Archeologické rozhledy

Celtic migrations and the spread of La Tène Culture

2024-08-15T22:47:44-07:00

Migrations and mobility are key issues within archaeological research. The La Tène culture of Central Europe (450–20 BC) underwent deep transformative processes in the 4th and 3rd century BC, traditionally named as the ‘Celtic migrations’ and attested by written sources, and the spread of La Tène culture across Europe, which is explicitly conceived here as a phenomenon in its own right. Is it possible to corroborate one with another? In this article, I propose three models which may help to explain the main processes behind the archaeological phenomena of the ‘Celtic migrations’. These explanatory models and new results are based on long-term research of the La Tène societies of the 4th/3rd century BC, which were deeply rooted in the ideals and behavioural norms of the ‘princely’ elites of the 5th century BC.

Editorial

2024-07-15T23:48:12-07:00

Technological and provenance insights into La Tène pottery

2024-08-15T22:47:36-07:00

During the Late La Tène period in the first century BC, Central Europe witnessed significant shifts in settlement structures and material culture. Understanding these changes necessitates an examination of LT D1b phase settlements, particularly in Bohemia, where such sites are rare. This study extends beyond conventional stylistic analysis of pottery, incorporating material and manufacturing perspectives to reveal production organisation, distribution, and community interactions. Through a comprehensive examination of the settlement pottery from the feature 27/1986 from Křinec using X-ray fluorescence, thin section analysis, and computed tomography, we have gained a better understanding of the settlement's position in the regional socio-economic network within which ceramic vessels or raw materials were transported over distances of more than 20 km. The presented approach offers a deeper comprehension of the La Tène period's end in Bohemia and underscores the value of multifaceted pottery research in archaeological studies.

Ceramic technology evolution at the beginning of the Roman Period

2024-08-15T22:47:39-07:00

This exploratory archaeometric study investigates pottery from a Großromstedt culture associated with a significant migratory wave from the north into the Bohemian Basin at the transition from the Late La Tène to the Roman periods. The analysis of ceramics from the Mlékojedy settlement reveals evidence of technological discontinuity in two key chronological transitions. The first and more significant transition between the Late La Tène period and the Early Roman period (LT D/R A) is characterised by a change in the pottery forming method, with a turn away from the use of the potter's wheel. New pottery shapes and a new range of ornamentation are also introduced in this period, potentially indicating cultural import or/and population migration. However, the technological changes in pottery production were not absolute, as certain processes persisted. The second technological discontinuity was found between phases R A and R B1 of the Roman period. It appears as a natural evolution of the ceramic technology, which was accelerated by the social changes. The findings suggest that the vast majority of pottery could have been produced from local sources.

Archaeology of the main waste dump of the Sauersack/Rolava POW camp in the Ore Mountains (NW Bohemia)

2024-08-15T22:47:41-07:00

The Sauersack/Rolava POW camp from World War II is the first archaeologically investigated site of its kind in Bohemia, and thanks to its highly authentic state of preservation it can be considered one of the best archaeologically known internment facilities in Europe. Nevertheless, new findings continue to emerge, including information from illegal treasure hunters. In 2022, the main settlement waste dump was identified and due to the threat to the site from illegal excavations, pre-emptive archaeological testing was immediately undertaken. The research has resulted in the documentation of a remarkable structure suited to waste disposal and the recovery of an assemblage of artefacts and ecofacts that complement and extend our knowledge of the communities that inhabited the POW camp.

Michal Hlavica: Fragmenty Velké Moravy. Hrnčířské značky jako nástroj výzkumu společenské a politické komplexity Moravy 9. století. Archeologický ústav AV ČR, Brno, Brno 2023.

2024-08-15T22:47:47-07:00

Aleksandr J. Musin – Marcin Wołoszyn (eds.): The Sphinx of Slavic sigillography – small lead seals of "Drohiczyn type" from Czermno in their East European context. U Źródel Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej/Frühzeit Ostmitteleuropa 6/1. Leibniz-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa – Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk – Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Rzeszowkiego, Kraków – Leipzig – Rzeszów – Saint Petersburg – Warszawa 2019. / Iwona Florkiewicz – Adrian Jusupović – Aleksandr J. Musin (eds.): The Sphinx of Slavic sigillography – small lead seals of "Drohiczyn type" from Czermno: material evidence. U Źródel Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej/Frühzeit Ostmitteleuropa 6/2. Leibniz-Institut für Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Europa – Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk – Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Rzeszowkiego, Kraków – Leipzig – Rzeszów – Saint Petersburg – Warszawa 2020.

2024-08-15T22:47:34-07:00