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Pálava is a complex of prominent limestone hills in South Moravia, with extensive traces of prehistoric activities. This study presents the results of a long-term metal-detecting survey of the Pálava Hills and their surroundings. It focuses on findings dated to the Bronze Age and especially to the Urnfield period with 673 from the topsoil recovered artefacts. The study monitors the functional composition of the items within the dataset, as well as the spatial distribution of individual artefacts. The data from the surveys allow comparisons between the enclosed sites at the Stolová hora, Kotel, and Děvín hills, and the open satellite settlements in the hinterland. The results are also used for a comparison with other Moravian Bronze Age sites that have been surveyed with the same method. The study also includes a metallographic analysis of 177 objects. The results create a picture of an intensively used hillfort at Stolová hora, which in the Urnfield period represented a centrepiece of a broader agglomeration, and at some point, also probably of the whole region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iconographic depictions of combat scenes in the art of the Late Bronze Age Aegean constitute the most fascinating motives of their era. These representations of fighting astonish us by their diversity. They have been immortalised on heterogeneous kinds of material, throughout the Late Bronze Age.The aim of this paper is to present and examine the issues of iconography of these performances. To do so, I use a typological method based on thematic, chronological, material and contextual criteria. Questions, such as whether these representations refer to mythical-fictional or historical-real events, will be addressed. In addition, questions arises as to what extent these combat scenes were a common topic of the Aegean Bronze Age art and during which chronological periods they occurred. Questions about the importance of such motifs in the society of that period, as well as whether they were products of either Minoan or Mycenaean workshops and if it is possible to recognize different artistic tendencies, are also examined.The analysis of the data shows that it is possible, at least for the early phase of the Late Bronze Age, to distinguish between artistic styles. It also shows that every combat scene of the Late Bronze Age Aegean could have a manifold significance for the society of that era, above all because the symbolic meaning of the struggle was integrated into the practical occurrence of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article deals with a special group of vessels from the Early to Middle Bronze Age fortified hilltop settlement of Monkodonja near Rovinj on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula in Croatia, namely miniature vessels. The miniature vessels from Monkodonja can be divided into different groups of types: coarse thimble- or bowl-shaped objects, carefully crafted imitations of large vessels and various forms of very small, miniaturized vessels such as jugs, beakers and kantharoi. Analyses using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on white crusts discovered inside fragments of small drinking vessels suggest that the vessels once contained substances mixed with bone meal. With a view to archaeometric investigations on wall fragments with painting from Monkodonja as well as on residues from other Early and Middle Bronze Age and Aeneolithic miniature vessels, the various possible uses of the vessels are discussed. Also included are studies on the occurrence and use of miniature vessels in other regions of the Bronze Age communication area and in other time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Core drilling has been used successfully in archaeology for a variety of applications, including mapping stratigraphy across large areas, estimating feature depth and content, understanding site formation processes, as well as complementing information obtained through surface collection and geophysical survey. In this paper, we provide an overview of the first core drilling campaign carried out in 2021 on the outer settlement of the Bronze Age tell from Toboliu in western Romania. The overall aim of this coring program was to gather information regarding the nature of various features within the settlement, with a focus on the anomalies visible in the geomagnetic site plan. Based on 165 drilled cores, a reconstruction of the site's stratigraphy is presented in this paper. This reconstruction was controlled and confirmed by excavations in one of the coring transects where the stratigraphic interpretation of the cores could be linked with the excavated stratigraphy. Additionally, samples for radiocarbon dating were collected from several cores. Based on this data, we discuss preliminary insights into possible house locations and preservation issues, as well as the chronological development and occupation sequence of this complex site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay "From the Source to the Sea - A Regional Study on Bronze Age Deposits in Eastern Funen, Denmark" examines the relationship between Bronze Age deposits and their locations in the landscape. The study focuses on findings from previously little-explored sources and emphasizes the importance of a more differentiated examination of deposit locations outside of settlements. The distribution of findings shows a concentration along watercourses and near the coast. Water sources and wetlands were used as sites for ritual activities and depositions. The study emphasizes that deposits outside of settlements should be considered in order to gain a better understanding of Bronze Age societies. [Extracted from the article]

The Struma/Strymon River valley, due to its key geographical position, carving a corridor in mountain massifs, served as a natural communication route between the north: south-eastern and central Balkans and further on – Central Europe, and the south: the coast of the Aegean Sea. The lack of detailed studies of the settlement pattern have not allowed for complete characterization of its role in the cultural contacts of prehistoric communities. Fortunately, this state of research is changing, due to the carrying out intensive field surveying, and recording of archaeological sites. As a result of it, evidence of the flourishing of settlements in the Late Bronze Age and the transition period between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age were recorded. In addition to flat settlements, “atypical” sites were also identified – called the Kamenska Chuka-type, named after the first discovered site of this type, located in naturally defensive and hard-to-reach places with a wide observation views. From the very moment of discovery, researchers have been speculating about the functions of these archaeological sites. The aim of this article is to attempt to explain some issues – nature and purpose related to Kamenska Chuka-type sites and verify the theses put forward by researchers of the topic, using geographic information system (GIS) technology and freely available spatial data, combining them with traditional archaeological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress of field research and studies of archaeological sites from southern Poland (Małopolska) and experimental activities related to salt-making in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the last two decades have created conditions for attempting to recreate the chaîne opératoire of this branch of prehistoric production. The use of ceramic containers for evaporating brine and drying and portioning salt means that we are dealing with two operational sequences (production of ceramics and salt) intertwined at some stage – from obtaining raw materials (clay and brine) to the distribution of transportable product and discarding of disposable containers. We conducted multi-aspect studies on the characteristics of materials related to each stage, including their spatial location, based on all available material from western Małopolska, in particular several large-scale benchmark sites (Podłęże 17, Brzezie 17 and Kraków-Bieżanów 11). This allowed us to identify certain differences in production sites. A comprehensive review of the source database also allowed us to establish a rather limited scope of both the degree of craft specialisation of the brewers and the scale of the centre’s influence. Nevertheless, in some periods, as in the beginning of the Urnfield period, this centre gained supra-regional importance, as evidenced by, among others, certificates of weight standardization of finished products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baltic amber is often considered the principal Scandinavian commodity exchanged for metal from ore-rich regions in Europe. If correct, this may explain the astonishing metal wealth of the Nordic Bronze Age and the modest social consumption of amber locally. The hypothesis of a metal-for-amber principle behind the trade is here for the first time assessed on scales from micro to macro. Amber finds were charted across Europe, and the result was then compared to evidence for regular shifts in copper ore preferences/availability, as found in the systematically changing isotopic/elemental composition of Nordic metal objects in c. 2100–1200 BC. Comparisons indicate that amber and metal followed similar spatiotemporal trajectories with major reorganizations at the turn from the Early to the Middle Bronze Age. Shifts in amber distribution correlate with the geography of metal sources used in both periods and flows of metal to Scandinavia and amber to Europe appear to be contingent even in subperiods. Major European amber tracks – and the crossroads hubs controlling them – were identified for the transfer of goods, yet again revealing major changes at the transition to the Middle Bronze Age. The social roles and meanings of amber among Nordic communities were likewise examined, suggesting that bearers of amber played a role in exercising social control of this resource. It is concluded that amber almost certainly was exchanged for metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors present the salient archaeological results of a diachronic, interdisciplinary research project on rural settlement and land use in a region of low mountains in southern Germany. Despite clear locational disadvantages, in particular great distances to drinking water sources, archaeological excavations and an extensive dating programme document an unexpectedly long continuity of prehistoric settlement in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connections between northern Iberia and western France around the Bay of Biscay during the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, and Middle Bronze Age are addressed in this article through a multivariate cluster analysis of a dataset of 1273 metal finds, comprising 4554 metal artefacts grouped into five multiregional clusters with distinctive distributions, chronologies, content, and contexts. Changes in distribution and chronology show that metalwork from faraway regions was deposited in similar ways, reflecting changing patterns of interregional connectivity. Changes in context and content suggest social transformations. The clustering method known as Latent Class Analysis is presented here in the hope that it will be applicable to other datasets elsewhere in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Archéologique de Picardie is the property of Revue Archeologique de Picardie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article "Five hoard finds in eighty years. Landscape perspectives on new hoard finds from the Bronze Age around Lake Mälaren in Sweden" reports on five hoard finds from the Bronze Age in Sweden. The hoards come from the provinces of Uppland and Södermanland and date back to the period from 950-520 BC. The hoards mainly consist of locally made objects. Two of the find sites are located in densely populated areas, while the other two are on the outskirts of settlement. The decline in new hoard finds after World War II is attributed to the restrictive metal detector legislation in Sweden. [Extracted from the article]

The archaeological investigations in Aalst - Siesegemkouter have uncovered various pits in a settlement from the middle to late Bronze Age. One pit with a structured stratigraphy and numerous finds, including a large amount of broken pottery, charcoal, and burnt animal bones, suggests early precursors of ritual practices. The excavations have also discovered remains of a Bronze Age settlement, including ceramic fragments, grinding stones, and burnt bones. The finds indicate an intensive use of the settlement. Further investigations are necessary to determine the cultural context and the occasion of these events. [Extracted from the article]

The procurement and use of salt in Anatolia has received limited scholarly attention despite its abundance in the region. This study synthesizes geological, archaeological, ethnoarchaeological, and textual data to assess the role of salt within the socioeconomic setting of the third and early second millennia bc (c. 3000–1730 bc) in Anatolia. The easy accessibility of rock salt and saltpans ranks salt lower among the strategically controlled materials of the era. The author argues that the early non-state Anatolian communities' strategy for obtaining and distributing this salt was community-driven. Unlike societies in Mesopotamia and Europe, for which the production and distribution of salt contributed significantly to their political economy, salt never became a prestige good, nor did it contribute to the accumulation of wealth in Bronze Age Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors examine radiocarbon, histo-taphonomic, and contextual evidence for the deliberate curation, manipulation, and redeposition of human bone in British Bronze Age mortuary contexts. New radiocarbon dates and histological analyses are combined with existing data to explore the processes and practices that resulted in the incorporation of 'relic' fragments of bone in later graves, including evidence for the deliberate re-opening of previous burials and for funerary treatments such as excarnation and mummification. In some cases, fragments of human bone were curated outside the mortuary context. The authors consider what the treatment of human remains reveals about mortuary complexity in the Bronze Age, about relations between the living and the dead, and about attitudes to the body and concepts of the self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a new discovery from the Bronze Age in the Tollense River. It is a bronze figure depicting a female figure with a neck ring, breasts, and a belt. Similar figures have been found previously on the island of Zealand and in Scania. The figure from the Tollense is dated to the late Bronze Age and may have had a weight of 26 grams. It is believed that the deposition of the figure at a crossroads, where a violent conflict had previously taken place, could have been a place of remembrance. [Extracted from the article]

The essay titled "The Use of Statistical Models for Determining the Age of the Deceased and the Problem of Child Graves Identified as Adult Burials. Using the Example of Burials from the Tarnobrzeg-Lusatian Culture" deals with the use of statistical models for age determination in burials. The author has developed a mathematical logit model that can determine whether a burial belongs to an adult or a child based on two variables (vessel size and number of grave goods). The model shows a high accuracy rate of almost 90% for adults and 70% for children. There are indications that some of the incorrectly identified child burials were actually children who underwent the initiation process. Confirming this hypothesis and conducting a thorough investigation of the phenomenon are of great importance for the discussion on cultural and biological age in prehistoric populations. [Extracted from the article]

In the epics "Iliad" and "Odyssey", Homer describes the world of the Bronze Age around 4000 years ago. Many food plants that we use today were already known at that time. Various poisonous and intoxicating plants were known and used as well: Monkshood, hemlock, autumn crocus, and oleander were notorious poisonous plants used as arrow poisons, for murders, for suicide, and for death sentences. The alkaloid cyclopamine from white hellebore can cause the development of a single eye in the middle of the forehead (cyclopia) as a deformity; this consequence as a result of poisonings was probably the basis for the figure of the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus. Intoxicating plants, such as opium poppy, mandrake, henbane, contain psychoactive alkaloids. As a Nepenthes potion, the opium poppy served to forget worries and pain; plants with tropane alkaloids were used for magic. The sorceress and goddess Kirke used extracts from mandrake to turn Odysseus' companions into pigs. Odysseus knew the trick and, before visiting Kirke, ate the bulbs of the snowdrop, which contains the alkaloid galantamine as an antidote. The realization that wine and beer can reliably induce intoxication is probably even older; wine already played a major role in Homer's works and was never missing from any meal. The ancient world already knew many medicinal plants that were used to treat injuries, inflammations, infections, pain and other diseases. Some of these plants we still apply today in medicine, such as Milfoil (Achillea sp.), Wormwood (Artemisia sp.), Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Celandine (Chelidonium majus), Ergot (Claviceps purpurea), Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnalis), Willow-herb (Epilobium sp.), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Hellebore (Helleborus sp.), Henbane (Hyoscyamus sp.), Lavender (Lavandula sp.), Mint (Mentha sp.), Myrtle (Myrtus communis), Peony (Paeonia sp.), Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum), Plantain (Plantago sp.), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Oak (Quercus sp.), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Sage (Salvia sp.), Thyme (Thymus sp.), Sea Squill (Drimia maritima), Speedwell (Verbena officinalis), Mistletoe (Viscum sp.) and Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Archéologique de Picardie is the property of Revue Archeologique de Picardie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the past dozen years or so, there has been a significant increase in the pace of research on the phenomenon of the Trzciniec cultural circle. This is due to a snowballing increase of the source base, which was obtained as part of modern excavations, currently being conducted in a wide spatial scope (research on routes of planned motorways). A number of synthesis publications have also appeared. Coherent periodizations of development of this cultural circle has been worked out for many regions. It should be noted, however, that these are mainly systematics created on the basis of materials originating from settlements. The number of sepulchral discoveries that have been made so far is incomparably smaller than those of settlement-type objects. The problem of the scale of occurrence of cemeteries seems to be very clear, because in some thoroughly researched areas, no single confirmed grave has yet been discovered. The areas of the San, Vistula and Wisłoka river interfluves, the central Warta region and the sandy areas of the Nida Basin can, among others, be considered as such regions. This article is an attempt to address this problem more broadly. It is also a search for possible explanations the indicated irregularity of an absence of grave sites. The work analyses three aspects of this issue: the degree of excavation reconnaisance of the Trzciniec ecumen, environmental conditions and cultural factors. For the purposes of the analyses, a current list of sepulchral sites of the Trzciniec culture in Poland has been created and all relevant information has been collected. Selected aspects have been illustrated with various types of mapping, specific examples from selected Trzciniec culture sites or groups remote territorially or remote in time, chemical analyses of soil for phosphorus content and radiocarbon facts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Childe, the Bronze Age in Europe is thought to be the first 'golden age' in European history. The development of metallurgy, clearly associated with the production of weapons, and the expansion of exchange networks covering all types of goods are considered essential in the process of consolidation of social elites, and, by extension, of social inequalities. The significance of textile production has, however, been undervalued as a specialized craft and as a manufacturing process that creates cultural differences and signals social inequalities. Being associated with domestic contexts rather than with specialized workshops, textile production in the eastern Iberian Peninsula has been underestimated; it is addressed here, as is its potential importance in societies immersed in a process of social stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past years, the outer settlement of the Hünenburg-hillfort has been spaciously prospected and partially examined archaeologically. These researches provided multifaceted insights into the ceramic form spectrum, the economic structure, evidences of a ritual use in differentiated contexts, as well as the chronological development of the settlement area. The state of research regarding the fortification itself could initially not be extended after the excavations till 2000. Within the DFG research project „Landschaft- und Ressourcennutzung in der jüngeren Bronzezeit am Heeseberg (nördliches Harzvorland) im Spannungsfeld von Herrschaft, Handwerk und Kult", the primary task was to initially examine the direct forefield area of the hillfort itself. In the course of this assignment a trench section through the rampart followed. The features indicate spatial installations, premises or casemates. Storage pits could also be discovered within the feature context. Subsequently, the interior space of the Hünenburg has been entirely prospected geophysically. The measurements provide indications on erosive traits within the facility. The multifarious ditch systems in the interior space, however, are of considerable significance. These features verify a pre-rampart fortification stage. Due to the previous studies and the subsequent excavations, indications on the chronological structure could be acquired. These indications require a re-assessment of the fortifying concept, that is linked to the early phase of the hillfort and to the subsequent expansion and restructuring of the rampart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broken and damaged Bronze Age metalwork has long been studied, but there is no methodology for identifying signs of intentional versus unintentional action. Past approaches have tended to rely on assumptions about how such finds were damaged. Drawing on the material properties of copper alloys, as well as on recent research into wear-analysis and experimental fragmentation of bronze implements, this article presents a working methodology for identifying deliberate damage. Seven ‘Destruction Indicators’ are presented, with associated criteria, for making informed interpretations about archaeological artefacts. These contribute to a ‘Damage Ranking System’, an index for ranking damage on Bronze Age copper alloy objects based on the likelihood that damage was intentional. Two case studies illustrate how this system can be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a multi-scalar approach using archaeological and statistical methods this paper investigates identity through a comparative study of 270 female gendered burials from Jutland, Funen, Bornholm and Northern Germany. The understanding of the societal structure in the Bronze Age is based on a binary gender system and the variation within these gender categories is emphasised as highly significant for our understanding of gendered social roles in the Early Nordic Bronze Age (NBA). This paper demonstrates that elite women in Early NBA (c.1600–1100 BCE) held high social standing as well as holding multi-facetted social roles, reflecting both status and identity but with a change in status observed from NBA period II to III (c. 1300 BCE onwards). Network investigations of the female graves revealed that one armring in particular was dominant in the material and is seen a key identity marker for Early Nordic Bronze Age women. Further, it is concluded that analyses of object-type combinations can point towards potential dual identities of some of these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klassifikationen und Typologien sind im Kontext archäologischen Handelns Techniken der Systematisierung von Objekten. Als solche haben sie einerseits eine große heuristische Bedeutung als Grundlage für im weitesten Sinne sozialhistorische Interpretationen, sie können aber auch andererseits diese Interpretationen in einer Weise vorstrukturieren, die im Deutungsprozess nicht mehr reflektiert wird. Konnotationen, die mit der klassifikatorischen und typologischen Ansprache verbunden sind, verfestigen sich so zu Gewissheiten, welche einer Revision weitgehend entzogen sind. Erläutert wird dies am Beispiel bronzezeitlicher Waffen, und daran anschließend sollen zwei Verfahren aufgezeigt werden, mit denen sich derartige Gewissheiten aufbrechen lassen: durch eine Bestimmung der Affordanz der Objekte und eine Rekonstruktion ihrer Funktionalität. In archaeological sciences, techniques of classificatory and typological subsumption are of high importance to a systematization of objects. Therefore, classification and typology provide on one hand a relevant basis for, in a broad sense, social-historic interpretations of such objects. On the other hand, there is a risk that they predetermine these interpretations in a manner that is not sufficiently reflected. This allows specific connotations associated with such subsumptions to become unquestioned certainties. This paper illustrates this process on the example of Bronze Age weapons to discuss two alternative methods, which are suited to dissolve these certainties: an analysis of their affordances and a reconstruction of their functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rock art of southern Scandinavia is characterized by depictions of watercraft. The majority are close to the coast, and they have been the primary focus of research. Less attention has been paid to similar representations associated with two large inland lakes in southern Sweden. In this article we present the results of fieldwork around Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern and consider the relationship of this rock art to the better-known images on the coast. We explore the practicalities of navigating between the sea and the interior and suggest that there was an important contrast between an early eastern sphere extending to Lake Vättern from the Baltic and a later western sphere connecting Lake Vänern with the Atlantic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Archéologique de Picardie is the property of Revue Archeologique de Picardie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Im Beitrag werden mehr als 180 Gegenstände aus Eisen ausgewertet, die zwischen dem 3. Jahrtausend v. Chr. und dem Anfang des 1. Jahrtausends v. Chr. im Raum zwischen den Karpaten und dem Ural gefunden wurden. Die Objekte stammen von verschiedenen Fundorten und aus 15 archäologischen Kulturen. Der zeitliche Rahmen der Studie entspricht der Bronzezeit und dem Übergang zur frühen Eisenzeit auf Grundlage der aktuellen chronologischen Vorstellungen in Osteuropa. Der Auswertung liegt eine umfangreiche Datenbank zugrunde. Vorgestellt und analysiert werden: a) die Anzahl der Eisenobjekte und ihre Verbreitung; b) die Kategorien der Gegenstände, die aus Eisen gefertigt wurden; c) die Dynamik und die Art und Weise wie Eisen in Gebrauch kam; d) forschungsgeschichtliche Aspekte. Die Auswertung des Materialkorpus mit den aktualisierten Daten und der frühen Funde aus Eisen sowie Schlacken ergibt ein konkretes Bild ihrer quantitativen und qualitativen Verteilung über zwei Jahrtausende in dem Arbeitsgebiet. Die Untersuchung wirft ein neues Licht auf die Tendenzen in der frühen Eisennutzung in Osteuropa. Das Fazit der Autoren, dass Osteuropa als ein eigenständiges Zentrum bei der Herausbildung der Eisenmetallurgie in der Alten Welt anzusehen ist, muss noch weiter überprüft und durch moderne naturwissenschaftliche Analysen abgesichert werden. More than 180 iron objects found between the 3rd millennium BC and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC in the area between the Carpathians and the Urals are evaluated. The objects come from various sites and 15 archaeological cultures. The time frame of the study corresponds to the Bronze Age and the transition to the Early Iron Age on the basis of current chronological conceptions in Eastern Europe. The evaluation is based on an extensive database. The following are presented and analysed: a) the number of iron objects and their distribution; b) the categories of objects made of iron; c) the dynamics and the way iron was used; d) aspects of research history. The evaluation of the material corpus with the updated data and the early finds of iron and slags give a concrete picture of their quantitative and qualitative distribution over two millennia in the study area. The investigation sheds new light on the trends in early iron use in Eastern Europe. The authors' conclusion that Eastern Europe must be regarded as an independent centre for the development of iron metallurgy in the Old World must be further examined and backed up by modern scientific analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieser Artikel stellt die erste Studie dar, in der archäozoologische Überreste von Pferden sowie der mit ihnen verbundenen materiellen Kultur einschließlich der Ikonographie der nordischen Bronzezeit des Zeitraums von 1600–500 v. Chr. miteinander kombiniert werden. Aufgrund archäozoologischer Analysen und vergleichender Materialstudien wird angenommen, dass die Mensch-Pferd-Beziehung eine Reihe von entscheidenden Veränderungen durchlebte, dies beginnend mit der wahrscheinlichen Einführung des Hauspferdes zu Beginn der nordischen Bronzezeit bis zum Übergang von der Bronze- zur Eisenzeit um 700–500 v. Chr. Es wird weiterhin argumentiert, dass der zu beobachtende langfristige Wandel der Mensch-Pferd-Beziehungen sich auch in den die großen gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen während der nordischen Bronzezeitgesellschaft spiegelt, einschließlich der sich verändernden Rollen und Verwendungsmöglichkeiten des Pferdes, dies sowohl physisch als auch psychisch. This article presents the first combined study of zoological horse remains and horse-related material culture including iconography from the Nordic Bronze Age, c. 1600–500 BC. Through zooarchaeological analyses and comparative material studies it is suggested that the human-horse relationship underwent a series of pivotal changes from the likely introduction of the domestic horse at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age to the transition between the Bronze and Iron Age, c. 700–500 BC. It is further argued that the observed long-term changes in human-horse relationships reflect major social changes in the Nordic Bronze Age society including changing roles and uses of the horse, both physically and mentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Von 2007 bis 2016 untersuchte ein interdisziplinäres Projekt im Unterengadin (Graubünden, Schweiz) die alpine Weidewirtschaft. Im Fimbertal/Val Fenga wurden in über 2000 m Höhe spätbronzezeitliche bzw. hallstattzeitliche Baustrukturen entdeckt, die in Verbindung mit zeitgleichen Talsiedlungen um Ramosch als Nachweis für eigentliche Alpwirtschaft in prähistorischer Zeit interpretiert werden. Um diese idealtypische Kombination eines gestuften Tal-Alp-Systems und die gesamtwirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Viehwirtschaft besser zu verstehen, wurde eine GIS-gestützte Szenarioevaluation der prähistorischen Landschaftsnutzung ausgeführt. Da zur Größe und Struktur der Siedlungen keine ausreichenden Daten vorhanden sind, wurde eine theoretische Berechnung der maximalen Bevölkerungs- bzw. Vieh-/Herdenzahl angestrebt. Die Basis dazu bildet ein komplexes Subsistenzmodell, das aus der archäologischen, physiologischen und landwirtschaftlichen Fachliteratur ausgearbeitet wurde und den Flächenbedarf von Ackerbau und Viehzucht berücksichtigt. Anhand separat modellierter landwirtschaftlicher Nutzungsflächen im Einzugsgebiet (site catchment) der jeweiligen Siedlung lässt sich so die maximale Tragkraft (carrying capacity) bzw. Bevölkerungszahl ermitteln. Die alpine Topografie wird dabei als landwirtschaftlich stark limitierender Faktor betrachtet, sodass eine wachsende Siedlung bzw. Bevölkerung dazu gezwungen wäre, das Vieh im Sommer auf weiter entfernte Hochweiden auszulagern. Aus den Modellen kann allerdings kein ökonomischer oder ökologischer Druck als primärer Grund für die Ausformung der Alpwirtschaft belegt werden. Es wäre in den Talsiedlungen möglich, Ackerbau und Viehwirtschaft für bis zu 200 Personen ganzjährig in unmittelbarer Siedlungsnähe zu bewerkstelligen. Die saisonale vertikale Mobilität muss daher aus anderen Gründen eingeführt worden sein, möglicherweise für die strategische Mehrproduktion landwirtschaftlicher Erzeugnisse für den inner- und transalpinen Gütertausch. Between 2007 and 2016 an interdisciplinary project explored the Alpine pastoral economy in the Lower Engadine region (Grisons, Switzerland). Late Bronze Age or Hallstatt-period structures were discovered at 2000 m a.s. l. in the Fimbertal/Val Fenga valley and were, in association with contemporary settlements in the valley around Ramosch, interpreted as evidence of an actual Alpine pastoral economy in prehistoric times. To gain a better understanding of such an ideal combination of a tiered Alp-valley system on one hand and the overall economic significance of livestock farming on the other, a GIS-based scenario evaluation of prehistoric land use was carried out. Since the data available on the size and structure of the settlement is not sufficiently large, the aim was to achieve a theoretical calculation of the maximum number of people and livestock. This calculation was based on a complex subsistence model which was developed from archaeological, physiological and agricultural specialist literature and took into account the area required for crop cultivation and animal husbandry. Based on separately modelled areas of farmland within each site catchment, this allowed us to calculate the maximum carrying capacity or population sizes. The Alpine topography was seen as a severely limiting factor with regard to agricultural output, which would mean that an expanding settlement or population group would be forced to move their livestock to higher pastures further afield during the summer months. The models, however, have not allowed us to state that economic or ecological pressure was the primary reason for the evolution of an Alpine pastoral economy. It would have been possible by means of crop cultivation and animal husbandry to sustain a population of up to 200 people living in or around each valley settlement all year round. Seasonal vertical mobility must therefore have been established for other reasons, possibly in order to increase the output of agricultural produce for exchange within and beyond the Alpine region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An organic binder was identified in the painted fragments from the Canaanite palace of Tel Kabri, Israel. Recently dated to the late 18th century B.C.E. by 14C, Tel Kabri is the most ancient of the Eastern Mediterranean sites in which Aegean style paintings have been found. The application of pigments was suspected to be using an organic binding medium, particularly for the Egyptian Blue pigment. Samples of blue paint were examined using evolved gas analysis‐mass spectrometry (EGA‐MS) in order to overcome the analytical challenges imposed by highly degraded aged proteinaceous materials. Egg was identified as the binder based on the presence of hexadecanonitrile and octadecanonitrile, confirming the use of a secco painting technique. Lysozyme C from Gallus gallus was detected by proteomics analysis, confirming the presence of egg. To our knowledge, this is the earliest use of egg as a binder in Aegean style wall paintings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a review of the environmental and archaeological records for Jæren, southwest Norway, it is proposed that a transition to an agro-pastoral economy and society took place around the Middle to Late Neolithic transition (2400-2350 BC), and this led to a rapid definition of the cultural landscapes. This mode of society evolved in the following decades and centuries. One of the characteristic features found in the landscape at this time is that the whole territory was drawn into social and ritual life, locally leading to a zonation of the landscape, with distinct differences in the economic, social and cultural expressions in the resulting zones. Monumental and ritual manifestations are located in the open, grassand heath-dominated coastal zone, whilst zones of variably intensive grain cultivation are located on suitable Quaternary deposits. The zones evolved in response to a sustained economic practice involving continuously expanding grazing, intensification of cereal production and access to channels of communication. Variations in exploitation pressure, production and economic strategy reflect a suite of environmental parameters. Thus, activity zones largely correlate with physical landscape properties, apparently reflecting both an adaptive aspect in the economy and patterns of comprehensive resource exploitation across the zones, e.g. combining cereal production, transhumant pastoralism, hunting and access to maritime bottlenecks. A proposed model of the social and economic organisation and interaction in the Jæren region is based on the distributions of several categories of archaeological finds. It defines a number of interdependent zones within a unified, but composite economy, with crosscutting activities and mobility patterns. This approach is an alternative to existing models of hierarchy within limited territories. The landscape zonation in Jæren is similar to the general situation in the western Scandinavian region, including Jutland, Denmark, and thus the introduction of the agro-pastoral farm to Jæren was dependent on externally supplied impulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the biographical approach to the study of material culture, a radiocarbon dating programme was undertaken to explore the chronology and temporality of the megalithic monuments in south-eastern Iberia. Instead of one or two dates per tomb, the normal way of approaching this complex issue, we carried out a complete radiocarbon dating series of single tombs based on human remains. We focused our attention on four tholos-type tombs in the cemetery of El Barranquete (Almería, Spain). According to the new radiocarbon series modelled in a Bayesian framework, four main conclusions can be drawn: that the cemetery shows a very long period of funerary activity, which began in the late fourth millennium and ended in the last centuries of the second millennium cal BC; that continuity of ritual practices attained an unexpected importance during the Bronze Age; that interments, which fall into cultural periods that would be unthinkable if only the typological properties of the grave goods were considered, occurred; and that each tomb had a complex and very different biography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current knowledge of the beginnings of crop cultivation in Lithuania is based mainly on Cerealia-type pollen data supplemented by other indirect evidence such as agricultural tools. We argue that these records, predating carbonized remains of cultivated plants, are not substantial enough indicators of the early stages of agriculture in Lithuania. Here, we demonstrate that the macroremains of cultural plants that were previously reported from two Neolithic settlements in Lithuania were either mistakenly identified as domestic crops or incorrectly ascribed to the Neolithic period due to movement through the stratigraphic sequence and the absence of direct dating of cereal grains. Furthermore, we present a charred Hordeum vulgare grain from the Bronze Age settlement of Kvietiniai in western Lithuania. It was AMS-dated to 1392-1123 cal BC, and at present represents the earliest definite evidence for a crop in the eastern Baltic region. We conclude that, presently, there are no grounds to suggest that crop cultivation took place in Lithuania during the Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two co-authored articles in Nature (Haak et al., 2015; Allentoft et al., 2015) caused a sensation. They revealed genetically the mass migration of steppe Yamnaya culture people in the Early Bronze Age to central and northern Europe. The authors considered this event as the basis of the spread of Indo-European languages. In response, the Russian archaeologist, Leo S. Klejn, expresses critical remarks on the genetic inference, and in particular its implications for the problem of the origins of Indo-European languages. These remarks were shown to the authors and they present their objections. Klejn, however, has come to the conclusion that the authors’ objections do not assuage his doubts. He analyses these objections in a further response. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The site of Elvas-Kreuzwiese p. f. 574 is located near Brixen-Bressanone (BZ) on the Natz- Schabs plateau at about 600 m a.s.l. Excavations carried out at the beginning of this century attested the presence of Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman Age materials. Almost 10,000 animal remains from all chronological phases are presented in this paper. Faunal composition is quite similar through all phases: caprines are the most common taxa, cattle is quite abundant and domestic pig is rare. The site stratigraphy allows to detect changes in cattle body size through time: an increase in body size can be observed at the boundary between the Iron Age and the Roman Imperial Age. However, the presence of small individuals could indicate that local forms, probably directly derived from Late Iron Age populations, were not completely replaced during the Roman period. Data indicates an autonomous subsistence economy during the Bronze Age, whilst the site looks to be part of a more complex society during the Roman period. INSET: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After cattle, sheep were in Austrians prehistory the most relevant domesticated animals, but their relevance shifted between periods in which the human subsistence based on sheep and periods with minor importance. Possible reasons for these dynamics from the Neolithic to the Roman period are investigated. Another focus of the study is directed to the different products of sheep and in particular the emergence of woolly sheep. Using the Logarithmic Size Index (LSI) technique on previously published morphometrical data we found no indication of an introduction of a larger, foreign kind of woolly sheep as assumed hitherto. From Middle Neolithic to Germanic settlements of the Roman period hardly any differences in size of sheep can be determined. Only in Roman period a statistically highly significant larger sheep breed occurred. At least in Austria but presumably in most European regions the development of sheep with woolly fleece seems to have been a multiple and independent event produced by human selection. The larger sheep recorded in Roman periods were very probably introduced from Roman stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]