- Deutsches Archäologisches Institut
Orient-Abteilung
Podbielskiallee 69-71
D-14195 Berlin
Germany
jens.notroff@dainst.de
Jens Notroff
German Archaeological Institute, Orient Department, Department Member
- Death and Burial (Archaeology), Deviant burial (Archaeology), Hoard finds, Chiefdoms (Archaeology), Religion and ritual in prehistory, Bronze Age (Archaeology), and 44 moreCultural Exchange, Near Eastern Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, Archaeology of Religion, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Archaeology of Ritual, Mortuary archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Metallurgy, Ancient Weapons and Warfare, Archaeometry, Copper age, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Cognitive archaeology, Archaeology of Beer and Cereal Fermentation, Anthropology of Alcohol, Bronze Age warfare, Bronze Age swords, Bronze Age Archaeology, Conflict Archaeology, Natufian, Funerary Archaeology, Burial Customs, Culture, Ritual, Tradition, Archaeology, Identity (Culture), Social Identity, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Archaeology of burials, Mortuary Practices, Amulets, Burial (Ritual), Nordic Bronze Age, Death and Burial, Meaning in miniature: semiotic networks in material culture, Diffusion of Innovations, Iron Age, Biography of Objects, and The Sociology of Death, Dying and Funeralsedit
- I studied Prehistoric Archaeology at the Free University of Berlin under Prof. Hänsel and Prof. Teržan, where I finis... moreI studied Prehistoric Archaeology at the Free University of Berlin under Prof. Hänsel and Prof. Teržan, where I finished studies in 2009 achieving the degree of Magister Artium.
Main focus of my research interest is the European Bronze Age, especially burial customs and material culture in view of the representation of prestige and social hierarchy. This is closely related to my interest in places of cult and ritual respectively the question of their archaeological evidence.
At the moment I am graduating at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich; my dissertation deals with the phenomenon of miniature swords in the Nordic Bronze Age and the role of these symbolic arms as markers of social rank. From Montelius’ Period IV onwards, miniature swords are found in burials while their larger pendants are mostly (but not exclusively) connected to depositions. Other than stated before, miniature swords are not displacing the large arms as grave goods completely – when they are disappearing from burials in Period V this also means the end of the Bronze Age miniature sword phenomenon in the North.
My second field of activity – the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and the beginning sedentism as well as the development of early complex societies in that period – has to do with my affiliation with a research project of the German Archaeological Institute regarding the Göbekli Tepe near Şanlıurfa in south-eastern Anatolia, where we are excavating and researching the first monumental architecture of man, which apparently was a very early cultic centre or gathering place of hunter-gatherer groups.edit
During the 2001 excavation season, a fragment of a small miniature mask depiction was found in Enclosure D. The fragmentarily preserved object was originally ovaloid in form, the back is concave. It features a very prominent nose and... more
During the 2001 excavation season, a fragment of a small miniature mask depiction was found in Enclosure D. The fragmentarily preserved object was originally ovaloid in form, the back is concave. It features a very prominent nose and large, nearly open-worked eyes. An indention supposedly depicting the mouth is rather small, on the other hand, and not very deep.
The mask measures just 1.3x0.7cm. The surface is darkened-greyish, which indicates burning in reducing conditions. Whether the mask was
intentionally burned remains uncertain; a future scientific examination of
the find could resolve this issue. The article explores the potential
meanings of this unique find.
The mask measures just 1.3x0.7cm. The surface is darkened-greyish, which indicates burning in reducing conditions. Whether the mask was
intentionally burned remains uncertain; a future scientific examination of
the find could resolve this issue. The article explores the potential
meanings of this unique find.
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In a paper recently published in this journal, Martin B. Sweatman and Dimitrios Tsikritsis from the University of Edinburgh (School of Engineering) have suggested an interpretation for the early Neolithic monumental enclosures at Göbekli... more
In a paper recently published in this journal, Martin B. Sweatman and Dimitrios Tsikritsis from the University of Edinburgh (School of Engineering) have suggested an interpretation for the early Neolithic monumental enclosures at Göbekli Tepe as space observatories and the site's complex iconography the commemoration of a catastrophic astronomical event ('Younger Dryas Comet Impact'). As the archaeologists excavating this site, we would like to comment on a few points that we feel require consideration in this discussion.
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Vom Orient ausgehend eroberte das Schwert als innovative Bewaffnung die bronzezeitliche Welt im Sturm. Im Gegensatz zu anderen, etwa bei der Jagd benutzten Waffen richtet sich das Schwert ausschließlich gegen Menschen. Seine erfolgreiche... more
Vom Orient ausgehend eroberte das Schwert als innovative Bewaffnung die bronzezeitliche Welt im Sturm. Im Gegensatz zu anderen, etwa bei der Jagd benutzten Waffen richtet sich das Schwert ausschließlich gegen Menschen. Seine erfolgreiche Verbreitung ist nicht allein dessen Effizienz im Kampf geschuldet, sondern auch mit neuen sozialen Konzepten von Identität verknüpft, die sich unter den aufstrebenden Eliten der Bronzezeit entwickelten (...)
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High-ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective ‘warriorhood’ identity are considered a major factor in the interpretation of Bronze Age social stratification. The innovative character of the sword as a weapon... more
High-ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective ‘warriorhood’ identity are considered a major factor in the interpretation of Bronze Age social stratification. The innovative character of the sword as a weapon and marker of social rank was especially emphasized within this context. A change within this framework seems to have taken place during the Late European Bronze Age with the adoption of cremation burial and the reduction of grave goods. In northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia, this was accompanied by another local phenomenon: the functional weapon seems to have been substituted by a detailed miniature version within funerary contexts. Apparently, the symbolic meaning of the sword still played a role in the creation of identity. However, what remains to be discovered is whether the social pre-conditions which surrounded the inclusion of swords had changed or whether they were still operative on the previous scale.
Research Interests: Social Identity, Arms and Armor Studies, Northern Europe, Identity (Culture), Central Europe, and 24 moreSymbolism, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Bronze Age Archaeology, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), Death and Burial (Archaeology), Late Bronze Age archaeology, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology), Social status, Archaeology of burials, Bronze Age, Arms and Armour, Hoards, Hoard finds, Late Bronze Age, Status, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, Symbols, Bronze Age metal hoards, Swords, Miniatures, Warrior burials, and Ancient Warriors
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Popular scientific paper on recent research at the PPN site of Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, and the role of cult, feasting, and communal projects in the emergence of larger communities and the so-called Neolithic way of subsistence.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, and 17 moreMegalithic Monuments, Neolithic Transition, Megaliths (Archaeology), The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Social Complexity, Göbekli Tepe, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Early Neolithic, Evolution of Social Complexity, Feasting and Fasting, Monumentality, Ritual Feasting, Archaeology and Feasting, Gobekli Tepe, and Gobeklitepe
Popular scientific paper (in Turkish) on recent research at the PPN site of Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, and the role of cult, feasting, and communal projects in the emergence of larger communities and the so-called Neolithic way of subsistence.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreArchaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Social Complexity, Göbekli Tepe, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Early Neolithic, Evolution of Social Complexity, Monumentality, Ritual Feasting, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, Archaeology and Feasting, and Gobekli Tepe
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Klaus Schmidt konnte den von ihm im Rahmen der Konferenz „Anatolien – Brücke der Kulturen“ gehaltenen Vortrag nicht mehr selbst zu Papier bringen. Der vorliegende Text stellt eine Sammlung von Gedanken zum Thema „Der Göbekli Tepe auf dem... more
Klaus Schmidt konnte den von ihm im Rahmen der Konferenz „Anatolien – Brücke der Kulturen“ gehaltenen Vortrag nicht mehr selbst zu Papier bringen. Der vorliegende Text stellt eine Sammlung von Gedanken zum Thema „Der Göbekli Tepe auf dem Weg zum Weltkulturerbe“ dar, die ganz wesentlich zahlreichen persönlichen Gesprächen mit ihm entspringen. Außerdem wurde auf Notizen und in anderen Zusammenhängen geschriebenes zurückgegriffen, um seine Vision für den Fundplatz, mit dem sich 20 Jahre seines Forscherlebens verbinden, möglichst klar herauszuarbeiten.
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The article won the Antiquity Prize 2012, so it is open access now:
http://antiquity.ac.uk/Ant/086/0674/ant0860674.pdf
http://antiquity.ac.uk/Ant/086/0674/ant0860674.pdf
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, History of Religion, Anatolian Archaeology, and 20 moreArchaeology of Religion, History of Religions, Ancient Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Ancient Near East, Archaeology of Beer and Cereal Fermentation, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, Prehistoric Art, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, PPNA PPNB sites, and Archeology
The meaning of monumental buildings as an indicator of social complexity and the visible expression of power and authority has been a lasting topos in the field of archaeology. Now new evidence is coming from southeastern Turkey,... more
The meaning of monumental buildings as an indicator of social complexity and the visible expression of power and authority has been a lasting topos in the field of archaeology. Now new evidence is coming from southeastern Turkey, showing that the origins of monumental architecture have to be sought as early as with the hunter‑gatherer groups at the end of the last Ice Age in the Near East twelve thousand years ago. At Göbekli Tepe, monumental, monolithic T‑shaped pillars were erected by mobile groups of the Early Neolithic constituting large circular enclosures and indicating a degree of coordination and cooperation among these people hitherto not suspected.
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Apart from the Balkans and the Anatolian-Iranian highlands, the Southern Levant is one of the centres of early metallurgy, where the smelting of ores was extensively practiced already in the 5th millennium BC. The development of... more
Apart from the Balkans and the Anatolian-Iranian highlands, the Southern Levant is one of the centres of early metallurgy, where the smelting of ores was extensively practiced already in the 5th millennium BC. The development of extractive metallurgy is a crucial period in the evolution of human societies, because ore use and processing is not only closely related to technological development but also to social change. Early metal artefacts were regarded as special and prestigious, but also in later prehistory metal goods and metallurgy played an important role in the emergence of social stratification, because of the rarity of raw material sources and technological know-how involved.
The rise of metallurgy in the Southern Levant as well as in Predynastic Egypt is accompanied, to some degree even pioneered, by intensified contact networks and exchange relations between both regions. This is perceivable in a number of parallels in the find material of certain sites in the Levant as well as in the Nile valley. These are hinting at a common metal workshop tradition and reciprocal interaction, e.g. the accessibility and distribution of resources and technological progress. The date of the chronological frame, in which this intensification of exchange networks and increasing importance of metallurgy is embedded into, especially the crucial passage from the Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age, is still open to question and subject of scientific dispute. Recent research at a site in southern Jordan, Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, may allow to shed some light on this period and help closing a gap there.
A great breakthrough in the pyrotechnical treatment of metal happens between 5000 and 4500 BC. From then on, not only melting and smelting activity is evident in Anatolia, the Balkan region and the Southern Levant. In the Southern Levant, this tradition is connected with the ‘Ghassulian’ Chalcolithic, where also the earliest finds of cast gold and electrum artefacts in the Near East are reported.
When examining the radiocarbon record of the region closely, it becomes visible that there is a relative large amount of dated samples, both for the Chalcolithic and the following Early Bronze Age. Sites like Horvat Beter, Bi res-Safadi, Teleilat Ghassul or Abu Hamid offer more than 40 14C-datings. These suggest a timespan of about 500 years for the ‘Ghassulian’ (also known as: Ghassul-Beer Sheva culture), beginning around 4500 BC and ending not later than 4000/3900 BC. This causes a chronological dilemma, since the 14C-datings from most secure Early Bronze Age (EBA) contexts have failed to result in dates older than 3600 BC. There are some older dates, but deriving either from pits or other unclear contexts, which are not to be attributed to archaeological events or cultural assemblages.
The rise of metallurgy in the Southern Levant as well as in Predynastic Egypt is accompanied, to some degree even pioneered, by intensified contact networks and exchange relations between both regions. This is perceivable in a number of parallels in the find material of certain sites in the Levant as well as in the Nile valley. These are hinting at a common metal workshop tradition and reciprocal interaction, e.g. the accessibility and distribution of resources and technological progress. The date of the chronological frame, in which this intensification of exchange networks and increasing importance of metallurgy is embedded into, especially the crucial passage from the Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age, is still open to question and subject of scientific dispute. Recent research at a site in southern Jordan, Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, may allow to shed some light on this period and help closing a gap there.
A great breakthrough in the pyrotechnical treatment of metal happens between 5000 and 4500 BC. From then on, not only melting and smelting activity is evident in Anatolia, the Balkan region and the Southern Levant. In the Southern Levant, this tradition is connected with the ‘Ghassulian’ Chalcolithic, where also the earliest finds of cast gold and electrum artefacts in the Near East are reported.
When examining the radiocarbon record of the region closely, it becomes visible that there is a relative large amount of dated samples, both for the Chalcolithic and the following Early Bronze Age. Sites like Horvat Beter, Bi res-Safadi, Teleilat Ghassul or Abu Hamid offer more than 40 14C-datings. These suggest a timespan of about 500 years for the ‘Ghassulian’ (also known as: Ghassul-Beer Sheva culture), beginning around 4500 BC and ending not later than 4000/3900 BC. This causes a chronological dilemma, since the 14C-datings from most secure Early Bronze Age (EBA) contexts have failed to result in dates older than 3600 BC. There are some older dates, but deriving either from pits or other unclear contexts, which are not to be attributed to archaeological events or cultural assemblages.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Innovation statistics, and 37 moreLevantine Archaeology, Egyptian Archaeology, Metallurgy, Social Stratification, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Technological Innovation, Predynastic (Egyptology), Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), 14C dating (Archaeology), Prehistory, Ancient Metallurgy, Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age, Chronology, Prehistoric Archeology, Socio Economics, Radiocarbon Dating, Predynastic Egypt, Chalcolithic, Chalcolithic Metallurgy, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Archaeology of Jordan, Radiocarbon Age Calibration, 14C Age Calibration, Egyptian Predynastic and Early Dynastic, Ancient chronology, Radiocarbon Dates, Exchange Networks, Prehistoric exchange networks, Archaeology of the Levant, Radiocarbon Chronology, Prehistoric Trade and Exchange, and Early Exchange Networks
The southern Levant has to be regarded as an important centre of early metallurgy; in this region, the rise of this technological innovation appears closely connected to intensified exchange networks of increasing significance. Recent... more
The southern Levant has to be regarded as an important centre of early metallurgy; in this region, the rise of this technological innovation appears closely connected to intensified exchange networks of increasing significance. Recent fieldwork and research undertaken by the University of Jordan and the Orient Department of the German Archaeological Institute in the southern Wadi Araba near Aqaba (Jordan) has revealed new insights into the structure and progress of Late Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age economic processes in the southern Levant. The sites of Tell Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan and Tell al-Magass produced a rich material culture that attests to the existence of an important centre of early copper metallurgy in the region, thus proving that technological and social innovations in the late 5th, early 4th millennia BC were not limited to north-western regions of the southern Levant. Material culture analogies from contemporaneous sites in the wider region, going beyond metallurgical activities and lithic industries, emphasize a common workshop tradition in these areas and indicate that the Aqaba region was actively participating in far-reaching communication and exchange networks at this time.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Metallurgy, and 25 moreLevant Prehistory, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Technological Innovation, Jordan, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), 14C dating (Archaeology), Prehistory, Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age, Chronology, Radiocarbon Dating, Chalcolithic, Chalcolithic Metallurgy, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Archaeology of Jordan, Radiocarbon Dates, Exchange Networks, Prehistoric exchange networks, Archaeology of the Levant, Prehistoric Trade and Exchange, Early Exchange Networks, and Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age Transition In Southern Levant
Recent fieldwork in the main excavation area at Göbekli Tepe has focused on the excavation of deep soundingsto reach the natural bedrock in preparation for the construction of a shelter, urgently required for the protection of the exposed... more
Recent fieldwork in the main excavation area at Göbekli Tepe has focused on the excavation of deep soundingsto reach the natural bedrock in preparation for the construction of a shelter, urgently required for the protection of the exposed Neolithic architecture. Eleven deep soundings have been excavated to the bedrock. At several locations, considerable amounts of carbonized botanical material were discovered, so far unique for excavations at Göbekli. A series of more than 150 samples has been produced either on site or by flotation of the relevant soil units. To test the quality of the material for radiocarbon dating, five samples from the area of the large enclosures from Layer III were submitted for AMS-radiocarbon dating. These new data, together with a further age made on collagen from an animal tooth, are presented and discussed in context with previously available absolute chronological evidence."
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, History of Religion, Anatolian Archaeology, and 23 moreArchaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Neolithic, Prehistoric Archeology, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, Radiocarbon Dating, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Gobekli Tepe Temple - Sanliurfa, Turkey, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, PPNA PPNB sites, Radiocarbon Chronology, Neolithic of the Near East, and Archeology
Some short words on recent work at Göbekli Tepe in the Newsletter of the project "Our Place: Our Place in the World", funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
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A short popular science overview on work at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, History of Religion, Anatolian Archaeology, and 28 moreArchaeology of Religion, History of Religions, Ancient Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric religion and r ritual a, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Ancient Near East, Ancient myth and religion, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, Prehistoric Art, The Neolithic Revolution, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Prehistoric magical-symbolic systems (Archaeology), Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Neolithic, Arkeoloji, Archaeology of the Near East, Prehistory of Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Turkish Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Neolithic Art, and Anthropology of Religion
A short news item on the possible entrance to Enclosure C at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, and 12 moreReligion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, Prehistoric Art, The Neolithic Revolution, Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, and Archeology
A short account of some recent finds from Göbekli - in Turkish.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, History of Religion, Anatolian Archaeology, and 20 moreArchaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric religion and r ritual a, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Ancient Near East, Neolithic Transition, Prehistoric Art, The Neolithic Revolution, Anatolian Archaeology (Archaeology), Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Neolithic, Arkeoloji, Prehistoric Archeology, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Gobekli Tepe Temple, and Archaeology of Turkey
A short overview on Göbekli Tepe - in Turkish.
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Short preliminary report on the 2012 and 2013 seasons at Göbekli Tepe in German.
The full yearly report of the DAI can be found at: http://www.dainst.org/de/e-jahresbericht?ft=all
The full yearly report of the DAI can be found at: http://www.dainst.org/de/e-jahresbericht?ft=all
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Short, more general feature about the excavations of the early Neolithic mountain sanctuary at the Göbekli Tepe (southeastern Turkey) in the inhouse magazine of the German Federal Foreign Office.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 13 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Megalithic Monuments, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Monumentality, Gobekli Tepe Temple, Monuments, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, and Neolithic of the Near East
Short preliminary report on work conducted in the 2012 and 2013 seasons at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic hill sanctuary at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey (in German). The full yearly report of the DAI can be found at:... more
Short preliminary report on work conducted in the 2012 and 2013 seasons at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic hill sanctuary at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey (in German). The full yearly report of the DAI can be found at: http://www.dainst.org/sites/default/files/media/press/e-forschungen/e-Forschungen2014_1.pdf.
Most recent excavation seasons at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic hill sanctuary of Göbekli Tepe have been largely dedicated to essential provisions in advance of construction work on the permanent shelter for Enclosures A-D. In 2012 deep... more
Most recent excavation seasons at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic hill sanctuary of Göbekli Tepe have been largely dedicated to essential provisions in advance of construction work on the permanent shelter for Enclosures A-D. In 2012 deep soundings down to the natural bedrock were made in the main excavation area in the south-eastern depression of the tell; these soundings
will provide the foundations for the struts of the permanent shelter. In the meantime a preliminary wooden shelter has been installed. The erection of this preliminary structure addresses the urgent need for the protection of the prehistoric remains in this area; furthermore, it will provide a platform for building work on the permanent membrane shelter which is expected to commence next year. A similar shelter structure will also be installed in the north-western depression of the mound where new excavation areas were opened in 2011. Preparations for this third structure were the focus of our 2013 excavation seasons.
will provide the foundations for the struts of the permanent shelter. In the meantime a preliminary wooden shelter has been installed. The erection of this preliminary structure addresses the urgent need for the protection of the prehistoric remains in this area; furthermore, it will provide a platform for building work on the permanent membrane shelter which is expected to commence next year. A similar shelter structure will also be installed in the north-western depression of the mound where new excavation areas were opened in 2011. Preparations for this third structure were the focus of our 2013 excavation seasons.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 10 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, and Neolithic of the Near East
The aim of this paper is to discuss the meaning of 'special burials' to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric burial rite and concepts of the afterlife. Especially an omnipresent model explaining deviant burials with fearing and... more
The aim of this paper is to discuss the meaning of 'special burials' to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric burial rite and concepts of the afterlife. Especially an omnipresent model explaining deviant burials with fearing and banishing the dead, Totenangst and Totenbann, serves as starting ground of the thoughts presented. Consulting only the conspicuous aberrant feature means to assume with tacit understanding that the archaeological record depicts a general rule of rather simplified behavior. That there are many reasons for possible infringements of the norm, that sometimes even 'the norm' needs to be questioned, is demonstrated with a number of examples and with the help of ethnographic analogies. It can hardly be negated, that there are indeed sometimes burials which stand out by their unique and most remarkable way of how the deceased were treated.
The role of amulets in burial ritual is also analyzed in the course of this study. Within several graves, even those emptied some time after the burial, a number of objects were found. Especially the heart- and crescent-shaped pendants, a find group rather common and widely spread in the Early and Middle Bronze Age attracts our attention. Recognizing them as stylized anthropomorphic depictions and linking them to contemporary idols and figurines emphasizes their supposed significance in cultic activity, particularly an apotropaic role. The frequent appearance of these pendants in hoards does not only underline this cultic interpretation (recognizing at least some of these hoards as offerings through which the objects are entrusted to a numinous sphere as well) but also draws another close line between burials and depositions and the related concepts behind both.
The role of amulets in burial ritual is also analyzed in the course of this study. Within several graves, even those emptied some time after the burial, a number of objects were found. Especially the heart- and crescent-shaped pendants, a find group rather common and widely spread in the Early and Middle Bronze Age attracts our attention. Recognizing them as stylized anthropomorphic depictions and linking them to contemporary idols and figurines emphasizes their supposed significance in cultic activity, particularly an apotropaic role. The frequent appearance of these pendants in hoards does not only underline this cultic interpretation (recognizing at least some of these hoards as offerings through which the objects are entrusted to a numinous sphere as well) but also draws another close line between burials and depositions and the related concepts behind both.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Identity, Death, Ritual, and 20 moreIdentity (Culture), Culture, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Religion and ritual in prehistory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Deviant burial (Archaeology), Burial (Ritual), Burial Practices (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology), Mortuary archaeology, Revenants, Tradition, Archaeology of burials, Amulets, Mortuary Practices, Archaeology of death and burial, Death, burial, and concepts of the afterlife, Burial Customs, Death and Burial, and Tradition (Archaeology) X Death and Burial (Archaeology) X Burial Practices (Archaeology) X Burial (Ritual) X Archaeology of Burials X Archaeology of Death and Burial X Burial Customs (Ancient World)
Absicht dieses kurzen Exkurses in das nicht immer leicht abzugrenzende Feld der Sonderbestattungen ist es, neben den Schwierigkeiten in der klaren Strukturierung und Ansprachen archäologischer Spuren eines prähistorischen ‚Alltags‘ zu... more
Absicht dieses kurzen Exkurses in das nicht immer leicht abzugrenzende Feld der Sonderbestattungen ist es, neben den Schwierigkeiten in der klaren Strukturierung und Ansprachen archäologischer Spuren eines prähistorischen ‚Alltags‘ zu zeigen, dass solche Funde mitunter einen ambivalenten Charakter haben können und auf verschiedenen Ebenen zu deuten sind. Wenn wir Ausnahmen, Abweichungen und Sonderfälle beschreiben, setzen wir damit immer auch eine Regelhaftigkeit und Norm voraus, von der wir häufig eine nur vage Vorstellung haben. Zwar müssen auch solche Ausnahmen – wie das hier gewählte Beispiel der Sonderbestattungen zeigt – kritisch hinterfragt werden, doch können sie ebenso - gerade wegen ihres andersartigen Charakters - dazu dienen, die einen ‚Alltag‘ kennzeichnende Regelhaftigkeit besser abzugrenzen.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Identity, Ritual, Identity (Culture), and 17 moreCulture, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Death and Burial (Archaeology), Deviant burial (Archaeology), Burial (Ritual), Burial Practices (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology), Mortuary archaeology, Revenants, Tradition, Amulets, Mortuary Practices, Archaeology of death and burial, Death, burial, and concepts of the afterlife, Burial Customs, Death and Burial, and Tradition (Archaeology) X Death and Burial (Archaeology) X Burial Practices (Archaeology) X Burial (Ritual) X Archaeology of Burials X Archaeology of Death and Burial X Burial Customs (Ancient World)
The meaning of small things. Thoughts on the designation and interpretation of miniature vessels using the example of finds from Tall Ḥujayrāt al-Ghuzlān, Jordan Miniatures are an often underestimated and still unappreciated group of... more
The meaning of small things. Thoughts on the designation and interpretation of miniature vessels using the example of finds from Tall Ḥujayrāt al-Ghuzlān, Jordan
Miniatures are an often underestimated and still unappreciated group of finds. In some cases they are mentioned in a context which hints at cultic and ritual activities – funerals, temples, sanctuaries – and they are commonly interpreted in a symbolic meaning without explaining this role in detail. An additional complexity is the clear designation as miniature vessel in contrast to small, but strictly functional forms. This uncertainty is intensified by the fact that use and function of objects is not to be deduced from formal attributes exclusively. In the course of this study – emanating from a number of finds of small and miniaturized vessels from Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age Tall Ḥujayrāt al-Ghuzlān in Jordan – it is not only suggested to make the existence of large real exemplars a condition for the definition of miniature vessels, but also to operate with a model of two function levels when answering the question of their use. In this case the primary level is covering the direct, proximate utilization which derives from the shape and context of the vessel (like storage, transport etc.), while the secondary functional level describes the indirect, associative use (e.g. in a symbolic meaning).
Miniatures are an often underestimated and still unappreciated group of finds. In some cases they are mentioned in a context which hints at cultic and ritual activities – funerals, temples, sanctuaries – and they are commonly interpreted in a symbolic meaning without explaining this role in detail. An additional complexity is the clear designation as miniature vessel in contrast to small, but strictly functional forms. This uncertainty is intensified by the fact that use and function of objects is not to be deduced from formal attributes exclusively. In the course of this study – emanating from a number of finds of small and miniaturized vessels from Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age Tall Ḥujayrāt al-Ghuzlān in Jordan – it is not only suggested to make the existence of large real exemplars a condition for the definition of miniature vessels, but also to operate with a model of two function levels when answering the question of their use. In this case the primary level is covering the direct, proximate utilization which derives from the shape and context of the vessel (like storage, transport etc.), while the secondary functional level describes the indirect, associative use (e.g. in a symbolic meaning).
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Pottery, Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 9 moreCognitive Semiotics, Cognitive archaeology, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual, Miniature vessels, Miniature (archaeology), Archaeology of Jordan, Archaeology of cult, and Meaning in miniature: semiotic networks in material culture
Ausgehend vom Bild des durch das ihm ins Grab mitgegebene Schwert charakterisierten kämpfenden Mannes (‚Kriegers‘) und Kristiansens Studien zu Abnutzungs- und Nachschärfungsspuren an Schwertklingen der Nordischen Bronzezeit sind im Rahmen... more
Ausgehend vom Bild des durch das ihm ins Grab mitgegebene Schwert charakterisierten kämpfenden Mannes (‚Kriegers‘) und Kristiansens Studien zu Abnutzungs- und Nachschärfungsspuren an Schwertklingen der Nordischen Bronzezeit sind im Rahmen dieses Aufsatzes Indizien und Gedanken gesammelt worden, die nach einer Kontinuität sozialer Strukturen und dem Repräsentationsverhalten von Eliten bis in die Jüngere Bronzezeit des nördlichen Mitteleuropa fragen lassen. Veränderung in Grabbrauch und Beigabenregel können mit Durchsetzung der neuen Brandbestattungssitte in Periode III erkannt werden; das Auftreten detaillierter, miniaturisierter Schwerter in Südskandinavien (und auch Norddeutschland) muss im Rahmen dieser Umwälzungen bewertet werden.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Identity, Ritual, Late Antique Archaeology, and 11 moreIdentity (Culture), Culture, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Death and Burial (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology), Tradition, Archaeology of prestige, Burial Customs, Bronze Age swords, Nordic Bronze Age, and Mortuary prestige
A Nordic miniature sword in Hungary? Thoughts on a phenomenon of the Northern European Late Bronze Age in the light of prehistoric contact zones Among the finds from the Bronze Age settlement of Velem St. Vid in western Hungary, which K.... more
A Nordic miniature sword in Hungary? Thoughts on a phenomenon of the Northern European Late Bronze Age in the light of prehistoric contact zones
Among the finds from the Bronze Age settlement of Velem St. Vid in western Hungary, which K. von Miske reported in 1908, a miniature sword has to be noted,showing a strong formal resemblance to comparable finds from Northern Europe, especially such sword types with a horned knob. Similar miniature swords are a rather common group of finds there (especially within burials) in Period IV and V (after Montelius),when all types of large swords were also copied en miniature
The discussion of this singular find from Velem leads to a general view not only onto the phenomenon of miniature swords but also onto cultural contacts between Northern Europe and the more southern and south-eastern part of the continent. There are other regions and contemporary cultures with miniature objects among the grave goods as well as more finds indicating an active change of goods and ideas between these regions. To give a short insight and overview about this situation and to estimate the exceptional find from Velem against this background is the aim of this paper.
Among the finds from the Bronze Age settlement of Velem St. Vid in western Hungary, which K. von Miske reported in 1908, a miniature sword has to be noted,showing a strong formal resemblance to comparable finds from Northern Europe, especially such sword types with a horned knob. Similar miniature swords are a rather common group of finds there (especially within burials) in Period IV and V (after Montelius),when all types of large swords were also copied en miniature
The discussion of this singular find from Velem leads to a general view not only onto the phenomenon of miniature swords but also onto cultural contacts between Northern Europe and the more southern and south-eastern part of the continent. There are other regions and contemporary cultures with miniature objects among the grave goods as well as more finds indicating an active change of goods and ideas between these regions. To give a short insight and overview about this situation and to estimate the exceptional find from Velem against this background is the aim of this paper.
Research Interests:
Short news item on the possible entrance situation of Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Architecture, Anatolian Archaeology, and 9 moreArchaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Archaeology of Architecture, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
A more popular science record of recent research at the Early Neolithic hill sanctuary at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 12 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Arkeoloji, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
Der Aufsatz lotet verschiedene Deutungsrichtungen für die monumentalen Steinkreise des Göbekli Tepe aus. Ausgegangen wird dabei von den regelhaft im Zentrum der Anlagen stehenden zwei Zentralpfeilern, die offenbar den wichtigsten Aspekt... more
Der Aufsatz lotet verschiedene Deutungsrichtungen für die monumentalen Steinkreise des Göbekli Tepe aus. Ausgegangen wird dabei von den regelhaft im Zentrum der Anlagen stehenden zwei Zentralpfeilern, die offenbar den wichtigsten Aspekt der Kreise verkörpern.
The authors discuss several approaches to interpret the monumental stone circles of Göbekli Tepe. The point of departure are the two central pillars, which always stand in the center of the enclosures and seem to be the most important aspect of the circles.
The authors discuss several approaches to interpret the monumental stone circles of Göbekli Tepe. The point of departure are the two central pillars, which always stand in the center of the enclosures and seem to be the most important aspect of the circles.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Social Networks, Anatolian Archaeology, and 15 moreArchaeology of Religion, Turkey, Neolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Monumentality, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, and PPNA PPNB sites
I det sydøstlige Tyrkiet har et hold tyske arkæologer siden 1995 udgravet en spændende helligdom fra yngre stenalder – Göbekli Tepe. I artiklen fortæller fire af arkæologerne, Oliver Dietrich, Çiğdem Köksal-Schmidt, Jens Notroff og Klaus... more
I det sydøstlige Tyrkiet har et hold tyske arkæologer siden 1995 udgravet en spændende helligdom fra yngre stenalder – Göbekli Tepe. I artiklen fortæller fire af arkæologerne, Oliver Dietrich, Çiğdem Köksal-Schmidt, Jens Notroff og Klaus Schmidt, om lokalitetens store betydning for forståelsen af det neolitiske menneske.
(Some observations and thoughts about Göbekli Tepe, an Early Neolithic hill sanctuary in southeastern Turkey (in Danish).)
(Some observations and thoughts about Göbekli Tepe, an Early Neolithic hill sanctuary in southeastern Turkey (in Danish).)
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 11 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
A stairway to the circle of boars The autumn excavation campaign of 2012 added an interesting detail to Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C. The structure and layout of this peculiar enclosure was changed over time severely. An earlier entrance... more
A stairway to the circle of boars
The autumn excavation campaign of 2012 added an interesting detail to Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C. The structure and layout of this peculiar enclosure was changed over time severely. An earlier entrance situation reminiscent of a dromos, for instance, was blocked by an apparently later added wall. The supposed entrance way is formed by two walls branching off almost rectangularly towards the south and running nearly parallel to each other, made of conspicuously huge stones which are worked on all sides. A new element in this entrance situation is a stairway with (so far) eight steps discovered in the most recent excavation campaign this autumn. It seems possible that it was constructed to bridge a depression in the bedrock and lead up to the original entrance of Enclosure C, but further excavation work in the area will be needed to understand the situation more completely.
The autumn excavation campaign of 2012 added an interesting detail to Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure C. The structure and layout of this peculiar enclosure was changed over time severely. An earlier entrance situation reminiscent of a dromos, for instance, was blocked by an apparently later added wall. The supposed entrance way is formed by two walls branching off almost rectangularly towards the south and running nearly parallel to each other, made of conspicuously huge stones which are worked on all sides. A new element in this entrance situation is a stairway with (so far) eight steps discovered in the most recent excavation campaign this autumn. It seems possible that it was constructed to bridge a depression in the bedrock and lead up to the original entrance of Enclosure C, but further excavation work in the area will be needed to understand the situation more completely.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Architecture, Anatolian Archaeology, and 9 moreArchaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, Archaeology of Architecture, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
An overview on the most recent results from the excavations at Göbekli Tepe, an Early Neolithic hill sanctuary in southeastern Turkey (in Turkish).
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 13 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Arkeoloji, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
Some notes about and a short account of recent finds and research results from the Early Neolithic hill sanctuary at Göbekli Tepe (in Turkish).
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, Neolithic Archaeology, and 13 moreReligion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Arkeoloji, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, and Prehistoric Archaeoloy
Short note on recent work (2013/14) at the early Neolithic sanctuaries at Göbekli Tepe in the Newsletter of the project "Our Place: Our Place in the World", funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 13 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, Development of complex societies, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, Neolithization, and Neolithic of the Near East
Second newsletter published in the frame of the "Our Place: Our Place in the World" project financed by the John Templeton Foundation (USA)
Research Interests:
News items, announcements and general information about the research and excavation project at Göbekli Tepe southeastern Turkey.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Archaeology of Religion, and 11 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Neolithic Transition, The Neolithic Revolution, Prehistory, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, and Neolithic of the Near East
M. Hoffmann & N. Kuhn, DHitlers Kunsthändler - Hildebrand Gurlitt, 1895 – 1956 (Hitler’s Art Dealer), C.H. Beck (München 2016). A review for "Anonymous Swiss Collector - antiquities theft, art crime, and the complexities of cultural... more
M. Hoffmann & N. Kuhn, DHitlers Kunsthändler - Hildebrand Gurlitt, 1895 – 1956 (Hitler’s Art Dealer), C.H. Beck (München 2016).
A review for "Anonymous Swiss Collector - antiquities theft, art crime, and the complexities of cultural objects" by Dr. Donna Yates.
A review for "Anonymous Swiss Collector - antiquities theft, art crime, and the complexities of cultural objects" by Dr. Donna Yates.
Research Interests:
G. Wessel, Das schmutzige Geschäft mit der Antike. Der globale Handel mit illegalen Kulturgütern (The dirty business of antiquity: the global trade in illicit cultural goods), Ch. Links Verlag (Berlin 2015). A review for "Anonymous Swiss... more
G. Wessel, Das schmutzige Geschäft mit der Antike. Der globale Handel mit illegalen Kulturgütern (The dirty business of antiquity: the global trade in illicit cultural goods), Ch. Links Verlag (Berlin 2015).
A review for "Anonymous Swiss Collector - antiquities theft, art crime, and the complexities of cultural objects" by Dr. Donna Yates.
A review for "Anonymous Swiss Collector - antiquities theft, art crime, and the complexities of cultural objects" by Dr. Donna Yates.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), Illicit Antiquities Trade, Book Reviews, and 5 moreProtection of cultural heritage, Protection of Cultural Heritage from Illicit Trafficking, Repatriation of Antiquities, Antiquities Looting, Antiquities, and UNESCO world heritage
Complexity through cooperation. Chances and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration using the example of the Göbekli Tepe Project of the German Archaeological Institute The ruins of monumental circular enclosures with T-shaped... more
Complexity through cooperation. Chances and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration using the example of the Göbekli Tepe Project of the German Archaeological Institute
The ruins of monumental circular enclosures with T-shaped monoliths uncovered at the Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey are dating to the Pre Pottery Neolithic and can be considered the oldest constructed ritual place known so far. To answer the complex questions after their erection, use and - as the archaeological indication attests - intentional backfilling of these enclosures, a network of various disciplines was established. Together, in close cooperation, scientists with diverse fields of activity contribute their part to shed light on an essential moment in the history of mankind of which little was known to date: the transition from hunter and gatherer groups to sedentary, food producing communities. Due to the participating sciences it is possible to draw a picture of the living conditions at that time and to determine age and origin of these archaeological remains. Semiotics and Cognitive Psychology allocate tools to fathom the stone-age symbolism's meaning. Thus, the specialists involved are able to put together a mosaic, which single pieces unite a broad spectrum of varied angles and bring together the potential of each individual scientific discipline.
The ruins of monumental circular enclosures with T-shaped monoliths uncovered at the Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey are dating to the Pre Pottery Neolithic and can be considered the oldest constructed ritual place known so far. To answer the complex questions after their erection, use and - as the archaeological indication attests - intentional backfilling of these enclosures, a network of various disciplines was established. Together, in close cooperation, scientists with diverse fields of activity contribute their part to shed light on an essential moment in the history of mankind of which little was known to date: the transition from hunter and gatherer groups to sedentary, food producing communities. Due to the participating sciences it is possible to draw a picture of the living conditions at that time and to determine age and origin of these archaeological remains. Semiotics and Cognitive Psychology allocate tools to fathom the stone-age symbolism's meaning. Thus, the specialists involved are able to put together a mosaic, which single pieces unite a broad spectrum of varied angles and bring together the potential of each individual scientific discipline.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Interdisciplinarity, Archaeology of Religion, and 14 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of Architecture, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, Interdisciplinary Studies, The Neolithic Revolution, Archaeology of Ritual, Prehistory, Anatolian Prehistory, Arkeoloji, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, and PPNA /PPNB /PPNC
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by... more
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by staff members of the research project will address some of the questions and topics often brought up regarding the monumental structures unearthed at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests: Religion, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Architecture, and 12 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Anatolian Archaeology, Ritual, Domestic Architecture, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, Anthropology of Religion, Special Purpose Buildings, Special Buildings, Sondergebäude, and cult architecture
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by... more
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by staff members of the research project will address some of the questions and topics often brought up regarding the monumental structures unearthed at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests:
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by... more
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by staff members of the research project will address some of the questions and topics often brought up regarding the monumental structures unearthed at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests: Religion, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and 14 moreAnatolian Archaeology, Ritual, Archaeology of Religion, Turkey, Neolithic Archaeology, Dancing, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Ancient Anatolia, Neolithisation, Neolithic, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Göbekli Tepe, Early Neolithic, and Anthropology of Religion
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by... more
"The Tepe Telegrams" is a weblog meant to give insight into ongoing excavations and archaeological research at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey. Notes on recent field work and short contributions by staff members of the research project will address some of the questions and topics often brought up regarding the monumental structures unearthed at Göbekli Tepe.
Research Interests:
Bronze Age social stratification seems to draw massively on high ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective identity of ‘warriorhood’. During the Younger Bronze Age of Europe a major change within this social... more
Bronze Age social stratification seems to draw massively on high ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective identity of ‘warriorhood’. During the Younger Bronze Age of Europe a major change within this social system seems to take place. The introduction of cremation burial confronts us with a differing mode of representation of this elite. With the new custom, the number of grave goods is reduced, especially metal ones like the swords characterizing the warrior elite. In Northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia this is accompanied by another local phenomenon: here the functional weapon is substituted by a detailed miniature version in burials. But contrary to older research opinion, these are not displacing their larger counterparts totally – more precisely both forms appear side by side in graves, the larger functional ones becoming noticeably rare, though. But when these are completely disappearing from burials in the course of Period V it also means the end of the miniature sword phenomenon. Apparently, the symbolic meaning of the sword is still present to create identity, but now not every warrior seems to have the power of control over his real weapon. While some still have the right to carry their weapon into the afterlife, others are buried with a symbolic sword only. Whether this does imply an ideological constituted differentiation of status should be examined in this paper.
Research Interests:
With the introduction and spread of cremation burial in Bronze Age Europe the immediate material reflection of a deep and significant change in spiritual mindset and practice becomes tangible. Besides a shift in funeral custom and grave... more
With the introduction and spread of cremation burial in Bronze Age Europe the immediate material reflection of a deep and significant change in spiritual mindset and practice becomes tangible. Besides a shift in funeral custom and grave construction, a reduction of burial goods – in particular of those made of metal – can be noted. Generally, a reorientation regarding the perception and concepts of a numinous world seems to take place in that time, a shift from caring for the individual dead towards a more collective sacrificial practice apparently noticeable in an increasing deposition activity in the Later Bronze Age. In Northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia this development is comprehensible in particular with the example of sword offerings characterizing the burials of certain distinguished male individuals. While the new cremation custom is indeed adopted with all consequences and the majority of swords in Periods IV and V are clearly deriving from depositions in a wet milieu, the weapon actually still is present in burials in the form of symbolical substitutes: detailed miniature replicas of original functional swords are continuously indicating a common role and shared identity among those ‘sword bearing’ individuals. The interplay between funeral and hoard, the adaptation of a new body of thought under perpetuation of rather conservative traditional patterns can be traced throughout the domain of the Nordic Bronze Age in different local occurrence. The implication of this phenomenon in regards to evolving social background and societal structure in a period of apparent change, in particular it’s modes of representation will be discussed in the frame of this paper.
Mit der sich im Laufe der Bronzezeit raum- und kulturübergreifend in Europa durchsetzenden Brandbestattungssitte können wir den unmittelbaren materiellen Niederschlag eines grundlegenden und tiefgreifenden Wandels geistiger Kultur... more
Mit der sich im Laufe der Bronzezeit raum- und kulturübergreifend in Europa durchsetzenden Brandbestattungssitte können wir den unmittelbaren materiellen Niederschlag eines grundlegenden und tiefgreifenden Wandels geistiger Kultur fassen. Dabei kann neben Veränderung in Grabbau und Grabanlage insbesondere eine Reduzierung der Beigaben, vor allem der metallenen konstatiert werden. Überhaupt scheint es insgesamt zu einer Neuausrichtung im Umgang mit Vorstellungen einer numinosen ‚Anderswelt‘ zu kommen, einer Verlagerung von der Totenfürsorge hin zum Opfergedanken, wie er sich in der zunehmenden Deponierungstätigkeit in der Jüngeren Bronzezeit zu manifestieren scheint. Im sog. Nordischen Kreis, wo die neue Bestattungsart spätestens ab Periode III das Totenritual dominiert, ist diese Verlagerung vom Grab hin zum Hort ebenfalls zu bemerken. Insbesondere die für bestimmte, herausgehobene Männer charakteristische Schwertbeigabe durchläuft hier eine bemerkenswerte Metamorphose. Denn obwohl der neue Brauch adaptiert wird und die Mehrheit der Schwerter sich ab Periode IV vor allem in Deponierungen im feuchten Milieu wiederfindet, bleibt die Waffe durch ein symbolisches Substitut – detaillierte miniaturisierte Nachbildungen der funktionalen großen Schwerter – im Grab präsent und weist so nach wie vor auf die zu Lebzeiten durch die Waffe ausgezeichneten Individuen hin. Dieses Phänomen und das Wechselspiel zwischen Grab und Hort, die Adaption neuen Gedankenguts unter konservativer Beibehaltung tradierter Muster kann im gesamten Bereich der Nordischen Bronzezeit in unterschiedlicher lokaler Ausprägung nachvollzogen und soll im Rahmen dieses Vortrages vor allem unter Berücksichtigung potentieller äußerer Einflüsse näher erörtert werden.
Research Interests:
In archaeology, so-called deviant burials are frequently interpreted as expression of special social roles certain individuals have filled in life or were ascribed in death. Regarded as aberrations of a (theoretical) culture-specific... more
In archaeology, so-called deviant burials are frequently interpreted as expression of special social roles certain individuals have filled in life or were ascribed in death. Regarded as aberrations of a (theoretical) culture-specific norm, interpretation of these burials often focuses on formal characteristics like their spatial situation, construction or the deceased’s treatment, foregrounding rather negative reasons linked with the fear of respectively banishing the dead. Next to a critical review of their ostensible negative connotation, in this paper the ambivalent nature of ‘deviant burials’ is discussed with the help of some selected examples of European Bronze Age find complexes and in particular the role of peculiar objects with ‘amulet’ character among the burial equipment will be emphasized – asking for the incorporation of concepts of defense against potentially dangerous dead in Bronze Age burial ritual.
Research Interests:
The phenomenon of miniaturization is a well-known occurrence in the archaeology of various regions and chronological settings. As well as studies focussing on material and typological aspects, it is in particular the interactive... more
The phenomenon of miniaturization is a well-known occurrence in the archaeology of various regions and chronological settings. As well as studies focussing on material and typological aspects, it is in particular the interactive correlation between the larger functional object and its smaller (i.e. miniaturised) correlate that shows a high potential to re-evaluate material culture involving a semiotic relationship between the utilitarian and symbolic perception of an artefact. This contribution suggests that we consider miniature objects not only as scaled down variations but also as symbolic tokens acting on several levels in the framework of specific cultural backgrounds. The effort in reading, deciphering and understanding this multi-layered meaning of miniature artefacts beyond their substitute character might offer a better understanding for an approach towards an ‘agency of things’.
The tell (i.e. ‘ruin hill’) of Göbekli Tepe is situated about 15 km northeast of the modern town of Şanlıurfa between the middle and upper reaches of Euphrates and Tigris and the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. Excavations conducted... more
The tell (i.e. ‘ruin hill’) of Göbekli Tepe is situated about 15 km northeast of the modern town of Şanlıurfa between the middle and upper reaches of Euphrates and Tigris and the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. Excavations conducted there since 1995 under the direction of Klaus Schmidt from the German Archaeological Institute have revealed a totally unexpected monumental architecture dating back to the 10th and 9th millennium BC. At the dawn of sedentary and farming communities, groups of hunter-gatherers built numerous large circles of gigantic monolithic pillars, each weighing several tons. Demonstrating an amount of monumentality not suspected in such an early context, these structures illustrate the outstanding role of the site of Göbekli Tepe – not as a settlement, but as a place of cult and ritual.
Bronze Age social stratification seems to draw massively on high ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective identity of ‘warriorhood’. During the Younger Bronze Age a major change within this social system seems... more
Bronze Age social stratification seems to draw massively on high ranking individuals institutionalizing force and sharing a collective identity of ‘warriorhood’. During the Younger Bronze Age a major change within this social system seems to take place locally. The introduction of cremation burial confronts us with a differing mode of representation of this elite. With the new custom, the number of grave goods is reduced, especially metal ones like the swords characterizing the warrior elite. In Northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia this is accompanied by another local phenomenon: here the functional weapon is substituted by a detailed miniature version in burials. But contrary to older research opinion, these are not displacing their larger counterparts totally – more precisely both forms appear side by side in graves, the larger functional ones becoming noticeably rare, though. But when these are completely disappearing from burials in the course of Period V it also means the end of the miniature sword phenomenon. Apparently, the symbolic meaning of the sword is still present to create identity, but now not every warrior seems to have the power of control over his real weapon. While some still have the right to carry their weapon into the afterlife, others are buried with a symbolic sword only. Whether this does imply an ideological constituted differentiation of status will be examined in this paper.
Aufstieg und Einfluss von Eliten, wie sie uns in der Bronzezeit Europas begegnen, hängen maßgeblich mit der Kontrolle über Zugang und Distribution von Ressourcen zusammen und gründen den Anspruch auf Machtausübung damit auf ökonomische... more
Aufstieg und Einfluss von Eliten, wie sie uns in der Bronzezeit Europas begegnen, hängen maßgeblich mit der Kontrolle über Zugang und Distribution von Ressourcen zusammen und gründen den Anspruch auf Machtausübung damit auf ökonomische Potenz. Die Nordische Bronzezeit zeichnet sich durch einen bemerkenswerten Reichtum an Metallfunden aus – bemerkenswert vor allem angesichts des Umstands, dass die bekannten lokalen Erzlagerstätten nach gegenwärtiger Kenntnis erst später, in der vorrömischen Eisenzeit, ausgebeutet wurden. Für das nördliche Mitteleuropa und Südskandinavien ist die Teilhabe an großräumigen Kommunikations- und Tauschnetzwerken damit ein wesentliches Element um über Importe von den technischen und damit verbundenen sozialen Innovationen im Rahmen der Metallverarbeitung zu profitieren. Allerdings ist mit der engen Einbindung in solche Netze auch eine höhere Empfänglichkeit für äußere Impulse gegeben. Eigentlich lokal auf die weiter südlich gelegenen Abbau- und Produktionsstätten begrenzte Ereignisse und Entwicklungen können sich unmittelbar auch auf jede an diesen Kommunikations- und Transaktionsprozessen beteiligte Partei auswirken.
Angesichts der vielfach diskutierten Rolle, die der Verfügbarkeit von Metall als Motor sozialer Dynamik beigemessen wurde, soll im Rahmen dieses Beitrages untersucht werden, ob die sich im archäologischen Material manifestierende gesellschaftliche Umbildung der jüngeren Nordischen Bronzezeit ökonomisch induziert ist und wie stark dabei gleichzeitige Entwicklungen ähnlicher Natur in anderen Regionen Europas zu gewichten sind.
Angesichts der vielfach diskutierten Rolle, die der Verfügbarkeit von Metall als Motor sozialer Dynamik beigemessen wurde, soll im Rahmen dieses Beitrages untersucht werden, ob die sich im archäologischen Material manifestierende gesellschaftliche Umbildung der jüngeren Nordischen Bronzezeit ökonomisch induziert ist und wie stark dabei gleichzeitige Entwicklungen ähnlicher Natur in anderen Regionen Europas zu gewichten sind.
Die Ausgrabungen am Tell Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, eines Platzes des späten Chalkolithikums und der Frühen Bronzezeit, erbrachten eine Reihe von Funden und Befunden, die auf Tätigkeiten einer spezialisierten und industriellen Produktion vor... more
Die Ausgrabungen am Tell Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, eines Platzes des späten Chalkolithikums und der Frühen Bronzezeit, erbrachten eine Reihe von Funden und Befunden, die auf Tätigkeiten einer spezialisierten und industriellen Produktion vor Ort, die über den Eigenbedarf hinausgeht, hindeuten. Neben einer Reihe von Rohmaterialien, Halbfertig- und Fertigprodukten, die u.a. die gesamte ‘chaîne opératoire’ der Herstellung von Armringen aus Muschelschalen dokumentieren, sind es vor allem zahlreiche Funde von Gusstiegeln und -formen, Kupferschlacke und anderer Spuren kupfermetallurgischer Aktivität, die die Bedeutung des Platzes als Produktionsstätte herausstellen.
Parallelen im Fundgut Hujayrat al-Ghuzlans und verschiedener anderer zeitgleicher Plätze der Levante sowie des Niltales belegen eine gemeinsame workshop tradition und sprechen für ein weit verzweigtes Tauschnetzwerk innerhalb dieser Regionen. Die Relevanz solcher Netze für sich entwickelnde wirtschaftliche Strukturen in dieser Zeit soll im Rahmen dieses Vortrags diskutiert werden.
Parallelen im Fundgut Hujayrat al-Ghuzlans und verschiedener anderer zeitgleicher Plätze der Levante sowie des Niltales belegen eine gemeinsame workshop tradition und sprechen für ein weit verzweigtes Tauschnetzwerk innerhalb dieser Regionen. Die Relevanz solcher Netze für sich entwickelnde wirtschaftliche Strukturen in dieser Zeit soll im Rahmen dieses Vortrags diskutiert werden.
Der Tod geht uns nichts an; denn solange wir existieren, ist der Tod nicht da, und wenn der Tod da ist, existieren wir nicht mehr.' formulierte Epikur und erfasste damit doch nur einen, nämlich sehr individuellen, Aspekt des Sterbens.... more
Der Tod geht uns nichts an; denn solange wir existieren, ist der Tod nicht da, und wenn der Tod da ist, existieren wir nicht mehr.' formulierte Epikur und erfasste damit doch nur einen, nämlich sehr individuellen, Aspekt des Sterbens. Denn der Tod gehört zum Alltag. Selbst den – bei Epikur nicht anklingenden – jeweils persönlichen Jenseitsglauben außen vor lassend, finden sich Gemeinschaften und Individuen aufgrund ihrer Organisation in Netzwerken alltäglich mit dem Sterben konfrontiert, geht der Tod sie sehr wohl etwas an; der erwartete, natürliche Tod ebenso wie das plötzliche unvorhersehbare, unfallverursachte oder gewaltsame Ableben. In den seltensten Fällen wirkt ein Todesfall als isoliertes, von seiner Umwelt gelöstes Ereignis, meist sind soziale Konsequenzen die Folge, von denen die Beseitigung des Leichnams aus hygienischen Gründen noch die pragmatischste ist. Die Erfordernisse von Totenkult und Grabbrauch kommen ebenso hinzu wie die persönliche Auseinandersetzung mit dem Verlust.
Auch wenn wir uns inzwischen vom Paradigma des Grabes als Spiegelbild des Lebens emanzipiert haben, gibt es nach wie vor eine gewisse Ambivalenz in der Ansprache und Deutung von Grabinventaren. Unter den Grabbeigaben finden sich neben solchen Gegenständen, die ganz speziell für den Grabbrauch gefertigt wurden auch immer wieder Dinge des Alltags. Doch was ist deren Funktion im Grab und Begräbnisritual? Erfüllen sie hier den gleichen Zweck wie im täglichen Gebrauch oder kommt es zu einer dem veränderten Kontext geschuldeten Bedeutungsumwidmung, einer zusätzlichen Funktion auf sekundärer Ebene? Und wie wirkt sich dies wiederum auf die Verwendung der gleichen Objekte im Alltag aus? Anhand einiger ausgewählter Beispiele aus der Bronzezeit Europas soll diesen und weiteren Fragen nachgegangen werden.
Auch wenn wir uns inzwischen vom Paradigma des Grabes als Spiegelbild des Lebens emanzipiert haben, gibt es nach wie vor eine gewisse Ambivalenz in der Ansprache und Deutung von Grabinventaren. Unter den Grabbeigaben finden sich neben solchen Gegenständen, die ganz speziell für den Grabbrauch gefertigt wurden auch immer wieder Dinge des Alltags. Doch was ist deren Funktion im Grab und Begräbnisritual? Erfüllen sie hier den gleichen Zweck wie im täglichen Gebrauch oder kommt es zu einer dem veränderten Kontext geschuldeten Bedeutungsumwidmung, einer zusätzlichen Funktion auf sekundärer Ebene? Und wie wirkt sich dies wiederum auf die Verwendung der gleichen Objekte im Alltag aus? Anhand einiger ausgewählter Beispiele aus der Bronzezeit Europas soll diesen und weiteren Fragen nachgegangen werden.
Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, a Late Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age settlement in the southern Wadi Araba near Aqaba (Jordan) may be considered a key site not only in our growing understanding of a network of contacts and exchange between the... more
Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan, a Late Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age settlement in the southern Wadi Araba near Aqaba (Jordan) may be considered a key site not only in our growing understanding of a network of contacts and exchange between the Nile valley and the Southern Levant during that period, but also to follow the development and rise of metallurgy in Predynastic Egypt. Next to other finds showing such trade relations, crucibles, molds and numerous other remains of copper metallurgical activity were found at Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan in high numbers, indicating that its production was exceeding the local needs and thus was directed at the exchange with other regions. Especially similarities with metal and metallurgical objects known for example from Maadi and Tell el-Farkha in Lower Egypt make a common tradition of metalwork in both regions more perceptible lately. Going beyond the mere exchange of objects, these relations could also offer a key in understanding the sudden rise of Egyptian civilization during the 4th millennium BC.
Die am Göbekli Tepe in der Südosttürkei freigelegten Ruinen monumentaler aus T-förmigen Monolithen geschaffener Kreisanlagen datieren in die Zeit des Präkeramischen Neolithikums und dürfen als ältester errichteter Kultplatz gelten. Um die... more
Die am Göbekli Tepe in der Südosttürkei freigelegten Ruinen monumentaler aus T-förmigen Monolithen geschaffener Kreisanlagen datieren in die Zeit des Präkeramischen Neolithikums und dürfen als ältester errichteter Kultplatz gelten. Um die komplexen Fragen nach der Errichtung, Nutzung und – wie der archäologische Befund zeigt – intentionellen Verfüllung dieser Anlagen zu beantworten, ist ein Netzwerk verschiedener Fachdisziplinen geknüpft worden. In enger Kooperation tragen Wissenschaftler unterschiedlichster Betätigungsfelder ihren Teil dazu bei, gemeinsam einen entscheidenden Moment in der Menschheitsgeschichte zu erhellen, über den bisher nur wenig bekannt war: den Übergang von Jäger und Sammler-Kulturen hin zu sesshaften, nahrungsproduzierenden Gemeinschaften. Dank der beteiligten Naturwissenschaften gelingt es, ein Bild der damaligen Lebensverhältnisse zu zeichnen sowie Alter und Herkunft der archäologischen Hinterlassenschaften zu bestimmen. Semiotik und Kognitive Psychologie stellen Werkzeuge zur Verfügung, die Bedeutung der steinzeitlichen Symbolik des Göbekli Tepe zu ergründen. Auf diese Weise gelingt es den beteiligten Spezialisten in enger Zusammenarbeit ein Mosaik zusammenzusetzen, dessen Einzelteile ein breites Spektrum unterschiedlicher Blickwinkel vereinen und das Potential der jeweils individuellen wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen zusammenführen.
(Complexity through cooperation. Chances and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration using the example of the Göbekli Tepe Project of the German Archaeological Institute
The ruins of monumental circular enclosures with T-shaped monoliths uncovered at the Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey are dating to the Pre Pottery Neolithic and can be considered the oldest constructed ritual place known so far. To answer the complex questions after their erection, use and - as the archaeological indication attests - intentional backfilling of these enclosures, a network of various disciplines was established. Together, in close cooperation, scientists with diverse fields of activity contribute their part to shed light on an essential moment in the history of mankind of which little was known to date: the transition from hunter and gatherer groups to sedentary, food producing communities. Due to the participating sciences it is possible to draw a picture of the living conditions at that time and to determine age and origin of these archaeological remains. Semiotics and Cognitive Psychology allocate tools to fathom the stone-age symbolism's meaning. Thus, the specialists involved are able to put together a mosaic, which single pieces unite a broad spectrum of varied angles and bring together the potential of each individual scientific discipline.)
(Complexity through cooperation. Chances and benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration using the example of the Göbekli Tepe Project of the German Archaeological Institute
The ruins of monumental circular enclosures with T-shaped monoliths uncovered at the Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey are dating to the Pre Pottery Neolithic and can be considered the oldest constructed ritual place known so far. To answer the complex questions after their erection, use and - as the archaeological indication attests - intentional backfilling of these enclosures, a network of various disciplines was established. Together, in close cooperation, scientists with diverse fields of activity contribute their part to shed light on an essential moment in the history of mankind of which little was known to date: the transition from hunter and gatherer groups to sedentary, food producing communities. Due to the participating sciences it is possible to draw a picture of the living conditions at that time and to determine age and origin of these archaeological remains. Semiotics and Cognitive Psychology allocate tools to fathom the stone-age symbolism's meaning. Thus, the specialists involved are able to put together a mosaic, which single pieces unite a broad spectrum of varied angles and bring together the potential of each individual scientific discipline.)
The Late Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age settlement of Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan near Aqaba in the southern Wadi Araba is one of the key-sites not only to understand the development of metallurgy in the southern Levant, but also the rise... more
The Late Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age settlement of Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan near Aqaba in the southern Wadi Araba is one of the key-sites not only to understand the development of metallurgy in the southern Levant, but also the rise of metallurgy in Predynastic Egypt and the intensive trade relations between the Levant and the Nile valley. Crucibles, moulds, several artefacts made of copper and other copper metallurgical remains were found at Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan in high numbers, clearly demonstrating that metallurgical activities took place there not only for the local needs but also for exchange with other regions. Despite the lack of a sophisticated typology there is some similarity to be observed with the metal objects excavated in Maadi in Lower Egypt. A common tradition of metalwork in both regions is becoming perceptible.
There is more proof for contacts between both regions. The fragment of a basalt vessel found at Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan is of Egyptian origin. Cortical flakes, typical of the Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age in the Levant, which were discovered at the site in abundance, also have parallels in Predynastic Egypt. A fragmented clay figurine clearly represents an example of the steatopygous type, which is known e.g. from Predynastic Egypt, but unknown so far from the Chalcolithic Period of the Southern Levant. It seems very probable that there is not only the exchange of objects between both regions, but that these
relations had some influence on the sudden rise of Egyptian civilization during the 4th millennium BC.
There is more proof for contacts between both regions. The fragment of a basalt vessel found at Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan is of Egyptian origin. Cortical flakes, typical of the Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age in the Levant, which were discovered at the site in abundance, also have parallels in Predynastic Egypt. A fragmented clay figurine clearly represents an example of the steatopygous type, which is known e.g. from Predynastic Egypt, but unknown so far from the Chalcolithic Period of the Southern Levant. It seems very probable that there is not only the exchange of objects between both regions, but that these
relations had some influence on the sudden rise of Egyptian civilization during the 4th millennium BC.
Next to settlements and depositions, grave finds are the most important sources of information in prehistoric archaeology. Grave customs and burial rituals allow us to distinguish and define patterns of funeral traditions which can be... more
Next to settlements and depositions, grave finds are the most important sources of information in prehistoric archaeology. Grave customs and burial rituals allow us to distinguish and define patterns of funeral traditions which can be understood as culture-specific and indeed definitive aspects of human behavior. Graves which are seen as aberrations of these rules are mainly denoted as 'special burials', without any attempt to define this term clearly or find binding criteria to describe it. In fact, the traditional interpretation of special burials mainly involves a negative connotation and is explained with a certain diffuse fear of the dead.
That is why we are confronted with 'the living dead', 'revenants' and even 'vampires' in archaeological specialist literature without any justification proving the existence of such cultural immanent religious beliefs.
Generally special burials are frequently interpreted as an expression of fear of the dead ('Totenangst') and banishing the dead ('Totenbann'). However it is necessary to consider other, perhaps more positive explanatory models, which could best explain burials that clearly deviate from customary burial patterns. Examples could, for instance, include burials as an expression of different phases of a multiple-stage burial rites or sepulchral rites carried out by minorities with their own specific sepulchral behavior.
Moreover, the standard interpretations which incorporate notions of a direct interaction between an other world and similar interpretations concerning 'Totenangst' usually are based on post prehistoric analogies and historical sources.
In this lecture the cross cultural concept of 'special burials' shall be discussed and its ambivalent nature reconsidered again with the help of some selected Bronze Age find complexes from the area given in the topic of the conference. Moreover other parameters will be critically reviewed, particularly those which incorporate concepts of defense against the potentially dangerous dead (the idea of seeing certain objects in burials not necessarily as grave goods but as some kind of amulet may come to mind) and whether we may or may not find a way to substantiate these kinds of beliefs in Bronze Age Europe.
That is why we are confronted with 'the living dead', 'revenants' and even 'vampires' in archaeological specialist literature without any justification proving the existence of such cultural immanent religious beliefs.
Generally special burials are frequently interpreted as an expression of fear of the dead ('Totenangst') and banishing the dead ('Totenbann'). However it is necessary to consider other, perhaps more positive explanatory models, which could best explain burials that clearly deviate from customary burial patterns. Examples could, for instance, include burials as an expression of different phases of a multiple-stage burial rites or sepulchral rites carried out by minorities with their own specific sepulchral behavior.
Moreover, the standard interpretations which incorporate notions of a direct interaction between an other world and similar interpretations concerning 'Totenangst' usually are based on post prehistoric analogies and historical sources.
In this lecture the cross cultural concept of 'special burials' shall be discussed and its ambivalent nature reconsidered again with the help of some selected Bronze Age find complexes from the area given in the topic of the conference. Moreover other parameters will be critically reviewed, particularly those which incorporate concepts of defense against the potentially dangerous dead (the idea of seeing certain objects in burials not necessarily as grave goods but as some kind of amulet may come to mind) and whether we may or may not find a way to substantiate these kinds of beliefs in Bronze Age Europe.
Das im Rahmen einer weitgehenden Verringerung der Grabbeigaben in der jüngeren Bronzezeit Europas festzuhaltende Verschwinden des Schwertes aus Bestattungen lässt sich nur bedingt auf den sog. „Nordischen Kreis“ übertragen. Zwar... more
Das im Rahmen einer weitgehenden Verringerung der Grabbeigaben in der jüngeren Bronzezeit Europas festzuhaltende Verschwinden des Schwertes aus Bestattungen lässt sich nur bedingt auf den sog. „Nordischen Kreis“ übertragen.
Zwar gelangen auch hier ab Periode IV in der Tat immer weniger große Schwerter in die Gräber, stattdessen allerdings finden sich dort maßstäblich verkleinerte, detaillierte Ebenbilder derselben. Entgegen der bisher in der älteren Forschung vertretenen Auffassung verdrängen diese Miniaturschwerter die große Waffe jedoch nicht aus dem Grab, vielmehr kann hier zunächst ein Nebeneinander beider Formen festgehalten werden. Als die großen Schwerter im Verlauf der Periode V schließlich tatsächlich aus den Bestattungen verschwinden, fällt dies auch mit dem Ende des Miniaturschwertphänomens zusammen.
Wir haben es hier offenbar mit einer Weiterentwicklung des älterbronzezeitlichen Symbolcharakters der Waffe zu tun, die im Falle des Miniaturschwertes über eine bloße Stellvertreterfunktion für das größere Vorbild hinausgeht. Das gleichzeitige Vorkommen realer großer und symbolischer miniaturisierter Schwerter in den Gräbern lässt eine gewisse hierarchische Trennung innerhalb der durch die Schwertbeigabe charakterisierten Gruppe vermuten und eine Unterscheidung zwischen tatsächlicher Kriegerfunktion und ideologisch begründetem Kriegerstatus annehmen.
Zwar gelangen auch hier ab Periode IV in der Tat immer weniger große Schwerter in die Gräber, stattdessen allerdings finden sich dort maßstäblich verkleinerte, detaillierte Ebenbilder derselben. Entgegen der bisher in der älteren Forschung vertretenen Auffassung verdrängen diese Miniaturschwerter die große Waffe jedoch nicht aus dem Grab, vielmehr kann hier zunächst ein Nebeneinander beider Formen festgehalten werden. Als die großen Schwerter im Verlauf der Periode V schließlich tatsächlich aus den Bestattungen verschwinden, fällt dies auch mit dem Ende des Miniaturschwertphänomens zusammen.
Wir haben es hier offenbar mit einer Weiterentwicklung des älterbronzezeitlichen Symbolcharakters der Waffe zu tun, die im Falle des Miniaturschwertes über eine bloße Stellvertreterfunktion für das größere Vorbild hinausgeht. Das gleichzeitige Vorkommen realer großer und symbolischer miniaturisierter Schwerter in den Gräbern lässt eine gewisse hierarchische Trennung innerhalb der durch die Schwertbeigabe charakterisierten Gruppe vermuten und eine Unterscheidung zwischen tatsächlicher Kriegerfunktion und ideologisch begründetem Kriegerstatus annehmen.
In der späten Bronzezeit Europas ist – vermutlich im Rahmen der sich nun nahezu vollständig durchsetzenden Brandbestattungssitte – eine Verringerung der den Toten ins Grab mitgegebenen Gegenstände zu bemerken, dies gilt insbesondere für... more
In der späten Bronzezeit Europas ist – vermutlich im Rahmen der sich nun nahezu vollständig durchsetzenden Brandbestattungssitte – eine Verringerung der den Toten ins Grab mitgegebenen Gegenstände zu bemerken, dies gilt insbesondere für die metallenen Waffenbeigaben – allen voran das in den vorangegangenen Perioden für die Männerausstattung so charakteristische Schwert.
Obwohl dies ebenso für den sog. 'Nordischen Kreis' festgehalten werden kann, werden wir hier mit einem besonderen Phänomen konfrontiert. In der Periode IV (nach Montelius) gelangen zwar in der Tat immer weniger große Schwerter in die Gräber, stattdessen allerdings finden sich dort maßstäblich verkleinerte Ebenbilder derselben. Diese sind meist derart detailliert, dass uns ohne größere Schwierigkeiten eine typologische Ansprache gelingt und wir sie ihren gebrauchsfähig großen Pendants zur Seite stellen können.
Entgegen der bisher in der älteren Forschung vertretenen Auffassung verdrängen diese Miniaturschwerter die große Waffe jedoch nicht aus dem Grab, vielmehr kann hier zunächst ein Nebeneinander beider Formen festgehalten werden. Als die großen Schwerter im Verlauf der Periode V schließlich tatsächlich aus den Bestattungen verschwinden, fällt dies auch mit dem Ende des Miniaturschwertphänomens zusammen.
Wir haben es hier offenbar mit einer Weiterentwicklung der älterbronzezeitlichen Symbolfunktion des Schwertes zu tun, die im Falle des Miniaturschwertes über eine bloße Stellvertreterfunktion für das größere Vorbild hinausgeht und eine Interpretation identitätsstiftende Beigabe mit Abzeichencharakter nahelegt.
Obwohl dies ebenso für den sog. 'Nordischen Kreis' festgehalten werden kann, werden wir hier mit einem besonderen Phänomen konfrontiert. In der Periode IV (nach Montelius) gelangen zwar in der Tat immer weniger große Schwerter in die Gräber, stattdessen allerdings finden sich dort maßstäblich verkleinerte Ebenbilder derselben. Diese sind meist derart detailliert, dass uns ohne größere Schwierigkeiten eine typologische Ansprache gelingt und wir sie ihren gebrauchsfähig großen Pendants zur Seite stellen können.
Entgegen der bisher in der älteren Forschung vertretenen Auffassung verdrängen diese Miniaturschwerter die große Waffe jedoch nicht aus dem Grab, vielmehr kann hier zunächst ein Nebeneinander beider Formen festgehalten werden. Als die großen Schwerter im Verlauf der Periode V schließlich tatsächlich aus den Bestattungen verschwinden, fällt dies auch mit dem Ende des Miniaturschwertphänomens zusammen.
Wir haben es hier offenbar mit einer Weiterentwicklung der älterbronzezeitlichen Symbolfunktion des Schwertes zu tun, die im Falle des Miniaturschwertes über eine bloße Stellvertreterfunktion für das größere Vorbild hinausgeht und eine Interpretation identitätsstiftende Beigabe mit Abzeichencharakter nahelegt.
The looting of archaeological sites is by no means a recent phenomenon and has been taking place in war zones for centuries. The incidence of illicit trade has, however, been significantly influenced in recent years by the growth of... more
The looting of archaeological sites is by no means a recent phenomenon and has been taking place in war zones for centuries. The incidence of illicit trade has, however, been significantly influenced in recent years by the growth of international art markets that are willing to accept/sell unprovenanced items. Examples of the privatisation of public monuments have added to the loss of cultural heritage by placing items in private hands. Additionally, social media platforms/cost sharing applications have provided readily accessible markets for art objects and archaeological artefacts. In high-profile incidents worldwide, heritage and art have been targeted by treasure-hunters who have exploited political instability to openly plunder antiquities. The theft of cultural items has only served to deepen the psychological impacts of conflict in regions (MENA region) by removing cherished items of local/national heritage. Simultaneously, the growing trend for many public institutions to sell " unwanted " cultural items has led to a devaluation of heritage, encouraging unscrupulous private collectors to appropriate objects with little regard for their history, context or legitimate collection practices. This session examines emerging trends in art crime and the grey market for stolen art. We address principles of stewardship of threatened archaeological materials in conflict contexts, attempting to identify new ways to overcome the current limitations on safeguarding heritage. Is it possible to work towards an international archaeological consensus and to develop strategies to enhance protection of the world's collective artistic patrimony? And can we discourage looting by exposing criminals and their willing accomplices in international markets?