Corded Ware Culture

The perceived lack of Corded Ware domestic sites caused the debate on the economic basis of populations of the 3rd millennium BC. Some scholars even presumed that cereal farming played only an insignificant role in the Corded Ware subsistence strategies (Buchvaldek 1967, 121-122). This circular argument continued almost until the end of last century. Vencl (1994) adhered to the nomadic model for Corded Ware communities and even suggested a mobile life based on chariots.
Contrary to these assumptions, Neustupný (1969; 1997) had no doubts about the continuity of Neolithic grain farming even for 3rd Millennium BC populations (for the same conclusions see Turek 1995; 1996). Generally speaking, the Late Eneolithic was characterised by farming using a field rotation system, the utilisation of a plough and probably the use of draught animals. However, palynological and archaeobotanical data that would enable a more precise reconstruction of the agricultural use of the land and cultivated crops is still missing.

Evidence of a Neolithic and Eneolithic settlement, Corded Ware, Únětice and Early Medieval period (9th / 10th  century AD) cemeteries were excavated within norhern vicinity of the Prague Castle. The Neolithic features were probably part of the outer rim of the habitation area containing several LBK and Stroke pottery features (one of which may be interpreted as a tanning pit), one Early Eneolithic settlement feature, three Corded Ware inhumation burials (male, female and a child) and one burial of the Únětice Culture. Another five graves (with 6 burials) were of the Early Middle Ages (3 men, 2 women and one child). The recent excavation in the Lumbe Garden is one of the largest excavations in the vicinity of Prague Castle providing new information about the Prehistoric and Medieval land-use of the Castle’s surroundings.

This study explores a Subcarpathian assemblage of Corded Ware funeral materials as evidence obtained over the last decade, with a focus on their research value for studies of the transmission of civilization models embraced by Final Eneolithic/Early Bronze communities settling the border zone between eastern and western Europe. Results of studies on the correspondence among ceremonial traditions that existed in the area between the Dnieper and the Vistula in the third millennium BC are presented, with two stages of adaptation of Black Sea or 'barrow' thanatological belief systems by Corded Ware groups in Lesser Poland being highlighted. Chronometric determinations relating to the development of ceremonial centres of the Rzeszów Foothills (Szczytna) and Lower San Valley (Święte) in the context of 'western intrusions' of late Yamnaya and Catacomb cultures are considered significant, providing the date range of ca. 2550-2400 BC.

Archaeological excavations at site 20, Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, were prompted by construction of the A4 motorway. Among the results the site has yielded there are two Corded ware graves. Both of them are niche constructions datable to the younger Corded Ware phase in Małopolska. Accommodating three interments, grave 43 is particularly interesting for the re-use of its burial chamber and re-deposition of disarticulated older human remains. Grave goods within the graves are typical of the younger Corded Ware phase, with parallels found at closely located sites of the Lower San Valley and Rzeszów Foothills. the absolute date range for both graves has been determined to be ca. 2550-2400 BC.

The Corded ware culture (CWC) cemetery at site 15 in Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, was researched in 2010-2011 in the context of rescue excavations before the construction of the A4 motorway. Nine features were discovered, including six graves with a niche construction. An analysis of funerary rite traits and relics forming the grave inventory indicates that the above is linked with the later stage of the CWC development in Lesser Poland. Analogical materials are found in the neighbouring sites 11 and 20 in Święte and 7 in Skołoszów. On the basis of radiocarbon dating the chronology of the cemetery complex was defined to the period 2525-2380 BC. An interesting element of grave inventories is vessels analogous to finds from the Middle Dnieper and Catacomb cultures. these point to the ties of communities using the cemetery complex in Święte with those to the east of Lesser Poland-confirmed in the analysis conducted of stable isotopes of strontium.

The rescue excavations at site 11 in Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, were conducted prior to the construction of the A4 motorway. thirteen Corded Ware culture (CWC) features, including eleven graves, were discovered. the Final Eneolithic cemetery was placed in the neighbourhood of FBC graves, possibly at megalithic tombs. Most of the CwC graves have a niche construction-typical of the Lesser Poland funerary rite. the furnishings found in these features are characteristic of Subcarpathia as are inventories from nearby sites in the Lower San Valley and Rzeszów Foothills. their ty-po-chronological assessments point to the younger phase of the CWC. Ceramic artefacts include vessels finding analogies in the assemblages of the Middle Dnieper culture and the cultures of the steppe/for-est-steppe of the Northwestern Black Sea Area. Among the latter is the spectacular find of a round-base pot from Feature 1149B. A series of five dates estimate the origins of the Święte cemetery graves at the interval of 2530-2375 BC.

The research on archaeological materials from sites 11, 15, and 20 at Święte produced a series of 13 radiocarbon dates for niche graves of the Corded ware culture (CwC). The results are coherent and point to a range of 2550-2350 BC. This corresponds well with other results obtained for nearby CwC cemeteries in the Rzeszów Foothills, and is consistent with dates obtained for CwC graves in other regions in Lesser Poland: the Lesser Poland Upland, the Sokal Ridge, and the Lublin Upland. At the same time, the obtained absolute age range corresponds with a wave of influences from the North Pontic circle of steppe cultures and the Middle Dnieper culture. It can be synchronized with the beginning of the development of the classic variants of the Catacomb culture: the Ingul and Doniec variants.

Since aDNA research suggested a marked gene influx from Eastern into Central Europe in the 3rd millennium BC, outdated, simplistic narratives of massive migrations of closed populations have re-appeared in archaeological discussions. A more sophisticated model of migration from the steppes was proposed recently by Kristiansen et al. As a reaction to that proposal, this paper aims to contribute to this ongoing debate by refining the latter model, better integrating archaeological data and anthropological knowledge. It is argued that a polythetic classification of the archaeological material in Central Europe in the 3rd millennium reveals the presence of a new complex of single grave burial rituals which transcends the traditional culture labels. Genetic steppe ancestry is mainly connected to this new kind of burials, rather than to Corded Ware or Bell Beaker materials. Here it is argued that a polythetic view on the archaeological record suggests more complicated histories of migration, population mixtures and interaction than assumed by earlier models, and ways to better integrate detailed studies of archaeological materials with a deeper exploration of anthropological models of mobility and social group composition and the molecular biological data are explored.

The main aim of this paper is the presentation of the most
important results of studies conducted as per the ‘unformalized
project of micro-regional studies on the Lower Odra region
in the Gryfino and Police districts’. At this stage, most
of the data was taken from analyses carried out in this author’s
doctoral dissertation. Many monuments of the main
Neolithic cultures were presented, as well as the most interesting
artifacts of others: Linearband Ceramic, Roessen
with an element of Strokeband Ceramic and late Funnel
Beaker. Finally, there was documentation of research findings
of Late Neolithic societies represented by the Havela
and Corded Ware cultures with elements of Bell Beakers.

The analyzed skeletal material was recovered during a rescue excavation in Kolín-Štáralka in 2008 (for more details see Vávra – Zápotocký 2016). A total of 15 graves with 16 deceased individuals were unearthed at the site (grave 12 contained an adult and an immature individual). Fourteen graves in total were dated to the Funnel Beaker culture and one grave (no. 3, feature 60, man, 4–6 years) was dated to the Corded Ware culture. The following overview only lists Funnel Beaker culture graves.
According to the state of preservation of the skeletal material, 7 graves have survived relatively well, 4 poorly and 3 very poorly. All individuals were crouched – 11 of them on their left side, and in three graves, it was not possible to determine the position. Thirteen bodies were oriented NW-SE and in one case the feature (without any possibility to determine the orientation of the body) was oriented SW-NE with its long axis. The individual from grave no. 1 (juvenis–adultus; 18–24 years) is considered as an adult in the following overview. There were 6 (40 %) adults and 9 (60 %) adolescens. It was possible to determine the sex of 3 adults (1 man and 2 women) and 4 adolescents (2 men, 2 women). The highest mortality rate was recorded in the juvenis category (14–19 years) for the immature individuals and in the maturus I–II category (40–60 years) for adults, for more details see Table 4. When it comes to the robusticity of the bones, obvious sexual dimorphism was observed. The body height could be determined for one adult man (grave no. 14) – 175.7 cm and for one woman only (grave no. 2) – 163.2 cm. Anatomical variations were detected in one immature (grave no. 10) and one adult individual (grave no. 2). It was foramen olecrani in the case of grave no. 2 and ossiculum suturae lambdoideae, forked root of the canine tooth and foramen olecrani in grave no. 10. The occurrence of the anatomical variation foramen olecrani in the individuals in grave no. 2 (woman, 45–55 years) and no. 10 (man 14–16 years) may be indicative of a certain level of kinship, however, this assumption must be confirmed by genetic analysis. Pathological manifestations were found in skeletons of 4 immature and 4 adult individuals. These were diseases, such as horizontal linear hypoplasia of the dentin. Apart from it, porotic hyperostosis, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis, arthrosis deformans, osteoporosis, and cribra orbitalia of the porotic type occurred as well. The woman in grave no. 2 (45–55 years) was worst affected – she suffered from porotic hyperostosis, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis and arthrosis deformans. Regarding dental disorders, light and medium calculus and disturbances in the development of teeth, such as crooked alignment of erupting teeth or a persisting temporary lower M2 were observed. This surviving molar (in both cases on the right side – the left side was not available for evaluation) was discovered in individuals from grave no. 6 (woman, 14–18 years) and no. 10 (man, 14–16 years). It is possible that these individuals were related to one another, however, this assumption must be confirmed by genetic analysis. The man (45–55) in grave no. 14 showed gnaw marks on his right femur which had been caused by a predatory mammal, most probably by a fox.

A pag. 34 per la rubrica Storia della canapa tratto dell'Ecomuseo di Carmagnola. Luogo deputato alla coltivazione della canapa da sempre. La miglior varietà al mondo. oggi il museo conserva le tradizioni di un tempo di quando il paese era abitato da funai che realizzavano corde per la marina e non solo.

The cultural groups of the Late Eneolithic period (2900-2000 BC) within Central and Eastern Europe paid great attention to the symbolic expression of gender and social categories in their burial rites. The Corded Ware (CW) and Bell Beaker (BB) funerary practices are probably a reflection of the division of labour within the family and the contrasting social roles of men, women and children. The symbolism of funerary practices within a single burial is thus indicative of someone's association with a particular social category. To study and confirm this phenomenon we attempted to establish a correlation in between some elements of the burial rites and the division of the sexes which was determined according to osteological traits using the iterative method of sexual diagnosis. A change in sexual dimorphism of the prehistoric population was observed at the end of the third millennia BC, this is also connected with the degracilisation of skull.

Während einer archäologischen Rettungsgrabung wurden im Jahre 2005 auch vier schnurkeramische Körpergräber untersucht. In den Gräbern waren insgesamt fünf Individuen bestattet (drei Frauen und zwei Männer). Bemerkenswert ist der Kontext der Hammeraxt aus dem Körpergrab 18, die schon anhand der Position im Körpergrab offensichtlich zur Bestattung des Kleinkindes (bis zu einem Jahr alt) gehörte. Sämtliche Gräber kann man problemlos in die böhmische Lokalgruppe der Schurkeramik, d. h. in die typologisch jüngste Fundgruppe einordnen. Von den Grabbeigaben weichen zwei Artefakte ab, und zwar ein Becher und ein kupferner, schlingenartig gewundener Lockenring, beide mit Parallelen in der jüngeren mährischen Schnurkeramik.