Border Regions? - Cultural Identities North and South of the Thuringian Forest at the time of the Linearbandkeramik

• Applicant: Dr. Jessica Siller
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 258738554

Over the last decades, research concerning the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) has intensely been advanced. In particular, the large-scale excavations in the Rhenish brown coal mining region and their detailed analysis provided extensive knowledge of this culture. The Linearbandkeramik in the Rhineland is extremely well investigated, nevertheless it is located at the western border of the distribution area of the Linearbandkeramik culture. This is why generalised conclusions of the results of that particular geographic region need being considered with reservations when assigned to other regions. An issue, however, is the varying state of research in other regions. To gain a more objective view on previously neglected regions occupied by the Linearbandkeramik culture, an intense and systematic archaeological investigation is required.The presented project is concerned with the Linearbandkeramik in the regions north and south of the Thuringian Forest. Due to the unsatisfying state of research a revision of the two study areas - Lower Franconia and southern and central Thuringia - is urgently required. These regions are located in the centre of the distribution area of the Linearbandkeramik. At the same time - and this is of particular interest - they are situated between the poles of two regional manifestations of the LBK, the Rhineland and Central Germany.The systematic collection and analysis of ceramic inventories of selected sample sites will provide the basis of the project. The aim is to create universally applicable reference chronologies, which are missing for both regions. On the basis of geographically limited specific ranges of motives contacts between the two regions can be identified. Furthermore, it needs being discussed if the Thuringian Forest can be considered as a natural border only or if it acted as an actual border in cultural transfer. These archaeological analyses will be supplemented by GIS-based analysis. The combination of calculations regarding settlement density and chronological information possibly enables the identification of settlement patterns. The project aims on getting a differentiated idea of the LBK in Lower Frankonia and Thuringia. This project will allow the incorporation of these regions into the framework of the central European LBK and will provide the opportunity of checking the previous research opinions.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants