Added December 15, 1999. Updated December 30, 2006, 23:34 hours.

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

The Lengyel Culture Sphere

Version 3.0

Maximilian O. Baldia

List of Figures

Map of Europe

Map of North and part of Central Europe

Location of the Lengyel type-site

The Lengyel site distribution

Graph of C¹⁴ dates

Enclosure/Rondel

Lengyel painted pottery from Poland

Burial clusters

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 type-site is located in the town of Lengyel in Tolna county, Hungary. Between 1882 and 1888 the cleric Mór Wosinsky excavated a large number of artifacts, primarily from 90 graves found in the vicinity of the Lengyel enclosure. Based on the recovered pottery, Oswald Menghin of the University of Vienna introduced the term Lengyel culture in the 1920’s.[1]

Lengyel is really a widespread interaction sphere, rather than a narrowly defined unified culture. The interaction sphere is centered about the western Central European part of the Danube River, with all its tributaries. However, the distribution also reaches south into the former Yugoslavia and follows the north-flowing rivers of the Wistula, Oder/Odra, Elbe and even the Weser, crossing the Central European highlands into Poland and southern Central Germany.

The Lengyel distribution overlaps with the Tisza culture and the Stichbandkeramik (STK) or Stroke-Ornamented Pottery. Lengyel pottery occurs in western Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Austria, Poland and some parts of the former Yugoslavia. For the last mentioned region, the Sopot culture is included in the Lengyel interaction sphere. Lengyel pottery style similarities even appear in parts of Germany and Switzerland.

Chronology

There are numerous regional indirect chronologies. Indirect chronologies, also called typochronologies, are based on the determination of (pottery) types. The types are arranged in a perceived chronological order. Sometimes the order is buttressed through successive stratigraphic sequences or through cross dating with other cultures. Based on this approach Lengyel is divided into the following phases: Proto-Lengyel, Lengyel I, Lengyel II, Lengyel III (Classical Lengyel), and Lengyel IV (Epi-Lengyel).

Čízmář, Pavúk, Procházková andŠmíd (2004) attempt correlate various regional typologies into the unifying indirect Lengyel chronology. The authors focus on areas locate Proto-Lengyel north of the Sopot-Lengyel culture, which is usually deemed the the origin of Lengyel. Instead, they argue that Proto-Lengyel is found in Transdanubia and Southwest Slovakia and see it as the precursor to Lengyel I. They suggest that in the later part of Lengyel I the culture spreads via Austria, Moravia and East Slovakia into southern Poland (Poland Minor). In this scheme Lengyel I ends with Austro-Moravian Painted Ware (MBK) phase Ib/c. This is followed by Lengyel II, i.e. the MBK IIa1. Lengyel III (Classical Lengyel) includes the rest of various MBK IIa subdivisions and MBK IIb. The authors further argue that Lengyel III belongs to the Late Neolithic, rather than the Copper age, in contrast to previous views (cf. Podborský 1993). Thus the beginning of the Czech and Slovak Copper Age is suggested to start with Lengyel IV (Epi-Lengyel). During this phase regional differences are thought to become pronounced. Incised designs appear on pottery (Retz/Bajč pottery) and the Funnel Beaker culture (TRB) southern variant known as Baalberge develops.

Absolute dating is relatively limited. Nevertheless, the site of Oslonski in Poland had twenty-four C¹⁴ before 1997 (Grygiel and Bogucki 1997 Fig. 8). The pooled probability graph of these dates yields a calculated to range of maximally 4900 to 3400 cal BC. However, the site is now dated between 4300-4000 cal BC (Bogucki 2006). In Moravia, Czech Republic, there are too few dates, but it is thought that Lengyel arrives from farther east and south around 4700 cal BC. Austrian dates are among the oldest, suggesting (to me) a beginning around 5000 cal BC for most of the interaction sphere.

Through special efforts by the Vienna Radiocarbon Laboratory (VERA), including Peter Stadler and his colleagues a large number of dates have become available. Using a special statistical method on primarily short-lived C¹⁴ samples, such as bone, a formative Lengyel phase is suggested to develop in Transdanubia and Lower Austria (Friebritz, located near the Czech border) around 4800 cal BC (Stadler et al. 2006). The same authors end of Lengyel around 3920 cal BC.

My own calibration and analysis of the more useful dates Lengyel C¹⁴ dates (available to me before November 2006) imply that Lengyel becomes recognizable around 5000 cal BC. Its demise occurs around 4000 cal BC. This is roughly in agreement with the Stadler’s 1995 analysis of 68 dates ranging of 4900-4300 cal BC[2] for Lengyel I – III and Lengyel IV, which which ranges from ca. 4250-3950 cal BC.[3]

Unfortunately, the end of Lengyel is perhaps most debated and has caused misunderstandings about the development of other cultures and the development of long-mounds (earthen long-barrows). Ulrich Fischer (personal communication) questions the coexistence of Lengyel and the Funnel Beaker culture (TRB) long-mounds as proposed by Magdalena Midgley (1992). However Midgley lists four Lengyel dates yielding a range of 4300-3750 BC[4], suggesting contact between the Lengyel IV Brześć Kujawski group and the TRB (Midgley 1992:501). The late dating of Lengyel is also supported by several other Polish archeologists, e.g. Jankowska, who following L. Czerniak, suggests 3800-3600 BC for the Late Brześć Kujawski Lengyel group (Jankowska 1999?). However, this may be to late, given the above discussion. Similarly M. Šmíd supports a coexistence of Epi-Lengyel and the Early Funnel Beaker culture, i.e. Baalberge pottery, based on excavations in Central Moravia, Czech Republic. I attribute the long lasting dating controversy not only to difficulties in the existing pottery typology (cf. Jankowska 1999?), but also to climatic conditions and consequent stratigraphic problems, as well as concomitant wiggles in the radiocarbon curve. A close examination of the microstratigraphy and the careful collection of context specific, independently datable material is need. At present, it is my opinion, that a likely transitional phase exists that leads from Lengyel IV to the formation of the TRB South group’s Baalberge pottery around 4000±100 cal BC, although Baalberge is dated even later in Germany.

Economy

In general, Lengyel continues the agricultural practices of the LBK, but some sites indicate a greater reliance on hunting (cf. Milisauskas 1978:142). I believe, that this may be the result of a relatively rapid drop in temperature after the LBK.

For Lower Austria, the evolution of Neolithic cultures and their relationships, including long distance trade, are outlined in Ruttkay 1983 (cf. Höckmann 1984).

Pottery

Some of the early Lengyel pottery is painted. However utilitarian pots and later Lengyel ceramics are not painted.

In Poland, Lengyel pottery was generally made from clay tempered with fine-grained sand. The rather thick walls ..., with a matte, easily rubbed (slightly burnished?) surface, often show signs of ... (poor firing), as variegated spots have been left (Kulczycka-Leciejewiczowa 1970:62). The Lengyel mixes with the Stichbandkeramik culture STK, which also developes out of the LBK (ibid.). The Samborzec group of the upper Vistula River, which has strong LBK roots, “gradually” abandones the STK ornaments in favor of the shapes and ornamentation of the Lengyel and Tisza types (Kulczycka-Leciejewiczowa 1970:71). Lengyel settlements of the Upper Oder “passed on their cultural heritage to the local groups that emerged here - the Ocice group and ... the Jordanów group.” On the Middle and Upper Oder, the Góra group develops. In Kujavia and Pałuki the Brześć Kujawski groups crystallizes.

To the south, the Austro-Moravian Painted Ware is a regional variant of Lengyel painted pottery. It is thought to arrive in this region from farther east around 4700 cal BC. However, Austrian dates are among the oldest, suggesting a concomitant beginning throughout the Lengyel around 5000 cal. BC to me.

To the west, i.e. in southern Central Germany, similarities between Lengyel and local pottery are detectable in Gatersleben and early Jordnsmühl pottery of the later Lengyel. In southern Germany and northeastern Switzerland similarities are reported after 4300 cal BC. The similarities are found in Mönchshöfen, Aichbühl, and early Pfyn pottery (cf. Hafner and Suter 2001 Fig. 8). Again, I attribute these changes to increased human interaction, related to climatic changes.

