Funnelbeaker culture

Funnel Beaker, collared cylinders, flint and rock stone axes, pottery accompanying

The Funnel Beaker Culture ( abbreviation TBK ) is an archaeological culture of the Neolithic period (about 4200-2800 BC) in Northern Central Europe, where the first shaped by farming culture (Nordic Early Neolithic ). She followed in the north of the Mesolithic Ertebølle culture, in the Elbe -Saale region peasant cultures of the Linear Pottery culture and the Rössen.

The term TBK was introduced in 1910 by Gustaf Kossinna after the typical cup with funnel edge. A proposed outline of the Funnel Beaker Culture was the first time in 1932 by the Polish archaeologist Konrad Jazdzewski.

• 7.1 Earth and post works
• 7.2 megalithic

Formation

Temporal and spatial origin of the Funnel Beaker culture have not yet been satisfactorily explained. Very early 14C dates (4400 BC) Sarnowo (German Schamau in East Prussia ) are unreliable because the charcoal samples used were taken from a pit, which was below the object to be dated as (chamber -less barrow ). So at best a terminus post quem arises, so an earliest time boundary.

More reliable data (from charred food crusts on pottery ) were excavations in East Holstein Wangels whose funnel- cup- Age settlement 4100 BC begins. Since here to each sample and the 13C values ​​were measured, contamination by " old water " ( reservoir effect) on several data can be quite safely excluded.

Meanwhile, in particular the role of the early copper imports is emphasized for the development of TBK. These were in the north already late hunter-gatherers of the Ertebølle accessible and could have led as prestige goods to ideological and social changes, whereas the economic structure is not further developed. A correlation of the occurrence of copper objects with the Neolithization of the area, may be produced in the western Baltic Sea region, as well as in Poland, but can not be viewed as causal.

Dissemination

The TBK found its maximum expansion of Drenthe in the Netherlands on the North German Plain and southern Scandinavia to about the western bank of the Dnieper. Which bordered on the south by the early Neolithic Michel Berger culture in late Neolithic to the Wartberg group. Josef Kostrzewski distinguished the following subgroups:

• Western Group of Drenthe to about the Weser,
• Northern group from Scandinavia to the central part of northern Germany
• East group in the north of Poland ( here incorporated the Brześć Kujawski - to Lengyel culture)
• Southeastern group of southern Poland until about the Dnieper,
• Southern group in Central Germany, Saxony -Anhalt and the Czech Republic

With the sub-groups:

• Baalberge culture
• Salt mouths culture
• Walternienburg - Bernburg Culture

Chronology

For a rough time schedule, the terms used older and younger Funnel Beaker culture in general. The TBK can also be divided according to the region in time steps. These levels differ in their material culture and are based primarily on the respective ceramic and its decoration.

In Schleswig-Holstein area of ​​distribution of TBK, available for the relatively secure C-14 data, there is, for example, the following classification:

• Older TBK or Nordic Early Neolithic (FN ) to the culture stages Wangels phase (4200-3900 BC)
• Siggenebben phase (3900-3700 BC)
• Satrup - stage (3700-3500 BC)
• Fuchsberg stage (3500-3300 BC)

Satrup and Fuchsberg stage are to be connected to A. Sherrat with an ideology of change, in consequence of the megalithic appeared. Andersen and H. Schwabedissen outwitted already in the 1960s to 30 find sites with Fuchsberg ceramics, which extend from Midtjylland on the west of the main Danish islands to Nordelbien.

• Younger TBK or Nordic Middle Neolithic A ( MN A) with the stages of culture MN AI to V ( 3300-2800 BC) Megalithphase

In other regions of the TBK deviating chronology schemes can be used with other levels of culture. This is justified with temporal and typological differences.

Environment

The TBK develops in the late Atlantic period, but learns about 3700 BC the climate of the Subboreal with somewhat drier and cooler climate than in the Atlantic period, but still higher average temperatures than today.

Material Culture

Ceramics

The relatively short-lived ( easily breakable ) ceramic is an important tool (called index fossil ) if they are to determine the time position of a find or find space for archaeologists. The may by Thermolumineszenzmethode datable pottery can be divided into different styles of shorter or longer duration (eg, the deep engraving ceramic after H.-J. Beier regionally 3500-3000 BC). This allows the development of ceramics ( in material, shape and decoration ) and the age of the various finds are limited.

• The eponymous for all groups and levels of the Funnel Beaker culture have a slightly bulbous base and on the vessel shoulder a funnel-like top.

The cups with complex patterns are among the most beautiful objects made ​​of ceramic in the Funnel Beaker Culture ( TBK ) 4200-2800 BC In Denmark, written around 3200 BC Beaker of Skarpsalling stands out.

• Amphorae have a bulging vessel body and usually cylindrical or slightly funnel neck and two or four Ösenhenkel of the neck or on the vessel belly.
• Typically, though rarely are collared cylinders, small vessels with spherical or pear-shaped body. The top is shaped like a bottle neck and has a collar-shaped protuberance on.
• Slices of clay were perhaps as baking dish for making flatbread.
• Particularly large vessels were buried as a storage reservoir in the housing estate.

Hatchets

Characteristic, überschliffene usually rock and flint hatchets, which were used as status symbols or for woodworking. The shape changes over the course of the TBK pointed necked over thin necked down to thick -necked axes. The latter two were numbered in types.

• Thin -necked axes appear in the early Neolithic and C are in the Middle Neolithic stages Ia and Ib (a Troldebjerg, Klintebakken b ) represented by the I type. The Type II is typical of the Middle Neolithic stage II ( Blandebjerg ).
• Thick -necked axes of type III appear in the Middle Neolithic stage III ( Bundsø ). The type IV in stage IV ( Lindø ); the type 5 in stage 5 (Store Valby ).

Tools

In addition, there are the usual stone-age flint tools, such as scrapers and arrowheads.

Others

In the few copper discoveries are imported prestige objects.

Settlements

Of the relatively few house plans come from small oval buildings with a central row of posts. Buildings, which were interpreted as longhouses with interior dividers that are now considered graves. In Denmark, the Køkkenmøddinger ( middens ) of the Mesolithic Ertebølle culture were further used. The rectangular house floor plan of Flögeln (Kreis Cuxhaven ) has now been rebuilt several times.

Monumental

Earth and post works

Earthworks, Vasagårds - anlæg and equipment from Niedźwiedź type were built in TBK during two phases. The investments of the first phase are in the stages FN II and MNA I, ie about 3800-3500 BC As a characteristic apply the parallel grave rows that were not always simultaneously and consistently, and usually consists of a series of elongated oval pits passed. Palisades are only available for some of the plants, however, is due to erosion can be expected with related losses. Today, for about 40 TBK earthworks known, however, were usually examined only by small-scale rescue excavations. Among the most researched include the earthwork of Büdelsdorf in Schleswig -Holstein and Sarup on Fyn in Denmark.

At the end of TBK and in transition to Streitaxtkultur (MNA V - MNB I, around 2800 BC) enclosures were in a second phase on Sealand, Bornholm and Scania re- built, but consisted only of one or more rows of palisades, ditches were not been excavated. With the investment of Vasagård on Bornholm can it take a local continuity - here earthwork was already in the first phase has been created. The only almost completely excavated Palisadeneinhegung the TBK is Hyllie in Malmö ( southern Sweden).

The interpretation of these enclosures is cleared for any of the two phases. In Scandinavian research is currently considered by a function as a cult or meeting place. Use as a fortification, as previously often assumed to be almost impossible due to the lack of internal buildings and the highly segmented ditches. Note the repeated found depositions of whole vessels or destroyed by fire flint hatchets.

Megalithic

From 3800 BC large mounds were built as a precursor of the megaliths. Between 3500 and 2800 BC, about 10,000 megaliths were generally built as a stone chambers almost universally from erratic blocks with Überhügelungen and mounts. In Germany 5000 part quite impressive megaliths are of yore perhaps only about 900 (of which 443 in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, 121 in Schleswig-Holstein and 26 in Brandenburg ) is obtained. Concentrations are found on Rügen and Evers Forst ( Mecklenburg- Vorpommern), in Haldenslebener forest in Saxony- Anhalt, in the Geest ( the Kleinenknetener stones), as well as in the Lüneburg Heath in Lower Saxony ( seven stone houses, Oldendorfer Totenstatt ). As südwestlichstes preserved stone chamber grave, which is attributable to the TBK, the Düwel Steene at Gentiles are in the district of Borken. The megaliths in Poland, the Netherlands and Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) are usually also assign the TBK.

In addition to the burial in megalithic tombs both crouched burials found in the soil, as well as cremations. As free gifts often come to the eponymous cup.

Economy

The people of the northern central Europe and Scandinavia had nearly 2000 years longer retained at a Mesolithic hunter culture as the south of you living Linear Pottery culture. A sedentary, dominated by agriculture lifestyle came here for the first time with the Funnel Beaker Culture auf.Neben agriculture and animal husbandry played the gathering and hunting continues to be important, although there is strong regional differences. On the Baltic Sea (especially in Denmark) fishing and collecting mollusks, as well as the hunting of seals and whales is detected. Also from eastern Poland are settlements known which have about 60 % wild animal bones.

Social structure

Neolithic monuments are an expression of the culture and ideology of Neolithic societies. Their origin and function are considered as indicator of social development.

Some authors suggest a social hierarchy, headed by chiefs and priests stood. This will Moored especially on the labor-intensive monumental whose creation a hierarchical social structure is assumed. At least for the northern distribution area of ​​TBK contrast, can be a segmentary society it relies. Here are the earthworks and megalithic were probably signs of a pronounced ritualization intergroup relations, whose purpose is suspected in conflict resolution or avoidance.