Preroman Iron Age

This thesis has the subject of the Apulo-Corinthian Helmet, a south-east Italian helmet type and what it can say about the culture in which it was used. After establishing what an apulo-Corinthian helmet exactly is and which Type’s there are, I went on and found out that we can also order these helmets by Groups that were made by the same craftsman. After this I investigated the spreading, which very clearly pointed out Apulia was the region were these helmets originate from. Then I explained that to helmets with a known context were all from tombs, some very rich, some of them poorer than other graves of their time, but most of the tombs had the same objects within them; military equipment, metal vessels, Lucanian, Campanian and local pottery, and some had Attic pottery. In the conclusion I answered the research questions, Where, when and in which contexts do these helmets occur? And What is the meaning of this type helmet in these contexts and what does this meaning of the helmets say about the cultural character of Apulia between the end of the 6th and the end of the 4th century B.C.?

Due to probable copyright resting on some photo's used in this thesis I decided not to publish it. If you want to read it send me an e-mail.

The Later European Prehistory Group of Cambridge is excited to invite you to submit an abstract to our conference “A Blessing and a Curse: Mediterranean mountains between idyll and violence in later Prehistory”
Mountains are indeed double in their nature: on one hand, they are places of idyllic refuge, where to escape the stress of urban and civilised life, uncontaminated corners of beauty and loci amoeni; on the other, they are liminal places, places of anxiety, where phenomena of colonisation, globalisation and normalisation happened at a different pace, or never at all, frictional landscapes where the rules are dictated by a harsh and unforgiving environment.

This article deals with the question of regional variation in funeral customs during a part of the Early Iron Age in the Baltic Sea area. The backbone of this study is a presentation of a comparison between a selection of investigated cemeteries in the south Baltic area, including parts of Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Poland.
Keywords: Early Iron Age, Late Pre-Roman Iron Age, Early Roman Iron Age,
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, cemeteries, funeral customs, burial customs, grave monuments, artefact types, regionality, regional variation, ritual systems, ritual norms, correspondence analysis.
It is possible to take part of the peer-reviewers opinions through https://www.arkeologi.uu.se/journal-se/no-29-bjork/

The fragmented, indigenous polities along the coasts of the Western Mediterranean, including western Italy, became progressively incorporated in a long-distance, overseas, exchange network that covered almost the whole Mediterranean from the tenth century BC onwards. Such communities could become dynamic recipients of goods and expertise that transformed some of their material culture in a decidedly hybrid blend as will be illustrated. This phase is often referred to as the Orientalizing phenomenon, which is accompanied by early city-state formation in some Mediterranean regions that were previously non-urban. Most new manufacturing techniques initially produced high value–low output commodities for which there was a significant need due to local social competition, the rate of which is essential for making cities. Some of the commodities in time gradually altered into low value–high output goods by increased demand, being produced in workshops that signify full centralization and eventually towns with thousands of inhabitants after 700/600 BC. Other skills introduced became hardly anchored in the western Mediterranean during the period 1000 to 700 BC partially due to the still non-urban social-economic environment, restricting demand and display. From a cross-cultural, comparative perspective, it appears that all urbanization is accompanied by some form of craft specialization that resulted in a number of commodities that became available for many: low value–high output goods produced in workshops by skilled craftspeople.

The thesis aims to study the pottery of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age societies in Eastern Central Sweden (Uppsala and Västmanlands counties). The basis of the thesis is the material from c. 70 sites in the region. The majority are rescue excavations. The focus is on the function of the pottery, both technically and socially. It is a long-term study where changes in the traditions of handicraft are important. The handicraft is studied by analysis of ware, surface treatments and vessel forms. Lipid analyses have been made to determine probable functions of different vessels. The vessels are regarded as parts of different services or assem-blages. The composition of the service is considered to be a signifying the complexity of the table manners. The proportions and degree of the restrictedness of the vessels are seen as an indicator of the table manners were meant to be individual or collective.
The Bronze Age tradition seems to have been a more collective way of feasting with a service with unrestricted vessels for drinking- and eating. This tradition, influenced by continental ideas, disappears on the transition to the Iron Age. The entire tradition of making and handling with pottery was undergone radical changes around 500 BC. The causes to this change and others are discussed. A multiple causal explanation is presented with ideological, social, economic and climatic causes. The tradition with feasting including more elaborate ceramic vessels reoccurs later on during the Roman Iron Age. The different ideological backgrounds to the traditions of feasting are considered.
External influences are considered. They are seen in terms of course of invention, implementation and finally the transforma-tion to tradition. Influences from Central and Eastern Europe are discussed and dated. During some periods external influences are few or even lacks. This is discussed and also the problem with connections between morphological traits and pottery styles versus ethnicity. Thin-section analyses of the pottery are used to investigate if imported vessels are to be seen.
The pottery in the graves is studied. The analysis indicates that graves seldom contain remains of entire vessels. The causes behind this phenomenon are discussed. The occurrence of different types of vessels in the graves are studied and correlated to gender. Eschatological causes are argued to be an important reason for choice of material. Pottery in cremations versus inhumation graves are separated due to different conditions for performing rituals. Ceramic vessels in inhumation graves during the Roman Iron Age are rare compared to other regions. The use of drinking vessels seems to have been more exclusive during the period.

The Teltow is one of the pioneer regions for iron smelting in Northern Central Europe. Iron production in the region began at the transition from the late Hallstatt to the early La Tène period (Ha D/LT A). The subsequent establishment of iron smelting and processing is evident in a large number of pre-Roman Iron-Age settlements with slag finds. The almost standard use of the so-called Glienicktype bloomery is to be emphasized as a striking feature. Decentrally organised and settlement-based iron production took place within the framework of subsistence farming and was mainly used to cover the subsistence needs of the regional population. Towards the end of the pre-Roman Iron Age, there was a sustained decline in smelting activities in connection with a collapse of settlement.

Müller Florian Martin, Überlegungen zu Funktion, Verzierungen und Fundkontexten daunischer Webgewichte, in: Raimund Karl, Jutta Leskovar (Hrsg.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie - 2. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie, Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich 19 (Linz 2007) 291–303.

EXTENDED CALL FOR PAPERS - 19th OF MAY

The University of Bradford is proud to host the 20th Iron Age Student Research Symposium (IARSS). The symposium will be held between the 31st of May and the 2nd of June, with papers, posters and presentations, followed by a guided visit to the Hull Museum on the 3rd of June.
IARSS is a research student focused conference, providing an opportunity for students to share their work, network and collaborate with others. This event is open for contributions from postgraduate research students and new researchers, however, Master students are also welcome to submit and participate in the conference. Although IARSS is promoted as an Iron Age conference, contributions from colleagues studying or working within related periods, such as the Late Bronze Age and Roman Iron Age are also welcome. IARSS has traditionally focused on Iron Age Britain, however we welcome contributions from those colleagues examining the Iron Age elsewhere in the world, including, but not limited to, Ireland, the European continent and the Near East.

For colleagues interested in participating, please submit an abstract between c.250-300 words and 5 keywords related to your research. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long and in English. Posters may be bilingual but they must be understandable to English speakers and an abstract in English must be provided.

Abstracts should be sent to:
iarss2017@gmail.com until the 19th of May.

Larcher Astrid, Müller Florian Martin, Die „Tomba del Guerriero“ in Ascoli Satriano, in: Koiner Gabriele, Lehner Manfred, Lorenz Thuri, Schwarz Gerda (Hrsg.), Akten des 10. Österreichischen Archäologentages in Graz 2003 (Phoibos Verlag, Wien 2006) 119-123.

Aleksandra Rzeszotarska-Nowakiewicz, "Preface", in P. Urbańczyk, A. Rzeszotarska-Nowakiewicz (eds), "The Past Societies. Polish lands from the first evidence of human presence to the early middle ages", vol. 4: 500 BC - 500 AD, 257-306. Warsaw, The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Larcher Astrid, Müller Florian Martin, Scavi dell’Università di Innsbruck sul Colle Serpente ad Ascoli Satriano dal 1997 al 2002, in: Volpe Giuliano, Strazzulla Maria José, Leone Danilo (Hrsg.), Storia e Archeologia della Daunia. In ricordo di Marina Mazzei. Atti delle Giornate di studio (Foggia 19-21 maggio 2005),  Insulae Diomedeae 8 (Bari 2008) 133-148.

Dans la présente livraison de la publication analytique des fouilles de Lattes, l'étude du mobilier archéologique recueilli dans les îlots concernés est pré-sentée de manière sensiblement différente de celle employée dans le précédent volume (Lattara 3, 1990). La céramique est regroupée par époques plutôt que par zones, afin d'évi-ter les redites d'une zone à l'autre, et d'ac-céder plus rapidement à une synthèse des données concernant chaque phase illus-trée par la stratigraphie. Ce chapitre concerne la période protohistorique, soit, en l'état d'avancement actuel des recherches lattoises, les IVe, IIIe et IIe s. av. n. è., le chapitre suivant présentant pour sa part l'époque romaine (du Ier s. av. n. è. au IIe s. de n. è.), principalement à partir des fouilles de l'îlot 5. Dans chacun, les répartitions par module zone/phase ont été respectées, dans le but de permettre une bonne arti-culation entre les diagrammes de mise en phase présentés ci-dessus et le mobilier associé. La liste des unités stratigra-phiques (us) concernées par chaque module et ayant livré du mobilier céra-mique est fournie, et l'ensemble des don-nées quantitatives et typologiques concer-nant chaque zone/phase est regroupé dans un tableau normalisé. Le commen-taire de ces tableaux se fait par contre par tranche chronologique, en envisageant globalement les diverses phases contem-poraines présentes dans plusieurs des îlots étudiés. Les tableaux d'analyse des céramiques qui constituent la base documentaire de l'étude ont été déjà employés dans Latta-ra 3, et le principe en a été décrit dans Lattara 4 (p. 147-149). Les tableaux utili-sés ici diffèrent néanmoins par trois détails du modèle précédent. Première-ment, un type de comptage supplémen-taire a été ajouté: celui des bords de vases différents, après recollage ou apparie-ment. Deuxièmement, deux types de sta-tistiques (% par rapport à la catégorie et % par rapport à la vaisselle) ont été réunis en un seul (% par rapport au groupe = %/grp) : le pourcentage par rapport au groupe équivaut en fait à une évaluation par rapport à la vaisselle pour les vases fins tournés et non tournés, et par rapport à l'ensemble des amphores pour les amphores. Troisièmement, les colonnes "forme" (en clair) et "type" renvoient désormais systématiquement au "Diction-naire des céramiques antiques en Méditer-ranée nord-occidentale" constituant le volume 6 de la série Lattara. Quelques formes nouvelles par rapport à ce diction-naire ont été définies : elles seront signa-lées à mesure qu'on les rencontrera. Les dessins de céramique sont enfin regroupés à la suite de chaque tableau de comptage et de typologie, et en relation avec eux : ils sont donc également répartis par zone/phase, et classés dans l'ordre chronologique. A côté de chaque vase ou fragment illustré est indiqué l'us d'origi-ne. Les commentaires accompagnant les listes descriptives ont pour but de repla-cer les données dans un cadre plus géné-ral. Il n'a pas paru nécessaire de dévelop-per une conclusion synthétique globale sur l'apport de ces documents, comme cela avait été fait dans la deuxième partie de Lattara 3, pour deux raisons : d'une L A T T A R A 7-1 9 9 4 Les céramiques d'époque protohistorique (IVe-IIe s. avant notre ère) par Michel Py avec le concours de Andrès Adroher Auroux (analyse) Corinne Sanchez (dessins) Jean-Claude Roux (dessins)

Riassunto - Si presenta in questa sede il disegno del rilievo di Bormio, che permette di apprezzare particolari figurativi in passato ignorati o non compresi. Sulla punta del cosiddetto tridente, in particolare, campeggia un uccello anziché un pesce. Inoltre graffiti filiformi figurativi, schematici e pseudo-alfabetici si trovano sullo sfondo.
Grazie ai numerosi confronti è chiaro che, pur essendo un’opera originale, il rilievo è frutto di numerosi influssi culturali: si colgono somiglianze con le placchette bronzee votive, con l’arte delle situle, con l’arte rupestre della Valle Camonica, con la piccola bronzistica, i rilievi e le grandi sculture in pietra dell’età del Ferro. In sostanza si tratta di un’opera che, nella complessità dei riferimenti culturali, testimonia una circolazione assai ampia di segni e simboli del sacro.
Abstract - The paper presents the drawing of the Bormio relief, which shows clearly figurative details ignored or misunderstood in the past. On the tip of the socalled trident, in particular, a bird is standing (instead of a fish). Also never recognised filiform engravings are in the background. Thanks to the many comparisons it is clear that, despite being an original work, the relief is the result of many cultural influences: there are similarities with bronze votive plaques, with the art of situlae, with Valcamonica rock art, with small bronzes, stone relieves
and big sculptures dated to the Early Iron Age. In essence it is an artwork that testifies a wide circulation of sacred symbols.

Müller Florian Martin, Subgeometrisch Daunische Keramik aus der Siedlung am Colle Serpente in Ascoli Satriano (Provinz Foggia/Italien), in: Christof Eva, Koiner Gabriele, Lehner Manfred, Pochmarski Erwin (Hrsg.), Potnia Theron. Festschrift für Gerda Schwarz zum 65. Geburtstag, Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für (klassische) Archäologie der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz (VdlGraz) 8 (Wien 2007) 293-303.

During excavations near Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), very closed to the baltic coast, some structures came to light, who where interpreteted as parts of a cultic areal outside a settlement. A wooden idol, depositions of pots an bones from cattle and shep can be dated to late preroman-iron-age.

RIASSUNTO - Tecniche radiografiche per lo studio di un coltello tipo Introbio - Un coltello in ferro di tipo Introbio (II - I secolo a.C.) è stato sottoposto ad esami radiografici per comprendere la forma della lama, analizzare la tecnica di produzione del fodero e verificare l’esistenza di particolari decorativi. Tali analisi hanno messo in luce aspetti inaspettati, legati soprattutto al livello di alterazione del reperto
originario a causa di un restauro eccessivamente integrativo e che in una certa misura ne ha influenzato la classificazione e la conoscenza.
Vengono presi in considerazione come confronti per definire gli attributi del tipo altri due coltelli: il primo è il coltello di Coccaglio (BS), e il secondo è quello di Fontanella di Casalromano (MN), conosciuto solo attraverso una vecchia fotografia. Altre evidenze utili per definire il tipo sono le oltre cinquanta incisioni trovate in Valcamonica. Tutti questi coltelli sono oggetto della mia ricerca di dottorato in “Quaternario:
materiali e culture” presso l’Universitade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro di Vila Real in Portogallo.
SUMMARY - Radiographic techniques in the study of a knife of Introbio type - An iron knife of Introbio type (2nd - 1st century BC) was subjected to X-ray examinations in order to identify the real shape of the blade, to analyse the technique of production of the sheath, and also to verify the presence of decorations on it. These analyses have shown unexpected particulars, related to old restorations that have changed and falsified the aspect of the find and, somehow, influenced its classification. Two others knives are compared, to better understand the attributes of the type: the first is the knife from Coccaglio (BS), known as real object and the second is the one from Fontanella di Casalromano (MN), known just as an old photograph. Other useful evidences to define the type are the over fifty engravings found in Valcamonica. These knives are all object of my Phd project in “Quaternary: materials and cultures” at the Universitade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro in Vila Real in Portugal.

Müller Florian Martin, Die daunische Siedlung auf dem Colle Serpente in Ascoli Satriano  (Provinz Foggia/Italien), in: Grabherr Gerald, Kainrath Barbara (Hrsg.), Akten des 11. Österreichischen Archäologentages in Innsbruck 23.-25. März 2006 (Innsbruck 2008) 195-204.