The Lusatian Urnfield culture (LUc, Lausitzer Kultur, kultura łużycka) was one of the most important cultural developments during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age of central-eastern Europe, 1500–500 bc. In this article, we focus on the impact of the LUc and later cultures on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at Bruszczewo on a microregional scale and within the broad context of analogous processes in central-eastern Europe. We did high resolution multi-proxy analyses of pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), diatoms and plant macrofossils, supplemented with a lithological and geochemical study of lake and peat deposits from near the archaeological site. The results revealed that between ca. 1020 and 920 bc, woodland clearance took place, possibly connected with farming. This probably contributed to the spread of the weeds Xanthium cf. strumarium and Convolvulus arvensis in the newly created disturbed habitats. Woodland clearance and other human activities contributed to better preservation of diatoms in the lake sediments, probably as a result of increased acidity in this environment. Diatoms, especially taxa preferring eutrophic waters and tolerant of large amounts of dissolved organic matter, were the most frequent at that time. Climate deterioration associated with the 2.8 ka event probably lessened human impact around the lake shore. The diatom records suggest prolonged ice cover on the lake and/or colder springs at that time. Another intensification of human impact occurred at ca. 530 bc and was probably related to activity by people of Pomeranian culture (kultura pomorska, Pommerellische Gesichtsurnenkultur). Later, from ca. 330 bc, arable farming activity declined and grazing was suggested by an abundance of coprophilous fungi spores which, however, should not be regarded as definitive indicators of pasture.

This paper is envisioned as a primarily methodological contribution towards a more sophisticated and systematic approach to conflict research in archaeology and history. Studies of conflicts in these fields have often focused on violence and war. Instead, we offer a more holistic approach to conflict research, taking into account different levels of both escalation and de-escalation that embrace all the possible aspects of a conflict from a mere undeveloped potential over complete annihilation to various countermeasures and stages of resolution. A model taking into account different levels of escalation and de-escalation is presented which embodies our multi-faceted view of conflicts and which also allows for a systematic, comparative analysis of conflict situations anywhere and any time in (pre)history. Through ten relatively detailed European case studies spanning the Bronze Age to the 20th century we demonstrate the comparative potential of our model and suggest ways in which it may help to identify typical patterns in conflict situations.

The "princely" barrows of Łęki Małe, Greater Poland are the oldest such monuments within the distribution area of Únětice societies in Central Europe. While in the Circum-Harz group and in Silesia similar rich furnished graves under mounds have appeared as single monuments as early as 1950 BC, Łęki Małe represents a chain of barrows constructed between 2150 BC and 1800 BC. Of the original 14 mounds, only four were preserved well enough that their complex biographies can now be reconstructed. They included ritual activities (before, during, and after the funeral), and also subsequent incursions, including robberies. The long lasting barrow cemetery at Łęki Małe can be linked to a nearby fortified site, Bruszczewo. Together, Łęki Małe and Bruszczewo represent a stable, socially differentiated society that existed for no less than 350-400 years. Therefore, it can be argued that the Early Bronze Age societies of Greater Poland were extremely sustainable in comparison to those of other Únětice regions.

The archaeological microregion in Bruszczewo located along the middle course of the Samica River, was inhabited during the Bronze and Iron Ages by unetice and Lusatian Urnfields culture people. Earlier literature emphasised that the valley floor was an extensive lake during the Bronze Age. Our research aimed to reconstruct the Bronze and Early Iron Age development of the lake and its transition into peatland. Using environmental archaeology methods, we marked the significant turning points in the lakes history. During the Early Bronze Age, a deep eutrophic lake was present on the valley floor, which supported the defensive nature of the nearby unetice culture settlement. Around ca. 1880-1690 cal. BC, the lake underwent transgression, forcing people to create a fascine in the shoreline zone of the settlement. Terrestrialization of the lake began ca. 790-540 cal. BC with a gradual overgrowing that ended around the threshold of the eras. When compared to the results from other sites, it seems that these turning points were probably instigated by local triggers rather than global climatic events.

AbstractThe identification of individual palaeoecological and societal aspects allows the comparison of transformation processes across completely different ecological and historic situations. This basic concept proves, on the one hand, the comparability of transformation processes and the parameters involved in them, and shows on the other hand how diverse the appearance and expression of transformation can be. The investigation of transformations occurring across 15,000 years of human and environmental history is a complex undertaking and involves the consideration of archives of varying accessibility, handled by different disciplines using different analyses and approaches. This chapter demonstrates one approach used by Kiel Archaeology to integrate this heterogeneity in order to answer common research questions.

In northern Germany, crop diversity was much greater in the Late Bronze Age than in previous periods. To trace this development at a local scale, we conducted an archaeobotanical case study at the site of Dobbin 27, a rural settlement in north-eastern Germany dating to the Late Bronze Age. Charred seeds and fruits were recovered and the spatial distribution of these remains was analysed in order to understand the spatial organisation of plant-related activities at the site, principally plant processing. We discovered that the inhabitants processed cereals outside the house, in open areas of the settlement. Broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum ) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) were the most common finds in the archaeobotanical samples; small proportions of pulses and wild fruits and nuts were also found. This shows that a wide range of plants was used by the prehistoric community at Dobbin 27. A regional comparison of the plant macro-remains record from Dobbin 27 with that from contemporary sites reveals both differences and similarities in crop choices and other aspects of the plant economy.

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a pilot study that combines findings from satellite remote sensing analyses and an intensive interdisciplinary survey conducted in November 2021 on kurgans along the Kurekçay Valley, in western Azerbaijan. Through the integration of various methods, including historical and contemporary satellite and aerial imagery analysis, topographic mapping and geophysical prospections, this research remotely maps and quantifies the density, size, morphology and distribution of the burial mounds in the area. Unlike previous studies focusing solely on individual burial mounds, this investigation adopts a broader approach by contextualizing the kurgans within their respective landscapes. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the physical and symbolic aspects and relationships of these structures, providing valuable insights into the enduring burial practices that shaped the funerary traditions of the Southern Caucasus during the 4th and 1st millennium BCE. Furthermore, this approach supports an assessment of the condition of the individual kurgans, thereby opening new perspectives to develop innovative plans to protect these burial mounds and their settings.

This study presents the first extensive radiocarbon dating programme of Bronze Age material from northern Germany, and it combines radiocarbon dates, relative typo-chronological date ranges, and stratigraphic data within a Bayesian chronological framework. We estimate the cemetery complex at Mang de Bargen (Bornhöved, distr. Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein) to be in use for more than two millennia, which is exceptionally long in northern Germany and in a wider European context. The site provides a unique insight into the dynamic nature of burial monuments and associated burial practices, from the Late Neolithic and into the Pre-Roman Iron Age ( c . 2500–50 bc ). The barrow building tradition lasted around a millennium ( c . 2350 – 1300 bc ), with several barrows in concurrent use. The barrows were persistently re-used as burial ground, both within ‘living memory’ of the primary graves, but also long after. The burial intensity varied over the cemetery’s use-life, with distinct peaks in the Late Neolithic, when the first barrows were erected; in the Older Bronze Age when more barrows were erected; in the Younger Bronze Age, when secondary cremation graves were added to existing barrows; and finally in the Pre-Roman Iron Age, with the addition of an urnfield. The funerary rituals vary considerably over the period: from inhumation to cremation, and from primary and secondary graves in barrows to flat graves. Cremation was introduced in the 14th century bc but inhumation and cremation were used in parallel for around a century before the former ritual was abandoned c . 1300 bc . The study provides absolute chronological distributions of the grave types present at Mang de Bargen and shows them to be comparable to other sites at a regional and over-regional scale, successfully demonstrating how new types were quickly adopted across large parts of north-western Europe.

AbstractCollating insights from preceding chapters, and adding in further data from CRC 1266 research, this final chapter synthesises elements to initiate an understanding of transformation as a general phenomenon across the region. Notably, the identified 14 European transformation phases exhibit diverse regional and local impacts, reflected in the regional transformations studied in this research project.This chapter aims to bring together the ideas presented thus far in this volume in order to spark further development in integrative archaeology by highlighting the nuanced nature of transformations, transcending the conventional categorisation of European prehistory into Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages. This traditional division based primarily on technological advancements overlooks the multifaceted changes occurring concurrently across various societal forms in diverse environments. Instead, this study emphasises the necessity of considering multiple facets of human-environmental interactions for a comprehensive understanding of transformations. We conclude that comprehensive evaluation of European data to decipher transformation process across social, temporal and spatial scales requires holistic consideration, in order to be able to further develop an anatomy of transformation, which can contribute significantly to refining interpretations and models in archaeological understanding.

This project documents the current archaeological record of the Qaracay River Basin in western Azerbaijan. Integrating intensive pedestrian survey, satellite imagery analysis and topographic mapping, the study identified 85 kurgans, six necropolises and nine sites from the Chalcolithic or medieval periods. The authors believe this demonstrates the potential for further archaeological studies in the region.

The translocation of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) is an enticing subject of archaeological investigation. While the species was rapidly dispersed across Eurasia during prehistory, its adoption appears to have been inconsistent, with evidence for its sudden and gradual adoption, as well as its rejection, observed within and between contemporary communities and cultures. The translocation of P. miliaceum may be better understood through the identification of its role and significance as a foodstuff among past populations. This study employs molecular investigation and bulk and compound-specific isotope analysis to study organic residues produced during culinary activities at Bruszczewo, Poland, during the Early Bronze Age (EBA) and Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age (LBA/EIA). The analysis of ceramic-absorbed and charred 'foodcrust' residues enabled a comprehensive examination of vessel use-life and the production of individual meals. This study strongly suggests that P. miliaceum was not present at Bruszczewo during the EBA, conforming to its established translocation chronology, while highlighting its extensive use during the LBA/EIA. The cereal was incorporated into a variety of culinary activities, constituting both a minor and major ingredient of many meals, while being absent in others. Finally, the observation of apparently unrestricted use of P. miliaceum at Bruszczewo provided further insight into the role and significance of this cereal relative to contemporary LBA/EIA evidence for its use across the region.

AbstractDoes history repeat itself? What causes and mechanisms of action are at work in prehistoric societies? These are two questions we want to tackle in a longue durée perspective. In order to do so we bring together two main epochs in human history in the central northern European Plain: the Neolithic and the Bronze Age of northern Germany. In this timeframe we want to identify patterns of socio-economic cultural transformations.Consequently, the reconstruction of the causes and mechanisms of action in prehistoric societies are essential. In order to increase our knowledge of potential triggers and drivers of transformations, different economic, demographic, and socio-cultural data as well as climate data will be combined for a timeline of about 3500 years. As a new approach the concept of capitals by Bourdieu will be applied to construct comparable diachronic measurements for our different data sets of Material Culture. This allows for the first-time statistical analyses and quantitatively tested combinations of driving factors and socio-environmental responses. This will allow the identification of comparable patterns of transformation and how differently organised societies in the Neolithic and the Bronze Age reacted to comparable changes.

The article focuses on the human remains from the Bronze Age site in Bruszczewo. The large scale excavations enabled a good overview about the human bone distribution on this site. The material is quite heterogeneous. Beside a regular burial a lot of bone fragments are known from the terrace as well from the wet area. A large number of human bones were found in pits and cultural layers. Of the more than 41,000 bones in total, about 146 fragments can be attributed to humans; 97 of which have been examined in more detail. The distribution and different contexts of them are discussed and interpreted. Following up on these results a comparison of the settlement burial with other burials in the area reveals striking differences. The burials of the princely burial mounds in Łęki Małe, for instance, reveal rich grave objects and have an elaborate tomb construction. Apparently not every individual had access to an elaborate burial. The numerous scattered bones in the settlement testify to the fact that not even all individuals (or only not all males?) were entitled to a burial. There are two other alternatives for the separate bones, a lot of which were found in the area or within the wattle-work fence. They could be seen either as graves destroyed by a flood and washed into the site, or as deceased people who could no longer be buried, for example after a battle or epidemic. Although the number of sex-determined individuals with six skeletons is very small, since they are all men, this would speak more for warlike activities. Further 14C-dating could provide clarification here.

Mid and late-Holocene climate shifts are considered to have profoundly shaped demographic developments and adaptive responses of communities globally. Yet their onset, duration, and impact on Neolithic and Early Nordic Bronze Age communities in the high-latitude ranges of southern and north-western Scandinavia remain a major research gap. Here, we built on an emerging body of archaeological and paleoclimate data, encompassing 20,908 anthropogenic 14C dates and 49 climate records from the Holocene. Additionally, we gathered and correlated a new archaeological dataset of 3649 houses from southern Scandinavia and southern Norway. In this study, we utilised 6268 reliable 14C dates and 2519 dwellings to generate time series and socio-economic trends from-4100 to 1100 BCE. Our study revealed three key findings: (1) A distinct lateral zonation, with variations in the duration and timing of the Holocene Thermal Maximum (-7050-2050 BCE). In Southern Scandinavia, a warmer climate may have facilitated the spread of crop cultivation (3820-3790 BCE), coinciding with significant population growth. Neolithic communities settled in permanent two-aisled houses 90-160 years later (3700-3660 BCE). (2) The 2250 BCE (4.2 ka BP) cooling trend marked the beginning of a climate regime shift with varying duration and timing (-3450-1450 BCE). This period coincided with demographic growth, migration, crop cultivation diversity, and the development of houses with crop storage facilities (2290-2215 BCE). (3) Severe abrupt cooling periods (-1850-1450 BCE) corresponded to short-term demographic decline including disruptions in trade networks with continental Europe. However, repopulation and redistribution of wealth (-1450 BCE), along with the development of stable three-aisled houses (1475-1450 BCE), underscore the resilience of food-producing economies in mitigating environmental disturbances.

In November 2021, a geophysical prospection using magnetics, electromagnetics, and ground penetrating radar, as well as a surface archaeological survey and aerial photography were conducted in the kurgan area on the Uzun-Rama plateau in central Azerbaijan. These non-destructive investigations aim to obtain information on the morphology, structure and spatial distribution of the urgans in order to classify them according to various features. The preliminary results show that increased magnetic field intensity, increased electrical conductivity, and increased reflection energy in the GPR are observed in the top region of the kurgans, which contain information about the burial chamber.

Evidence of gold processing in the fortified site of Bruszczewo (Poland) is the first testimony of the production of gold artefacts in a domestic Early Bronze Age site of Central Europe. This paper highlights the potential of macrolithic tool ensembles as a key element for the recognition of metallurgical work processes. Moreover, it presents an optimised methodological approach to tackle the application of stone tools in metallurgical production, based on technological characterisation, use-wear analysis, portable X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the absence of gold sources in Central Europe raises the question about the origin of the metal, constituting an especially striking issue, as gold was a raw material of restricted access. As Bruszczewo was one of the few enclosed Early Bronze Age sites north of the Central European Mountain Range, the patterning of metal processing (including gold) sheds light on the mode of the production of metal artefacts, apparently restricted to central sites of power, which controlled the communication trails.

In this investigation, we use a socio-environmental multi-proxy approach to empirically test hypotheses of recurrent resilience cycles and the role of climate forcing in shaping such cycles on the Iberian Peninsula during mid-Holocene times. Our approach combines time series reconstructions of societal and environmental variables from the southern Iberian Peninsula across a 3000 yr time interval (6000–3000 cal yr BP), covering major societal and climate reorganisation. Our approach is based on regional compilations of climate variables from diverse terrestrial archives and integrates new marine climate records from the Western Mediterranean. Archaeological variables include changes in material culture, settlement reconstructions and estimates of human activities. In particular, both detailed chronologies of human activities evolving from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age and mid- to Late Holocene climate change across the mid-Holocene are compared, aiming to assess potential human responses and coping processes associated with abrupt mid-Holocene climate changes.

The article presents a study of wood excavated from archaeological site in Poland (2100–1650 BC). The large amount of collected samples created a unique opportunity for research because the subfossil wood was in very good preservation state. This made it possible to carry out dendrotypological analysis. This is the first such study conducted for Early Bronze Age timber originating from Poland. The main goal of the study was to determine whether the presence of strong and abrupt reductions and releases of growth, observed within tree-ring sequences, is due to natural stand dynamics, results from the influence of extreme environmental factors or whether they should be linked to specific silvicultural practices already known in ancient times. Another purpose of the study was to determine the type of forest management techniques applied to the trees growing in Bruszczewo site. The research was conducted using the dendrochronological method. In addition to the measurements of growth-ring width, the development of earlywood and latewood zones, the proportion of sapwood and the presence of specific features of tree trunks were analysed. A detailed study allowed identifying the samples originating from coppiced and shredded trees. A characteristic feature of the trees subjected to these silvicultural practices is the presence of strong and abrupt reductions and releases of growth. Moreover, coppiced trees were specified by the large proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem, reduced number of sapwood rings, small and numerous earlywood vessels, diminished earlywood vessels area. In turn, shredded trees distinguished themselves by a strong reduction in the earlywood width in the years following the shredding event. The research of archaeological wood from the ancient settlement proves that during the Early Bronze Age various forest management techniques were used in this site. These treatments were aimed at improving the quality and quantity of the raw material harvested from forest areas.

In light of recent climate changes, it is important to also gain knowledge about the spatial manifestation of past climate events and their potential impact on ancient societies across a wide range of different scenarios. Following this approach, we compare compilations of seasonal (winter and summer) as well as annual precipitation and temperature changes to a measure of human activity based on AMS 14C data of settlement sites from the Iberian Peninsula during the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age e a period of major social turnover. Palaeoclimatic reconstructions show a long-term decrease in winter precipitation between 6000 and 3000 cal. BP (4050-1050 BCE). Superimposed to this long-term aridification trend was the 4.2 ka BP climate event, which manifested itself as a period of abrupt decrease in summer precipitation and/or an elongation of the summer dry period, but probably with constant winter precipitation from 4000 to 3800 cal. BP (2050-1850 BCE), particularly affecting the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Additionally, a winter cooling event across the Iberian Peninsula and its marginal seas occurred between 4400 and 4000 cal. BP (2450-2050 BCE) coinciding with Bond Event 3. By comparing human activities to the changes in seasonal and annual precipitation, new insight is gained into the causal relationships between climatic and social dynamics in the past. We show that winter precipitation potentially played a major role for the societies during the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age of the southern Iberian Peninsula. While the El Argar culture at the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula boomed in spite of enhanced summer drought associated to the 4.2 ka BP climate event, decreasing winter precipitation was potentially contributing to a demographic decline in the southwest after 4800 cal. BP (2850 BCE) as well as to the bust of the El Argar culture in the southeast after 3600 cal. BP (1650 BCE) by limiting the agricultural strategies. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This chapter investigates an Early Bronze Age centre of Únětice culture, focusing on what can be learned about textile production from the remains of textile imprints on ceramics.