Dwelling Mounds and beach ridges in Butjadingen/ southern North Sea Coast - Settlement Dynamics in an area of coastal progradation during the Roman Iron Age (BUT)

• Applicants: Dr. Friederike Bungenstock; Dr. Annette Siegmüller
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 502341709

The northern Butjadingen, which is situated between Jade Bay and Weser Estuary, is characterized by a seaward prograding coastline during the Roman Iron Age. The coastline progradation is successively followed by settlements. As dwellers prefer the natural levees, at least on three beach ridges a chain of dwelling mounds is situated dating to the 1st/2nd and to the 3rd/4th century. The proposed project aims to study the chronological and spatial interlocking of coastal progradation and settlement development. It focusses on the chronostratigraphic reconstruction of paleo-environmental scenarios people are adapting to. This will be studied by evaluation of archive data and conducting archeological and geoscientific fieldwork (geophysical prospection, corings, quarries around the settlement and datings). For the study, an area of 10 km2 between Langwarden and Seeverns has been chosen. In this area all settlement phases are represented, the prograded coastal area is extended most widely and, moreover, extensive preliminary and prepatory work was conducted.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants