Communities in the middle (of nowhere): interdisciplinary research of the Neolithic occupation in South Bohemia

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985912%3A_____%2F23%3A00570572" target="_blank" >RIV/67985912:_____/23:00570572 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/68081758:_____/23:00570572

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.38071/2023-00120-3" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.38071/2023-00120-3</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Communities in the middle (of nowhere): interdisciplinary research of the Neolithic occupation in South Bohemia

Original language description

During their peak distributions, the Linear Pottery and Corded Ware cultures were spread across large parts of Central Europe. Yet, their materiality, defined by sets of distinctive artefacts, remained relatively uniform, particularly in early phases. It suggests a high degree of conformity pervading these Neolithic societies. But is this scheme generally appliable or did some more independent spatial structures exist in this uniform milieu? If so, what did constitute them and how much could their cultural trajectory differ? We put these questions under scrutiny in the case study of the South Bohemia region. Upland landscape and a limited extent of loess soils created here less favourable conditions for Neolithic farmers in comparison to the neighbouring lowlands of the Danube, Elbe, and Morava rivers. Thus, the lower occupation density and phases with a very limited archaeological record are characteristic of the Neolithic of South Bohemia. Our interdisciplinary research aimed to reconstruct subsistence strategies, temporalities, and ways of life of local communities. We employed Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates, analysis of raw materials spectra, archaeobotanical analysis of cultivated and gathered plants, as well as pollen-based evaluation of human-connected vegetation changes. We argue for asymmetrical relations between lowland regions and South Bohemia where the former played an active role propelling the changes that were imposed on the latter. However, South Bohemia appears to be resilient to new impulses since significant differences between cultural trajectories of the two realms were observed for the periods of Linear Pottery and Corded Ware cultures. These cultural phenomena entered South Bohemia with significant delay and after they did so, the ways of life might be altered in various aspects. Still, the physical borders constituted by highlands were permeable. South Bohemian communities had multiple connections with surrounding areas as evidenced by commodity exchange. Our case study points to the existence of relatively independent spatial structures that acted as a refuge for atavistic or unique ways of life in generally uniform systems and that were not, however, considerably separated in physical space. Employing such an interpretative framework for current archaeological data can improve our understanding of diverse and non-linear developments of the prehistoric world.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60102 - Archaeology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA21-16614S" target="_blank" >GA21-16614S: At the fringe of the neolithization: strategies of the first farmers of South Bohemia</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů