Books by Torsten Schunke
Veröff. des Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt – Landesmus. für Vorgesch. Halle, Band 81 (Halle 2021).
Das östliche Sachsen-Anhalt ist der archäologischen Fachwelt in den vergangenen zwanzig Jahren vo... more Das östliche Sachsen-Anhalt ist der archäologischen Fachwelt in den vergangenen zwanzig Jahren vornehmlich durch Publikationen zum Mittelalter und der Reformationszeit weithin bekannt geworden. Die Funde aus der Vorgeschichte dieses Gebietes haben dagegen über das gesamte 20. Jahrhundert hinweg bis heute eine geringere Beachtung gefunden. Insbesondere das überaus reiche Fundmaterial der Lausitzer Kultur aus der mittleren bis jüngsten Bronzezeit war und ist der überregionalen Forschung bislang weitgehend verschlossen geblieben. Die wissenschaftliche Bearbeitung der großen Gräberfelder auf dem Buroer Feld bei Coswig, die durch Ausgrabungen zwischen 1994 und 2008 untersucht werden konnten, soll diesem Desiderat begegnen. Die Altfunde des Gebietes, lokalisiert und mit neu rekonstruierten Fundkontexten vollständig erfasst, sollen zusammen mit einem forschungsgeschichtlichen Abriss den Auftakt für die Gesamtvorlage bilden.
Forschungsgeschichte der Region, Besiedlungsabfolge, Buroer Feld, Brandgräberfeld, Hügelgräber, Kammergräber, Lausitzer Kultur, Saalemündungsgruppe, Hausurnenkultur, Mittelbronzezeit, Jungbronzezeit, Jüngstbronzezeit, frühe Eisenzeit, Slawen
history of reserch, excavations of the 19th and 20th centuries, catalog of the finds, cemetary, cremation burials, barrows, flat graves, Lusatian Culture, Middle Bronze Age, Younger Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, House Urns Culture, Slavs
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Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderband 12 (Halle 2010)., 2010
authors: R. v. Rauchhaupt / T. Schunke ... more authors: R. v. Rauchhaupt / T. Schunke
Brehna, Lkr. Anhalt-Zerbst, Neolithische Siedlung, Brunnen, Baalberger Kultur, Salzmünder Kultur, Gräberfeld, Schnurkeramik-Kultur, frühbronzezeitliche Siedlung, Aunjetitzer Kultur, Verbreitung der Briquetage, Keramikbrennofen, Siedlungsbestattungen, spätbronze-/früheisenzeitliche Siedlung, Wirtschaftsweise, Importe, Organisation der Salzproduktion, Briquetage, Feuerböcke, Verbreitung, Erdöfen, Hausgrundrisse, Gehöftstrukturen, slawische Siedlung, Grubenhäuser, mittelalterliche und neuzeitliche Flureinteilungen, Wegekontinuitäten
Neolithic settlement, water well, Baalberge Culture, Salzmünde Culture, cemetery, Corded Ware Culture, Early Bronze Age settlement, Unetice Culture, distribution of briquetage, kiln for pottery, settlement burials, Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement, economic system, imports, management of saltworks, briquetage, fire docks, distribution, earth ovens, houses, farm structures, Slavic settlement, pithouses, Middle Ages, division of areas, continuity of roads
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Papers by Torsten Schunke
In: H. Meller/K. Gärtner (Hrsg.), Schönheit, Macht und Tod II. 275 Funde aus dem Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle, Halle 2022, 258-259.
authors: T. Schunke/J. Filipp
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In: H. Meller/K. Gärtner (Hrsg.), Schönheit, Macht und Tod II. 275 Funde aus dem Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle, Halle 2022, 282-283.
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In: Stadermann, J. (Hrsg.), Au(g)enblicke. Streifzüge durch die Elster-Luppe-Saale-Aue, Band 4/1, Halle 2022, 203-247
Der Bornhöck war der größte bisher bekannte frühbronzezeitliche Fürstcengrabhügel in Mitteleuropa... more Der Bornhöck war der größte bisher bekannte frühbronzezeitliche Fürstcengrabhügel in Mitteleuropa. Angelegt als Begräbnisstätte, war er über Jahrtausende weithin sichtbare Landmarke – unter anderem Grenzmal, Feldherrenhügel und Gerichtsplatz. Bereits im Mittelalter zentral beraubt, ereilte ihn sein endgültiges Schicksal im 19. Jahrhundert, als er in Folge der Flurbereinigungen innerhalb von 44 Jahren abgetragen wurde. Daraufhin geriet er weitgehend in Vergessenheit. In den Jahren 2014-2018 wurden die Reste dieses Monumentes wiederentdeckt und archäologisch untersucht. Der Beitrag konzentriert sich auf die ebenfalls fast völlig vergessenen vielfältigen Bedeutungen des Bornhöck, die er in Mittelalter und Neuzeit besessen hat, sowie anekdotische Begebenheiten, in denen der Bornhöck im Zusammenhang mit bekannten Persönlichkeiten oder historischen Ereignissen überliefert ist.
