Stefan Dreibrodt | Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (original) (raw)

Papers by Stefan Dreibrodt

Quantitative archaeology and archaeological modelling, 2024

한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집, Jun 1, 2014

Universitätsverlag Kiel | Kiel University Publishing eBooks, 2023

In this paper we analyze the applicability of seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) for investiga... more In this paper we analyze the applicability of seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) for investigation of tells, which are often characterized by heterogeneous and small-scale stratigraphy. Major aim is to identify location and shape of settlement layers and house remains. Furthermore, a paleochannel, which is important to understand the interaction between tell and the surrounding landscape, was found at the tell flank.

One of the peculiar aspects of the Trypillia sites in Eastern Europe (beginning of the 4th mill. ... more One of the peculiar aspects of the Trypillia sites in Eastern Europe (beginning of the 4th mill. BCE) is the first attestation of some fired constructions in earthen architecture, mostly interpreted as technologically advanced kilns for pottery making. Through the archaeological, archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological record at Maidanetske, in comparison with similar excavated kilns at other Trypillia sites, some socio-economic aspects will be discussed about Copper Age society and production, on the light also of ethnographic models

Treatise on Geomorphology, 2022

Supplemental material, sj-xlsx-2-hol-10.1177_0959683620981671 for Prehistoric pigment production ... more Supplemental material, sj-xlsx-2-hol-10.1177_0959683620981671 for Prehistoric pigment production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), c. AD 1200–1650: New insights from Vaipú and Poike based on phytoliths, diatoms and 14C dating by Welmoed A Out, Andreas Mieth, Sergi Pla-Rabés, Marco Madella, Svetlana Khamnueva-Wendt, Carolin Langan, Stefan Dreibrodt, Stefan Merseburger and Hans-Rudolf Bork in The Holocene

Supplemental material, Gross_etal-FigS1 for Adaptations and transformations of hunter-gatherers i... more Supplemental material, Gross_etal-FigS1 for Adaptations and transformations of hunter-gatherers in forest environments: New archaeological and anthropological insights by Daniel Groß, Henny Piezonka, Erica Corradini, Ulrich Schmölcke, Marco Zanon, Walter Dörfler, Stefan Dreibrodt, Ingo Feeser, Sascha Krüger, Harald Lübke, Diana Panning and Dennis Wilken in The Holocene

Forests, 2021

Old-growth forests are of high interest for biodiversity conservation, especially in the disturba... more Old-growth forests are of high interest for biodiversity conservation, especially in the disturbance-prone Mediterranean landscapes. However, it remains unclear whether the survival of patches of old-growth forest in the degraded Mediterranean landscapes results from local anomalies or from past, larger forests. Therefore, in this study, we assessed (1) the origin, (2) the long-term ecological trajectory, and (3) the mechanism(s) that explain the survival of a Mediterranean old-growth forest, the Sainte-Baume forest. To achieve this, we used soil charcoal analysis. We opened fifteen soil profiles in the forest and five in its surrounding areas for soil description and sampling. The soil descriptions enabled us to highlight in situ soil horizon and colluvial layers. A total of 1656 charcoal pieces from different soil samples were taxonomically identified to characterize the composition of past forests. Selected charcoal pieces (n = 34) were dated to obtain chronological data. Our inv...

The Holocene, 2019

This paper aims at reconstructing the population dynamics during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, c.... more This paper aims at reconstructing the population dynamics during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, c. 4500–500 cal. BC, in north-western Central Europe. The approach is based on the assumption that increased population density is positively linked with human activity and human impact on the environment, respectively. Therefore, we use archaeological 14C dates and palaeoenvironmental data from northern Germany and south-western Denmark to construct and compare independent proxies of human activity. The latter involves relative quantification of human impact based on pollen analysis and soil erosion history inferred from summarizing of dated colluvial layers. Concurring patterns of changes in human activity are frequently recorded on a multi-centennial scale. Whereas such multi-proxy patterns are interpreted to indicate relative population changes, divergent patterns are discussed in the context of proxy-related uncertainties and potential biases. Patterns of temporal distribution of incr...

The Holocene, 2019

In the regions of southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, within the Neolithic ( c. 4100–1700 ... more In the regions of southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, within the Neolithic ( c. 4100–1700 BCE), two episodes of intensified monumental burial construction are known: Funnel Beaker megaliths mainly from c. 3400–3100 BCE and Single Grave burial mounds from c. 2800–2500 BCE. So far, it remains unclear whether these boom phases of monumental construction were linked with phases of economic expansion, to phases of economic changes or to periods of economic crisis: do they precede and stimulate periods of economic growth? Or are they a social practice that results from social changes within the societies? To approach these research questions, we will use mainly information on the intensity of monumental construction phases, artefact depositions, environmental changes and changes in subsistence strategies as proxies for comparative studies. Our database comes from the southern Cimbrian Peninsula and adjacent areas. Being one of the most intensively archaeologically researched region...

Quaternary International, 2017

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie Supplementary Issues

Results of detailed investigation of soils, colluvia and lake sediments in a lake catchment in no... more Results of detailed investigation of soils, colluvia and lake sediments in a lake catchment in northern Germany proves that the input of eroded soil (enabled by agricultural land use) is of a minor amount compared with the storage within colluvial layers. Pre-existing micro- and meso-topography and prehistorical land use patterns as well as precipitation intensity are probable to control the Holocene flux of sediments within the lake catchment area. Therefore we entertain some doubt if sediment delivery ratios- usually applied on larger spatial scales (e. g. river catchment areas)- are useful to produce reliable quantitative data of Holocene soil erosion in central Europe.

In Central Europe intensive land use began during Neolithic, Bronze or Iron Ages or in some hilly... more In Central Europe intensive land use began during Neolithic, Bronze or Iron Ages or in some hilly landscapes as recently as Medieval Times. At most slopes slight hills-lope erosion dominated in agriculturally used hilly areas during Neolithic Age. Gully erosion was an exception. Extented and intensified agriculture enabled strong hill-slope erosion and at some sites gullying during Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman Times. In total, the surfaces of arable land were lowered by soil erosion in regions with highly erodible soils several decimetres, in others only a few centimetres during prehistoric times. After the decline of the Roman Empire woodland spread and soil development was intensive. No soil erosion and thus no sedimentation in the flood plains occurred in catchments that were totally wooded. Since the 7 th century the woodland was cleared and agriculture spread first in basins with fertile soils and then during high Middle Ages in the central German mountains and in the sandy a...

With the onset of sedentism humans started to convert their surroundings. Whereas reconstructions... more With the onset of sedentism humans started to convert their surroundings. Whereas reconstructions of geochemical traces of settlement activity (e.g. Arrhenius, 1931) or man's pressure on the soils of landscapes (e.g. van Andel et al., 1990; Bork, 1998) were carried out at many sites holistic approaches questioning the sustainability of ancient societies are missing so far. A new approach, applied to the multi layered settlement mound "Cukurici Höyük" (western Anatolia, Turkey) aims at comparing land use intensity and settlement intensity. Land use intensity of the former settlers will be described by determining slope instability phases and quantifying slope deposits at hills adjacent to the settlement. Geochemical and physical properties as well as bio remains will be analysed of the dated debris layers onsite and quantified as matter fluxes. Matter accumulation onsite, being an indicator for settlement intensities, is compared to slope instability phases offsite, des...

Results of geophysical, geoarchaeological and archaeological research at the late Neolithic site ... more Results of geophysical, geoarchaeological and archaeological research at the late Neolithic site Borđoš near Novi Bečej, Serbian Banat, add new knowledge about the size and the structure of the settlement. Preliminary results reveal that the settlement had an area of c. 7 ha. The material culture as inferred from the systematic survey reflects mixed artefact assemblages of Tisza and Vinča style, and a large number of stone artefacts. According to preliminary typo-chronological examination, the surface finds show characteristics of Vinča C and Vinča D material.

Quantitative archaeology and archaeological modelling, 2024

한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집, Jun 1, 2014

Universitätsverlag Kiel | Kiel University Publishing eBooks, 2023

Treatise on Geomorphology, 2022

Forests, 2021

The Holocene, 2019

Quaternary International, 2017

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie Supplementary Issues

To reconstruct past human–environment interactions, it is important to gain an understanding of t... more To reconstruct past human–environment interactions, it is important to gain an understanding of the creation of the modern environment. Crucial for the mega-site phenomenon that occurs in Central Ukraine in the 4th millennium BCE is the human impact of the Trypillia settlers on the former vegetation cover. A discussion of the Trypillia environment is provided, which considers the potential natural vegetation in the western Pontic area, as well as the recent biotic, climatic, and pedological conditions, and integrates these with palaeo-ecological and palaeopedological data.
The recent landscape in the Central Ukraine is characterized by small villages surrounded by arable fields, intersected by narrow river valleys. Large fields are ploughed and sown by Kolhosp (former collective farms), while small plots and gardens are arranged around the ribbon-built villages. The landscape appears as a cultural steppe with sunflower and soybean as main cultivars beside cereals. Lines of trees and shrubs accompany tracks and streets between the fields. Only small patches are covered with tree plantations. These tree plantations, exhibiting natural regeneration of oak and acer, indicate the potential of the natural settings for tree growth in the area. Consequently, the question occurs: since when is open steppe the dominant man-made plant cover in the region, and at what time did the degradation of the potential natural vegetation start?
Chapter 9, pp. 171-179- In: Trypillia Mega-Sites and European Prehistory 4100-3400 BCE
Edited by Johannes Müller, Knut Rassmann and Mykhailo Videiko, First published 2016 by Routledge, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, © European Association of Archaeologists 2016

Session 16 Archaeology and environmental history in lake catchment areas Lake sediments are key a... more Session 16 Archaeology and environmental history in lake catchment areas Lake sediments are key archives for high temporal resolution reconstructions of Holocene environmental history and human-environmental interactions. However disentangling the signals of human impact and of natural processes is often still a problem. In this context multiproxy approaches are applied as they offer the possibility for comparison of different independent proxies. Evidence for changes triggered by large scale drivers, e.g. climate, is given by inter-site comparison and the identification of regional patterns. The interpretation of regional and/or local signals with respect to differentiate between human impact and natural environmental changes, however, often remains difficult. This counts particularly for Early Holocene periods (Mesolithic) with the lack of clear anthropogenic indicators in the palaeo-environmental records. The analysis of additional archives in the terrestrial part of the lake catchment (e.g. archaeological record, colluvial layers and soils), however, can improve our understanding of human-environmental in well defined areas, i.e. the lake catchment. We therefore propose an integrative multiproxy approach in which quantitative reconstructions of land-use and settlement activities in the terrestrial lake catchment are compared with results of lake sediment records. We cordially invite speakers and participants that are interested in holistic reconstructions of socio-environmental interaction in lake catchment areas. Contributions to selected aspects are welcome too.

Jennifer Schüle, Jirka Niklas Menke, Dawid Baumgarten, Eileen Kücükkaraca (eds.). INTERNATIONAL OPEN WORKSHOP Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the Last 12,000 Years: The Creation of Landscapes V Kiel, March 20-24, 2017. PROGRAMME and ABSTRACTS

Extended Deadline Dezember 14, 2016! The session deals with changes in areas around the Baltic S... more Extended Deadline Dezember 14, 2016!

The session deals with changes in areas around the Baltic Sea during the Early and Mid-Holocene. Because of the underlying climatic changes and thus environmental changes, the area was also the scene for various cultural developments during the period under investigation. Due to the melting of the glaciers at the end of the last Ice-Age, isostatic and eustatic movements caused continual changes to the Baltic Sea basin. But, changes in water level affected not only the Early and Mid-Holocene coast lines, the whole Baltic Sea drainage including large lakes, rivers and water sheds in the hinterland were also dramatically impacted by climate variability and consequent ecological changes. Thus, this had to affect prehistoric people as well by reducing or enlarging their territories. In order to evaluate the consequences of changes in the water networks on the environment, resources, and human behaviour, and to reconstruct human responses to these changes, this session pursues an interdisciplinary approach connecting environmental and archaeological research. We call for papers from various disciplines such as climatology, geology, palynology, zoology, and archaeology, to contribute to the understanding of the aforementioned processes. The discussion of the current chronological framework of coastline changes, water network displacements, lake level developments, and land upheaval/subsidence will enable us to synchronize palaeo-geographical and palaeo-cultural changes. This will serve as a basis for discussions of limitations and enhancements of cultural entities during the Early and Mid-Holocene.

The European Bronze Age is regarded as a period of pre-modern 'globalisation', marking a signific... more The European Bronze Age is regarded as a period of pre-modern 'globalisation', marking a significant change from the interconnectivity in the Neolithic. Mobility and migrations played a fundamental role in shaping the European Bronze Age, with circulation of people, artifacts, and raw materials (metals, amber, wool) along north-south and east-west axes. This session aims to bring together geoarchaeologists and landscape archaeologists working on Bronze Age contexts from different parts of Europe to highlight similarities and differences observable at different scales of geoarchaeological research. The following themes will be deal with: (a) At the micro-or intra site-scale, the application of geoarchaeological methods to specific archaeological features, such as floors, rubbish pits and middens, combustion features, earth-based construction materials, activity areas, etc. (b) At the site scale, the geoarchaeology of all types of Bronze age sites (e.g., pile dwellings in lacustrine or floodplain settings, sites enclosed by ditches and ramparts, tells), on their distribution patterns and on the landscape modifications they brought about. (c) At the landscape, regional or supra-regional scale, the challenge to integrate archaeological interpretations with documented palaeo-environmental trends to construct a robust diachronic understanding of landscape development. This new understanding will perhaps enable the detection of processes or triggers (i.e. natural triggers such as climate; human triggers such as societal developments, trade, exchange, pests) driving these key developments. One additional aim is to allow for the presentation and discussion of records from European sites that are not published in English and therefore failed to reach the larger audience. Deadline for paper/poster submission: February 15 th 2018 To register: https://eaa.klinkhamergroup.com/eaa2018/

Prehistoric and Archaic Societies" By the beginning of the Bronze Age tells and multi-layered set... more Prehistoric and Archaic Societies" By the beginning of the Bronze Age tells and multi-layered settlements are recognized across a vast section of the Eurasian continent, stretching from the Indus Valley in the East to the Atlantic in the West and from Germany down to Anatolia. As an outcome of generations continuously inhabiting the same area and constructing their surroundings on the remains of earlier habitation, tells represent excellent sites in which to examine intra-site diachronic changes in human behavior and to compare inter-site/inter-regional behaviors staged in a similar setting. Furthermore, the layering of anthropogenic sediments produced by human-based matter fluxes, which forms these settlements, provides an excellent opportunity for geoarchaeologists to apply their methods. While geoarchaeologists and archaeologists have developed numerous models of human behavior based on both geochemical signatures and the micro-remains of anthropogenic activity, data is often viewed in a relative, qualitative manner. The quantification of geoarchaeological data can both significantly change and expand interpretations. In this paper we compare matter fluxes representing the human behavior from multi-layered settlements with Bronze Age occupation – Niederröblingen (Germany), Fidvar (Slovakia), Jagnilo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Bresto (Bulgaria), Asagi Pinar, and Arslan Tepe (both Turkey) – forming a transect from Northern Europe to Turkey based on the quantification of geochemical and micro-artifact proxies. An emphasis is placed on identifying intra-site diachronic changes reflecting a difference in human behavior starting in the Bronze Age and the existence of a Bronze Age pre-modern " globalization " recognizable through on-site geoarchaeology is questioned. Do we see significant changes indicating a new, pan-European set of human behaviors that can be connected with a Bronze Age " globalization " ? Do local solutions and behaviors present in the Neolithic/Chalcolithic remain important? What role does the vast difference in environmental setting along this transect play?

Prehistoric and Archaic Societies" Calculating the size of the populations which inhabited archae... more Prehistoric and Archaic Societies" Calculating the size of the populations which inhabited archaeological sites has been both a sought-after goal and source of controversy in archaeology for over a century. As tells and tell-like settlements are formed entirely through the anthropogenic movement of materials (matter) both onto and off-of a site of habitation, they offer an excellent archive with which to approach this issue. Furthermore, the increasing precision of measurement capabilities over the last decade now allows the use of quantitative methods. In this poster, we present demographic modelling of populations on a transect of sites stretching across Europe from Anatolia to northern Central Europe and from the Neolithic through the Roman Iron Age by quantifying geochemical signatures and the micro-remains of anthropogenic activity present in sediment. By comparing profile data with data from horizontal archaeological plans, we assume that the studied layers represent a mean of settlement activity during respective settlement phases. These data represent minimum rates of matter fluctuation as post-depositional processes such as erosion, recycling and pedogenic alteration must be considered. An attempt is made to account for these processes through an analysis of soil formation within the archaeosediment sequence of the site profiles, a comparison with other on-site environmental records, and the application of modern analogies. Population is first calculated based on a quantification of the total anthropogenic phosphorous content at each site before being queried with other quantified signatures related to human life through architecture and animal herding. The results of this process are compared with existing, conventional archaeologically-based population estimates.

Pieces of Daub unearthed during an excavation of a burnt house in Majdanetske (Tripolje culture, ... more Pieces of Daub unearthed during an excavation of a burnt house in Majdanetske (Tripolje culture, Ukraine) were analyzed to infer the burning conditions of the house and the material used as temper. Colors (spectrometric measurements, surface and powder), magnetic susceptibility measurements (surface and powder), mineral assemblage (xrd), and phytolith assemblage and preservation (light microscopy) of the pieces were determined. Statistical analyses prove that the Daub pieces recovered in the excavated house expose a certain variability. A parallel experiment was carried out with the production of " synthetic Daub ". The silty/clayey sediment (Löß) that forms the parent material at the site was tempered with chaff and straw of Triticum monococcum L. and mixed with water to produce a kind of plaster. Bricklets of this material were then burned for different times (30min-240min) at different temperatures (550°C-940°C) under both oxidizing and reducing conditions. The synthetic daub samples were measured and compared to the daub pieces from the archaeological contexts. Assuming a similar composition of the plaster (e.g. iron content, organic temper), very different burning conditions (temperature, oxygen access) can be deduced for certain parts of the house. Further work is needed to ascertain whether the numerous other houses of the settlement burned down in a similar way.

Compilations of historical soil erosion records reflect climate variability during the early Holo... more Compilations of historical soil erosion records reflect climate variability during the early Holocene and land use intensity since the onset of agriculture. In Germany, there is a clear reflection of increasing maintenance of field use since ca. 7.500 yrs. Since that time, a general long-term trend of soil erosion indicates a more and more widespread occurrence of field use. Also, the intensity of erosion (t*ha-1 *a-1) increases since than considering the-long term trend. Nevertheless, there are some obvious deviations from the long-term trend. One of these deviations, surprisingly, is the central European Early to Mid-Bronze Age. After a clear maximum of erosion during Late Neolithic (ca. 2450 BCE) a decreasing intensity of land use is indicated until the onset of Urnfield culture at ca. 1350 BCE. Pronounced minima are visible at ca. 2050 BCE (repercussion of 4.2 ka phase?) and at ca. 1550 BCE (Unetice collapse). A comparison along a south-north gradient shows that the signal of ca. 2050 BCE is visible in whole Germany, whereas the minimum at ca. 1550 BCE is not present in southern Germany. There, rather increased soil erosion is indicated. Similar patterns are visible in date from lake sediments and pollen diagrams from central Europe. Thus, looking from the regional perspective of landscape history we might ask: Do the observed regional differences reflect regional changes in Bronze Age land use intensity and/or subsistence strategies? (e.g. Regional division of labor, like livestock farming in the north and acquisition of mountainous terrain in the south) Another peculiarity in central European environmental history is the onset of intensive flooding activity in a large number of the river valleys after ca. 2250 BCE. Since we find around that time the first strong indication for severe slope erosion at mountainous sites across Europe, we might ask: How large is the enduring effect of Bronze Age acquisition of mountainous terrain on late Holocene alluvial activity?

The broad development of northern Central-European vegetation history between ca. 12000 and 8000 ... more The broad development of northern Central-European vegetation history between ca. 12000 and 8000 cal. years BP is known through a network of pollen diagrams distributed along the shores of the Baltic and North seas, pointing to a coherent transition from Younger Dryas steppe/park tundra to Mid-Holocene mixed-deciduous woodlands. Yet high resolution records from well-dated and annually laminated sedimentary sequences are still rare. As a consequence, little is known concerning the fine timing of land-cover changes at a local and regional scale, and a precise comparison between vegetation development and large scale climate fluctuations is still hardly achievable. Here we present the first results from ongoing multidisciplinary analysis at the site of Poggensee, located in Northern Germany, focusing on the Early Holocene section of the sedimentary record. The age-depth model is built upon a combination of annual varves and radiocarbon datings, with error estimates lying in the range of ca. ±12-27 cal. years (1σ). Early pollen data are presented at an average resolution of ca. 30 years per sample. This solid chronological support allows us to track species migration and expansion at a multi-decadal resolution. It provides a much needed environmental framework to aid the interpretation of local archaeological data and evaluate the effects of known climatic shifts on vegetation cover. Furthermore, we test to which extent the Poggensee chronology can be transferred to local pollen diagrams sharing comparable vegetation dynamics but lacking accurate chronologies. This experiment is meant to improve the dating quality of legacy pollen data-especially those collected in connection with Mesolithic sites-in order to include them in modern region-wide vegetational syntheses and man/environment interaction models.

Rapid environmental change is reflected by, and might be deduced from the microscopic composition... more Rapid environmental change is reflected by, and might be deduced from the microscopic composition of annually laminated sediments (varves). In this paper, we present high-resolution paleo-limnological data of the 11.1 ka, 10.3 ka, 9.3/ 9.5 ka and 8.2 ka before today climate oscillations as reflected by abrupt changes in the annually laminated sediments of Poggensee (northern Germany). Micro-facies analyses (thin sections) are accompanied by geochemical data (xrf, TOC/TN, TIC, BiSi) delivering additional clues for a better understanding of Early Holocene lake and landscape processes. The preservation of Early Holocene sedimentological anomalies in one varved sequence allows a precise dating of the anomalies in a continental geo-archive. This is important for considerations about human-environmental interactions during the Early Holocene. Additionally, a comparison of the detected climate oscillation phases (e.g. intensity, duration, character) is made possible. The results are discussed against the background of the Early Holocene paleo-environmental and archaeological record from central Europe. The detected pronounced climate variability might have resulted in changing availability of natural resources in central Europe. For example, the decrease in lacustrine productivity could have led to shortages of aquatic resources like fish. Nevertheless, new opportunities as landscape openness increased might have resulted as well.

Human impact on the landscape during prehistoric times was directly linked to population density.... more Human impact on the landscape during prehistoric times was directly linked to population density. With the beginning of the Neolithic, human interference with the natural environment increases significantly. Woodland clearance led to fundamental changes in the vegetation cover and resulted in soil erosion. Whereas palynological data allows to reconstruct the degree of anthropogenic vegetation change, stacked erosion records are used to reconstruct land use intensity within selected regions. The degree to which population density is reflected in both records, however, depends partly also on climate conditions and land use practices. Soil erosion for example is positively affected by increased precipitation and the degree of vegetation change at a given population level might differ between extensive and intensive land-use practices. A comparison of both proxies not only helps to diminish uncertainties with respect to palaeodemographic reconstructions, but might further allow to indicate changes in land use practices. In this paper we compare records for both proxies from northern-central Europe from the 5 th to 1 st millenium BCE. Both proxies generally show similar developments and provide a coherent record of population dynamic providing evidence for phases of widespread population decline at around 3200, 2200 and 1500 BCE. Furthermore low intensity of soil erosion in context of increased anthropogenic vegetation change during ca. 2000 to 900 BCE might indicate a fundamental change of land use practices with the beginning of the Bronze Age in northern and central Germany.

In recent years, high-resolution geomagnetic surveys in Cucuteni-Tripolye settlements led to the ... more In recent years, high-resolution geomagnetic surveys in Cucuteni-Tripolye settlements led to the discovery of large, so far unknown building structures which are located at prominent positions within settlements. Due to their extraordinary size, positioning and special architectural characteristics this structures are interpreted as some kind of public or communal buildings such as temples or assemblage houses. Within large settlements two classes of such buildings can be distinguished: high-level 'mega-structures' for the whole settlement and low level ring-or pathway buildings for parts of the commune. The second category of buildings, normally show regular distributions within settlements which likely reflect some kind of communal organisation. In order to achieve better understanding of construction and functional aspects of such buildings, we excavated one of the low-level ring-or pathway building in the large settlement Maidanetske in the frame of a Ukrainian-German cooperation. Detailed collection of information regarding the finds and their context, of imprints of construction timber on daub, and the dense sampling for botanical, zoological, pedological, and geoarchaeological investigations should provide arguments for the evaluation of functional aspects of this building in comparison to 'normal' houses. In order to understand transformations in the social organisation of Tripolye communities, we would like, on the other hand, evaluate such buildings in a diachronic perspective based on plans of geomagnetic surveys. Thereby, important aspects like frequency and positioning of within settlements and the size of the structures in relation to the use group size will be discussed.

During the late Neolithic, large complex settlements emerged in the eastern part of the Great Hun... more During the late Neolithic, large complex settlements emerged in the eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain, which consists of different components as settlement mounds or so called tell like settlements, flat settlement parts and in some cases also enclosures. This phenomenon seems to concern particularly the catchment of the Tisza River and its eastern tributaries, which represents a contact zone between different larger cultural and environmental units. So far, we understand such settlements insufficiently, since only in some exceptional cases sufficient data are available regarding the temporal and functional relation of the different parts of these kinds of settlements. Thus, it is in the moment in many cases unclear, if flat settlements represented shorter-lived extensions of longer-living tell sites, synchronous populated areas with lower building density, or if they had even other functions than the tell components. Such an agglomerated settlement – the site Borđoš near Novi Bečej in the Serbian Vojvodina– with a size of approximately 50 ha, is matter of a Serbian-German cooperation. In our paper, we want to present results of extensive fieldwork such as geophysical survey, drilling, systematic surface collections, targeted excavations and 14c dating. On the other hand, we would like to discuss the results from Borđoš in the context of the larger spatial scale of the eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain in order to achieve a better understanding of the societal dynamics behind such complex settlement forms. For this purpose, on the one hand, it is necessary to evaluate a) to what extent the history of the site is conform to the development of other complex sites and b) if the site history is following regional trajectories and supra-regional trends of population agglomeration and dispersal. On the other hand, we need to consider settlement layouts and the intra-site spatial distribution of material culture remains.