- Lower Saxony State Office for Cultural Heritage
Ofener Strasse 15
D-26121 Oldenburg - 0(049)441/7992120
Jana Esther Fries
Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Archaeology, Department Member
- Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Institute of History, Department Memberadd
- Cultural Heritage Management, Gender Archaeology, Archaeological Fieldwork, Archaeological Heritage Management, Iron Age Germany (Archaeology), Iron Age archaeology, and 11 morePublic Archaeology, Prehistoric Settlement, Archaeological Prospection, Survey (Archaeological Method & Theory), Settlement archaeology, Hallstatt and Latene Period, History of Archaeology, Archaeology, Early Iron Age, Mesolithic Archaeology, and Late Palaeolithicedit
- As a cultural heritage officer I am responsible for the archaeological heritage in the west of Lower Saxony. Duties o... moreAs a cultural heritage officer I am responsible for the archaeological heritage in the west of Lower Saxony. Duties of my office are rescue excavations, surveys, consultation for public and private developers, municipalities, and institutions, developing regulations for excavation companies, public relations and supporting archaeological research.
As a researcher I have focused on Iron Age archaeology, in particular Hallstatt culture, gender issues, early female archaeologists and settlement archaeology.
Today my research is clearly influenced by my heritage duties and the sites we are excavating. Therefore I am studying Iron Age settlements, house construction in northern Germany, middle and late Paleolithic sites, Bronze Age graves, Mesolithic hearth pits and the relation of heritage/research institutions and the general public.edit
Pictures are an essential feature of archaeological discourse. The way they are used and their unconsciously made assertions demonstrate important things about ourselves, our theories, our methods, and the way we think. They subtly convey... more
Pictures are an essential feature of archaeological discourse. The way they are used and their unconsciously made assertions demonstrate important things about ourselves, our theories, our methods, and the way we think. They subtly convey our convictions and view of the world – especially with regards to gender issues.
The papers united in this volume highlight the relationship between words and images, thinking and showing, knowledge and assumptions, scholarly thinking and popular images in archaeology They cover two main issues: pictorial representations of archaeology in academic and popular media, and pictures in museums. The authors examine the use of gender in academic publications, TV-documentaries, video games, non-fiction books for children and adolescents, and in archaeological museums in Spain and Germany.
The volume is the result of two sessions of gender study in archaeology: “Images of the Past: Gender and its Representations” during the 20th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in September 2014 in Istanbul, and “Gender in Museums”, the symposium of the Nordwestdeutscher Verband für Altertumskunde (Northwest German Association for Antiquarian Studies) in September 2013 in Lübeck. So this book includes articles in English and in German.
The papers united in this volume highlight the relationship between words and images, thinking and showing, knowledge and assumptions, scholarly thinking and popular images in archaeology They cover two main issues: pictorial representations of archaeology in academic and popular media, and pictures in museums. The authors examine the use of gender in academic publications, TV-documentaries, video games, non-fiction books for children and adolescents, and in archaeological museums in Spain and Germany.
The volume is the result of two sessions of gender study in archaeology: “Images of the Past: Gender and its Representations” during the 20th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in September 2014 in Istanbul, and “Gender in Museums”, the symposium of the Nordwestdeutscher Verband für Altertumskunde (Northwest German Association for Antiquarian Studies) in September 2013 in Lübeck. So this book includes articles in English and in German.
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Chapter on transition to farming in northwest Europe. Chapter in German and Dutch exhibition guide
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6th meeting of the working group Gender Studies during the conference of the Nordwestdeutschen Verband für Altertumsforschung in Hannover from 31.08. to 02.09.2015.
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Western Lower Saxony had long been characterised by a curious site distribution in the pre-roman Iron Age: many cemeteries, including sizeable ones, but hardly any settlements in wide areas. In contrast, settlements have long been known... more
Western Lower Saxony had long been characterised by a curious site distribution in the pre-roman Iron Age: many
cemeteries, including sizeable ones, but hardly any settlements in wide areas. In contrast, settlements have long been
known from the fertile marshes along the North Sea coast, with occupation in some cases even beginning in the
Bronze Age. Similarly, Iron Age settlements have been found in the neighbouring provinces in the Netherlands.
There, the evolution of different types of houses and larger settlements could be reconstructed. A review of archival
material and the literature demonstrates, that the picture of missing Iron Age settlement in western Lower Saxony
is only partially correct. Also, in the past decade, new finds of settlements and houses of pre-roman Iron Age date
during large scale excavations, help to correct this picture.
Raimund Karl, Jutta Leskovar (Hrsg.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 5. Linzer
Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich, Folge 37. Linz 2013. xx-xx
In some cases, we witness short-lived individual houses or dwelling houses with several ancilliary buildings, in others
larger settlement with longer terms of occupation. Different house types can be shown, which are similar to those
known form the Dutch house typology, but not identical. Three-ailsed houses combining living quarters with stables
seem to have been adopted on the Geest only at the beginning of the imperial period, while they had been in use
much earlier along the coast. Due to larger numbers of houses or the absence of normal dwelling houses, some settlements
may have had a different function than others, or may represent different types of economic use.
cemeteries, including sizeable ones, but hardly any settlements in wide areas. In contrast, settlements have long been
known from the fertile marshes along the North Sea coast, with occupation in some cases even beginning in the
Bronze Age. Similarly, Iron Age settlements have been found in the neighbouring provinces in the Netherlands.
There, the evolution of different types of houses and larger settlements could be reconstructed. A review of archival
material and the literature demonstrates, that the picture of missing Iron Age settlement in western Lower Saxony
is only partially correct. Also, in the past decade, new finds of settlements and houses of pre-roman Iron Age date
during large scale excavations, help to correct this picture.
Raimund Karl, Jutta Leskovar (Hrsg.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 5. Linzer
Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich, Folge 37. Linz 2013. xx-xx
In some cases, we witness short-lived individual houses or dwelling houses with several ancilliary buildings, in others
larger settlement with longer terms of occupation. Different house types can be shown, which are similar to those
known form the Dutch house typology, but not identical. Three-ailsed houses combining living quarters with stables
seem to have been adopted on the Geest only at the beginning of the imperial period, while they had been in use
much earlier along the coast. Due to larger numbers of houses or the absence of normal dwelling houses, some settlements
may have had a different function than others, or may represent different types of economic use.
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Selected Grave Enclosures in the North-West of Continental Europe - Features, Distribution, Recording - The main subject of the contribution are oblong and keyhole-shaped grave enclosures. Initially structures of Westphalian graves... more
Selected Grave Enclosures in the North-West of Continental Europe - Features, Distribution, Recording -
The main subject of the contribution are oblong and keyhole-shaped grave enclosures.
Initially structures of Westphalian graves of The Early and Middle Bronze Ages with their shapes, distribution and genesis are presented. The situation of some graves within larger burial sites is described. The emphasis is on ditch structures. Their younger Bronze Age derivates are subsequently subject of the project described.
This project goes back to the Bronze Age Campaign of the Council of Europe from 1994-1997 and has been recently concluded. A group of nine archaeologists from four countries have established an international systematic inventory of oblong and keyhole-shaped ditches. They have been strongly supported by other colleagues. The results were saved in a catalogue (which will be published this year) and on a database (which will be online in the near future).
In conclusion some recently discovered cemeteries of western Lower Saxony with different types of enclosures are presented. Since 1995 three large burial places of the younger Bronze Age with about 35 keyhole-shaped grave enclosures, some oblong enclosures, arrangements of post-holes and a large number of circular ditches have been excavated. In addition to this variety of ditch enclosures apparently intentional intersections as well as careful prevention of intersections have been observed.""
The main subject of the contribution are oblong and keyhole-shaped grave enclosures.
Initially structures of Westphalian graves of The Early and Middle Bronze Ages with their shapes, distribution and genesis are presented. The situation of some graves within larger burial sites is described. The emphasis is on ditch structures. Their younger Bronze Age derivates are subsequently subject of the project described.
This project goes back to the Bronze Age Campaign of the Council of Europe from 1994-1997 and has been recently concluded. A group of nine archaeologists from four countries have established an international systematic inventory of oblong and keyhole-shaped ditches. They have been strongly supported by other colleagues. The results were saved in a catalogue (which will be published this year) and on a database (which will be online in the near future).
In conclusion some recently discovered cemeteries of western Lower Saxony with different types of enclosures are presented. Since 1995 three large burial places of the younger Bronze Age with about 35 keyhole-shaped grave enclosures, some oblong enclosures, arrangements of post-holes and a large number of circular ditches have been excavated. In addition to this variety of ditch enclosures apparently intentional intersections as well as careful prevention of intersections have been observed.""
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Except for the coastal region, the Iron Age in western Lower Saxony is better known from cemeteries than settlements or even complete house ground plans. Nevertheless, an approximate review of the available data accounts for around 90... more
Except for the coastal region, the Iron Age in western Lower Saxony is better known from cemeteries than settlements or even complete house ground plans. Nevertheless, an approximate review of the available data accounts for around 90 settlement sites. In the case of eleven sites there are house ground plans of altogether twenty dwellings. A conspicuous concentration of sites with house plans is present in the west of the state, on the Vechte River. There the two-span house clearly predominates. Three-span structures seem to have been built during the time of the transition to the Roman Iron Age. Good comparisons are found in dwellings with numerous ground plans located in the eastern Netherlands. Foremost to mention there are the two-aisled house types Dalen and Haps, for which there are many parallels, even though all of the exact features of these house forms are found only in individual cases. Future excavations should make this picture even more distinct soon, as it has done since 2008.
More settlements and also more house plans of the Pre-Roman Iron Age have become known in the area be-tween the Ems and Vechte rivers than noted thus far in literature. These remains are quite multifaceted. In most cases one dwelling was recorded in each site; only seldom are other houses present as well. In all likelihood there are other domestic dwellings in Georgsmarienhütte (Tab. 1.11), and in Cloppenburg (Tab. 1.1) an individual farmstead can be even assumed with some certainty. Two most recent excavations in Lingen-Baccum (Tab. 1.2) and Nordhorn-Hestrup (Tab. 1.7) brought forth six or seven homesteads as well as at least three other dwellings; however, the entire duration of settlement is still unclear. The two-aisled dwellings correspond mostly with the house type Dalen, according to H. Waterbolk, a type that is closely related to the much cited house type Haps. Divergences from these two types, such as distinctly rounded narrow sides or only few recognisable external house-posts, indicate that it is the basic idea in construction that corresponds rather than all details in building. Therefore, it is tempting to set up a separate typology for two-aisled houses in the region with numerous sub-types, but the number of houses is still insufficient. The two excavations in 2008 and 2009 enlarged the picture of houses in the area under study considerably, and more investigations will likely lead to even more insights. With good fortune in a few years it will be possible to develop a specific typology for this area.
More settlements and also more house plans of the Pre-Roman Iron Age have become known in the area be-tween the Ems and Vechte rivers than noted thus far in literature. These remains are quite multifaceted. In most cases one dwelling was recorded in each site; only seldom are other houses present as well. In all likelihood there are other domestic dwellings in Georgsmarienhütte (Tab. 1.11), and in Cloppenburg (Tab. 1.1) an individual farmstead can be even assumed with some certainty. Two most recent excavations in Lingen-Baccum (Tab. 1.2) and Nordhorn-Hestrup (Tab. 1.7) brought forth six or seven homesteads as well as at least three other dwellings; however, the entire duration of settlement is still unclear. The two-aisled dwellings correspond mostly with the house type Dalen, according to H. Waterbolk, a type that is closely related to the much cited house type Haps. Divergences from these two types, such as distinctly rounded narrow sides or only few recognisable external house-posts, indicate that it is the basic idea in construction that corresponds rather than all details in building. Therefore, it is tempting to set up a separate typology for two-aisled houses in the region with numerous sub-types, but the number of houses is still insufficient. The two excavations in 2008 and 2009 enlarged the picture of houses in the area under study considerably, and more investigations will likely lead to even more insights. With good fortune in a few years it will be possible to develop a specific typology for this area.
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Archaeologies of women, gender and feminist approaches have largely been sidelined or even ignored in German archaeology for a long time. Based on the misappropriation that gender is biologically determined, it was widely assumed within... more
Archaeologies of women, gender and feminist approaches have largely been sidelined or even ignored in German archaeology for a long time. Based on the misappropriation that gender is biologically determined, it was widely assumed within the discipline that gender roles were universally identical.This made research into this specific aspect of societies seem superfluous.
At the same time, this assumption allowed for a priori associations of grave goods with women or men.
Only in the last few years, this basic assumption has been questioned and the necessity of research into this aspect
of societies been recognised. Gender roles are increasingly seen as variable in different social systems. Regional studies of Iron Age cemeteries now allow us to anticipate how differential gender was expressed in the burial record in different regions and periods.
This study explains the chances and changes brought about by gender archaeology, how strongly it still is influenced by traditional assumptions, and also what caveats have to be considered when attempting to analyse the factor gender.
At the same time, this assumption allowed for a priori associations of grave goods with women or men.
Only in the last few years, this basic assumption has been questioned and the necessity of research into this aspect
of societies been recognised. Gender roles are increasingly seen as variable in different social systems. Regional studies of Iron Age cemeteries now allow us to anticipate how differential gender was expressed in the burial record in different regions and periods.
This study explains the chances and changes brought about by gender archaeology, how strongly it still is influenced by traditional assumptions, and also what caveats have to be considered when attempting to analyse the factor gender.
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Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung „Wert-Schätzung“ des Studiengangs Gender studies, Universität Oldenburg
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Rock art or galcial scratches?
Carvings on a newly detected boilder within a megaltihic tomb rise several questions.
Carvings on a newly detected boilder within a megaltihic tomb rise several questions.
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Research in Bronze and Iron Age urns by citizen scientists and anthropological results
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Following the publication about a red Heligoland flint core from Damme (FRIES/VEIL 2014), older finds from the collection of Hans Reinerth, dating from the 1930/40ies, and from Siegfried Bolkes are presented here. Evidence of both... more
Following the publication about a red Heligoland flint core from Damme (FRIES/VEIL 2014), older finds from the collection of Hans Reinerth, dating from the 1930/40ies, and from Siegfried Bolkes are presented here. Evidence of both mesolithic as well as upper to late palaeolithic elements are demonstrated. The core belongs to a thinly distributed but significant scattering of artefacts made of red Heligoland flint which, during the end phase of the last ice age, were either bartered from hand to hand or directly procured.
The hitherto known artefacts made of this type of stone can be attributed to Federmesser or Stielspitzen (tanged point) groups between ca. 14,000 and 12,000 B.C. The Damme flint core shows a typical method of working used by the hunter groups of the upper palaeolithic. The Magdalénien and Hamburgian Cultures come into consideration here. Therefore the core might be the earliest evidence of visits to the still dry island. There is no evidence of a possible symbolic significance of this striking raw material. The spectrum of late palaeolithic red Heligoland flint artefacts does not differ from the inventories of common moraine flint. However the distribution of the red flint indicates particular reasons behind its use. The great distances point more probably to exchange from hand to hand rather than self-supply which would require vast territories.
The systematic survey of the site on 22./23.2.2012 indicates that the observed distribution of finds are part of Reinerth’s larger site, a part of which Bolke had recorded in the fringe area of the great sand drift mound. The extensive area over which the finds are spread leads to the assumption of many single camp sites. The transport of only one habitation site over the long distances by labour can be ruled out. The extensive examination of the survey data allows the making of a finer resolution image of the settlement traces, allowing forecasts for future surveys. It reveals a wide spatial differentiation, consisting of areas with concentrations of artefacts and areas without finds, of variously dispersed tools and processing waste.
The spatial representation of the main tendencies is confirmed by critical examination of the sources. The distribution images can be enlarged to ca. 5x5 m objects. The five palaeolithic and one mesolithic concentrations are to be confirmed by further prospections. The potential areas with upper to late palaeolithic finds indicate where the red flint cores could have been gathered by Bolke. Here the residue from its working could be searched for in order to verify if and how it was worked in situ. A separate recycled core in its ultimate stage, which had been carried a long way, would show a particular estimation of its value. The solution to these questions can further our understanding of the long distance contacts of the hunter and gatherers in the late ice age, and of the significance of the raw material for their social connections.
The hitherto known artefacts made of this type of stone can be attributed to Federmesser or Stielspitzen (tanged point) groups between ca. 14,000 and 12,000 B.C. The Damme flint core shows a typical method of working used by the hunter groups of the upper palaeolithic. The Magdalénien and Hamburgian Cultures come into consideration here. Therefore the core might be the earliest evidence of visits to the still dry island. There is no evidence of a possible symbolic significance of this striking raw material. The spectrum of late palaeolithic red Heligoland flint artefacts does not differ from the inventories of common moraine flint. However the distribution of the red flint indicates particular reasons behind its use. The great distances point more probably to exchange from hand to hand rather than self-supply which would require vast territories.
The systematic survey of the site on 22./23.2.2012 indicates that the observed distribution of finds are part of Reinerth’s larger site, a part of which Bolke had recorded in the fringe area of the great sand drift mound. The extensive area over which the finds are spread leads to the assumption of many single camp sites. The transport of only one habitation site over the long distances by labour can be ruled out. The extensive examination of the survey data allows the making of a finer resolution image of the settlement traces, allowing forecasts for future surveys. It reveals a wide spatial differentiation, consisting of areas with concentrations of artefacts and areas without finds, of variously dispersed tools and processing waste.
The spatial representation of the main tendencies is confirmed by critical examination of the sources. The distribution images can be enlarged to ca. 5x5 m objects. The five palaeolithic and one mesolithic concentrations are to be confirmed by further prospections. The potential areas with upper to late palaeolithic finds indicate where the red flint cores could have been gathered by Bolke. Here the residue from its working could be searched for in order to verify if and how it was worked in situ. A separate recycled core in its ultimate stage, which had been carried a long way, would show a particular estimation of its value. The solution to these questions can further our understanding of the long distance contacts of the hunter and gatherers in the late ice age, and of the significance of the raw material for their social connections.
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Our concepts of the past are, as we are all well aware, never purely objective. The personality, attitude and sense of self of those working on this topic, always influence our image of (pre)history. Therefore it is not apathetic, who... more
Our concepts of the past are, as we are all well aware, never purely objective. The personality, attitude and sense of self of those working on this topic, always influence our image of (pre)history. Therefore it is not apathetic, who explores the past and who has control over the results. On the other hand, especially far, prehistorical times are frequently used to explain current social or political conditions.
The article deals with the professional chances of women in prehistoric archaeology in Germany, especially in the last 30 years. Despite
a balance in university graduations, female archaeologists succeeded less frequently to obtain a permanent or influential position than
male archaeologists. Besides this, concepts of the prehistoric past developed by archaeologists are still mainly male-patriarchal influenced,despite the development of archaeological gender studies. Even more masculine than the archaeological staff is the popular image of archaeologists. Which leads to the question, which impact our own image has on our concepts of the past.
The article deals with the professional chances of women in prehistoric archaeology in Germany, especially in the last 30 years. Despite
a balance in university graduations, female archaeologists succeeded less frequently to obtain a permanent or influential position than
male archaeologists. Besides this, concepts of the prehistoric past developed by archaeologists are still mainly male-patriarchal influenced,despite the development of archaeological gender studies. Even more masculine than the archaeological staff is the popular image of archaeologists. Which leads to the question, which impact our own image has on our concepts of the past.
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A blade core found at Damme near Lake Dümmer in 1996 was identifi ed in 2011 as red Heligoland flint. It resembles Late Upper Palaeolithic concepts of blade production in northern Central Europe, e.g. Hamburgian and Magdalenian, and could... more
A blade core found at Damme near Lake Dümmer in 1996 was identifi ed in 2011 as red Heligoland flint. It resembles Late Upper Palaeolithic concepts of blade production in northern Central Europe, e.g. Hamburgian and Magdalenian, and could thus be older than the four known artefacts of the Federmesser groups. The exhausted core is the first evidence of transport and processing of raw material up to 200 km from its source. In 2012, in addition to Mesolithic and Late Palaeolithic artefacts, probable Late Upper Palaeolithic artefacts were mapped at the site that support the technical dating of the core. Its distance from the source is not necessarily explained by personal procurement expeditions or acquisition during migration; it could also have been exchanged by barter, as suggested by clear evidence of the transfer and circulation of stone artefacts among bands of hunter-gatherers.
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Hearth pits are a very typical Mesolithic feature in the cover-sand areas of the Northwest-European Plain. Thousands of hearth pits are known from well over 100 sites in the northern Netherlands and to a lesser extent in the neighbouring... more
Hearth pits are a very typical Mesolithic feature in the cover-sand areas of the Northwest-European Plain. Thousands of hearth pits are known from well over 100 sites in the northern Netherlands and to a lesser extent in the neighbouring part of Germany. Extensive sites with hundreds of hearth pits, so-called ‘pit clusters’, were not known from the latter area until recently. The Eversten 3 site and the fi rst results of the excavation and analyses are presented
here. Excavated in 2009 by the Lower Saxony State Service for Cultural Heritage, nearly 400 hearth pits and several concentrations of fl int artefacts were recorded on a sand ridge on the western periphery of the City of Oldenburg. The analyses are ongoing but, based on several radiocarbon dates, it is clear that occupation of the sand ridge started during the Early Mesolithic. Although considerably smaller, several other sites with hearth pits are known from the Weser-Ems region.
here. Excavated in 2009 by the Lower Saxony State Service for Cultural Heritage, nearly 400 hearth pits and several concentrations of fl int artefacts were recorded on a sand ridge on the western periphery of the City of Oldenburg. The analyses are ongoing but, based on several radiocarbon dates, it is clear that occupation of the sand ridge started during the Early Mesolithic. Although considerably smaller, several other sites with hearth pits are known from the Weser-Ems region.
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From May to November 2009, the Lower Saxony State Service for Cultural Heritage documented a Mesolithic site on the western outskirts of the city of Oldenburg, which yielded just under 400 hearth pits. Apart from these, extensive soil... more
From May to November 2009, the Lower Saxony State Service for Cultural Heritage documented a Mesolithic site on the western outskirts of the city of Oldenburg, which yielded just under 400 hearth pits. Apart from these, extensive soil improvement fosse systems were identified. The hearth pits lie on the summit and slopes of a dune, which reaches – for the region – a considerable height, and on the borders of a river plain. The comparatively few stone tools found during the dig can probably be dated to the earlyMesolithic age, which is indicated by C-14 dating.
Mesolithic hearth pits are usually interpreted as being used to roast or smoke food.Whereas several have been discovered in dune areas in the Weser-Ems region, sites of a comparable
size to the one in Oldenburg are not found until the western Netherlands.
Mesolithic hearth pits are usually interpreted as being used to roast or smoke food.Whereas several have been discovered in dune areas in the Weser-Ems region, sites of a comparable
size to the one in Oldenburg are not found until the western Netherlands.
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In 2008/2009 rescue excavations covering a total area of 1.2 hectares were undertaken at Baccum (Lingen, Emsland) in advance of the development of a housing area. The archaeological structures yielded evidence of three different... more
In 2008/2009 rescue excavations covering a total area of 1.2 hectares were undertaken at Baccum (Lingen, Emsland)
in advance of the development of a housing area. The archaeological structures yielded evidence of three different occupation phases.
The oldest phase is represented by a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age grave field, the next phase by an Iron Age settlement and the last phase, dated much younger, by an early medieval settlement. The documented structures of the grave field comprise a total of 92 graves and grave enclosures. Eleven of these grave enclosures can be attributed to the Vledder type, two circular enclosures were each surrounded by a ring of posts and eight were typical keyhole-shaped grave enclosures. The graves surrounded by more or less circular ditches comprise two elongated grave enclosures, twelve simple ones, one enclosure with double ditches and one with three concentric rings of posts. The grave field covers a time span from the 11th-10th century BC to the beginning of the early Iron Age. The most important find was a late Bronze Age plate brooch of the Oerel type.
The Iron Age settlement is evidenced by six long-houses and nine granaries situated in the eastern part of the excavated area. The construction of the long-houses shows similarities to Iron Age settlements of the eastern Netherlands, especially to the house types of Haps, Dalen, Colmschate and Hijken.
In the south and southwestern part of the excavation area, settlement findings from the early medieval period were unearthed and documented. The early medieval occupation consisted of four long-houses, three pit-dwellings and one or more wells. Also excavated were a pit in the north of the area and a complex of pits of still unclear function in the south of the area. The houses belong to different periods and date from the sixth or seventh century AD to the ninth century AD.
in advance of the development of a housing area. The archaeological structures yielded evidence of three different occupation phases.
The oldest phase is represented by a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age grave field, the next phase by an Iron Age settlement and the last phase, dated much younger, by an early medieval settlement. The documented structures of the grave field comprise a total of 92 graves and grave enclosures. Eleven of these grave enclosures can be attributed to the Vledder type, two circular enclosures were each surrounded by a ring of posts and eight were typical keyhole-shaped grave enclosures. The graves surrounded by more or less circular ditches comprise two elongated grave enclosures, twelve simple ones, one enclosure with double ditches and one with three concentric rings of posts. The grave field covers a time span from the 11th-10th century BC to the beginning of the early Iron Age. The most important find was a late Bronze Age plate brooch of the Oerel type.
The Iron Age settlement is evidenced by six long-houses and nine granaries situated in the eastern part of the excavated area. The construction of the long-houses shows similarities to Iron Age settlements of the eastern Netherlands, especially to the house types of Haps, Dalen, Colmschate and Hijken.
In the south and southwestern part of the excavation area, settlement findings from the early medieval period were unearthed and documented. The early medieval occupation consisted of four long-houses, three pit-dwellings and one or more wells. Also excavated were a pit in the north of the area and a complex of pits of still unclear function in the south of the area. The houses belong to different periods and date from the sixth or seventh century AD to the ninth century AD.
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Bericht über die Sitzung der AG Geschlechterforschung auf dem Deutschen Archäologenkongress in Frankfurt/Oder
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Call for Papers: Session of the German working group Gender Archaeology at Würzburg April 4th 2019
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Paper on Iron Age house ground plans, given with Katharina Kupke at the Archäologische Kommission Niedersachsen conference
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During the last 10-15 years numerous Iron Age settlements have been excavated in the west of Lower Saxony. Nearly all of these were developer led large scale excavations and took place on the sandy soils south to the marshes along the... more
During the last 10-15 years numerous Iron Age settlements have been excavated in the west of Lower Saxony. Nearly all of these were developer led large scale excavations and took place on the sandy soils south to the marshes along the North Sea coast. They led to new insights into settlement patterns, different types of dwellings, and house plans. During the same period new questions arose about conformity and differences between coastal and inland settlements, the applicability of house types developed on Dutch sites for features found in Lower Saxony, and the function of small, short termed compared to larger, long living settlements. Even the dating of some settlements and of ceramic types haven been challenged by new radiocarbon datings.
The paper investigates the effects of rescue excavation results on our idea of Iron Age settlements in a low land region. It highlights the similarities to the settlement landscape of the neighboring Netherlands as well as the links to Westphalia and other coastal regions. Finally, the question of research strategies in the analyses of the many developer led excavations is discussed.
The paper investigates the effects of rescue excavation results on our idea of Iron Age settlements in a low land region. It highlights the similarities to the settlement landscape of the neighboring Netherlands as well as the links to Westphalia and other coastal regions. Finally, the question of research strategies in the analyses of the many developer led excavations is discussed.
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The paper discusses by which methods and means a certain gender is attributed to the bodies of prehistoric individuals or depictions and the effects of an (early) ascription. Bog bodies, skeletal remains and cremated bones have been... more
The paper discusses by which methods and means a certain gender is attributed to the bodies of prehistoric individuals or depictions and the effects of an (early) ascription.
Bog bodies, skeletal remains and cremated bones have been determined as physically male or female by physicians, archaeologists and physical anthropologists. Statuettes haven been named “Venus” (often) or “Adonis” (rarely) by archaeologists and historians and even rather abstract depictions of prehistoric humans have been interpreted as biological men and women. These attributions have an immediate effect on the further description and interpretation of the archaeological record.
I will discuss how and why archaeologists among others tend to see a (biological) man or are woman in every representation of a human being and even in their physical remains. Besides that the paper examines the long history of naming pre(historic) individuals or depictions after antique goddesses or heroes. It deals with the physical and psychological characteristics that are attributed by this naming and it´s effect on our image of prehistoric humans.
Bog bodies, skeletal remains and cremated bones have been determined as physically male or female by physicians, archaeologists and physical anthropologists. Statuettes haven been named “Venus” (often) or “Adonis” (rarely) by archaeologists and historians and even rather abstract depictions of prehistoric humans have been interpreted as biological men and women. These attributions have an immediate effect on the further description and interpretation of the archaeological record.
I will discuss how and why archaeologists among others tend to see a (biological) man or are woman in every representation of a human being and even in their physical remains. Besides that the paper examines the long history of naming pre(historic) individuals or depictions after antique goddesses or heroes. It deals with the physical and psychological characteristics that are attributed by this naming and it´s effect on our image of prehistoric humans.
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Vortrag zum Geschlechterverhältnis in der deutschen Archäologie bei der DGUF-Jahrestagung 2016 in Berlin zum Thema „Archäologie und Macht“
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Call for Paper der AG Geschlechterforschung beim Deutschen Archäologiekongress 2017 in Mainz
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Wo sind die Häuser und wenn ja wieviel? Anmerkungen zur eisenzeitlichen Besiedlung in Nordwestdeutschland Der Westen Niedersachsens zeigte für die vorrömische Eisenzeit lange Zeit eine kurios erscheinende Fundverteilung: zahlreiche,... more
Wo sind die Häuser und wenn ja wieviel? Anmerkungen zur eisenzeitlichen Besiedlung in Nordwestdeutschland
Der Westen Niedersachsens zeigte für die vorrömische Eisenzeit lange Zeit eine kurios erscheinende Fundverteilung: zahlreiche, auch ausgedehnte Gräberfelder, aber in weiten Gebieten keinerlei Siedlungen. Dagegen waren in den immer wieder vom Meer ungestalteten, fruchtbaren Marschen entlang der Nordseeküste schon lange Siedlungen bekannt, die teilweise sogar in der Bronzezeit begannen. Auch in den benachbarten Provinzen der Niederlande Groningen, Drenthe und Overijssel wurden seit Jahrzehnten immer wieder eisenzeitliche Siedlungen entdeckt. Hier ließ sich auch die Entwicklung von Haustypen und größeren Siedlungen nachvollziehen. In meinem Vortrag möchte ich erläutert, wie dieses ungleiche Bild zustanden kam und inwieweit es sich in den letzten Jahren durch großflächige Grabungen auf der Geest, den sandigen, wenig fruchtbaren Regionen weiter südlich verändert hat.
Inzwischen ist auch auf der niedersächsischen Geest eine ganze Reihe von Siedlungen bekannt. Zum teil handelt es sich um einzelne Häuser oder Wohnhäuser mit mehreren Nebengebäuden, zum Teil aber auch um größere Siedlungen, die geraume Zeit bestanden. Es lassen sich verschiedene Hausformen und Siedlungstypen belegen. Die meist zweischiffigen Hausformen lassen sich gut an die aus den Niederlanden bekannten Typen anschließen, während sich zur niedersächsischen Marsch erhebliche Unterschiede zeigen. Erst mit dem Übergang zur Kaiserzeit scheinen auch auf der Geest die dreischiffigen Wohnstallhäuser übernommen zu werden, die an der Küste schon länger üblich waren. Unterschiedliche Siedlungsgrößen und Hausformen möchte ich als unterschiedliche Funktionen einzelner Siedlungen deuten.
Der Westen Niedersachsens zeigte für die vorrömische Eisenzeit lange Zeit eine kurios erscheinende Fundverteilung: zahlreiche, auch ausgedehnte Gräberfelder, aber in weiten Gebieten keinerlei Siedlungen. Dagegen waren in den immer wieder vom Meer ungestalteten, fruchtbaren Marschen entlang der Nordseeküste schon lange Siedlungen bekannt, die teilweise sogar in der Bronzezeit begannen. Auch in den benachbarten Provinzen der Niederlande Groningen, Drenthe und Overijssel wurden seit Jahrzehnten immer wieder eisenzeitliche Siedlungen entdeckt. Hier ließ sich auch die Entwicklung von Haustypen und größeren Siedlungen nachvollziehen. In meinem Vortrag möchte ich erläutert, wie dieses ungleiche Bild zustanden kam und inwieweit es sich in den letzten Jahren durch großflächige Grabungen auf der Geest, den sandigen, wenig fruchtbaren Regionen weiter südlich verändert hat.
Inzwischen ist auch auf der niedersächsischen Geest eine ganze Reihe von Siedlungen bekannt. Zum teil handelt es sich um einzelne Häuser oder Wohnhäuser mit mehreren Nebengebäuden, zum Teil aber auch um größere Siedlungen, die geraume Zeit bestanden. Es lassen sich verschiedene Hausformen und Siedlungstypen belegen. Die meist zweischiffigen Hausformen lassen sich gut an die aus den Niederlanden bekannten Typen anschließen, während sich zur niedersächsischen Marsch erhebliche Unterschiede zeigen. Erst mit dem Übergang zur Kaiserzeit scheinen auch auf der Geest die dreischiffigen Wohnstallhäuser übernommen zu werden, die an der Küste schon länger üblich waren. Unterschiedliche Siedlungsgrößen und Hausformen möchte ich als unterschiedliche Funktionen einzelner Siedlungen deuten.
