Keramik jenseits von 'Kulturen': Mobilitat, Verflechtungen und Transformationen im noerdlichen Alpenvorland (3950-3800 v.Chr.)

Ceramics from neolithic lake-side settlements in Switzerland are used to study mobility, transformations and relationships in prehistory.

Format: Hardback
Length: 504 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2022
Publisher: Sidestone Press

Mobilität plays a fundamental role in various forms of social interaction. However, the historical significance of spatial mobility remains relatively unexplored, particularly in prehistoric periods such as the Neolithic era. This lack of knowledge extends to the settlement patterns of the northern Alpine region, including its moist soil settlements with remarkable preservation in lakes and moors. Since 2011, these settlements have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, providing unique opportunities for research. By employing dendrochronology, which dates wood to determine the age of structures, researchers can investigate cultural, social, and economic transformations over time and space. This research is exemplified in the present volume through the analysis of ceramics from contemporaneous settlements located at the Zürichsee and Bodensee, spanning the period between 3950 and 3800 BCE.

In conjunction with process philosophical considerations, relational social theory concepts such as the habitus theory are linked to the study of the emergence and transformation of 'things'. This approach leads to a praxeological approach, which serves as an epistemological foundation for a newly developed 'Mixed Methods Research Methodology'. This methodology enables a deeper understanding of mobility, relationships, social configurations, and transformations: qualitative classification methods can be used to analyze social practices related to ceramic production from a behavioral perspective, while quantitative classification methods can reveal regional patterns of ceramic consumption across wider regions. By examining material intersections, patterns of spatial mobility, and the extensive connections between individual settlement communities, researchers can discern.

In the course of individual dekadent phases, mobilities-related adaptations and transformations can be observed in ceramic practices.

Dimension: 280 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789464280463