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

0570572 - ARÚ 2024 RIV DE eng A - Abstract
Vondrovský, Václav - Ptáková, M. - Šída, Petr - Bumerl, J. - Prach, J. - John, J.
Communities in the middle (of nowhere): interdisciplinary research of the Neolithic occupation in South Bohemia.
Abstract book Kiel conference Scales of social, environmental & cultural change in past societies. Kiel University, March 13-18, 2023. Kiel: Kiel University, 2023 - (Engelbogen, F.; Taylor, N.; Ricci, A.). s. 86. ISBN N.
[Scales of social, environmental & cultural change in past societies. 13.03.2023-18.03.2023, Kiel]
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA21-16614S
Institutional support: RVO:67985912 ; RVO:68081758
Keywords : Linear Pottery culture * Corded Ware culture * periphery
OECD category: Archaeology; Archaeology (ARUB-Q)
https://doi.org/10.38071/2023-00120-3

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.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0341947