Houses

The Lengyel longhouses are derived from the LBK. Not surprisingly, the architecture is similar throughout the former LBK area, which is occupied not only by Lengyel, but also by the Hinkelstein, STK, Rössen etc. The new architecture abandons the triple segmentation of the LBK houses and there is a change from a primarily rectangular to a primarily trapezoidal floor plan. Some houses have a porch-like extension at the wider or distal end. The Lengyel houses are of sturdy construction, that appears to use deeper bedding trenches for the posts. This may mean that there was some kind of need for stronger construction (cf. Bogucki 1988:67:68). In my opinion, the changes in architecture may be a technological adaptation to the sudden decline in climatic conditions following the warm period that ended with the demise of the LBK. I suspect that the longhouses are replaced by smaller rectangular houses after ca. 4300 BC.

Enclosures

Enclosures, known as “Rondels,” are surrounded by circular. A huge number of circular to oval ditches enclosures are documented in Moravia and Austria. However, irregular rectilinear enclosures also occur (Podborský et al. 1993:135 Fig. 77).

Burials

The burial practices of the Later LBK continued. Flexed interments in a burial pit (e.g. Podborský et al. 1993 Fig. 78) are most common. Burial clusters have been excavated in Friebritz, Austria. Rare cremation burials have been documented (Farkaš 1999?) and may also be inherited from the LBK. The flexed interments are exhibit copper adornments (Grigyel and Bogucki 1997).

Copper

Lengyel used copper in form of cylindrical beads, cold-hammered copper ribbons, including ribbons with their ends curled into spirals (e.g. Grigyel and Bogucki 1997). However copper occurs only in the “classical” phase (e.g. Grigyel and Bogucki 1997) i.e. Lengyel III, although Lengyel IV is suggested by Czech and Slovak archaeologists.

References and Credits

Baldia, M. O.

1995 A Spatial Analysis of Megalithic Tombs. Vol. 1-2. Ph. D. Dissertation. Southern Methodist University.

Bogucki, Peter

1988 Forest Farmers and Stock Breeders: Early Agriculture and its Consequences in North-Central Europe. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

2006 Archaeological Research at Oslonki, Poland. http://www.princeton.edu/~bogucki/oslonki.html (Accessed December 31, 2006)

Jankowska, Dobrochna

1999? Z badań nad osadnictwem poźńowstęgowym w Wielkopolsce. (Zur Forschung der spätbandkeramischen Besiedlung in Großpolen. http://www.phil.muni.cz/archeo/sbornikm4/farkas.html (Accessed July 28, 2001).

Čízmář, Z., J. Pavúk, P. Procházková and M. Šmíd

2004 K problému definováni finálního stádia lengyelské kultury. In Bernhard Hänsel and Etela Studeníková (Eds.), Zwischen Karpaten und Ägäis: Neolithikum und ältere Bronzezeit; Gedenkschrift für Viera Němejcová Pavúková. Internationale Archäologie. Studia honoraria 21. Rahden, Westf.VML, Verlag Marie Leidorf, 2004:207-232.

Farkaš, Zdeněk

1999? K otázke žiarového pohrebného rítu ĺudu s lengyelskou kultúrou v období mladého neolit. (Frage des Brandbestattungsritus beim Volk mit Lengyel–Kultur im Verlauf des Jungneolithikums.) (http://www.phil.muni.cz/archeo/sbornikm4/farkas.html (Accessed July 27, 2001).

Grygiel, Ryszard and Peter Bogucki

1997 Early Farmers in North-Central Europe: 1989-1994 Excavations at Oslonki, Poland. Journal of Field Archaeology 24/2, 1997:161-178.

Hafner, Albert and Peter Suter

2001 Das Neolithikum im 4. Jahrtausend v. Chr.: Tradition, Einflüsse und Entwicklung. Archäeologische Informationenen 24/2, 2001:291-309. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e. V., Bonn.

Höckmann, O.

1984 Book review: Elisabeth Ruttkay, Das Neolithikum in Niederösterreich. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte, 12, Östereichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Wien, 1983. In Germania, 62/1, Frankfurt, 1984:83-66.

Kulczycka-Leciejewiczowa, Anna

1970 The Linear and Stroked Pottery cultures. In Wiślański, T. (Ed.) The Neolithic in Poland. T. Wiślański (Ed.), Instytut Historii Kultury Materialnej, Polskiej Akademii Nauk Wroclaw, Warszawa, and Krakow, 1970:1-75.

1997 Strachów: Osiedla Neolitycznych Rolników na Śląsku. Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk. Wroclaw, Poland.

Lenneis, E., C. Neugebauer-Maresch, E. Ruttkay

1995 Jungsteinzeit im Osten Österreichs. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- u. Frühgeschichte 17. Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus u. Verlagsgesellschaft, St. Pölten – Wien.

Midgley, Magdalena S.

1985 The Origin and function of the Earthen Long Barrows of Northern Europe. British Archaeological Reports, XX, Oxford.

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

Neugebauer-Maresch, C.

1995 Mittelneolithikum: Die Bemaltkeramik. In Lenneis, E., C. Neugebauer-Maresch, E. Ruttkay, Jungsteinzeit im Osten Österreichs. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- u. Frühgeschichte 17. Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus u. Verlagsgesellschaft, St. Pölten – Wien. 1995:57-107.

Podborský, Vladimír, et al.

1993 Pravěké Dějiny Moravy. Vlastivěda Moravská Země a Lid, Nová Řada 3. Muzejní a vlastivědna společnost, Brno.

Ruttkay, Elisabeth

1983 Das Neolithikum in Niederösterreich. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte, 12, Östereichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Wien.

Ruttkay, Elizabeth and Christian Mayer

1995 Spätneolitikum. In Lenneis, E., C. Neugebauer-Maresch, E. Ruttkay, Jungsteinzeit im Osten Österreichs. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- u. Frühgeschichte 17. Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus u. Verlagsgesellschaft, St. Pölten – Wien. 1995:108-209.

Stadler, Peter

1995 Ein Beitrag zur Absolutchronologie des Neolithikums in Österreich auf Grund der ¹⁴C-Daten. In Lenneis, E., C. Neugebauer-Maresch, E. Ruttkay, Jungsteinzeit im Osten Österreichs. Forschungsberichte zur Ur- u. Frühgeschichte 17. Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus u. Verlagsgesellschaft, St. Pölten – Wien. 1995:210-224.

Stadler, Peter, Elisabeth Ruttkay, Michael Doneus, Herwig Friesinger, Ernst Lauermann, Walter Kutschera, Inna Mateiciucová, Wolfgang Neubauer, Christine Neugebauer-Maresch, Gerhard Trnka, Franz Weninger and Eva Maria Wild

2006 Absolutchronologie der Mährisch-Ostösterreichischen Gruppe (MOG) der bemalten Keramik aufgrund von neuen 14C-Datierungen. Archäologie Österreichs 16/17 Sonderausgabe, 2005/2006:53-67.

Wiślański, T. (Ed.)

1970 The Neolithic in Poland. Instytut Historii Kultury Materialnej, Polskiej Akademii Nauk Wrocław, Warszawa, Krakow 1970b:178-231.

Please send comments or questions to Max Baldia.

[2] Stadler 1995 Fig. 5, Table 1-2 (7 dates from Falkenstein, Lower Austria).

[3] Stadler 1995 Fig. 6, Table 1-2 (5 dates, 1 from Pitten, the rest from the lake dwelling site Kutschacher See, Lower Austria).

[4] OxCal v2.18:

Broniewice Bln-1313 : 5060±60BP = 68.2% confidence 3960BC (1.00) 3780BC; 95.4% confidence 3990BC (0. 94) 3770BC, 3750BC (0.06) 3700BC.

Krusza Zamkowa Bln-1811 : 5330±65BP = 68.2% confidence 4300BC (0.04) 4290BC, 4250BC (0.96) 4040BC; 95.4% confidence 4340BC (1.00) 4000BC.

Brzesc Kujavski Lod-165 : 5370±180BP = 68.2% confidence 4450BC (0.02) 4430BC, 4370BC (0.98) 3990BC; 95.4% confidence 4700BC (1.00) 3750BC.

Brzesc Kujavski Lod-163 : 5130±160BP = 68.2% confidence 4250BC (1.00) 3700BC; 95.4% confidence 4350BC (1.00) 3600BC.

SUM = 68.2% confidence 4300BC (1.00) 3750BC; 95.4% confidence 4500BC (1.00) 3650BC.