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Im Mai bis November 2009 dokumentierte das Niedersächsische Landesamt für Denkmalpflege am Westrand von Oldenburg in einer Rettungsgrabung einen mesolithischen Fundplatz, der knapp 400 Herdgruben erbrachte. Damit wurde der mit Abstand... more
Im Mai bis November 2009 dokumentierte das Niedersächsische Landesamt für Denkmalpflege am Westrand von Oldenburg in einer Rettungsgrabung einen mesolithischen Fundplatz, der knapp 400 Herdgruben erbrachte. Damit wurde der mit Abstand größte Fundplatz dieser Art in Niedersachsen freigelegt.
Bislang waren Herdgruben hier vor allem als Zufallsentdeckungen an´s Licht gekommen beispielsweise in Sandgruben oder auch im Rahmen von Grabungen zu anderen Epochen. Die Zahl der Herdgruben lag hier stets unter 20. Ähnliche große Fundstellen wie Eversten 3 begegnen erst wieder in den westlichen Niederlanden. So gut wie alle Fundplätze liegen auf Flugsandrücken in unmittelbarer Nähe von Flussniederungen.
Die Erhaltung der Oldenburger Befunde wurde durch einen Eschboden ermöglicht, der die Befunde vor der Zerstörung vor dem Pflug schützte. Auch dies ist typisch für Herdgruben-Fundplätze. Auch die Ausdehnung von Mooren hat teilweise für den Erhalt derartiger Befunde gesorgt. Die mesolithische Oberfläche war in Oldenburg allerdings bei Beginn des Eschauftrags bereits zerstört, so dass nur die unteren Bereiche der Gruben im Boden erkennbar blieben. An anderen Fundplätzen waren deutlich größere Tiefen erhalten, während die Profile fast immer etwa senkrechte Wände und gerundeten Böden zeigten. Die runden, in Oldenburg noch bis 35 cm tiefen Gruben enthielten überwiegen eine beachtliche Menge Holzkohle, darunter auch größere Aststückchen.
Die Verteilung der Gruben lässt an mehreren Fundplätzen Reihen, Paare und größere Gruppen erkennen. Obwohl die Herdgruben über einen längern Zeitraum angelegt worden sein müssen gibt es so jeweils gut wie keine Überschneidungen zwischen ihnen.
In den Gruben wurden überwiegend nur wenige Artefakte entdeckt. Darunter sind relativ viele verbrannte Silices. Hinzu kommen mehrfach einige Felsgesteine, die als Kochsteine gedeutet werden können. Vier Fundkonzentrationen außerhalb der Gruben erhöhten in Oldenburg die Zahl der Funde, die aber dennoch deutlich unterdurchschnittlich blieb. Die Silices dieser Grabung können vermutlich in das frühe Mesolithikum gestellt werden, worauf auch eine 14C-Datierung aus dem frühen Boreal hinweist. Weitere Daten aus Niedersachen stammen ganz überwiegend aus dem 7. und 8. Jahrtausend v. Chr.
Die rund 400 Grubenbefunde wurden vollständig nass gesiebt, um Artefakte zu entdecken und Holzkohleproben zu gewinnen. Zudem wurde ein Viertel der Befunde auf Makroreste beprobt, so dass umfangreiches Material für archaebotanische und dendrologische Untersuchungen zur Verfügung steht.
Mesolithische Herdgruben wurden nach der gängigen Deutung zum Rösten oder Räuchern von Nahrung genutzt. Ein Feuer am Boden einer kleinen Grube erlaubt mit vergleichsweise geringem Materialaufwand über lange Zeit die Erzeugung hoher Temperaturen. Zum Heizen ist eine solche Anlage dagegen nicht geeignet.
Die botanische Auswertung der Grabung hat bereits begonnen. Die archäologische Analyse einschließlich einer größeren Serie von 14C-Datierungen soll im Rahmen eines weiteren Forschungsprojektes stattfinden.
Bislang waren Herdgruben hier vor allem als Zufallsentdeckungen an´s Licht gekommen beispielsweise in Sandgruben oder auch im Rahmen von Grabungen zu anderen Epochen. Die Zahl der Herdgruben lag hier stets unter 20. Ähnliche große Fundstellen wie Eversten 3 begegnen erst wieder in den westlichen Niederlanden. So gut wie alle Fundplätze liegen auf Flugsandrücken in unmittelbarer Nähe von Flussniederungen.
Die Erhaltung der Oldenburger Befunde wurde durch einen Eschboden ermöglicht, der die Befunde vor der Zerstörung vor dem Pflug schützte. Auch dies ist typisch für Herdgruben-Fundplätze. Auch die Ausdehnung von Mooren hat teilweise für den Erhalt derartiger Befunde gesorgt. Die mesolithische Oberfläche war in Oldenburg allerdings bei Beginn des Eschauftrags bereits zerstört, so dass nur die unteren Bereiche der Gruben im Boden erkennbar blieben. An anderen Fundplätzen waren deutlich größere Tiefen erhalten, während die Profile fast immer etwa senkrechte Wände und gerundeten Böden zeigten. Die runden, in Oldenburg noch bis 35 cm tiefen Gruben enthielten überwiegen eine beachtliche Menge Holzkohle, darunter auch größere Aststückchen.
Die Verteilung der Gruben lässt an mehreren Fundplätzen Reihen, Paare und größere Gruppen erkennen. Obwohl die Herdgruben über einen längern Zeitraum angelegt worden sein müssen gibt es so jeweils gut wie keine Überschneidungen zwischen ihnen.
In den Gruben wurden überwiegend nur wenige Artefakte entdeckt. Darunter sind relativ viele verbrannte Silices. Hinzu kommen mehrfach einige Felsgesteine, die als Kochsteine gedeutet werden können. Vier Fundkonzentrationen außerhalb der Gruben erhöhten in Oldenburg die Zahl der Funde, die aber dennoch deutlich unterdurchschnittlich blieb. Die Silices dieser Grabung können vermutlich in das frühe Mesolithikum gestellt werden, worauf auch eine 14C-Datierung aus dem frühen Boreal hinweist. Weitere Daten aus Niedersachen stammen ganz überwiegend aus dem 7. und 8. Jahrtausend v. Chr.
Die rund 400 Grubenbefunde wurden vollständig nass gesiebt, um Artefakte zu entdecken und Holzkohleproben zu gewinnen. Zudem wurde ein Viertel der Befunde auf Makroreste beprobt, so dass umfangreiches Material für archaebotanische und dendrologische Untersuchungen zur Verfügung steht.
Mesolithische Herdgruben wurden nach der gängigen Deutung zum Rösten oder Räuchern von Nahrung genutzt. Ein Feuer am Boden einer kleinen Grube erlaubt mit vergleichsweise geringem Materialaufwand über lange Zeit die Erzeugung hoher Temperaturen. Zum Heizen ist eine solche Anlage dagegen nicht geeignet.
Die botanische Auswertung der Grabung hat bereits begonnen. Die archäologische Analyse einschließlich einer größeren Serie von 14C-Datierungen soll im Rahmen eines weiteren Forschungsprojektes stattfinden.
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Images of the past are influenced by what is said as much as by who speaks and in which way it is said. Therefore it is not astonishing that gender topics appeared in curricula of archaeological departments in Germany only when a certain... more
Images of the past are influenced by what is said as much as by who speaks and in which way it is said. Therefore it is not astonishing that gender topics appeared in curricula of archaeological departments in Germany only when a certain percentage of female students had been achieved. Today gender approaches are a small but more or less accepted field of research in pre- and protohistory. What is still widely lacking is the implementation of these methods and results into other fields of the subject.
Today more than 50 % of undergraduate students of pre- and protohistory in Germany are female. Yet the percentage of female lecturers and professors does not even reach half that number.
The paper will illustrate the proportion of women in universities and heritage management since 1945. It will also describe development of gender and feminist approaches and the role they play within German departments of pre- and protohistory today.
Today more than 50 % of undergraduate students of pre- and protohistory in Germany are female. Yet the percentage of female lecturers and professors does not even reach half that number.
The paper will illustrate the proportion of women in universities and heritage management since 1945. It will also describe development of gender and feminist approaches and the role they play within German departments of pre- and protohistory today.
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Except for the coastal region, the Iron Age in western Lower Saxony is better known from cemeteries than settlements or even complete house ground plans. Nevertheless, an approximate review of the available data accounts for around 90... more
Except for the coastal region, the Iron Age in western Lower Saxony is better known from cemeteries than settlements or even complete house ground plans. Nevertheless, an approximate review of the available data accounts for around 90 settlement sites. In the case of eleven sites there are house ground plans of altogether twenty dwellings. A concentration of sites with house plans is present in the west of the state, on the Vechte River. There the two-span house clearly predominates. Three-span structures seem to have been built during the time of the transition to the Roman Iron Age.
Good comparisons are found in dwellings with numerous ground plans located in the eastern Netherlands. Foremost to mention there are the two-aisled house types Dalen and Haps, for which there are many parallels, even though all of the exact features of these house forms are found only in individual cases. Future excavations should make this picture even more distinct soon, as it has done since 2008.
More settlements and also more house plans of the Pre-Roman Iron Age have become known in the area be-tween the Ems and Vechte rivers than noted thus far in literature. These remains are quite multifaceted. In most cases one dwelling was recorded in each site; other houses are present only rarely. In all likelihood there are other domestic dwellings in Georgsmarienhütte and in Cloppenburg an individual farmstead can be even assumed with some certainty. Two most recent excavations in Lingen-Baccum and Nordhorn-Hestrup brought forth six or seven homesteads as well as at least three other dwellings; however, the entire duration of settlement is still unclear.
The two-aisled dwellings correspond mostly with the house type Dalen, according to H. Waterbolk, a type that is closely related to the much cited house type Haps. Divergences from these two types, such as distinctly rounded narrow sides or only few recognisable external house-posts, indicate that it is the basic idea in construction that corresponds rather than all details in building. Therefore, it is tempting to set up a separate typology for two-aisled houses in the region with numerous sub-types, but the number of houses is still insufficient. The two excavations in 2008 and 2009 enlarged the picture of houses in the area under study considerably, and more investigations will likely lead to even more insights.
With good fortune in a few years it will be possible to develop a specific typology for this area.
Good comparisons are found in dwellings with numerous ground plans located in the eastern Netherlands. Foremost to mention there are the two-aisled house types Dalen and Haps, for which there are many parallels, even though all of the exact features of these house forms are found only in individual cases. Future excavations should make this picture even more distinct soon, as it has done since 2008.
More settlements and also more house plans of the Pre-Roman Iron Age have become known in the area be-tween the Ems and Vechte rivers than noted thus far in literature. These remains are quite multifaceted. In most cases one dwelling was recorded in each site; other houses are present only rarely. In all likelihood there are other domestic dwellings in Georgsmarienhütte and in Cloppenburg an individual farmstead can be even assumed with some certainty. Two most recent excavations in Lingen-Baccum and Nordhorn-Hestrup brought forth six or seven homesteads as well as at least three other dwellings; however, the entire duration of settlement is still unclear.
The two-aisled dwellings correspond mostly with the house type Dalen, according to H. Waterbolk, a type that is closely related to the much cited house type Haps. Divergences from these two types, such as distinctly rounded narrow sides or only few recognisable external house-posts, indicate that it is the basic idea in construction that corresponds rather than all details in building. Therefore, it is tempting to set up a separate typology for two-aisled houses in the region with numerous sub-types, but the number of houses is still insufficient. The two excavations in 2008 and 2009 enlarged the picture of houses in the area under study considerably, and more investigations will likely lead to even more insights.
With good fortune in a few years it will be possible to develop a specific typology for this area.