- Munich, Germany
- Church Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Archaeology of Medieval Monasteries, Medieval castles, Bajuwaren, Archaeology, Historical Archaeology. Medieval Archaeology, Anthropology, Social Identities, Material Culture, Artefact Studies, Diaspora Studies, Trade and Exchange, and 7 moreMedieval ceramics (Archaeology), Cultural Heritage, Late Antiquity, Late Roman Archaeology, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, and Death and Burial (Archaeology)edit
In Early Medieval Bavaria, 44 burial sites of the Merovingian Period containing burial mounds or circular enclosures, which might have surrounded a former tumulus, are known at present. They form major concentrations along the Danube near... more
In Early Medieval Bavaria, 44 burial sites of the Merovingian Period containing burial mounds or circular enclosures, which might have surrounded a former tumulus, are known at present. They form major concentrations along the Danube near Ingolstadt, in the Regensburg area, in the so-called Gäuboden between Straubing and Deggendorf, and in the middle Isar valley near Landshut. In Bavaria, the custom of burying the dead in a mound was taken up anew during the middle third of the 7th century AD and reached its climax around 700 AD. There are both mounds with and without surrounding ditches as well as tumuli enclosed by palisades, the latter resembling Early Roman grave monuments by design. Around 700 AD mounds tend to show more and more monumental dimensions, with diameters exceeding 15 m by far. These younger tumuli are almost exclusively limited to small cemeteries and so-called „Separatnekropolen”. Most of them contain richly furnished burials – mostly of men – which belonged to members of a wealthy social elite. This elite reacted to situations of political crises in late Merovingian Bavaria by raising these burial monuments, which were apt to demonstrate social status towards rivalling groups and secure the family’s standing in the long run.
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Im Jahr 2020 wurde dem Arbeitskreis für Vor- und Frühgeschichte im Heimatverein für den Landkreis Augsburg e.V. eine frühmittelalterliche Emailscheibenfibel mit Pfauendarstellung übergeben. Der Beitrag ordnet diesen Einzelfund... more
Im Jahr 2020 wurde dem Arbeitskreis für Vor- und Frühgeschichte im
Heimatverein für den Landkreis Augsburg e.V. eine frühmittelalterliche Emailscheibenfibel
mit Pfauendarstellung übergeben. Der Beitrag ordnet diesen Einzelfund
typologisch und chronologisch durch Vergleichsfunde überregional ein und diskutiert
die Deutungsmöglichkeiten und Aussagekraft des christlichen Motivs vor dem
Hintergrund der karolingisch-ottonischen Emailkunst des 8.–10. Jahrhunderts.
Heimatverein für den Landkreis Augsburg e.V. eine frühmittelalterliche Emailscheibenfibel
mit Pfauendarstellung übergeben. Der Beitrag ordnet diesen Einzelfund
typologisch und chronologisch durch Vergleichsfunde überregional ein und diskutiert
die Deutungsmöglichkeiten und Aussagekraft des christlichen Motivs vor dem
Hintergrund der karolingisch-ottonischen Emailkunst des 8.–10. Jahrhunderts.
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The second plague pandemic (14th - 18th century AD), caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is infamous for its initial wave, the Black Death (1346-1353 AD), and its repeated scourges in Europe and the vicinity until the Early Modern... more
The second plague pandemic (14th - 18th century AD), caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is infamous for its initial wave, the Black Death (1346-1353 AD), and its repeated scourges in Europe and the vicinity until the Early Modern Era. Here, we report 32 ancient Y. pestis genomes spanning the 14th to 17th century AD through the analysis of human remains from nine European archaeological sites. Our data support an initial entry of the bacterium from Eastern Europe and the absence of genetic diversity during the Black Death as well as low diversity during local outbreaks thereafter. Moreover, analysis of post-Black Death genomes shows the diversification of a Y. pestis lineage into multiple genetically distinct clades that may have given rise to more than one disease reservoir in, or close to, Europe. Finally, we show the loss of a genomic region that includes virulence-associated genes in strains associated with late stages of the second plague pandemic (17th - 18th century AD)....
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Epidemiology, and 13 moreMedieval History, Genomics, Phylogeography, Phylogenetics, Medieval Archaeology, History of Plague, Archaeogenetics, Infectious Diseases, Anthropology of Death, Ancient DNA Research, Black Death, Death and Burial Archaeology, and Nature Communications
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Im Jahr 2002 wurde anlässlich einer Innensanierung der Spitalkirche Hl. Geist in Freising die im Chor gelegene Gruft des Domherrn Christian Graf Königsfeld (gest. 1713) untersucht. Die dabei geborgenen Lederschuhe wurden 2015... more
Im Jahr 2002 wurde anlässlich einer Innensanierung der Spitalkirche Hl. Geist in Freising die im Chor gelegene Gruft des Domherrn Christian Graf Königsfeld (gest. 1713) untersucht. Die dabei geborgenen Lederschuhe wurden 2015 restauratorisch bearbeitet und kostümgeschichtlich bewertet.
