Oberlauterbach Group

Version 0.23

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.

List of Figures

Map of Europe

Map of North and part of Central Europe

Central and North German Chronological Table

Graph of Oberlauterbach C¹⁴ Dates

Location

The type-site Oberlauterbach is located in southeastern Bavaria, Germany, and the pottery style is found primarily in this region.

Dating

The high precision Oberlauterbach ¹⁴C dates stem from only two sites (Matuschik 1992:17 Table 1). They suggest a duration from 3900/3800 cal. BC to ca. 4500/4400 cal. BC.

Evolution

The Oberlauterbach Goup belongs to the Southeast Bavarian Middle Neolithic (SOB II and III). It is usually seen as the Bavarian manifestation of the Rössen culture. However, there is evidence of relationships to Hinkelstein, Großgartach (Grossgartach), and Stichbandkeramik (Biermann 1997, 2000). There is an obvious connection with Lengyel. The group transitions into Münchshöfen Group in its end phase.

Pottery

Pottery is globular to pear-shaped. Some pots have pointed unperforated horn-like lugs on the belly. Includes double incisions and bands around the neck.

Enclosures

The circular enclosures are associated with villages. This is for instance the case with the double circular enclosure of Wallerfing-Ramsdorf, Deggendorf, (Schmotz 1981), which is similar to early Lengyel rondels. The enclosure is associated with pottery from the Oberlauterbach Group and Münchshöfen. The Oberlauterbach circular enclosures are mapped by (Meyer and Raetzel-Fabian 2006 Fig. 7 and Fig. 9).

References and Credits

Bayerlein, P. M.

1985 Die Gruppe Oberlauterbach in Niederbayern. Materialhefte Bayerische Vorgeschichte A 53, Kallmünz, 1985

Biermann, Eric

2000 Einige Anmerkungen zur Chronologie des „Südostbayerischen Mittelneolithikums“ (SOB). http://xn--rheinland-archologie-ozb.com/Chronologie.pdf (accessed 8/21/2008).

Biermann, Eric (with Jürgen Richter and Bernhard Weniger)

1997 Großgaretach und Oberlauterbach: Interregionale Beziehungen im südddeutschen Mittleneolithikum. Archäologische Berichte, 8. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ur- u. Frühgeschichte. Habelt GmbH, Bonn

Matuschik, Irenäus

1992 Senkofen-„Pfatterbreite“, eine Fundstelle der Michelsberger Kultur im östlichen Alpenvorland. Bayrische Vorgeschichtsblätter, 57:1-32. Beck’sche Verlagshandlung, München.

Raetzel-Fabian, Dirk

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

Meyer, Michael and Raetzel-Fabian, Dirk

2006 Neolithische Erdwerk im Überblick. www.jungsteinsite.uni-kiel.de, 15. Dezember 2006

Please send comments or questions to Max Baldia.