EAA 2022: Abstract

The region of South Bohemia (Czech Republic) represents a specific area of prehistoric occupation. Generally higher altitudes, less fertile soils and local wetlands set certain limits for agricultural communities in comparison to those inhabiting the neighbouring loess lowlands spreading across drainage basins of the upper Elbe, Morava, and Danube. In our case study we track the cultural development of South Bohemia in a long-term perspective from late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to complex society of the Bronze Age. Comparing a comprehensive dataset of radiocarbon dates, we have identified several periods of differences in cultural development of South Bohemia and neighbouring lowland regions. Despite new cultural systems with distinctive materiality and cultural manifestation emerged in lowlands, they reached South Bohemia with considerable delay, or they are even completely absent in local archaeological record. We argue that this trajectory was governed by the cultural conservatism strengthening a distinctive identity of South Bohemian communities rather than their physical isolation since the inter-regional distribution networks remained uninterrupted. The paper demonstrates that there can be more variable reality beneath blocks of archaeological cultures and their generalised spatio-temporal development. Even for temperate landscapes lacking extreme gradients of high mountains or arid areas it should be considered patchier image where progressive core regions interweaved by inner peripheries with different development.

culture, periphery, radiocarbon dating, identity

Oral presentation

  Abstract (PDF)

Václav Vondrovský²

Ondřej Chvojka³
Daniel Hlásek²
Jan John³
Petr Šída¹
Martin Pták³
Tereza Šálková³
Michaela Ptáková³