Zusammenfassung Für einen bestimmten und überschaubaren Zeitraum der frühen römischen Kaiserzeit, der römischen Okkupationszeit Germaniens, wurden für den westlichen Hellwegraum, das Ruhrgebiet, die historischen Schriftquellen und die archäologischen Zeugnisse neu gesichtet sowie kritisch hinterfragt, um Forschungslücken zu schließen. Dabei galt es zu überprüfen, ob die durch die frühe Industrialisierung entstandenen Fundlücken methodisch geschlossen werden können. Da topographische Fragen im Mittelpunkt des Interesses standen, kam der Luftbildarchäologie als weitere Quelle eine große Bedeutung zu.
Zusammenfassung In der Umgebung des ehemaligen Dorfes Medenau (jetzt Logvino, raj. Zelenogradsk) (Abb. 1), im zentralen Teil der Samländischen Halbinsel (heute Kaliningradzkaja obl., RUS) werden mehrere archäologische Fundstellen erwähnt. Leider wurde das Material in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. und der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts vermischt und gilt heute nahezu vollständig als verloren. Aus dem Untersuchungsgebiet sind vereinzelte Funde aus der Bronze- oder frühen Eisenzeit bekannt. Darüber hinaus waren zwei Burgwälle – Wallenberg (Fpl. 1) und Eremitage/Stangenschanze (Fpl. 2), in der frühen Eisenzeit in Nutzung, doch wurden nur wenige Funde aus dieser Zeit registriert. Davon zeugen die Materialien der Dollkeim-Kovrovo-Kultur aus der Römischen Kaiserzeit und der Völkerwanderungszeit, die auf mindestens drei Gräberfeldern geborgen wurden, welche in unmittelbarer Nähe zueinander liegen (Abb. 19). Zwei von ihnen befanden sich auf Hügeln – Fpl. 4 (Kuchenberg) und Fpl. 8, während das dritte – Fpl. 5 (Gut Kappingsberg) – in der Nähe eines Hügels (Kappingsberg) lag. Im Gebiet um Medenau ist sehr viel mehr Material mit der frühmittelalterlichen prussischen Besiedlung verbunden als mit der Dollkeim-Kovrovo-Kultur der Römischen Kaiserzeit und der Völkerwanderungszeit (Abb. 20). Der westliche Teil des Untersuchungsgebietes zeigt eine Häufung von Fundplätzen aus dieser Zeit. Sie bezeugen, dass hier im 11. bis 13. und im 14. Jahrhundert eines der prussischen Besiedlungszentren existiert haben dürfte. Es gab einen großen Burgwall (Wallenberg – Fpl. 1), auf dessen Gelände nach der Besiegung der Prussen eine Bischofsburg errichtet wurde. Nicht weit entfernt in südöstlicher Richtung befand sich die etwas kleinere Eremitage/Stangenschanze (Fpl. 2), wo sich wahrscheinlich auch ein Gräberfeld befand. Östlich davon lag ein weiteres prussisches Gräberfeld (Fpl. 9). Die zweite Konzentration frühmittelalterlicher Fundplätze befand sich etwa 3 km weiter westlich in der Nähe der Nelma. Ein prussisches Gräberfeld ist vom Kappingsberg (Fpl. 7) bezeugt, möglicherweise befand sich hier auch ein Burgwall, was jedoch nicht hinreichend nachgewiesen werden kann. Nördlich des Hügels befand sich das prussische Gräberfeld Gut Kappingsberg (Fpl. 5), das bereits in der Römischer Kaiserzeit von der Dollkeim-Kovrovo-Kultur genutzt wurde. In der Nähe von Medenau fand 1255 die Schlacht des von König Přemysl Ottokar II von Böhmen geführten Kreuzfahrerheeres gegen die Prussen statt. Der Ort der berühmten Schlacht von Medenow, die in der Chronik von Peter von Dusburg beschrieben wird, ist bisher nicht lokalisiert. Meiner Meinung nach sind zwei Orte möglich: Einer davon ist der Kappingsberg (Abb. 20 – Nr. 7), der andere mögliche Ort eine Stelle am See, auf halbem Weg zwischen Medenau und Mossehnen (Abb. 20 – Nr. 10).
Many of the swords from Period V-VI (c. 900-500 BCE) found within the Nordic Bronze Age area are so-called Hallstatt swords of bronze, traditionally categorised into two main types - Gundlingen and Mindelheim. 28 Hallstatt swords (30 when including finds of unknown find location) and one winged chape have been recovered from the Nordic area (here including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland). Some of these clearly match foreign, continental types, while others are difficult to classify and have been considered as potential local products. The typological re-assessments presented in this paper have been based on documentation and images. Previous studies have emphasised the difficulty in linking the Nordic sword finds to European typo-chronologies, as they are often found in isolation or in chronologically mixed deposits. This paper revisits the Hallstatt swords in Scandinavia in light of recent research from continental Europe. Refined typo-chronologies provide further insights into the chronology of the swords reaching Scandinavia during Period V-VI of the Nordic Bronze Age. Refined dating of the Mindelheim horizon also provides new insights for some closed finds from the very end of the Nordic Bronze Age. The results cast new light on preferences, use, and deposition of foreign weapons, as well as exchange networks linking Late Bronze Age Scandinavia to the continent.
Zusammenfassung Der 2. Teil des Artikels bildet die Fortsetzung der im vorangegangenen Band vorgestellten Schildfibelfunde und deren Klassifikation. Er umfasst neben dem Katalog die Analysen der aufgenommenen Fibeln mit Zierplatten. Nachdem in Teil 1 das Fundspektrum der einzelnen Typen und Varianten umfangreich vorgelegt worden ist, sollen diese nun im Zusammenhang betrachtet und die Klassifikationsergebnisse reflektiert werden. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf dem sich ergebenden Verbreitungsbild, welches durch die neue Gliederung erstmalig regionale und überregionale Vergleiche erlaubt. Hierbei konnten fünf Verbreitungszone definiert werden, in denen sich deutliche Unterschiede bei den genutzten Schildfibeltypen herausarbeiten ließen. Die Datierungen der Typen werden differenziert betrachtet und daraus der Versuch unternommen, die Genese der Schildfibeln abzuleiten. Auf Konstruktionsmerkmale wie Bügel, Fußformen und Materialien wird gesondert eingegangen, um diesbezügliche Spezifika der Schildfibeln hervorzuheben, die zum Teil in der Forschung bislang ungeachtet geblieben sind. Abschließend erfolgt eine Zusammenfassung der geschlechtsspezifischen Fundverteilung und eine Analyse zur Tragweise der Schildfibeln.
Abstract Medieval cemeteries with graves in stone settings from Mazovia (central-eastern Poland) have been a mystery for central European archaeology since the mid-19 th century. Attempts to verify the claim about the domestic or foreign origin of their users, made by standard methods, have so far proved unsatisfactory. To resolve this issue, the authors proposed an interdisciplinary approach. Archaeogenomic and stable isotopes analyses were performed to establish where these populations came from, how mobile they were, and to determine their nutritional standards. Anthropological research was used to assess the physical shape of representative populations and to indicate similarities and differences in their living conditions. Finally, the task of archaeologists was to isolate the main cultural features allowing for chronological diversification of cemeteries and to point graves from their initial phases in order to define the origins of their distinctive stone structures. To clarify these issues, radiocarbon dating of human bones using the AMS method was of key importance. In the article selected results of the project in the comparative perspective of the two representative cemeteries are presented.
Abstract Palynological, macroremain, and sedimentological analyses of a well-dated, high-resolution sediment profile from the Körbecker Bruch have enabled a detailed reconstruction of the land-use history in a fertile loess landscape during the Younger and the Late Neolithic. The results indicate that already around 4700 cal. BCE, agriculture, animal husbandry, and slash-and-burn techniques, as elements of the subsistence economy, had significantly shaped the landscape. Following a phase of reduced human activity (ca. 4620–3950 cal. BCE), a renewed intensification of land use began around 3950 cal. BCE, coinciding with the expansion of Michelsberg settlements. In the Late Neolithic, especially during the Early Wartberg phase (around 3300 cal. BCE), land development peaked before experiencing a marked decline around 3070 cal. BCE. The varying intensities of land use, as evidenced by palynological studies, reflect societal and cultural developments with remarkable clarity – not only within the Warburg, but across the wider northern Hesse and eastern Westphalia region and, in part throughout Central Europe.
Abstract The present article is the first study analysing the presence of miniature loom weights in the burials of the Lusatian Urnfield culture. On both sides of the Oder River, within vast cremation cemeteries, individual graves have been documented containing loom weights whose weight and size are atypical for this culture. These are very small, miniature specimens which, consequently, are lighter than the weaving implements known from settlement contexts. Morphological and functional analyses have excluded the possibility of their use in textile production. Contextual assessment, however, suggests that they were deliberately manufactured for funerary purposes, reflecting a broader custom of miniaturisation of grave goods. The author attempts to interpret these finds in terms of social identification of the deceased, hypothesising that the artifacts may have symbolised that the individuals were textile craft specialists. Alternative explanations are also considered, hinting at a possibility that the miniature loom weights may have had a ritual function or may have been intended to give to the deceased new roles within an eschatological belief system.
The study presents the reconstruction and interpretation of two necklaces discovered in grave no. 206 at the Luzino cemetery, the easternmost burial ground of the D & eogon;bczyno group in northern Poland. The assemblage, comprising 174 beads of amber, glass, and a single crinoid specimen, represents one of the best-preserved examples of bead ornaments within this cultural horizon. Based on the spatial arrangement of the finds and typological analyses, two necklaces were identified: a shorter, homogeneous strand of amber beads and a longer, mixed composition of amber and glass beads. Their reconstruction was based on in situ documentation, analogies from other D & eogon;bczyno cemeteries (D & eogon;bczyno, Kowalki), and comparative studies within the Wielbark culture. Beyond typological classification, the study explores the necklaces as communicative and symbolic elements of attire. The arrangement, color, and material of the beads are interpreted as deliberate choices reflecting the wearer's identity, social status, and possibly her role within the community. Although skeletal remains were not preserved, associated artifacts suggest that the grave contained an adult woman. The necklaces, worn around the neck and reaching mid-chest, are considered components of ceremonial dress that expressed both individual and group identity. In a broader perspective, the Luzino necklaces exemplify how adornments functioned as social markers and visual signs within contemporary societies. Their composition and symbolism point to the existence of a codified language of attire, in which color and form convey information about origin, status, and personal history. The study thus contributes to understanding the cultural and social significance of bead ornaments in the D & eogon;bczyno group and the wider Wielbark cultural milieu.
While medieval artefacts characteristic of the bullion economy were rare in Czechia just two decades ago, today hundreds of related artefacts are known. The article presents the largest assemblage of precious metal weighing tools found at a single site in Czechia. The hillfort of Vraclav, which served as the centre of regional administration in the 11 th –12 th century, also produced the country’s largest known collection of artefacts often accompanying spheroid weights in this part of Europe: the authors connect small lead discs with a central hole with handling of precious metal. A metal detector survey yielded several silver melts and numerous melts and pieces of lead, including parts of rods and deposits from the bottoms of melting vessels. The overall picture suggests a metallurgy focused on extracting precious metal. Using analogies from other sites, including rural ones, the authors place the finds in the context of the slowly monetising Czechia. Based particularly on a comparison with the neighbouring territory of Poland, there are clear parallels in the production sphere, a significant difference in the economic sphere, and a complete divergence in the sphere of ideological patterns between Central European and Baltic environments of the period.
The second part of the article is a continuation of the shield fibula finds and their classification presented in the previous volume. In addition to the catalogue, it includes analyses of the recorded brooches with decorative plates. After the comprehensive presentation of the find spectrum of the types and variants in Part 1, these will now be considered in context and the classification results reflected upon. One focus is on the resulting distribution pattern, which for the first time allows regional and supra-regional comparisons due to the new classification. Five distribution zones could be defined in which clear differences in the used types of shield fibulae could be worked out. The dating of the types is examined in detail and an attempt is made to deduce the genesis of the shield brooches. Construction features such as Fibula bows, foot forms and materials are dealt with separately in order to highlight the specifics of the shield brooches in this respect, some of which have remained unnoticed in research up to now. Finally, a summary of the gender-specific distribution of finds and an analysis of the way the shield brooches were worn is given.
This preliminary report examines prehistoric pottery from D. Theocharis' 1957 excavations at Pefkakia Magoula, near Volos (Thessaly, Greece). The site reveals continuous occupation from the Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age (LBA), with a particularly intensive settlement activity during the Late Helladic (LH) IIIA2/B phase. The study provides the first comprehensive look at the LBA ceramic sequence of Pefkakia. Noteworthy finds include a single Minoan Kamares ware import, matt-painted and Fine Gray Burnished ware of LH I, a significant collection of Early Mycenaean LH II/IIIA1 pottery, a few early Aeginetan imports from LH II/IIIA1, a large repertoire of LH IIIA2/B pottery which constitutes most of the assemblage, and a number of vessels datable to LH IIIC. The published pottery of LH I-LH IIIA1 provides the first definite evidence for continuous occupation of Pefkakia during that period. Variety of imports highlights Pefkakia's connectivity throughout the LBA, while the numerous transport stirrup jars testify to the site's role as a major Aegean harbor of the Mycenaean palatial period (LH IIIA2/B). A few finds datable to the post-palatial period (LH IIIC) demonstrate that the site was not completely abandoned at that time.
This article discusses a metal dagger with a crescent-shaped pommel in the Bart & imath;n Amasra Museum. The dagger, unearthed during illicit excavations, was recorded in the Amasra Museum inventory in 2007. Therefore, it is not sure when and where the artefact was found. This pommelled dagger from the Hittite period is crucial because it is one of the few examples well preserved to the present day. A single metal example with a crescent-shaped pommel, contemporary with the Amasra example, was found in the Alalakh (Tell Atchana) settlement. This study will define and date the dagger exhibited in the Amasra Museum. It also explains the place and importance of this unique dagger. Such a pommelled dagger resembles the typical Hittite sword/dagger, seen on the belts around the waists of god and king depictions on Hittite reliefs, steles, seals, seal impressions and metal artefacts in Hittite archaeology. However, there is limited data on Hittites in the western Black Sea region. Hittite written texts mention some people living in the north. Therefore, such an important artefact in the region suggests that Hittite and regional relations should be reconsidered.
Several archaeological sites have been documented in the area surrounding the former village of Medenau (today Logvino, raj. Zelenogradsk) (Fig. 1), in the central part of the Samland Peninsula (now Kaliningrad oblast, Russia). Unfortunately, the material was mixed up during the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th cc. and is now considered almost entirely lost. Several finds from the Bronze or the Early Iron Age are known from the study area. Furthermore, two hillforts - Wallenberg (Field 1) and Eremitage/Stangenschanze (Field 2) were in use during the Early Iron Age, but only a few finds from this period have been recorded. Materials of the Dollkeim-Kovrovo Culture from the Roman and Migration Periods were discovered at least at three cemeteries located in close proximity to each other (Fig. 19). Two of them were located on hills - Field 4 (Kuchenberg) and Field 8, while the third - Field 5 (Gut Kappingsberg) - was located near a hill (Kappingsberg). In the area around Medenau, much more material is associated with the early medieval Prussian settlement than with the Dollkeim-Kovrovo Culture of the Roman Period and the Migration Period (Fig. 20). The western part of the study area shows a concentration of sites from this period. They testify that one of the Prussian settlement centers likely existed here in the 11th to 13th and 14th cc. There was a large hillfort called Wallenberg (Field 1), on which a bishop's castle was built after the defeat of the Prussians. Not far away to the southeast was the somewhat smaller hillfort, called Eremitage/Stangenschanze (Field 2), where a cemetery was likely located. To the east of this lay another Prussian burial ground (Field 9). The second concentration of early medieval sites was located about 3 km further west near the Nelma River. A Prussian cemetery is attested at Kappingsberg (Field 7). There may also have been a hillfort here, although this cannot be conclusively proven. North of the hill was the Prussian burial ground called Gut Kappingsberg (Field 5), which was already in use by the Dollkeim-Kovrovo Culture during the Roman Period. In 1255, the battle of the crusader army led by King Premysl Otakar II of Bohemia against the Prussians took place near Medenau. The site of the famous battle of Medenow, described in the chronicle of Peter von Dusburg, has not yet been located. In my opinion, two locations are possible: one is Kappingsberg (Fig. 22, No. 7), the other possible location is a spot on the lake, halfway between Medenau and Mossehnen (Fig. 20, No. 10).
Ceramics, as the first fully artificial material created by humans, serve as a sensitive indicator of technological and socio-cultural processes in prehistory. Analysis of the operational sequence (cha & icirc;ne op & eacute;ratoire) reveals the level of technical knowledge and internal organization of past communities, while technological and stylistic variability in pottery reflects both social boundaries and mechanisms of knowledge transmission and cultural identity. In the Upper Vistula River basin, the earliest ceramic vessels, associated with the Linear Pottery Culture (hereafter LBK), are dated to approximately 5350 BC. Ceramic material from 21 sites (389 samples) was subjected to comprehensive petrographic analysis, resulting in the identification of seven main ceramic fabric types and the reconstruction of their chronological and stylistic development. A significant technological shift occurred in Phase II of the LBK with the introduction of grog-tempered fabrics. Their intensified use in Phase III reflects a change in technological preferences. These changes correlate with the intensified exchange of valuable goods - such as obsidian, flint, ornaments, and pottery - with communities belonging to the Eastern Linear Circle, with whom the LBK population maintained contacts. This suggests dynamic, supra-regional processes of knowledge and raw material exchange, which contributed to the technological transformation of LBK pottery at the end of the 6th millennium BC.
The Newstead type lorica segmentata represents one of the lesser understood forms of Roman segmented armour. Despite more than a century of research, the method of fastening, particularly the closure of the breast and back plates, has remained uncertain. This study reassesses the problem through a comprehensive analysis of the extensive lorica segmentata assemblage from Carnuntum in Austria, combined with a critical review of previous reconstructions. First-hand examination supported by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis reveals that fixtures traditionally grouped as tie rings actually comprise two distinct functional types: stationary tie rings and rotatable turning rings. The new typology, based on 317 artefacts, demonstrates consistent differences in form, size, and alloy composition, with turning rings displaying greater uniformity and a preference for leaded tin bronze. Functionally, the evidence suggests that tie rings were used to fasten the girdle hoops, while turning rings secured the front and back plates. By integrating typological, functional, and compositional evidence, the study provides the most coherent explanation to date for the fastening system of the Newstead armour and offers a methodological framework for re-evaluating other Roman military fittings.
This study aims to study the shifting relationships between elite manor sites on Zealand and in West Scania by means of regional differences in the Vendel Period animal art of c. AD 570-770. The study area includes the manors at Tiss & oslash;, Lejre and Upp & aring;kra. The material base consists of 77 largely recently found pieces of metalwork. First a four-phase seriation chronology for beast heads with explicit verbal definitions is established and juxtaposed with an independent typology for the beasts' body designs. Then these are followed across the study area over the eight generations of the study period. In c. 570-610 and 730-770 the animal art shows clear symbolic distancing between parts of the area: in Style B and late Style D. In the interval between of more than a century, Style C and early Style D, animal art is much more uniform. Other material culture however shows symbolic distancing then.
Systematic surface surveys conducted since 2023 in the Borecka Forest, located in northeastern Masuria, have resulted in the discovery of an imported provincial Roman brooch decorated with enamel sockets. The artifact was found at one of the newly identified sites (Szwa & lstrok;k, site 18), likely associated with a settlement from the Roman and Migration periods, and was retrieved from the site's surface using a metal detector.The brooch can be classified as type Exner I.32. The authors of the study published in 2009 (by J. Andrzejowski, A. Mistewicz, and R. Prochowicz) collected 41 such fibulae, primarily from Western, Central, and Southern Europe. The authors concluded that these brooches were likely produced in the 2nd century AD (phases B2-B2/C1) initially primarily in the Rhine provinces.More recent discoveries of similar brooches (21 specimens) discussed in this article do not alter their proposed chronology. However, the context of a find from the sanctuary at Martberg suggests the possibility that production may have continued until the mid-3rd century AD. The distribution pattern, particularly the significant number of new finds from Central and Southeastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine), indicates that the brooch from Szwa & lstrok;k may have reached the Masurian region via the Amber Road from the Middle Danube.The brooch from Szwa & lstrok;k can be linked to the settlement of the Bogaczewo culture, which flourished in eastern Masuria during the Early Roman Period.
Neolithic anthropomorphic figurines, usually manufactured from ceramics, were found in large quantities at many sites. Despite past efforts to interpret their meaning, research has been stagnating for two main reasons. First, figurines have been considered artefacts of high heritage value and, therefore, they are usually not allowed to be analysed using invasive methods, which would be the most effective in ceramic research, allowing for identifying provenance, firing temperature, preferences of clay mixing, etc. When such destructive methods are employed in figurine analysis, it is done individually and not to an extent of any statistical relevance. Moreover, the meaning of such visual representations, which is not described in written sources, is elusive and cannot be recognised by archaeological methods. However, despite not knowing the meaning, we can attempt to clarify the figurines' social role by identifying distinct features that reveal how particular parts of the operational chain were organised, as well as their complexity. We employ a combination of optical microscopy, XRD, p-XRF, 3D, and DStretch visual decorrelation to examine a collection of forty figurines of the Lengyel culture from the territory of Lower Austria. We use methods that can be widely employed and yield a wealth of new data, and which can, when applied to further assemblages, significantly expand our present knowledge.
