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The article reports on the discovery of megalithic tombs in the Ahlen-Falkenberger Moor in Germany. As part of a research project, three passage graves were examined, in which well-preserved elements of the burial constructions were found. Various burial activities of the Funnel Beaker Culture could be identified and dated. The excavations and scientific analyses provide insights into the complex architecture and use, as well as the environmental development around the megalithic grave Wanna 1592. Various identifiable phases are presented, including the construction of the monument, the burial level and activities in the entrance area, human impacts in the surroundings, destruction and sealing of the chamber, disturbance of the outer stone packing, and the disappearance in the bog. The text describes archaeological finds and soil analyses at a burial mound in Wanna. Two deposits were found, one outside the chamber and one inside the chamber, which can be dated to the Late Bronze Age. Ceramic fragments and flint artifacts were also discovered. The soil analyses show that the burial mound was built on a Luvisol surface, which has transformed into a Podsol outside the mound. Micro-morphological analyses were also conducted, revealing further details about the soil development. The article describes the results of an investigation of megalithic graves in Ahlen-Falkenberg, Denmark. It is noted that the graves have similar construction features and fit into the regional distribution of passage graves. It is speculated that the graves were built in a continuous working process, with social aspects playing a role in the choice and construction of the megaliths. The graves were likely built within a short construction period, and the materials came from the immediate surroundings. The graves were used during the Early Neolithic period and later abandoned in the Late Neolithic period. In Schleswig-Holstein, the entrance of a dolmen was destroyed in the Late Neolithic period. With the continuous rise of the bog water level, Wanna 1591 and 1592 were situated in wet contexts at the end of the Neolithic period, and Wanna 1588 at the latest in the EBA. Human activities increasingly focused on the higher Ahlen Geests, which included landscape clearances. The last practices were carried out during the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in Wanna 1588, when pottery vessels were placed between two capstones. In conclusion, it can be said that the megalithic landscape of Ahlen-Falkenberg has been well-preserved thanks to peat growth over the past thousands of years, providing insights into the original building elements and techniques, as well as burial practices of the FBC megaliths in the Neolithic period. Further excavations are necessary to clarify open questions. [Extracted from the article]

The article "The Evil Twin: Older Bronze Age Ceramic Typology of the Nordic Circle" examines the older Bronze Age ceramics of the Nordic Circle. The study uses a classical typology and multivariate statistical analysis to categorize the ceramics. Ten vessel categories are identified, which can be further divided into different types and variants. The study demonstrates how ceramic production evolved in terms of diversity of forms, variation in sizes, and expression throughout the Older Bronze Age. Connections are also made between this increasing complexity and the changes in burial customs around 1300 BC. Therefore, the study provides important insights into the older Bronze Age ceramics of the Nordic Circle. [Extracted from the article]

The connection between the Late Bronze Age (LBA) Aegean costumes and social, cultural and political changes is a rather unexplored topic. Probably the only exception are kilts, the connection of which to such changes on Crete during the 15th century BCE remains a commonly discussed topic in studies focusing on the LBA Aegean iconography and other data sets. However, many questions remain open and the topic is far from exhausted. In this paper I build on the work of various scholars who have studied LBA Aegean kilts in the context of social, political and cultural changes. I diachronically study the changes in the representations of kilts since the beginning of the LBA in the Aegean until the end of the Palatial period on the Greek Mainland (ca. 1700/1600–1200 BCE). Moreover, I examine the spatial distribution of specific kilt types in different periods. In cases of several different kilt types appearing in contemporary contexts in the same region, I explore whether similar costumes might have had different social connotations within the same communities. Moreover, I examine the influence of elite power structures and socio-political changes on the perception of kilts. However, I do not observe kilts as passive reflections of specific social, cultural and political contexts, but rather as material forms actively used in the creation of social realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the results of a materials science analysis of artifacts from Grave 89 at the cemetery of Karzec in central Poland. The findings suggest a possible specialization in the metallurgical craft of the Lusatian culture during the Late Bronze Age. Reference is also made to similar burials in the Lusatian culture. The analysis of the casting molds shows different stages of production and indicates increased mobility of the craftsman. The results of the investigations are presented in the form of spectra and tables. It is recommended to conduct further research using modern analytical methods to verify these hypotheses. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Ghost Children: Delayed Personhood and Culturally Specific Models of Childhood in Western Anatolia" examines the burial practices of infants and children in Anatolia during the seventh to third millennia BC. It is noted that infants and children were not considered fully human beings in most societies until a certain age. The authors argue for the construction of culturally specific models of infancy based on archaeological evidence in Anatolia and beyond. It is emphasized that the burial of children and infants in settlements during the Anatolian Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age is not "deviant burial," but rather a form of "delayed personhood." The burial practices of children and infants within settlements were widespread in Anatolia during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age. [Extracted from the article]

The Harz Mountains (Lower Saxony, Germany) are the northernmost mountain ridge of the middle-European highlands. At their northern slopes sites of the so-called Saalemüündungsgruppe of the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age are situated. This cultural group is characterized by the presence of urnfields, open settlements and some hillforts, the latter comprises the Hüünenburg near Watenstedt, Kr. Helmstedt. The environs of this hillfort are characterized by the presence of further sites, comprising graves, hoards and areas of surface findings. Analysis of the stray finds from an area south of the hillfort, geophysical surveys and first excavations allowed to identify and to investigate an open settlement of about 5,5 ha, situated outside of the ramparts and with still unknown limits. Some plans of houses could be identified. The settlement has revealed finds indicating religious activities and metalworking. Crucibles, grinding stones and casting moulds were found. The casting mould of a ''Griffzungenschwert'' allows to trace high specialised metalworkers at the Hüünenburg. Different scientific analyses, for example geophysical surveys, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies, were performed. This paper focuses on first results obtained from the excavations campaigns 2005 to 2007, conducted within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project ''Periphery and centre. The Hüünenburg near Watenstedt, Lkr. Helmstedt. -- A hillfort in the contact zone between the Lusation culture and the Nordic Bronze Age''. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of depositions as part of a social practice is not just an alternative approach to the traditional research question concerning the motives behind Bronze Age depositions, but mainly enables a stronger focus on the question how and where these depositions took place. The present paper addresses the questions whether and how (1) the depositional practice can be referred to the landscape, and (2) the structural meaning of space be set in relation to the depositional practice. Against the background of practice theory, and in discussion of archaeological evidence, a reciprocal, dynamic model for the understanding of depositions (as part of a practice) and landscape (as a materialized structure or worldview) is outlined. The deposition of objects in distinct places thus creates, confirms and renews the worldview, while in turn, the worldview structures the deposition of objects by suggesting specific places (for example marshes). To what extent this model is reflected in the archaeological record, and can be approached quantitatively, is shown in the spatial analysis of hypothetical material traces of a Siberian community. The distribution map of material traces shows patterns identifying the deposition practice, and reveals the presence of a mental spatial concept taking into account the natural surroundings. Answers to the questions on the nature of the practice and the corresponding role of the landscape can therefore be found in the spatio-relational dimension of Bronze Age depositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]