Zentrum für Baltische und Skandinavische Archäologie

Могильник Гросс Оттенхаген – Березовка в Ка-
лининградской обл. Российской Федерации (ра-
нее Восточная Пруссия) впервые исследовался в
1920- х гг. Считается, что за немногими исключе-
ниями находки утеряны вместе со всей Прусской
коллекцией из Кёнигсберга. Однако полевая доку-
ментация сохранилась в поместье проводившего
раскопки Герберта Янкуна. Она была изучена в све-
те современного состояния исследований. Благода-
ря архивным материалам могильник был локали-
зован; в 2003 и 2004 гг. были проведены его новые
раскопки. Всего изучено 104 погребения I тыс. н. э. и
46 других объектов, в основном современных.
Процесс функционирования могильника под-
разделяется на три фазы, разделенные перерывами.
Ранняя фаза относится к периоду Римской импе-
рии, точнее – времени перехода к поздней империи
(фаза B2 и B2/C1-C1a), вторая – к концу эпохи Вели-
кого переселения народов (фаза E), третья – к ран-
нему Средневековью (X – начало XI в. н. э.).
Погребения периода Римской империи со-
вершались по обрядам ингумации или кремации
с применением мощных каменных конструкций.
В течение двух последующих фаз кремации ис-
ключительно редки. В большинстве случаев в по-
гребальном обряде также использован камень. На
протяжении всех трех фаз встречаются погребения
коней (без использования кремации). Раскопками
2003 г. выявлен единственный небольшой курган
с каменной наброской 7 м в диаметре и 0,5 м высо-
той, под ней обнаружено богатое кремационное по-
гребение мужчины, сопровождавшееся двумя кон-
скими захоронениями, что необычно для данной
территории. Погребение датируется переходным
временем от раннего к позднему периоду Римской
империи.
Высококачественные рисунки Герберта Янкуна
зафиксировали погребальный инвентарь. Набор
вещей включает типичные для Западной Балтии
формы, известные в культуре Доллькайм-Коврово
(период Римской империи). Находки конца Вели-
кого переселения народов имеют лишь краткие
описания, и данные об этом периоде ограничены;
однако, некоторые вещи имеют аналогии в матери-
алах переходного времени между концом культуры
Доллькайм-Коврово и началом формирования ран-
несредневековой культуры пруссов. Все находки,
относящиеся к третьей фазе использования мо-
гильника (X – начало XI в.), выявлены новыми рас-
копкаи. Их следует связывать с культурой прусско-
го населения.
Важным достижением новых работ следует счи-
тать воссоздание полного и детального генерально-
го плана могильника. Он включает точно локализо-
ванные старые раскопы, все выявленные старыми
раскопками погребения, а также погребения, иссле-
дованные в ходе новых раскопок. Благодаря точной
полевой фиксации (несмотря на некоторые потери)
и сохранившимся архивным материалам в сочета-
нии с результатами современных исследований,
можно утверждать, что могильник Гросс Оттенха-
ген–Березовка занимает особое место среди многих
ранее исследованных погребальных памятников ре-
гиона, относящихся к I тыс. н. э.

Strongholds-places fortified in one way or the other-were social, economic and religious centres for large territories, as well as for smaller, local units. There is no doubt that the location of these centres within their landscape was chosen with considerable care addressing their intended function. We find strongholds being built in the centres, but also at the peripheries of densely populated areas; strongholds are present in marginal regions, too. Strongholds have been situated along as well as at the crossroads of transit routes, both regarding waterways and roads on land. Strongholds are in naturally protected locations, such as islands, lowlands and promontories, but often, the landscape has been modified to facilitate a stronghold. Due to such a cultural and geographical variety, it can be hypothesized that the investigation of the particular situation of strongholds within their landscape might indicate the specific function of the single site. More importantly, however, such investigations also enable-especially under the application of landscape analyses-a reconstruction of possible stronghold networks. These studies facilitate the creation of new knowledge concerning the use of 'stronghold landscape' across time and space, and help us to understand how societies using strongholds have been adapting these to the landscape and/or vice versa. Furthermore, the erection of fortifications is closely linked with human interaction. Strongholds are always combining real protective functions with demonstrative, symbolic functions. The setting of strongholds in the natural or cultural landscape, respectively, seems to be a key issue for understanding the purpose of their founders. Is it possible to distinguish aggressive from defensive intentions? In what way strongholds reflect phases of raising conflicts or, on the contrary, of conciliation? What was the contemporary perception of strongholds in the landscape like? Which role did abandoned strongholds play? The purpose for this session is to present a comprehensive overview of the current state of research in strongholds within their cultural landscape. In addition, the session aims to summarize and reflect upon the intentions for the establishment of strongholds on particular locations: what reasons were predominant for the situation-functional or strategic, or were strongholds mainly aiming to be just a demonstration of power? In this session, we welcome submissions presenting best practice examples of investigating the landscape of strongholds from different geographical and temporal settings of Europe.

The field research at Groß ottenhagen (Berezovka) conducted in 2003 and 2004 was the first international scientific collaboration between German and russian archaeologists in kaliningrad region since 1945. The Groß ottenhagen cemetery demonstrates almost continuous functioning for about 1,000 years, from the roman iron Age up to the middle Ages. The part of the site considered in the article belongs to the last stage of the development of sambian-natangian culture among the old Prussians in the 11th to the 13th centuries Ad. despite a first analysis by the excavators in 2005, this data from the cemetery has never been fully published. Groß ottenhagen graves from the discussed period are represented by so-called double layer burial features, with human cremations on top of horse burials. The burial rites and grave goods at the cemetery are discussed in the context of archaeological material from the sambian peninsula and southwest and central lithuania. The relative chronology of Groß ottenhagen is based on an analysis of grave goods, as well as the stratigraphy and the spatial distribution of the graves. According to the absence of imported/status goods at Groß ottenhagen, the cemetery probably belonged to a peripheral group of the late sambian-natangian region culture of the Prussians.

EAA BELFAST 2023, SESSION #502:
CORING IS NOT BORING! Drillings in combination with other non or minimal-invasive methods for investigating archaeological monuments [COMFORT].

This session is dedicated to multi-method approaches in archaeological investigations, that involve the use of drilling. Especially monuments like fortifications with their often enormous rampart-and-ditch systems, terraces, slopes and thick occupation layers full of archaeological and biological relicts, but also burial mounds or settlement tells, offer the perfect playground for hand augering and mechanical coring. Quick and cheap, drillings serve as an endoscope into the past of such monuments. Drillings in modern times have become an omnipresent, but not en-vogue tool on excavations to verify geophysical results, to distinguish occupation phases, and to answer palaeo-environmental questions. Yet systematic coring strategies are lacking standards.

The often multi-layered cores may contain soil material and hence information about the entire life span of the monuments. They are used for dating hillforts and other monuments by radiocarbon analysis or micromorphological studies of the soil and the relicts it contains, which provide information about the age and function of the site and its parts. Combined with (p)XRF measurements or pollen and phytolyth analysis they add information about the environment and the human impact; susceptibility measurements and other geophysical methods help to understand the geomagnetic images or ERT and GPR data. Hence there is a bouquet of methods, which can be applied to drilling cores themselves to make them speak about the history of the site.

We invite archaeologists, soil scientists, geologists, and those from related disciplines to present their method and strategy of drillings used for investigating fortifications, burial mounds or settlement tells with massive earthen elements. Reports about technical challenges, problems, limitations or successful new ideas are welcome, as are presentations on best practice examples of different methods combined with drillings and especially the results we can gain from systematic interdisciplinary coring strategies.

Contact for paper proposals or questions:

Timo Ibsen, Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology, Schleswig (ZBSA)
timo.ibsen@zbsa.eu
Or
Matija Črešnar, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana / Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology (CIRA)
Matija.Cresnar@ff.uni-lj.si