Material culture entanglements of early wetland sites in central Switzerland (4300-3850 BC)

Heitz, Caroline; Hafner, Albert (29 September 2015). Material culture entanglements of early wetland sites in central Switzerland (4300-3850 BC) (Unpublished). In: Culture Contact, Cultural Boundaries and Innovation in the 5th Millennium. 29.09.-30.09.2015.

In central Switzerland, the earliest wetland settlements with definitely
attested finds and features date into the second half of the 5th millennium
BC. Combining the information they have yielded with that from dryland
sites, we can construct a detailed picture of material culture at the turn
of the 5th to the 4th millennium. On this basis, the definition of clearly
delimited archaeological cultures seems questionable, not only from a theoretical point of view. Similiarities and differences in the pottery show
small-scale regional units defined via vessel forms as well as stylistic and
technological aspects. Yet there are also inter-regional connections: roundbased
vessels with opposing handles are typical for Lake Zurich, central
and western Switzerland, the Valais and the central Rhône valley. In turn,
‘foreign‘ types such as shoulder-band beakers indicate regular connections
between groups living in central Switzerland and those in Alsace and
southern Germany. Are these beakers ‘imports‘ or locally produced items
(‘imitations‘) indicating the adoption of ‘foreign‘ vessel types and concepts?
This and similar material culture phenomena result in a picture of many
material entanglements and problematise the kinds of relationships and
mobility which might have existed. Our paper addresses these questions
and discusses how and whether these interwoven connections changed in
the early 4th millennium.

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