of the city of Shiraz. However, Gotch collected some sherds during his 1966 survey and also during a repeated visit in 1972. The location of the 1966 survey collection is unclear, but the 1972 collection is kept at the Narenjestan museum in Shiraz. Gotch’s notes on the Narenjestan collection show that he has separated some diagnostic sherds for reference as he was aware of the ensuing destruction of the site. This collection kept in a small box was reviewed by the author in 2016. Closer scrutiny shows that Kutahi was a local Pottery Neolithic culture dating to the first half of the sixth millennium BC
65 years later …: a re-evaluation of the Store Valby phase (MN V) of the late Funnel Beaker North Group
Get PDFIn 1955, C. J. Becker published the excavations at Store Valby, western Zealand, Denmark, in the journal “Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie”. Except for an Early Neolithic phase, the site showed Middle Neolithic occupation. Even if the flint inventory from the latter phase resembled that of the late Funnel Beaker Culture, the associated pottery had a simpler and coarser character compared to the known Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker pottery styles. On this basis, Becker defined a new final phase of the northern Funnel Beaker Culture named the Store Valby phase or MN V. However, new archaeological features, such as palisaded enclosures, have turned up since Becker’s initial discoveries and new cultural insights into the contemporary Pitted Ware and early Single Grave Cultures have significantly increased the cultural complexity of the earliest part of the 3rd millennium BC.This paper sums up the recent developments and, on this basis, discusses whether MN V should still be considered the final Funnel Beaker phase or rather a transformative stage characterised by a mixture of different cultural features
Bracer Ornaments! An investigation of Bell Beaker stone ‘wrist-guards’ from Central Europe
Get PDFThis paper focusses on Bell Beaker stone bracers, so-called ‘wrist-guards’. These objects have attracted attention for decades, as symbols of warriorhood. As pointed out by various authors, such items appear to be rather bracer ornaments than proper wrist-guards, protecting the archer’s forearm. In this study, we investigated 153 bracers from Czech Republic and Hungary with a technological and functionnal approach in order to track the biography of these objects. It appears that, in this area, they are made of various sedimentary rocks. The manufacture of much bracer does not require a high-level of know-how but some carefully made pieces could have been done by craftsmen. The functionnal approach of these objects reveals very few signs of use as wrist-guard. However, these items are generally worn to various degrees and some of them have a quite long biography, consistently broken, re-shaped and re-drilled. Analysis of contexts of deposition concludes to personal adornment, highly symbolic and male-gendered objects. In this respect, they should be definetly considered as bracer ornaments rather than wristguards
Burials from the time of the Altheim culture at the site Nördlingen-Nürnberger Straße 63, Nördlinger Ries, Bavaria
Get PDFDie archäologische Überlieferung der Altheim Kultur (ca. 38. -35. Jhd. v. Chr.) in SW Deutschland ist sehr uneinheitlich. Während eine kleine Anzahl an Fundstellen mit Feuchtbodenerhaltung Material für sehr detaillierte Analysen zur Siedlungs- und Wirtschaftsentwicklung in diesen Niederungen geliefert hat, ist der archäologische Quellenbestand zur Siedlungsgeschichte in anderen Naturräumen vergleichsweise spärlich. Dieses betrifft auch die Bestattungsbefunde, die bislang von acht Fundstellen bekannt gewesen sind und überwiegend isoliert liegende Einzelbestattungen ohne erkennbare Muster im Hinblick auf Ausrichtung, Beigabensitte oder räumliche Organisation umfassen. Nachfolgend werden die Auswertungen einer bodendenkmalpflegerischen Maßnahme im Nördlinger Ries (Bayern) vorgestellt, die insgesamt acht Bestattungen mit Zuweisung zu diesem Kulturhorizont erbracht hat. Diese Bestattungen sind mit einer kleinen Zahl zeitgleicher Siedlungsbefunde vergesellschaftet, darunter auch der seltene Befund einen Brunnens. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Bestattungen dieser Kulturgruppe keinem erkennbaren Muster hinsichtlich der Orientierung oder Beigabensitte folgen und auch eine räumliche Struktur des Bestattungsplatzes zu fehlen scheint.The archaeological record for the Altheim culture (approx. 38th -35th century BC) in SW Germany is highly biased. While a small number of waterlogged sites have provided material for very detailed analyses of settlement activities and economy within this environmental setting, evidence for settlement activities outside these specific topographic situations is extremely sparse. The same applies to burial features that have been identified from eight sites which are predominantly isolated burials that have not revealed any clear modus concerning orientation, grave goods or spatial organization. Here we present results from a site situated in the Nördlinger Ries (Bavaria) that has yielded a total of eight burials of this culture together with a small number of contemporary settlement features including the rare example of a well. Our results corroborate the absence of any strict orientation or a defined set of grave goods in this culture and no spatial organization of the burials could be observed
Flint and Bronze in Late Neolithic Schleswig-Holstein: Distribution, contexts and meanings
Get PDFThis paper presents the first comprehensive compilation of Late Neolithic (c. 2350 –1700 BC) metal artefacts found in modern-day Schleswig-Holstein. In addition, flint hoards and burials with flint daggers have been examined in order to investigate the meaning of certain objects which are considered to be connected with status.It has been demonstrated that the area of Schleswig-Holstein was of importance for Late Neolithic and Bronze Age exchange between central Europe and southern Scandinavia. It has also been argued that certain objects had different meanings depending on choice of material, shape, and context. For example, a bronze dagger is recognized as being essentially different than a flint dagger and, even within the objects class of flint daggers, different meanings and functions were present.Generally, metal objects were deposited in Late Neolithic southern Scandinavian and central European burials infrequently. However, in southwestern Schleswig-Holstein, burials are the predominant context in which early metal objects appear. Late Neolithic flint daggers and Younger Neolithic battle axes share this property. Whereas these objects appear in great numbers as single finds everywhere in the investigation area, their frequency in burial contexts varies greatly between sub-regions of Schleswig-Holstein. In the southwest, they are common components in graves; in the easternmost areas they are almost completely absent in burials. This bipolar situation is very clearly pronounced during the Late Neolithic period in Schleswig-Holstein. A closer look at northeastern Germany and Jutland suggests that similar differences existed in other regions as well, although less conspicuously. The similar distribution patterns of metal artefacts, flint daggers and battle axes furthermore demonstrate that geographically distinctive treatments of Late Neolithic status artefacts can be traced back to the Younger Neolithic. Different land use strategies, moreover, were presumably already established in the Middle Neolithic. This indicates that these differences, which might be linked to distinctive perceptions of the collective and the individual sphere, seemingly derived from Middle Neolithic or even earlier traditions
Stone Jars of Assam, North East India: A Comprehensive Overview
Get PDFThe present paper is an attempt to offer an overview of the stone jars of Assam. These unique archaeological remains are located in the central part of Assam and were first reported by J. P. Mills and J. H. Hutton in 1932. From then, they lay in the dark without any systematic archaeological survey or research. In 2014 and 2016, the author and his team conducted archaeological examinations of the jars. The State Department of Archaeology, Assam, also conducted investigations subsequently and reported two new sites. The present paper therefore offers a holistic overview based on these field researches. The paper also considers the stone jars of Laos as well as those from Assam, as both have striking similarities: perhaps both are the products of the same cultural behavior