Die vorgeschichtlichen Burgen Sachsen-Anhalts waren zu ihrer Zeit mächtige Festungen, oft dicht bevölkert und sicher politisch bedeutend. Da aber ihre einst mächtigen Wälle ausschließlich aus Holz und Erde errichtet wurden, ihre Gräben in... more
Die vorgeschichtlichen Burgen Sachsen-Anhalts waren zu ihrer Zeit mächtige Festungen, oft dicht bevölkert und sicher politisch bedeutend. Da aber ihre einst mächtigen Wälle ausschließlich aus Holz und Erde errichtet wurden, ihre Gräben in den anstehenden Boden eingetieft waren und ihre Innenbebauung aus verputzten Holzhäusern bestand, sind die Reste dieser Burgwälle heute meist nur noch anhand von leichten Unebenheiten im Gelände zu erkennen. Sie werden daher oft nur vom archäologisch geschulten Auge erkannt und sonst kaum beachtet. Doch sie sind für uns wichtige Zeugnisse der überraschend komplexen Gesellschaften in der fernen Vergangenheit. So waren sie insbesondere in Sachsen-Anhalt fast stadtartige Zentren, die den Reichtum des Landes kontrollierten und verteidigten. Eine der bedeutenden Burgen der Zeit zwischen 1000 und 500 v. Chr. liegt direkt östlich der Altstadt von Kemberg, Landkreis Wittenberg...
In the older phase of the Iron Age appear in different cultures between the middle highlands and the northern german region in her form and size comparable vessels which were called in the past with different concepts like „Eierbecher“... more
In the older phase of the Iron Age appear in different cultures between the middle highlands and the northern german region in her form and size comparable vessels which were called in the past with different concepts like „Eierbecher“ (“egg cup”), „Kelchbecher“ (“calyx beaker”) oder „Fußbecher“ (“food beaker”). Besides, it concerns mostly small-dimensioned vessels of type bowl with conical or convex crooked wall which own a distinctive foot, state ring, several presser food or thickened, only slightly outwardly pulled ground. The overview to the researches which dealt with the early Iron Age “Fußschüsseln” (foodbowls) shows that this vascular type was examined up to now only on regional base and mostly only in connection with several ceramic continuance of the respective cultures. There is no international analysis of the form types and a chronological arrangement building up on it. The question of their function is not cleared till this day unambiguously. The connection with the “Ofenmodelle” of the “Billendorfer Kultur” raises new questions in compound with former interpretations. The formative and typochronological references to the ovenmodels of the Billendorf Culture in Saxonia are an indication of the usage of these foot bowls as oil or tallow lamps which has been previously assumed. Finally the “Fußschüsseln” should be arranged cultural-historical. A total number of 407 of foot bowls were detected until today. 271 of them are “whole or completely reconstructable” vessels (67 %). 24 are wall sherds of bowls (6 %), 13 are foot fragments (3 %). The rest 99 pieces allow no final permit about condition (24 %). 274 copies, so the large part, are from graves, 12 copies are known from settlement connections. Particulary in the older phase of the early Iron age, the same or similar types of the “Fußschüsseln” are common in the Belgian-Dutch region of Limburg in the west about beyond the Rhine area and north Hessian till the Thuringian basin in the east. This fact is a tip to the intensive communication within the highland regions which further enclosed the north and a little weaker form also southern and western Lower Saxony; in younger phase of the early Iron Age the middle and northern Netherlands too. The formation of such a “communication space” is concurrently response to the development of the “Hallstattkreis” in the south. This process formed the basis for the intensification of northern influence in the younger early Iron Age which revealed itself, e. g. with socially outstanding women, in the takeover of jewellery elements and costume elements like the spiral rings as a cervical jewellery. The cultures have to be seen much stronger in a “tension field” between the south and the north. The food bowls (“Fußschüsseln”) are an indication for these relations.
In September 2014 an excavation with Polish and German researchers and students took place at the stronghold of Kemberg near Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt. In a three week campaign, a trench was excavated on the boggy margins of this Late... more
In September 2014 an excavation with Polish and German researchers and students took place at the stronghold of Kemberg near Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt. In a three week campaign, a trench was excavated on the boggy margins of this Late Bronze/Early Iron Age swamp fort, which is the most north-western example of its type. We discovered an excellently preserved multi-layered platform structure made of wooden boards and beams located at the base of the rampart. This may have either served as the foundation of the rampart or reinforced the berm just in front of it. Posts rammed into the sandy subsoil in front of this structure may indicate the presence of a fence or palisade. Preliminary results of dendrochronological and radiocarbon analyses date platform to the mid-9th century BC, the putative palisade may date to the later 10th century BC. Late Bronze Age channelled “Lusatian” pottery conventionally dated from 1000–800 BC rested directly on this wooden structure. The layer above it was filled with sherds belonging to the most western variant of the Early Iron Age Bialowice pottery which was in use in the 7th century BC and early 6th century BC in an area stretching from Glogów in the south-east to Wittenberg in the northwest. Large quantities of high-quality pottery, a bird-shaped rattle, and animal bones were also found in the moist sediments at the foot of the rampart. Massive layers of charcoal and a large charred beam in the layers documented above point to a violent end to this swamp fort, perhaps some time during the early 6th century BC. Thus, the Kemberg rampart will play a crucial role in understanding the relative sequence and absolute chronology of late prehistoric defended settlements between the Elbe and Vistula valleys.
This paper (written in German) summarizes the results of the Polish/German excavation campaign in the forefront of a Late Bronze/Early Iron Age (Lusatian/Billendorf) stronghold on the swampy margins of the Elbe valley on the outskirts of... more
This paper (written in German) summarizes the results of the Polish/German excavation campaign in the forefront of a Late Bronze/Early Iron Age (Lusatian/Billendorf) stronghold on the swampy margins of the Elbe valley on the outskirts of Kemberg near Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt. Besides a surprising amount of pottery the waterlogged sediments preserved wood from Palisade and Rampart constructions showing that construction began in the mid 10th century making it the earliest dendrodated stronghold in central Europe.
Die Untersuchung einer Neubaufläche für einen Aldimarkt bei Linthe ermöglichte einen flächigen Einblick in ein äußerst interessantes Areal. Es fanden sich Spuren einer Siedlung der jüngeren Römischen Kaiserzeit mit mehrenen Grubenhäusern... more
Die Untersuchung einer Neubaufläche für einen Aldimarkt bei Linthe ermöglichte einen flächigen Einblick in ein äußerst interessantes Areal. Es fanden sich Spuren einer Siedlung der jüngeren Römischen Kaiserzeit mit mehrenen Grubenhäusern und einer Siedlung der Lausitzer Kultur. Diese datierte an den Übergang zwischen Bronze- und Eisenzeit, was sich anhand verschiedener Keramiktypen nachweisen ließ.
Bei dem Neubau zweier Häuser am Rande von Brandenburg an der Havel fanden sich mehrere Befunde einer urgeschichtlichen Siedlung. Eine im Nachgang durchgeführte 14C-Datierung beim Labor Poznan erbrachte ein Datum von 2480 ± 30 BP, was... more
Bei dem Neubau zweier Häuser am Rande von Brandenburg an der Havel fanden sich mehrere Befunde einer urgeschichtlichen Siedlung. Eine im Nachgang durchgeführte 14C-Datierung beim Labor Poznan erbrachte ein Datum von 2480 ± 30 BP, was einem absoluten Datum von 774 BC-434 BC (95,4%) entspricht und damit die Befunde in einen früheisenzeitlichen Kontext rückt.
One of the main objectives is combined interpretation of both archaeological an anthropological data on the example of a cremation cemetery at Wicina in south-west Poland. Wicina is an unique and fascinating site, as it belongs to a... more
One of the main objectives is combined interpretation of both archaeological an anthropological data on the example of a cremation cemetery at Wicina in south-west Poland. Wicina is an unique and fascinating site, as it belongs to a settlement micro region which central location is a famous fortified settlement with excellently preserved massive wooden constructions. The settlement is located ca. 800 m from the cemetery and can be precisely dated with a dendrochronological methods to mid. 8-mid. 6th c. BC. The cemetery itself is well dated to 13-6th c. BC and therefore such a broad chronology allows observations of selected properties (e.g. biological dynamics, burial rites) in the longue durée perspective and basing on a large number of graves. We have thus an opportunity to find out about the biological and cultural properties of the community which buried their dead at the urnfield before and after the fortified settlement was constructed. Such opportunity is unique both on Polish and Central European archaeology. The applied methods belong to various fields including archaeology, anthropology, archaeozoology, genetics and combined data will enable presentation of coherent biological, cultural and social picture of a local group. Basing on results of artefact analyses we want to answer questions about possible object selection before deposition: were the grave goods new or re-used, made of the same raw materials with the use of the same technology? Were they deposited empty or not? This will be answered with data obtained from pottery analyses (physical and petrographic analyses), its possible content (GCMS analyses) and use-wear analyses of metal objects. Spatial analysis on single grave including vessels’ size and position in graves will be carried out. Anthropological research, apart from determination such biological properties as sex and age will be carried out on non-metric tooth crown traits which is a new source of data, while aDNA analyses will display biological relations to other studied populations. The expected result of the project is a presentation a set of scientific procedures in interdisciplinary and multifaceted studies of such complicated sites as cremation urnfields. The cemeteries should be, and they are excavated and studied by specialists from various disciplines, but it is not common to ask mutual questions to work out a comprehensive research perspective.
Der Katalog zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung behandelt diverse Jenseitsvorstellungen, Bestattungsarten und-rituale, deren Veränderung in Abhängigkeit von sozialen Strukturen und Glaubensvorstellungen, sowie die damit verbundenen Emotionen in... more
Der Katalog zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung behandelt diverse Jenseitsvorstellungen, Bestattungsarten und-rituale, deren Veränderung in Abhängigkeit von sozialen Strukturen und Glaubensvorstellungen, sowie die damit verbundenen Emotionen in unterschiedlichen Zeiten und Räumen (u. a. Sachsen) auf der Welt und schafft somit eine gelungene Verbindung der Beschäftigung mit dem Tod und einem jenseitigen Leben von der Vergangenheit bis hin zur Gegenwart.
