Excavation of a settlement of the Przeworsk Culture in the Central German Südharzvorland

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Meyer
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 174487547

The aim of the research project is the analysis of a group of settlements of the Przeworsk Culture of the Late Iron Age (c. 200-50 BC). These settelments lie in the central german Südharzvorland far away from the primary distribution area of the Przeworsk-Culture in southern and central Poland. The focus of our research ist the reconstruction of the migration itself and possible processes of adaption and acculturation. The project has three parts: 1.) large scale excavation of the settlement Leimbach 5; 2.) archaeological prospections on 10 sites of the local population and the migrants; 3.) analysis of the finds of the settlement of Gorsleben. The application aims towards the continuation and the termination of the field work and its analysis up to the final publication. In the whole 13.400 square meter of the settlement are intended to excavate. The materials from the Leimbach settlement are to be analysed in a broad methodological perspective. The statistical analysis of the ceramic finds together with 20 radiocarbon datings shall yield informations about the duration of the settlement. Scientific research from the archaeozoological analysis of the animal bones excavated and the palaeobotanical analysis of plant remains up to the archaeometrical analysis of ceramics intend to work out similarities and differences in economic strategies of the local and the new settlers. Isotope analysis of animal teeth and bones shall yield informations about a possible import of animals into the Südharzvorland and about animal mobility in general. While the settlement of Leimbach ends with Latène D1 (c. 50 BC), the already excavated settlement of Gorsleben which is also part of the project has its main phase in the following Horizont Großromstedt. The comparison of these two settlements is of great value to the project. A conference on the settlements of the Przeworsk Culture is going to be organized together with a polish colleague. It will help to work out the meaning of the north thuringian settlements fort he Przeworsk Culture as a whole. The project is an important contribution to archaeological research on migration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants