Insights from the Alpine Periphery: Settlements and (rare) Burials 3400–2400 BC

Hafner, Albert (24 April 2024). Insights from the Alpine Periphery: Settlements and (rare) Burials 3400–2400 BC (Unpublished). In: The Transformation of Europe in the Third Millennium BC. Budapest. 24–27 April 2024.

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"In the context of the widespread European distribution of the pottery decorated with cord impressions, usually described as ‘Corded Ware Culture’ or ‘Corded Ware Phenomena’, the sites situated in Switzerland and along the western Alps occupy a distinctive position on the southwestern periphery. Most Corded Ware areas are featuring typical single graves with gender-differentiated crouched burials and related typical grave goods. This type of graves is completely absent in the western Alpine forelands. Instead, the primary sources of insight into the societies of the early 3rd millennium BC come exclusively from submerged lake shore settlements. Burials previously categorized as Corded Ware graves or roughly fitting within the timeframe of this phenomenon exhibit markedly different architectural styles and feature distinct grave goods. The Alpine foreland exhibits peculiar characteristics that deviate from the known conventional Corded Ware features, sparking prolonged scholarly discourse. This lecture will delve into the distinctive traits of a peripheral Corded Ware region focusing on the time from 3400 to 2400 BC. This also covers the centuries before the first signs of the emergence of a pottery decorated with cord impressions. Novel insights into settlement architecture have been found recently, illuminating long-enduring settlement traditions. These results raise new questions about the impact of the general transformations in the early 3rd millennium BC on peripheral regions. It cannot be ruled out that the Alpine region played a special role and was resistant to new trends."

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