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2013 wurde am Südrand von Möning, Lkr. Neumarkt/Opf. der Randbereich eines jüngermerowingerzeitlichen Reihengräberfeldes angeschnitten und teilweise untersucht. Unter den Gräbern stach vor allem eine Männerbestattung des 3. Viertels des... more
2013 wurde am Südrand von Möning, Lkr. Neumarkt/Opf. der Randbereich eines jüngermerowingerzeitlichen Reihengräberfeldes angeschnitten und teilweise untersucht. Unter den Gräbern stach vor allem eine Männerbestattung des 3. Viertels des 7. Jahrhunderts mit vielteiliger Gürtelgarntur hervor. Ein anscheinend auf die Gräber bezogener Pfostenbau könnte als Memorialbau oder Grabhkapelle gedeutet werden.
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During the 7th and 8th century the valley of the river Altmühl was borderland as well as traffic corridor for Eastern Francia and the Duchy of Bavaria. Therefore, both Franks and Baiuvarians tried to use the region for their strategic... more
During the 7th and 8th century the valley of the river Altmühl was borderland as well as traffic corridor for Eastern Francia and the Duchy of Bavaria. Therefore, both Franks and Baiuvarians tried to use the region for their strategic purpose and to develop the valley for settlement. While the Baiuvarians founded manorial structured settlements and aristocratic courts relying on iron production as the predominant economic basis mainly in the 7th century, these settlements came under Frankish control by the middle of the 8th century. As a result, the economic basis and settlement structures changed fundamentally. With the establishment of monasteries and fortifications the Carolingians strengthened the function of the Altmühl valley as an important traffic and trade route which connected the rivers Rhine and Danube.
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During the 7th and 8th century the valley of the river Altmühl was borderland as well as traffic corridor for Eastern Francia and the Duchy of Bavaria. Therefore, both Franks and Baiuvarians tried to use the region for their strategic... more
During the 7th and 8th century the valley of the river Altmühl was borderland as well as traffic corridor for Eastern Francia and the Duchy of Bavaria. Therefore, both Franks and Baiuvarians tried to use the region for their strategic purpose and to develop the valley for settlement. While the Baiuvarians founded manorial structured settlements and aristocratic courts relying on iron production as the predominant economic basis mainly in the 7th century, these settlements came under Frankish control by the middle of the 8th century. As a result, the economic basis and settlement structures changed fundamentally. With the establishment of monasteries and fortifications the Carolingians strengthened the function of the Altmühl valley as an important traffic and trade route which connected the rivers Rhine and Danube.
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In Solnhofen, located in the valley of the river Altmühl, an aristocratic settlement with stone architecture and a private church (Phase I / II) was established during the second half of the 7th century. The predominant economic basis was... more
In Solnhofen, located in the valley of the river Altmühl, an aristocratic settlement with stone architecture and a private church (Phase I / II) was established during the second half of the 7th century. The predominant economic basis was an intensified iron production. In this place the monk Sola founded a small monastic settlement (cella) around the year 750, which was donated to Fulda abbey in 794. At this time the cella was directly connected to one of the most important traffic and trade routes in the eastern parts of the Carolingian empire. The small priory served as a hospitium for travellers and merchants. After 800 the road system changed fundamentally when the main interests of Carolingian politics shifted to the so called »Nordgau«. To maintain the priory’s position as a religious and economic centre in the Altmühl region, prior Gundhram elevated the body of Sola in 839 and subsequently established his veneration as a saint. Furthermore handicraft became more and more important as a new source of income. Around 1000, a new church was erected (Phase VI). It served as a symbol of Fulda’s territorial claims, especially in opposition to the ex panding diocese of Eichstätt.
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The second plague pandemic, caused by Yersinia pestis, devastated Europe and the nearby regions between the 14 th and 18 th centuries AD. Here we analyse human remains from ten European archaeological sites spanning this period and... more
The second plague pandemic, caused by Yersinia pestis, devastated Europe and the nearby regions between the 14 th and 18 th centuries AD. Here we analyse human remains from ten European archaeological sites spanning this period and reconstruct 34 ancient Y. pestis genomes. Our data support an initial entry of the bacterium through eastern Europe, the absence of genetic diversity during the Black Death, and low within-outbreak diversity thereafter. Analysis of post-Black Death genomes shows the diversification of a Y. pestis lineage into multiple genetically distinct clades that may have given rise to more than one disease reservoir in, or close to, Europe. In addition, we show the loss of a genomic region that includes virulence-related genes in strains associated with late stages of the pandemic. The deletion was also identified in genomes connected with the first plague pandemic (541-750 AD), suggesting a comparable evolutionary trajectory of Y. pestis during both events.