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In: H. Meller, J. Krause, W. Haak, R. Risch (Hrsg.), Kinship, Sex, and Biological Relatedness. The contribution of archaeogenetics tot he understanding of social and biological relations. 15. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 6. bis 8. Oktober 2022 in Halle (Saale), Halle 2023, 183-194.
authors: S. Penske, T. Schunke, J. Orschiedt, A. B. Rohrlach, H. Meller, W. Haak, R. Risch
Leben... more authors: S. Penske, T. Schunke, J. Orschiedt, A. B. Rohrlach, H. Meller, W. Haak, R. Risch
Leben und arbeiten – Eine mögliche »Hausgemeinschaft«
in der frühbronzezeitlichen Siedlung von Schiepzig in Mit-
teldeutschland
Die gemeinsame archäologische und archäogenetische Ana-
lyse von zehn Individuen, die in der frühbronzezeitlichen Sied-
lung von Schiepzig begraben wurden, liefert neue Einblicke
in die Beziehung zwischen den typischen Langhäusern der
Aunjetitzer Kultur und den Menschen, die sie errichteten und
bewohnten. Genetische Verwandtschaftsanalysen ergaben
einen Stammbaum, der mindestens 15 Individuen umfasst,
sich über vier Generationen erstreckt, und zudem in Verbin-
dung mit einem der Langhäuser steht. Die Integration archäo-
logischer und anthropologischer Ergebnisse ermöglicht es uns,
intensiv diskutierte Themen in der prähistorischen Archäo-
logie anzusprechen, wie z. B. die Größe einer Gemeinschaft,
die Belegungsdauer der Häuser und die Praxis der Körper-
bestattung im Vergleich zu anderen, weniger sichtbaren
Bestattungsformen.
Combined archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of
ten individuals buried in the Early Bronze Age settlement of
Schiepzig provide new insights into the relation between
the typical Únětice longhouses and the communities that
constructed and occupied them. Genetic relatedness analy-
ses associated with one of the longhouses have revealed a
pedigree of more than 15 individuals spanning over four gen-
erations. The integration of archaeological and anthropolog-
ical evidence allowed us to address long-debated issues in
prehistoric archaeology, such as community size, house
duration, and the practice of inhumation burials versus
other, albeit undetected, funerary practices.
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Revue du Nord, Hors-série n°29, 2021
En Allemagne centrale, jusqu’aux années 1990, le
début de l’Âge du Bronze, comme la fin du
Néolit... more En Allemagne centrale, jusqu’aux années 1990, le
début de l’Âge du Bronze, comme la fin du
Néolithique, étaient presque exclusivement connus,
par des tombes et des fosses isolées: les plans de bâtiments,
les objets spécifiques de l’habitat et les infrastructures
manquaient. La situation a fondamentalement changé avec les
fouilles qui ont permis pour la première fois
dans les années 1990 de mettre au jour des plans de
maisons de la culture d’Unétice. Depuis, les bâtiments,
les habitats et le modèle d’occupation sont
devenus mieux connus et nous proposons ici un
aperçu des recherches actuelles et des résultats obtenus
ces 25 dernières années en Saxe, Saxe-Anhalt et
Thuringe.
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authors: R. Risch/H. Meller/S. Delgado-Raack/T. Schunke.In S. Gimatzidis/R. Jung (eds), The Critique of Archaeological Economy, Cham 2021, 85–116
The Circum-Harz group of the Central German Únětice Culture (c. 2200-1550 BCE), which finally uni... more The Circum-Harz group of the Central German Únětice Culture (c. 2200-1550 BCE), which finally unified the Late Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker Cultures, exhibits a remarkably high level of social complexity. Based on the funerary record and the structured composition of the metal hoards, it has been suggested that this social entity was developed into a state organisation ruled by a dominant leader and supported by armed troops. However, the surplus economy necessary to supply this army and other state servants, which would not work in agricultural production, has not been confirmed so far. In this sense, the burial mound of Bornhöck in the communal district of Raßnitz, Saalekreis district, near Dieskau with its well-known weapon hoards, offers new insight into the economic organisation of an Únětice community, especially with regard to its rulers. In this socio-historical context, the study of grinding equipment coming from the stone core protecting the central burial chamber turns to be of crucial importance. Our study shows that an exceptional number of highly efficient grinding slabs, specifically designed to carry out intensive grinding processes, was concealed in this funerary context. Moreover, these tools were markedly different from the grinding slabs present in the typical Únětice longhouses. As a result, the Bornhöck provides direct evidence of the existence of three characteristic elements of a state organisation, i.e. the centralisation of an important part of agricultural production, probably through some type of taxation mechanism, the control of surplus value by the dominant class of Únětice, and the existence of a substantial population dependent on this surplus. As an army seems the most plausible consumer of large amounts of food supplies, indirectly, the macrolithic tools of the Bornhöck confirm the monopoly on the use of force hold by the ruler buried in it.
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Nature Scientific Reports, 2023
Chernozems/Phaeozems are important agricultural resources and have been intensively used for mill... more Chernozems/Phaeozems are important agricultural resources and have been intensively used for millennia. However, their origin and age are still controversial. In Europe, the westernmost widespread Chernozem/Phaeozem area is located in Central Germany. In contrast to other German regions with anthropogenic Chernozems/Phaeozems, their natural origin is suggested in connection with intensive bioturbation. Yet, radiocarbon is unsuitable for decoding Chernozem/Phaeozem formation so this hypothesis remains untested, whereas single-grain luminescence dating allows to discriminate between different soil sub-processes and formation phases. We applied single-grain feldspar luminescence to a Central German Chernozem that was buried during the Bronze Age and subsequently protected from pedogenic processes. For the first time, we could directly determine timing and rate of Chernozem/Phaeozem formation in Central Europe by dating bioturbation as the dominant soil forming process. Accordingly, Chernozem/Phaeozem formation started at the latest in the Early Holocene prior to Neolithic settlement indicating a natural origin of Central German Chernozems/Phaeozems, and Chernozem/Phaeozem formation ceased around 6-5 ka when the regional climate became more humid. Our effective soil reworking rates show that earthworm bioturbation in Chernozems/Phaeozems is more intense than ant-dominated bioturbation, but significantly less intense than bioturbation by lugworms or ploughing. The latter effect allows to identify prehistoric ploughing in paleosols.
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In: Delley (Hrsg.), Des choses. Une archéologie des cas à part, Neuchâtel 2021, 163-173.
authors: N. Scheyhing/T. Schunke; Neolithische Tontrommeln, Mitteldeutschland, 4./3. Jahrtausend ... more authors: N. Scheyhing/T. Schunke; Neolithische Tontrommeln, Mitteldeutschland, 4./3. Jahrtausend v. Chr., Salzmünder Kultur, Bernburger Kultur, Walternienburger Kultur, Symbolik, Sinnzeichen, Schrift; Neolithic, clay drums, Central Germany, 4th/3rd millennium BC, Salzmünde Culture, Bernburg Culture, Walternienburg Culture, sign system, early writing system
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In: H. Meller/M. Schefzik (Hrsg.), Die Welt der Himmelsscheibe von Nebra – Neue Horizonte. Begleitband zur Sonderausstellung im Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale), 4. Juni 2021 bis 9. Januar 2022, Halle 2020, 100-103.
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In: S. Friederich, H. Meller (Hrsg.), Elbeu – Die Burg Albrechts des Bären. Aktuelle Ausgrabungen: Neolithikum bis Mittelalter. Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderband 28, Halle 2020, 27-29.
Mittelalter, Niederungsburg, Preußisches Urmesstischblatt
Middle Ages, lowland castle, historica... more Mittelalter, Niederungsburg, Preußisches Urmesstischblatt
Middle Ages, lowland castle, historical maps
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In: H. Meller, R. Risch, K. W. Alt, F. Bertemes, R. Micó (Hrsg.), Rituelle Gewalt – Rituale der Gewalt. 12. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 10. bis 12. Oktober in Halle (Saale), Halle 2020, 211-258.
authors: T. Schunke/H. Meller. Abstract: Skull cult and human sacrifice – observations on the cul... more authors: T. Schunke/H. Meller. Abstract: Skull cult and human sacrifice – observations on the cult of ancestors and ritual acts at the Salzmünde archaeological site, Saalekreis district
The cult of skulls was widespread in many societies, particularly those that were segmentally organised, and the phenomenon has accordingly been thoroughly documented, both archaeologically and ethnographically. Central European Neolithic cultures are among those in which evidence is often found of the special treatment of human skulls and a few examples have also come to light in central Germany. In most cases, however, the archaeological contexts do not allow us to establish more than the mere fact that this particular part of the skeleton was subject to special treatment; we are not able to shed light on the treatments themselves or the immaterial motives which lay behind them; often it is not even possible to exclude the possibility that the motives were practical and non-religious. One exception to this rule is an unusual complex of features uncovered at the Salzmünde site, Saalekreis district, from which it is possible to reconstruct a sequence of ritual acts performed over an extended period of time. Beginning with the unusual burial of a young individual in a so-called wooden ´Rampenkiste´, a cist with a ramped entrance, where the body was arranged in the unmistakable orans position, a series of ritual procedures can be traced involving the later removal of the skull, its replacement by a head-sized quernstone, and the reburial of the skull in another pit. Extensive rituals were conducted in connection with the removal and reburial of the skull, involving fire and destruction, the debris of which was also deposited in the pits, together with the body of a man who had obviously been ritually killed. These finds and features are clear evidence of a skull cult. Although we do not know the form it took, there is much to suggest that it involved an element of brutal sacrifice. At the same time, they were linked with unusual settings and with the creation of images using objects and bodies. Starting out from this unusual complex of features, the paper presented here attempts to find similarly unusual elements and the symbolism that was obviously linked with them in other features uncovered at the Salzmünde site. On the basis of the insight gained they can also on occasion be identified elsewhere.
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In: H. Meller/S. Friederich (Hrsg.), Archäologie in der Flussaue. 20 Jahre Hochwasserschutz und Ortsumgehung Eutzsch, Arch. Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderbd. 27, Halle 2018, 199-203.
authors: W. Thoma/D. Paddenberg/T. Schunke/H.-J. Döhle; Gefäßdepot frühe Eisenzeit, Hausurnenkult... more authors: W. Thoma/D. Paddenberg/T. Schunke/H.-J. Döhle; Gefäßdepot frühe Eisenzeit, Hausurnenkultur, neuzeitliche Rinderdeponierung, Abdeckerei
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In: H. Meller/S. Friederich (Hrsg.), Ein Ort – zwei Kulturen. Die Ausgrabungen im Vorfeld des Baus der A 143 bei Salzmünde, Saalekreis. Arch. Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderbd. 21/II, Halle 2019, 64-70.
Ein 1929 durch den schwedischen Archäologen Nils Niklasson untersuchtes Steinkammergrab der Schnu... more Ein 1929 durch den schwedischen Archäologen Nils Niklasson untersuchtes Steinkammergrab der Schnurkeramikkultur wurde nochmals untersucht, das Fundinventar des Grabes konnte durch zugehörige Scherben und Kupferschmuck vervollständigt werden. Der Befund wirft ein Licht auf das archäologische Vorgehen in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jh.
The re-examination of the stone burial chamber of the Corded Ware Culture, examined by the Swedish archaeologist Nils Niklasson in 1929, was completed the inventory of finds of the burial by associated shards and spiral ring of copper. The excavation provides insight into the archaeological methods in the first half of the 20th century.
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In: H. Meller/S. Friederich (Hrsg.), Ein Ort – zwei Kulturen. Die Ausgrabungen im Vorfeld des Baus der A 143 bei Salzmünde, Saalekreis. Arch. Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderbd. 21/II, Halle 2019, 87-96.
authors: A. Moser/T. Schunke/P. Viol; Glockenbecherkultur, Holzkistengräber; cemetary of Bell Bea... more authors: A. Moser/T. Schunke/P. Viol; Glockenbecherkultur, Holzkistengräber; cemetary of Bell Beaker Culture, wooden burial chambers
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In: H. Meller/S. Friederich/M. Küßner/H. Stäuble/R. Risch (Hrsg.), Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag, 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 (Halle 2019), 127-207.
Settlements and landscape of the Únětice Culture in Saxony-Anhalt – the settlement components, th... more Settlements and landscape of the Únětice Culture in Saxony-Anhalt – the settlement components, their structure and location: Over the past approximately twenty years, Saxony-Anhalt has become another area where settlement features from the Únětice Culture are discovered with some regularity and in significant numbers. Aside from the known settlement pits, a multitude of individual components of the settlement and economic fabric have now come to light. The ground-plans of long houses as they have now become known represent the domestic and probably also the stabling areas and thus the cores of the settlements. Features including hearth, wells and loam extraction pits – together with special finds and possibly associated graves – have provided us with initial insights into the structure of the settlements and their access to important everyday resources. Components of an overarching organisation and communication, such as features linked with logistics and boundaries, can also be reconstructed. The overview that we have now gained thanks to large-scale open-area excavations and excavations along traffic routes has finally allowed us to make statements on the Early Bronze Age settlement landscape. The standard types of settlements were self-sufficient farmyards, homesteads and hamlets located quite close to each other in topographically favourable locations with access to water. We are gradually gaining a picture of an open, decentralised and relatively dense rural settlement system, which stands in stark contrast to the outstanding finds and princely graves characteristic of this culture.
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In: H. Meller/S. Friederich/M. Küßner/H. Stäuble/R. Risch (Hrsg.), Siedlungsarchäologie des Endneolithikums und der frühen Bronzezeit. 11. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag, 18. bis 20. Oktober 2018 (Halle 2019), 393-417
authors: T. Schunke / H. Stäuble
Understanding Únětice Culture long houses and an attempt at est... more authors: T. Schunke / H. Stäuble
Understanding Únětice Culture long houses and an attempt at establishing a typology: Ground-plans of Early Bronze Age houses have been discovered in central Germany for the past approximately 25 years. A number of outstanding features were identified from the start, which allowed archaeologists to identify and date many of these ground-plans even without analysing the finds recovered. Given the regional discrepancies with regard to the state of publication, however, a clear typological definition has not yet been proposed. Thanks to the overview of approximately 140 such ground-plans this volume has provided us with, it has now been possible to define the “Zwenkau”-type house, which was named after the earliest and largest central German site with such features and was characteristic of the Únětice Culture.
Above ground, the “Zwenkau”-type building can be reconstructed as a long house with a rounded narrow end and probably a hipped roof in the west, an entrance in the centre of the south wall and a narrow end in the east, which could be temporarily and perhaps seasonally closed off with a gate or possibly a more robust construction. Depending on the interior constructions, three variants of the “Zwenkau”-type house have been defined and named after important sites. Besides representing chronological trends, the variants also point to functional differences.
The “Zwenkau”-type ground-plan can be identified as characteristic of Únětice Culture houses. Because its criteria have been quite narrowly defined, some ground-plans found at Únětice Culture sites have not been ascribed to the type due to certain differences in their appearance. In many cases it could not be ascertained beyond doubt whether these belonged to a preceding Late or Final Neolithic phase of settlement or whether they did, in fact, date from the Early Bronze Age as well. It is clear that the bearers of the Únětice Culture also erected buildings that did not belong to the “Zwenkau” type. The fact that these are comparatively limited in number, however, does stress the relevance of the type as it has been defined.
A supra-regional analysis shows that diverging types of construction are usually found in the periphery of the distribution area of the Únětice Culture and can therefore be attributed to influences from northern Europe or southern Germany. Further developments leading to three-aisled buildings appear to have occurred in central Europe and may have provided the impetus for house construction in the north.
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Meller/S. Friederich (Hrsg.), Ein Ort – zwei Kulturen. Die Ausgrabungen im Vorfeld des Baus der A 143 bei Salzmünde, Saalekreis. Arch. Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderbd. 21/II in Vorbereitung, Halle 2019, 224-225.
written in 2009; authors: S. Pichler, T. Schunke
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Uploads
Books by Torsten Schunke
Forschungsgeschichte der Region, Besiedlungsabfolge, Buroer Feld, Brandgräberfeld, Hügelgräber, Kammergräber, Lausitzer Kultur, Saalemündungsgruppe, Hausurnenkultur, Mittelbronzezeit, Jungbronzezeit, Jüngstbronzezeit, frühe Eisenzeit, Slawen
history of reserch, excavations of the 19th and 20th centuries, catalog of the finds, cemetary, cremation burials, barrows, flat graves, Lusatian Culture, Middle Bronze Age, Younger Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, House Urns Culture, Slavs
Brehna, Lkr. Anhalt-Zerbst, Neolithische Siedlung, Brunnen, Baalberger Kultur, Salzmünder Kultur, Gräberfeld, Schnurkeramik-Kultur, frühbronzezeitliche Siedlung, Aunjetitzer Kultur, Verbreitung der Briquetage, Keramikbrennofen, Siedlungsbestattungen, spätbronze-/früheisenzeitliche Siedlung, Wirtschaftsweise, Importe, Organisation der Salzproduktion, Briquetage, Feuerböcke, Verbreitung, Erdöfen, Hausgrundrisse, Gehöftstrukturen, slawische Siedlung, Grubenhäuser, mittelalterliche und neuzeitliche Flureinteilungen, Wegekontinuitäten
Neolithic settlement, water well, Baalberge Culture, Salzmünde Culture, cemetery, Corded Ware Culture, Early Bronze Age settlement, Unetice Culture, distribution of briquetage, kiln for pottery, settlement burials, Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement, economic system, imports, management of saltworks, briquetage, fire docks, distribution, earth ovens, houses, farm structures, Slavic settlement, pithouses, Middle Ages, division of areas, continuity of roads
Papers by Torsten Schunke
Leben und arbeiten – Eine mögliche »Hausgemeinschaft«
in der frühbronzezeitlichen Siedlung von Schiepzig in Mit-
teldeutschland
Die gemeinsame archäologische und archäogenetische Ana-
lyse von zehn Individuen, die in der frühbronzezeitlichen Sied-
lung von Schiepzig begraben wurden, liefert neue Einblicke
in die Beziehung zwischen den typischen Langhäusern der
Aunjetitzer Kultur und den Menschen, die sie errichteten und
bewohnten. Genetische Verwandtschaftsanalysen ergaben
einen Stammbaum, der mindestens 15 Individuen umfasst,
sich über vier Generationen erstreckt, und zudem in Verbin-
dung mit einem der Langhäuser steht. Die Integration archäo-
logischer und anthropologischer Ergebnisse ermöglicht es uns,
intensiv diskutierte Themen in der prähistorischen Archäo-
logie anzusprechen, wie z. B. die Größe einer Gemeinschaft,
die Belegungsdauer der Häuser und die Praxis der Körper-
bestattung im Vergleich zu anderen, weniger sichtbaren
Bestattungsformen.
Combined archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of
ten individuals buried in the Early Bronze Age settlement of
Schiepzig provide new insights into the relation between
the typical Únětice longhouses and the communities that
constructed and occupied them. Genetic relatedness analy-
ses associated with one of the longhouses have revealed a
pedigree of more than 15 individuals spanning over four gen-
erations. The integration of archaeological and anthropolog-
ical evidence allowed us to address long-debated issues in
prehistoric archaeology, such as community size, house
duration, and the practice of inhumation burials versus
other, albeit undetected, funerary practices.
début de l’Âge du Bronze, comme la fin du
Néolithique, étaient presque exclusivement connus,
par des tombes et des fosses isolées: les plans de bâtiments,
les objets spécifiques de l’habitat et les infrastructures
manquaient. La situation a fondamentalement changé avec les
fouilles qui ont permis pour la première fois
dans les années 1990 de mettre au jour des plans de
maisons de la culture d’Unétice. Depuis, les bâtiments,
les habitats et le modèle d’occupation sont
devenus mieux connus et nous proposons ici un
aperçu des recherches actuelles et des résultats obtenus
ces 25 dernières années en Saxe, Saxe-Anhalt et
Thuringe.
Middle Ages, lowland castle, historical maps
The cult of skulls was widespread in many societies, particularly those that were segmentally organised, and the phenomenon has accordingly been thoroughly documented, both archaeologically and ethnographically. Central European Neolithic cultures are among those in which evidence is often found of the special treatment of human skulls and a few examples have also come to light in central Germany. In most cases, however, the archaeological contexts do not allow us to establish more than the mere fact that this particular part of the skeleton was subject to special treatment; we are not able to shed light on the treatments themselves or the immaterial motives which lay behind them; often it is not even possible to exclude the possibility that the motives were practical and non-religious. One exception to this rule is an unusual complex of features uncovered at the Salzmünde site, Saalekreis district, from which it is possible to reconstruct a sequence of ritual acts performed over an extended period of time. Beginning with the unusual burial of a young individual in a so-called wooden ´Rampenkiste´, a cist with a ramped entrance, where the body was arranged in the unmistakable orans position, a series of ritual procedures can be traced involving the later removal of the skull, its replacement by a head-sized quernstone, and the reburial of the skull in another pit. Extensive rituals were conducted in connection with the removal and reburial of the skull, involving fire and destruction, the debris of which was also deposited in the pits, together with the body of a man who had obviously been ritually killed. These finds and features are clear evidence of a skull cult. Although we do not know the form it took, there is much to suggest that it involved an element of brutal sacrifice. At the same time, they were linked with unusual settings and with the creation of images using objects and bodies. Starting out from this unusual complex of features, the paper presented here attempts to find similarly unusual elements and the symbolism that was obviously linked with them in other features uncovered at the Salzmünde site. On the basis of the insight gained they can also on occasion be identified elsewhere.
The re-examination of the stone burial chamber of the Corded Ware Culture, examined by the Swedish archaeologist Nils Niklasson in 1929, was completed the inventory of finds of the burial by associated shards and spiral ring of copper. The excavation provides insight into the archaeological methods in the first half of the 20th century.
Understanding Únětice Culture long houses and an attempt at establishing a typology: Ground-plans of Early Bronze Age houses have been discovered in central Germany for the past approximately 25 years. A number of outstanding features were identified from the start, which allowed archaeologists to identify and date many of these ground-plans even without analysing the finds recovered. Given the regional discrepancies with regard to the state of publication, however, a clear typological definition has not yet been proposed. Thanks to the overview of approximately 140 such ground-plans this volume has provided us with, it has now been possible to define the “Zwenkau”-type house, which was named after the earliest and largest central German site with such features and was characteristic of the Únětice Culture.
Above ground, the “Zwenkau”-type building can be reconstructed as a long house with a rounded narrow end and probably a hipped roof in the west, an entrance in the centre of the south wall and a narrow end in the east, which could be temporarily and perhaps seasonally closed off with a gate or possibly a more robust construction. Depending on the interior constructions, three variants of the “Zwenkau”-type house have been defined and named after important sites. Besides representing chronological trends, the variants also point to functional differences.
The “Zwenkau”-type ground-plan can be identified as characteristic of Únětice Culture houses. Because its criteria have been quite narrowly defined, some ground-plans found at Únětice Culture sites have not been ascribed to the type due to certain differences in their appearance. In many cases it could not be ascertained beyond doubt whether these belonged to a preceding Late or Final Neolithic phase of settlement or whether they did, in fact, date from the Early Bronze Age as well. It is clear that the bearers of the Únětice Culture also erected buildings that did not belong to the “Zwenkau” type. The fact that these are comparatively limited in number, however, does stress the relevance of the type as it has been defined.
A supra-regional analysis shows that diverging types of construction are usually found in the periphery of the distribution area of the Únětice Culture and can therefore be attributed to influences from northern Europe or southern Germany. Further developments leading to three-aisled buildings appear to have occurred in central Europe and may have provided the impetus for house construction in the north.
Forschungsgeschichte der Region, Besiedlungsabfolge, Buroer Feld, Brandgräberfeld, Hügelgräber, Kammergräber, Lausitzer Kultur, Saalemündungsgruppe, Hausurnenkultur, Mittelbronzezeit, Jungbronzezeit, Jüngstbronzezeit, frühe Eisenzeit, Slawen
history of reserch, excavations of the 19th and 20th centuries, catalog of the finds, cemetary, cremation burials, barrows, flat graves, Lusatian Culture, Middle Bronze Age, Younger Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, House Urns Culture, Slavs
Brehna, Lkr. Anhalt-Zerbst, Neolithische Siedlung, Brunnen, Baalberger Kultur, Salzmünder Kultur, Gräberfeld, Schnurkeramik-Kultur, frühbronzezeitliche Siedlung, Aunjetitzer Kultur, Verbreitung der Briquetage, Keramikbrennofen, Siedlungsbestattungen, spätbronze-/früheisenzeitliche Siedlung, Wirtschaftsweise, Importe, Organisation der Salzproduktion, Briquetage, Feuerböcke, Verbreitung, Erdöfen, Hausgrundrisse, Gehöftstrukturen, slawische Siedlung, Grubenhäuser, mittelalterliche und neuzeitliche Flureinteilungen, Wegekontinuitäten
Neolithic settlement, water well, Baalberge Culture, Salzmünde Culture, cemetery, Corded Ware Culture, Early Bronze Age settlement, Unetice Culture, distribution of briquetage, kiln for pottery, settlement burials, Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement, economic system, imports, management of saltworks, briquetage, fire docks, distribution, earth ovens, houses, farm structures, Slavic settlement, pithouses, Middle Ages, division of areas, continuity of roads
Leben und arbeiten – Eine mögliche »Hausgemeinschaft«
in der frühbronzezeitlichen Siedlung von Schiepzig in Mit-
teldeutschland
Die gemeinsame archäologische und archäogenetische Ana-
lyse von zehn Individuen, die in der frühbronzezeitlichen Sied-
lung von Schiepzig begraben wurden, liefert neue Einblicke
in die Beziehung zwischen den typischen Langhäusern der
Aunjetitzer Kultur und den Menschen, die sie errichteten und
bewohnten. Genetische Verwandtschaftsanalysen ergaben
einen Stammbaum, der mindestens 15 Individuen umfasst,
sich über vier Generationen erstreckt, und zudem in Verbin-
dung mit einem der Langhäuser steht. Die Integration archäo-
logischer und anthropologischer Ergebnisse ermöglicht es uns,
intensiv diskutierte Themen in der prähistorischen Archäo-
logie anzusprechen, wie z. B. die Größe einer Gemeinschaft,
die Belegungsdauer der Häuser und die Praxis der Körper-
bestattung im Vergleich zu anderen, weniger sichtbaren
Bestattungsformen.
Combined archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of
ten individuals buried in the Early Bronze Age settlement of
Schiepzig provide new insights into the relation between
the typical Únětice longhouses and the communities that
constructed and occupied them. Genetic relatedness analy-
ses associated with one of the longhouses have revealed a
pedigree of more than 15 individuals spanning over four gen-
erations. The integration of archaeological and anthropolog-
ical evidence allowed us to address long-debated issues in
prehistoric archaeology, such as community size, house
duration, and the practice of inhumation burials versus
other, albeit undetected, funerary practices.
début de l’Âge du Bronze, comme la fin du
Néolithique, étaient presque exclusivement connus,
par des tombes et des fosses isolées: les plans de bâtiments,
les objets spécifiques de l’habitat et les infrastructures
manquaient. La situation a fondamentalement changé avec les
fouilles qui ont permis pour la première fois
dans les années 1990 de mettre au jour des plans de
maisons de la culture d’Unétice. Depuis, les bâtiments,
les habitats et le modèle d’occupation sont
devenus mieux connus et nous proposons ici un
aperçu des recherches actuelles et des résultats obtenus
ces 25 dernières années en Saxe, Saxe-Anhalt et
Thuringe.
Middle Ages, lowland castle, historical maps
The cult of skulls was widespread in many societies, particularly those that were segmentally organised, and the phenomenon has accordingly been thoroughly documented, both archaeologically and ethnographically. Central European Neolithic cultures are among those in which evidence is often found of the special treatment of human skulls and a few examples have also come to light in central Germany. In most cases, however, the archaeological contexts do not allow us to establish more than the mere fact that this particular part of the skeleton was subject to special treatment; we are not able to shed light on the treatments themselves or the immaterial motives which lay behind them; often it is not even possible to exclude the possibility that the motives were practical and non-religious. One exception to this rule is an unusual complex of features uncovered at the Salzmünde site, Saalekreis district, from which it is possible to reconstruct a sequence of ritual acts performed over an extended period of time. Beginning with the unusual burial of a young individual in a so-called wooden ´Rampenkiste´, a cist with a ramped entrance, where the body was arranged in the unmistakable orans position, a series of ritual procedures can be traced involving the later removal of the skull, its replacement by a head-sized quernstone, and the reburial of the skull in another pit. Extensive rituals were conducted in connection with the removal and reburial of the skull, involving fire and destruction, the debris of which was also deposited in the pits, together with the body of a man who had obviously been ritually killed. These finds and features are clear evidence of a skull cult. Although we do not know the form it took, there is much to suggest that it involved an element of brutal sacrifice. At the same time, they were linked with unusual settings and with the creation of images using objects and bodies. Starting out from this unusual complex of features, the paper presented here attempts to find similarly unusual elements and the symbolism that was obviously linked with them in other features uncovered at the Salzmünde site. On the basis of the insight gained they can also on occasion be identified elsewhere.
The re-examination of the stone burial chamber of the Corded Ware Culture, examined by the Swedish archaeologist Nils Niklasson in 1929, was completed the inventory of finds of the burial by associated shards and spiral ring of copper. The excavation provides insight into the archaeological methods in the first half of the 20th century.
Understanding Únětice Culture long houses and an attempt at establishing a typology: Ground-plans of Early Bronze Age houses have been discovered in central Germany for the past approximately 25 years. A number of outstanding features were identified from the start, which allowed archaeologists to identify and date many of these ground-plans even without analysing the finds recovered. Given the regional discrepancies with regard to the state of publication, however, a clear typological definition has not yet been proposed. Thanks to the overview of approximately 140 such ground-plans this volume has provided us with, it has now been possible to define the “Zwenkau”-type house, which was named after the earliest and largest central German site with such features and was characteristic of the Únětice Culture.
Above ground, the “Zwenkau”-type building can be reconstructed as a long house with a rounded narrow end and probably a hipped roof in the west, an entrance in the centre of the south wall and a narrow end in the east, which could be temporarily and perhaps seasonally closed off with a gate or possibly a more robust construction. Depending on the interior constructions, three variants of the “Zwenkau”-type house have been defined and named after important sites. Besides representing chronological trends, the variants also point to functional differences.
The “Zwenkau”-type ground-plan can be identified as characteristic of Únětice Culture houses. Because its criteria have been quite narrowly defined, some ground-plans found at Únětice Culture sites have not been ascribed to the type due to certain differences in their appearance. In many cases it could not be ascertained beyond doubt whether these belonged to a preceding Late or Final Neolithic phase of settlement or whether they did, in fact, date from the Early Bronze Age as well. It is clear that the bearers of the Únětice Culture also erected buildings that did not belong to the “Zwenkau” type. The fact that these are comparatively limited in number, however, does stress the relevance of the type as it has been defined.
A supra-regional analysis shows that diverging types of construction are usually found in the periphery of the distribution area of the Únětice Culture and can therefore be attributed to influences from northern Europe or southern Germany. Further developments leading to three-aisled buildings appear to have occurred in central Europe and may have provided the impetus for house construction in the north.
Early Bronze Age settlement, Unetice Culture, homestead, ground-plans “Zwenkau” type, extraordinary post construction, sometimes-waterlogged hollow, footbridge