Gatersleben

AddedAugust 25, 2001. Updated July 5, 2004, 15:33 hours.

This page will be updated occasionally to add and revise information.

Revision 0.05

Gatersleben

Maximilian O. Baldia

Introduction

The purpose of this text is to provide a general overview of the culture and is intended as a resource for students and teachers of European Archaeology.

Location

The Gatersleben type-site is located in Central Germany.

Chronology

Gatersleben appears to coexist with Jordanów in Central Germany, where one C¹⁴ date on charred grains with a large standard deviation places it between 4350 – 3990 cal BC (Table 1). Although it was suggested that the C14 date from Wahlitz, Germany, suggested that Gaterleben precedes or coexists with the earliest manifestation of Baalberge, an early TRB South Group pottery style, this is difficult to confirm.[1]

Table 1. Gatersleben calibrated C¹⁴ dates

Gatersleben & Jordanow: Kmehlen (Bln-231): 5360±160BP[2]

68.2% probability

4350BC (68.2%) 3990BC

95.4% probability

4500BC (95.4%) 3750BC

Rössen (Gatersleben?): Wahlitz (GrN-433): 5300±200BP[3]

68.2% probability

4350BC (66.4%) 3900BC

3850BC ( 1.8%) 3800BC

95.4% probability

4550BC (95.4%) 3650BC

Pottery

Similarities in pottery style exist in Bohemia, Silesia, and South Germany (Aichbühl and Münchshöfen). Gatersleben is perhaps best understood as a cross between Late Rössen and various Epi-Lenyel groups. Its pottery forms exhibit some affinity to Rössen. However, there is relatively little Rössen-like incised decoration. This seems to suggest a similar phenomenon of reduced decoration that led to the development from Rössen, via Bisheim, to Michelsberg. The use of applied knobs around the pottery hints both at a Rössen, and at a Lenyel heritage, although the scarcity of incised surface treatment is more akin to Lengyel. Similarly, pedestal bowls, bowls and flask point to a Lengyel connection. Occasional early Funnel Beaker culture-like forms exist and a transition to Baalberge is possible. This includes funnel beakers and lugged flasks.

Stone Tools

There are large ground stone shaft-whole axes of largely asymmetrical nature. Many show battered buts. Chipped stone tools include long blades with scraper-lie end retouch. Trapezoidal projectile point-like blade fragments exist, but the fragment from Goddula, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, appears to be too wide to show a connection to the Funnel Beaker culture’s transverse arrowheads.

Economy

Emmer and Einkorn wheat was cultivated.

Burials

Flexed burials in graves (pits) are most common, but cremation was also practiced.

Copper

Two small copper tubes may come from a Rössen or a Gatersleben grave.

References and Credits

Behrens, Hermann

1973 Die Jungsteinzeit im Mittelelbe-Saale-Gebiet. Veröffentlichungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte in Halle, 27, VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.

Behrens, Hermann and Brigitte Rüster

1981 Kalibrierte C14-Daten für das Neolithikum des Mittel-Elbe-Saale-Gebietes. Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt, 11/3:189-193.

Midgley, Magdalena S.

1992 TRB Culture: The First Farmers of the North European Plain. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.

Mildenberger, G.

1953 Studien zum Mitteldeutschen Neolithikum. VEB Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig.

Müller-Karpe, H.

1968 Handbuch der Vorgeschichte: Jungsteinzeit. II/1-2. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, München.

Preuß, Joachim

1966 Die Baalberggruppe in Mitteldeutschland. Veröffentlichungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte in Halle, 21, VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.

1980 Altmärkische Tiefstichkeramik. Veröffentlichung des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte in Halle, 33, VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.

Raetzel-Fabian, Dirk

1986 Phasenkartierung des mitteleuropäischen Neolithikums: Chronologie und Chorologie. B.A.R. International Series 316, 1986.

Please send comments or questions to Max Baldia.

[1] An earlier version of the present web page suggested a more positive correlation, based on erroneous standard deviations listed by Midgley (1992:225). Although I realized the mistake for Kmehlen Bln-231 at the time of writing the earlier version, I only discovered the problem for the Wahlitz GrN-433 date on July 5, 2004 (see also the footnotes below).

[2] Source: Raetzel-Fabian 1986. Midgley (1992:225), referring to Preuß (Preuß 1980:27-28), lists the date as Kmehlen (Bln-231).

[3] Midgley (1992:225), referring to Preuß (Preuß 1980:27-28), adds the date from Wahlitz (GrN-433): 5300±20BP. However, the standard deviation for this Rössen date is listed as 200 years in Raetzel-Fabian 1986. The date is viewed as a late outlier for Rössen.