André Spatzier | Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart / State Office for Cultural Heritage Baden-Wuerttemberg (original) (raw)

Papers by André Spatzier

Research paper thumbnail of Das Endneolithikum und die frühe Bronzezeit im Neckarraum

R. Krauß / J. Bofinger (Hrsg.), Gold im Ammertal – Das Ende der Steinzeit im Raum Tübingen, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Settlements and social development of the 3rd millennium BC in central Germany

Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe

In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic... more In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic Perspective. Prehistoric Society Research Papers 9 (Oxford), 235-254. Central Germany is generally defined as being the Middle Elbe-Saale region, located North, East and South of the Harz Mountains and within the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In the north it is limited by the lowlands of northern Germany with mostly poor-quality soils and in the south by the Thuringian Forest and the Ore Mountains. The areas south-east to north-east of the Harz mountains were key settlement regions during the Neolithic, due to the excellent soils and the balanced climate. In addition, natural deposits of salt and copper are important, although the use of local copper sources in the Neolithic remains to be confirmed. This paper starts with a brief regional overview of the cultural development during the 3rd millennium BC and outlines the general character of the settlement and economic strategies of the different archaeological cultures. The aim of this paper is to present new insights into settlements and house structures of the Final Neolithic, namely the Schönfeld culture, the Corded Ware culture and the Bell Beaker culture, in Central Germany (Fig. 13.1) and to relate them to those of the subsequent Early Bronze Age Únětice culture. Mainly based on the evidence discovered within the last 15 years, the settlement history of the period between approximately 2800–2000 BC will be re-evaluated.

Research paper thumbnail of An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

Praehistorische Zeitschrift

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen dist... more A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen district in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated precious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating inter-individual Mahalanobis distances from mixed incomplete high-dimensional data: Application to human skeletal remains from 3rd to 1st millennia BC Southwest Germany

Journal of Archaeological Science

Biological distance, or biodistance, analysis aims to identify relatedness among human skeletal r... more Biological distance, or biodistance, analysis aims to identify relatedness among human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. However, analyses are often hindered by the fragmentary and heterogeneous nature of the data. Here, we introduce FLEXDIST, a flexible software tool for estimating inter-individual distances. FLEXDIST takes correlations among variables into account, works with multiple variable scales (i.e., nominal, ordinal, continuous, or any mixture thereof), handles missing values, and allows for high-dimensional data. Conceptually, FLEXDIST computes Mahalanobis-type distances using mixed data PCA iterated over multiple randomly imputed datasets to take uncertainty resulting from incomplete cases into account. Using a simulation framework, we demonstrate the performance of FLEXDIST compared to the Gower coefficient. We then apply FLEXDIST to a newly collected dataset comprising heritable and neutrally evolving dental morphological features from 64 archaeological human remains from Southwest Germany in order to explore population history along a temporal transect spanning the Final Neolithic to Early Iron Age (2900-450 BC). In agreement with previous archaeological, genetic, and isotopic studies from neighbouring regions, we find evidence for population continuity, alternating levels of variability through time, and mobility during childhood. A fully automated R script for performing FLEXDIST is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7869075.

Research paper thumbnail of Bronzezeitliche Höhensiedlungen auf der Schwäbischen Alb

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2021, 2022

This paper summarises the results of excavations at hilltop fortifications located at the fringes... more This paper summarises the results of excavations at hilltop fortifications located at the fringes of the Swabian Alb that can now be dated to the Middle Bronze age. In: Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2021, 122-128

Research paper thumbnail of Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwestdeutschen Raum

In: R. Ludwig / J. Scheschkewitz (Hrsg.), Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwe... more In: R. Ludwig / J. Scheschkewitz (Hrsg.), Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwestdeutschen Raum (Archäologische Informationen aus Baden-Württemberg 87), 58-64

Research paper thumbnail of The ring sanctuary of Pömmelte, Germany: a monumental, multi-layered metaphor of the late third millennium BC

Research paper thumbnail of Archäologie rund um den Wunnenstein bei Großbottwar

Research paper thumbnail of Ritus und Rivalität – Eliten in Stein- und Bronzezeit

Archäologie in Deutschland, 2021

This paper discusses the possibility of competitive games as a means of social distinction of ear... more This paper discusses the possibility of competitive games as a means of social distinction of early elites in the Final Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker cultures and in the Late Bronze Age. In: Arch. in Deutschland 3/2021, 22-23.

Research paper thumbnail of Ausgrabungen in einem Siedlungsareal der Bronze und Eisenzeit bei Melchingen

In: Arch. Ausgr. in Baden-Württemberg 2020, 126-129.

Research paper thumbnail of Die bronzezeitliche Hohenfundstelle Rotenay bei Lauterach

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg, 2020

This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2020) at a hillfort settlemen... more This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2020) at a hillfort settlement of the Middle Bronze Age (Tumulus culture) in the central. Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg).
In: Arch. Ausgr. in Baden-Württemberg 2020, 117–120.

Research paper thumbnail of An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen dist... more A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen district in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated precious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Jaroslav Řídký, Petr Květina, Petr Limburský, Markéta Končelová, Pavel Burgert Radka Šumberová. 2018. Big men or chiefs? Rondel builders of Neolithic Europe. Oxford: Oxbow; 978-1-789-25026-8 £38

Research paper thumbnail of Urnenfelder- und latènezeitliche Höhenbefestigung bei Unterkochen

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2019, 2020

This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2018/19) at a hillfort settle... more This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2018/19) at a hillfort settlement of the Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture) and early Latène period in the eastern Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg).

Research paper thumbnail of Heiligtum und Statusgrab. Ein Komplex aus Grabengeviert und Totenhütte des Schnurkeramik-Einzelgrab-Komplexes

Siedlungsstrukturen im Neolithikum - Zwischen Regel und Ausnahme. Fokus Jungsteinzeit. Berichte der AG Neolithikum, 2019

This paper focusses on a two exceptional findings of the Corded Ware complex - high status burial... more This paper focusses on a two exceptional findings of the Corded Ware complex - high status burial of a male adult and a square-shaped ditch likely representing a small sanctuary. Both date to the early Corded Ware period, i.e. approx. between 2900-2600 cal. BC. They seem to be the first archaeological evidence of a sacral landscape that in the late third millennium BC gained an immense expansion of complexity and meaning with the construction of two monumental sanctuaries erect by Bell Beaker and Únětice people.

Research paper thumbnail of Arrowheads from Pömmelte-Zackmünde: Use-Wear Analysis

Forschungsber. des Landesmus. für Vorgesch. Halle, 2019

This study presents the research on 55 chert arrowheads that come from the enclosure at Pömmelte-... more This study presents the research on 55 chert arrowheads that come from the enclosure at Pömmelte-Zackmünde. Fatigue and abrasive wear of the arrowheads were analysed using a stereoscopic microscope. To understand the nature of wear, an archery experiment with the replicas of Late Neolithic triangular arrowheads was conducted.
The analysis of the Pömmelte-Zackmünde samples identified macrofractures that affected mostly the tips of the arrowheads. Snap and step terminating bending fractures dominated. Most scars were small, falling into the interval 1–2 mm, with wide initiation and variable morphology. Striations were infrequent. Most remarkably, our results show that 24 out of 55 arrowheads display evidence of features which are traditionally considered as diagnostic of projectile impact. Polish mostly related to hafting was identified on the surface of approximately half of the samples.
Furthermore, the majority of the arrowheads bear bright spots primarily resulting from post-depositional factors. Extensive post-depositional surface modifications most likely reflect the transport of the arrowheads into the subterranean features at the site.
We offer two competing hypotheses to explain the processes which affected the arrowheads at Pömmelte-Zackmünde. The first one views shooting at the site as evidence of ritual practices associated with public display and social recognition among the warriors. The second one regards shooting as evidence of defence against violent attacks of aggressors and a possible function of the enclosure as a fortification for the community.

In: H. Meller/F. Bertemes, Mensch und Umwelt im Ringheiligtum von Pömmelte-Zackmünde, Salzlandkreis. Forschungsber. des Landesmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 10/III (Halle/Saale 2019), 175-186

Research paper thumbnail of The enclosure complex Pömmelte–Schönebeck: The dialectic of two circular monuments of the late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BC in Central Germany

Der Aufbruch zu neuen Horizonten. Neue Sichtweisen über die europäische Frühbronzezeit. Abschlusstagung der Forschungsgruppe FOR550, 26.-29. November 2010 in Halle/Saale, 2020

In central Europe, Bronze Age sanctuaries are almost unknow but recently became a focus of resear... more In central Europe, Bronze Age sanctuaries are almost unknow but recently became a focus of research, identifying circular enclosures or rondels as sacral architecture. Although they probably were multi-faceted cosmological metaphors, new evidence suggests that such monuments nevertheless had individual meaning and served particular purposes. They stood in a specific relation to other »non-mundane« sites, together being focal points within sacral landscapes. This study focuses on two such ring monuments dating to the late 3rd and early 2nd millennium BC and located within sight of each other in today’s central Saxony-Anhalt – Pömmelte-Zackmünde and Schönebeck. Chronological and contextual evidence indicates that they coexisted and were used at the same time, although likely construction began earlier and reached a »final stage« at one site, while it was never formally finished at the other site. Building and abandoning were complex symbolic and social processes. Comparing Pömmelte and Schönebeck, it can be suggested that the two enclosures represented a dialectic dualism and had an antithetic, but complementary relation to each other, both having served specific, perhaps mutually exclusive purposes. Although they existed in the early phase of the Early Bronze Age, the two circular sanctuaries may reflect Final Neolithic traditions, their disappearance correlating with a major social evolution around 2ooo BC and the emergence of the »princely« elite of the younger Únětice Culture.

In: F. Bertemes / H. Meller (Hrsg.), Der Aufbruch zu neuen Horizonten. Neue Sichtweisen über die europäische Frühbronzezeit. Abschlusstagung der Forschungsgruppe FOR550, 26.-29. November 2010 in Halle/Saale. Tagungen des Landsmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 19 (Halle/Saale 2019), 421-443.

Research paper thumbnail of Siedlungen des Endneolithikums und der Frühbronzezeit bei den Rondellen Pömmelte und Schöneebeck, Salzlandkreis. Einblicke in die Besiedlung einer Sakrallandschaft des 3. und beginnenden 2. Jahrtausends v.Chr.

Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 in Halle (Saale), 2019

Research carried out at Pömmelte and Schönebeck, Salzlandkreis district, over the past 15 years h... more Research carried out at Pömmelte and Schönebeck, Salzlandkreis district, over the past 15 years has significantly expanded our knowledge on roundels dating from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Such circular sanctuaries were multi-layered metaphors which probably served as focal points within a more extensive sacred landscape. However, they were not isolated locations segregated from people’s everyday lives, but functioned as key sites for the activities that took place in the settlements of the period. Ground plans of Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age houses were found in the immediate vicinity of both roundels presented here.
The example of Pömmelte suggests that the roundel and its associated settlement appeared and flourished around the same time. The multi-stage development began with a number of buildings dating from the Bell Beaker Culture and culminated in a hamlet or village comprised of several farmsteads in the beginning to early stages of the Early Bronze Age. Several centuries later, the settlement activities finally declined, probably in conjunction with the dwindling importance of the roundel and its ultimate dismantling around 2o5o BC. The site therefore apparently experienced continuity at two levels from the (Late) Bell Beaker Culture to the Early Únětice Culture, which lasted as long as the Early Bronze Age society remained rooted in Final Neolithic traditions.

In:
H. Meller / S. Friederich / M. Küßner / H. Stäuble / R. Risch (Hrsg.), Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 in Halle (Saale). Tagungen des Landsmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 20 (Halle/Saale 2019), 289-317.

Research paper thumbnail of Pömmelte und Schönebeck - Tradition und Aufbruch

Archäologie in Deutschland, 2019

In: Archäologie in Deutschland 4/2019, 30-31 The contribution provides a summary of the mutual r... more In: Archäologie in Deutschland 4/2019, 30-31

The contribution provides a summary of the mutual relation between the circular sanctuaries of Pömmelte and Schönebeck (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), both dating to the late 3rd millennium BC.

Research paper thumbnail of Settlements and social development of the 3rd millennium BC in central Germany

Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe, 2019

In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic... more In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic Perspective. Prehistoric Society Research Papers 9 (Oxford), 235-254.

Central Germany is generally defined as being the Middle Elbe-Saale region, located North, East and South of the Harz Mountains and within the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In the north it is limited by the lowlands of northern Germany with mostly poor-quality soils and in the south by the Thuringian Forest and the Ore Mountains. The areas south-east to north-east of the Harz mountains were key settlement regions during the Neolithic, due to the excellent soils and the balanced climate. In addition, natural deposits of salt and copper are important, although the use of local copper sources in the Neolithic remains to be confirmed. This paper starts with a brief regional overview of the cultural development during the 3rd millennium BC and outlines the general character of the settlement and economic strategies of the different archaeological cultures.
The aim of this paper is to present new insights into settlements and house structures of the Final Neolithic, namely the Schönfeld culture, the Corded Ware culture and the Bell Beaker culture, in Central Germany (Fig. 13.1) and to relate them to those of the subsequent Early Bronze Age Únětice culture. Mainly based on the evidence discovered within the last 15 years, the settlement history of the period between approximately 2800–2000 BC will be re-evaluated.

Research paper thumbnail of Das Endneolithikum und die frühe Bronzezeit im Neckarraum

R. Krauß / J. Bofinger (Hrsg.), Gold im Ammertal – Das Ende der Steinzeit im Raum Tübingen, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Settlements and social development of the 3rd millennium BC in central Germany

Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe

In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic... more In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic Perspective. Prehistoric Society Research Papers 9 (Oxford), 235-254. Central Germany is generally defined as being the Middle Elbe-Saale region, located North, East and South of the Harz Mountains and within the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In the north it is limited by the lowlands of northern Germany with mostly poor-quality soils and in the south by the Thuringian Forest and the Ore Mountains. The areas south-east to north-east of the Harz mountains were key settlement regions during the Neolithic, due to the excellent soils and the balanced climate. In addition, natural deposits of salt and copper are important, although the use of local copper sources in the Neolithic remains to be confirmed. This paper starts with a brief regional overview of the cultural development during the 3rd millennium BC and outlines the general character of the settlement and economic strategies of the different archaeological cultures. The aim of this paper is to present new insights into settlements and house structures of the Final Neolithic, namely the Schönfeld culture, the Corded Ware culture and the Bell Beaker culture, in Central Germany (Fig. 13.1) and to relate them to those of the subsequent Early Bronze Age Únětice culture. Mainly based on the evidence discovered within the last 15 years, the settlement history of the period between approximately 2800–2000 BC will be re-evaluated.

Research paper thumbnail of An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

Praehistorische Zeitschrift

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen dist... more A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen district in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated precious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating inter-individual Mahalanobis distances from mixed incomplete high-dimensional data: Application to human skeletal remains from 3rd to 1st millennia BC Southwest Germany

Journal of Archaeological Science

Biological distance, or biodistance, analysis aims to identify relatedness among human skeletal r... more Biological distance, or biodistance, analysis aims to identify relatedness among human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. However, analyses are often hindered by the fragmentary and heterogeneous nature of the data. Here, we introduce FLEXDIST, a flexible software tool for estimating inter-individual distances. FLEXDIST takes correlations among variables into account, works with multiple variable scales (i.e., nominal, ordinal, continuous, or any mixture thereof), handles missing values, and allows for high-dimensional data. Conceptually, FLEXDIST computes Mahalanobis-type distances using mixed data PCA iterated over multiple randomly imputed datasets to take uncertainty resulting from incomplete cases into account. Using a simulation framework, we demonstrate the performance of FLEXDIST compared to the Gower coefficient. We then apply FLEXDIST to a newly collected dataset comprising heritable and neutrally evolving dental morphological features from 64 archaeological human remains from Southwest Germany in order to explore population history along a temporal transect spanning the Final Neolithic to Early Iron Age (2900-450 BC). In agreement with previous archaeological, genetic, and isotopic studies from neighbouring regions, we find evidence for population continuity, alternating levels of variability through time, and mobility during childhood. A fully automated R script for performing FLEXDIST is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7869075.

Research paper thumbnail of Bronzezeitliche Höhensiedlungen auf der Schwäbischen Alb

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2021, 2022

This paper summarises the results of excavations at hilltop fortifications located at the fringes... more This paper summarises the results of excavations at hilltop fortifications located at the fringes of the Swabian Alb that can now be dated to the Middle Bronze age. In: Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2021, 122-128

Research paper thumbnail of Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwestdeutschen Raum

In: R. Ludwig / J. Scheschkewitz (Hrsg.), Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwe... more In: R. Ludwig / J. Scheschkewitz (Hrsg.), Kriegswesen und Fortifikationen der Bronzezeit im südwestdeutschen Raum (Archäologische Informationen aus Baden-Württemberg 87), 58-64

Research paper thumbnail of The ring sanctuary of Pömmelte, Germany: a monumental, multi-layered metaphor of the late third millennium BC

Research paper thumbnail of Archäologie rund um den Wunnenstein bei Großbottwar

Research paper thumbnail of Ritus und Rivalität – Eliten in Stein- und Bronzezeit

Archäologie in Deutschland, 2021

This paper discusses the possibility of competitive games as a means of social distinction of ear... more This paper discusses the possibility of competitive games as a means of social distinction of early elites in the Final Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker cultures and in the Late Bronze Age. In: Arch. in Deutschland 3/2021, 22-23.

Research paper thumbnail of Ausgrabungen in einem Siedlungsareal der Bronze und Eisenzeit bei Melchingen

In: Arch. Ausgr. in Baden-Württemberg 2020, 126-129.

Research paper thumbnail of Die bronzezeitliche Hohenfundstelle Rotenay bei Lauterach

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg, 2020

This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2020) at a hillfort settlemen... more This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2020) at a hillfort settlement of the Middle Bronze Age (Tumulus culture) in the central. Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg).
In: Arch. Ausgr. in Baden-Württemberg 2020, 117–120.

Research paper thumbnail of An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen dist... more A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen district in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated precious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Jaroslav Řídký, Petr Květina, Petr Limburský, Markéta Končelová, Pavel Burgert Radka Šumberová. 2018. Big men or chiefs? Rondel builders of Neolithic Europe. Oxford: Oxbow; 978-1-789-25026-8 £38

Research paper thumbnail of Urnenfelder- und latènezeitliche Höhenbefestigung bei Unterkochen

Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2019, 2020

This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2018/19) at a hillfort settle... more This paper presents an overview of the results of recent fieldwork (2018/19) at a hillfort settlement of the Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture) and early Latène period in the eastern Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg).

Research paper thumbnail of Heiligtum und Statusgrab. Ein Komplex aus Grabengeviert und Totenhütte des Schnurkeramik-Einzelgrab-Komplexes

Siedlungsstrukturen im Neolithikum - Zwischen Regel und Ausnahme. Fokus Jungsteinzeit. Berichte der AG Neolithikum, 2019

This paper focusses on a two exceptional findings of the Corded Ware complex - high status burial... more This paper focusses on a two exceptional findings of the Corded Ware complex - high status burial of a male adult and a square-shaped ditch likely representing a small sanctuary. Both date to the early Corded Ware period, i.e. approx. between 2900-2600 cal. BC. They seem to be the first archaeological evidence of a sacral landscape that in the late third millennium BC gained an immense expansion of complexity and meaning with the construction of two monumental sanctuaries erect by Bell Beaker and Únětice people.

Research paper thumbnail of Arrowheads from Pömmelte-Zackmünde: Use-Wear Analysis

Forschungsber. des Landesmus. für Vorgesch. Halle, 2019

This study presents the research on 55 chert arrowheads that come from the enclosure at Pömmelte-... more This study presents the research on 55 chert arrowheads that come from the enclosure at Pömmelte-Zackmünde. Fatigue and abrasive wear of the arrowheads were analysed using a stereoscopic microscope. To understand the nature of wear, an archery experiment with the replicas of Late Neolithic triangular arrowheads was conducted.
The analysis of the Pömmelte-Zackmünde samples identified macrofractures that affected mostly the tips of the arrowheads. Snap and step terminating bending fractures dominated. Most scars were small, falling into the interval 1–2 mm, with wide initiation and variable morphology. Striations were infrequent. Most remarkably, our results show that 24 out of 55 arrowheads display evidence of features which are traditionally considered as diagnostic of projectile impact. Polish mostly related to hafting was identified on the surface of approximately half of the samples.
Furthermore, the majority of the arrowheads bear bright spots primarily resulting from post-depositional factors. Extensive post-depositional surface modifications most likely reflect the transport of the arrowheads into the subterranean features at the site.
We offer two competing hypotheses to explain the processes which affected the arrowheads at Pömmelte-Zackmünde. The first one views shooting at the site as evidence of ritual practices associated with public display and social recognition among the warriors. The second one regards shooting as evidence of defence against violent attacks of aggressors and a possible function of the enclosure as a fortification for the community.

In: H. Meller/F. Bertemes, Mensch und Umwelt im Ringheiligtum von Pömmelte-Zackmünde, Salzlandkreis. Forschungsber. des Landesmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 10/III (Halle/Saale 2019), 175-186

Research paper thumbnail of The enclosure complex Pömmelte–Schönebeck: The dialectic of two circular monuments of the late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BC in Central Germany

Der Aufbruch zu neuen Horizonten. Neue Sichtweisen über die europäische Frühbronzezeit. Abschlusstagung der Forschungsgruppe FOR550, 26.-29. November 2010 in Halle/Saale, 2020

In central Europe, Bronze Age sanctuaries are almost unknow but recently became a focus of resear... more In central Europe, Bronze Age sanctuaries are almost unknow but recently became a focus of research, identifying circular enclosures or rondels as sacral architecture. Although they probably were multi-faceted cosmological metaphors, new evidence suggests that such monuments nevertheless had individual meaning and served particular purposes. They stood in a specific relation to other »non-mundane« sites, together being focal points within sacral landscapes. This study focuses on two such ring monuments dating to the late 3rd and early 2nd millennium BC and located within sight of each other in today’s central Saxony-Anhalt – Pömmelte-Zackmünde and Schönebeck. Chronological and contextual evidence indicates that they coexisted and were used at the same time, although likely construction began earlier and reached a »final stage« at one site, while it was never formally finished at the other site. Building and abandoning were complex symbolic and social processes. Comparing Pömmelte and Schönebeck, it can be suggested that the two enclosures represented a dialectic dualism and had an antithetic, but complementary relation to each other, both having served specific, perhaps mutually exclusive purposes. Although they existed in the early phase of the Early Bronze Age, the two circular sanctuaries may reflect Final Neolithic traditions, their disappearance correlating with a major social evolution around 2ooo BC and the emergence of the »princely« elite of the younger Únětice Culture.

In: F. Bertemes / H. Meller (Hrsg.), Der Aufbruch zu neuen Horizonten. Neue Sichtweisen über die europäische Frühbronzezeit. Abschlusstagung der Forschungsgruppe FOR550, 26.-29. November 2010 in Halle/Saale. Tagungen des Landsmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 19 (Halle/Saale 2019), 421-443.

Research paper thumbnail of Siedlungen des Endneolithikums und der Frühbronzezeit bei den Rondellen Pömmelte und Schöneebeck, Salzlandkreis. Einblicke in die Besiedlung einer Sakrallandschaft des 3. und beginnenden 2. Jahrtausends v.Chr.

Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 in Halle (Saale), 2019

Research carried out at Pömmelte and Schönebeck, Salzlandkreis district, over the past 15 years h... more Research carried out at Pömmelte and Schönebeck, Salzlandkreis district, over the past 15 years has significantly expanded our knowledge on roundels dating from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Such circular sanctuaries were multi-layered metaphors which probably served as focal points within a more extensive sacred landscape. However, they were not isolated locations segregated from people’s everyday lives, but functioned as key sites for the activities that took place in the settlements of the period. Ground plans of Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age houses were found in the immediate vicinity of both roundels presented here.
The example of Pömmelte suggests that the roundel and its associated settlement appeared and flourished around the same time. The multi-stage development began with a number of buildings dating from the Bell Beaker Culture and culminated in a hamlet or village comprised of several farmsteads in the beginning to early stages of the Early Bronze Age. Several centuries later, the settlement activities finally declined, probably in conjunction with the dwindling importance of the roundel and its ultimate dismantling around 2o5o BC. The site therefore apparently experienced continuity at two levels from the (Late) Bell Beaker Culture to the Early Únětice Culture, which lasted as long as the Early Bronze Age society remained rooted in Final Neolithic traditions.

In:
H. Meller / S. Friederich / M. Küßner / H. Stäuble / R. Risch (Hrsg.), Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 in Halle (Saale). Tagungen des Landsmus. für Vorgesch. Halle 20 (Halle/Saale 2019), 289-317.

Research paper thumbnail of Pömmelte und Schönebeck - Tradition und Aufbruch

Archäologie in Deutschland, 2019

In: Archäologie in Deutschland 4/2019, 30-31 The contribution provides a summary of the mutual r... more In: Archäologie in Deutschland 4/2019, 30-31

The contribution provides a summary of the mutual relation between the circular sanctuaries of Pömmelte and Schönebeck (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), both dating to the late 3rd millennium BC.

Research paper thumbnail of Settlements and social development of the 3rd millennium BC in central Germany

Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe, 2019

In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic... more In: A. Gibson (ed.), Bell Beaker Settlement of Europe: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon from a Domestic Perspective. Prehistoric Society Research Papers 9 (Oxford), 235-254.

Central Germany is generally defined as being the Middle Elbe-Saale region, located North, East and South of the Harz Mountains and within the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In the north it is limited by the lowlands of northern Germany with mostly poor-quality soils and in the south by the Thuringian Forest and the Ore Mountains. The areas south-east to north-east of the Harz mountains were key settlement regions during the Neolithic, due to the excellent soils and the balanced climate. In addition, natural deposits of salt and copper are important, although the use of local copper sources in the Neolithic remains to be confirmed. This paper starts with a brief regional overview of the cultural development during the 3rd millennium BC and outlines the general character of the settlement and economic strategies of the different archaeological cultures.
The aim of this paper is to present new insights into settlements and house structures of the Final Neolithic, namely the Schönfeld culture, the Corded Ware culture and the Bell Beaker culture, in Central Germany (Fig. 13.1) and to relate them to those of the subsequent Early Bronze Age Únětice culture. Mainly based on the evidence discovered within the last 15 years, the settlement history of the period between approximately 2800–2000 BC will be re-evaluated.

Research paper thumbnail of Das endneolithisch-frühbronzezeitliche Rondell von Pömmelte-Zackmünde, Salzlandkreis, und das Rondell-Phänomen des 4.-1. Jt. v. Chr. in Mitteleuropa

At the beginning of the 5th millennium BC a specific type of ditched earthwork with a circular gr... more At the beginning of the 5th millennium BC a specific type of ditched earthwork with a circular ground plan was created - commonly known as a circular ditched enclosure or so-called Kreisgrabenanlagen - which flourished for about 300 years in Central Europe. Similar rondels were constructed in Central Europe from the transition to the 4th millennium BC and until the beginning of the first millennium BC. Interpretations to their function remained hypothetical, mainly due to limited trial trenching investigations and little evidence. The comprehensive analysis of the extensively excavated rondel Pömmelte-Zackmünde has yielded a decisive gain in knowledge. The architecturally complex monumental building dates to the period of the transition from the Final Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Enlightening is the evidently continuous use over about three centuries, beginning with its establishment by the bearers of the Bell Beaker culture to its dismantling by those of the Únětice culture. The typological and stratigraphical analysis of the finds confirms the succession of Bell Beakers to Únětice types, but underlines the strong interweaving of elements of both cultures.

Of outstanding importance are 29 shaft pits dug into the circular ditch, which had been specially designed for depositions. The composition and position of the objects discovered therein make it possible to trace rule-governed deposition behaviour maintained as some kind of tradition over several centuries and to identify the rondel as a site of rituals. Together with the structure of the site, a model of the spatial structure can be identified with four zones of specific meanings and values. The understanding of the spatial structure complements the solar connections of the eastern and western entrance axes as well as striking distribution patterns of the finds and features within the ring system. They point to the association of the main entrances and particular areas with specific ideas. The polythetic synthesis of all indices allows the Pömmelte-Zackmünde rondel to be interpreted as a monumental building with the primary function as and meaning of a sanctuary. Perhaps it was the metaphorical representation of a complex cosmology and was understood as an iconic warrant. Within the framework of a structured multifunctionality, proven and conjectural secondary and tertiary functions of subordinate relevance - for example as a burial ground, trading post, arena or fortification - may have stood in a close relationship with its primary function as a sacred building.

This work was created in the context of the DFG research group FOR550 Emerging into New Horizons. The finds from Nebra, Saxony-Anhalt, and their significance for the European Bronze Age.