{"id":32577,"date":"2025-03-31T18:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T16:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iaw.uni-mainz.de\/pre-and-early-historical-archaeology\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T11:26:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:26:31","slug":"pre-and-early-historical-archaeology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iaw.uni-mainz.de\/en\/pre-and-early-historical-archaeology\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n<\/jgu-base-anchornavigation>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-pageheader>\n\n\n
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Edited by Eve Derenne<\/a>, Maria Ivanova-Bieg<\/a>, Ana Catarina Sousa<\/a>, Juan Antonio C\u00e1mara Serrano<\/a> and Enrico Giannitrapani<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explores late Chalcolithic Mediterranean networks, highlighting Bell Beaker expansion, cultural exchange, and emerging social complexity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The late 4th and 3rd millennium BCE saw the development of new long-distance maritime networks around the Mediterranean. During this late Chalcolithic phase, the \u2018mental mapping\u2019 of the Mediterranean as a maritime space reached a critical stage; the influx of new people and cultural traits, combined with a boom in seaborne exchange, meant that the western and central Mediterranean became integrated into a large maritime cultural area. Circulation routes seem to have expanded remarkably after 2500 cal BCE, enabling large-scale cultural phenomena such as the Bell Beaker complex to spread across the Mediterranean and integrate a variety of local Chalcolithic groups, both on islands and in coastal or mainland areas. These large-scale networks of interaction foreshadowed the emergence of major Mediterranean civilisations in the next millennium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noting that this topic had not been the subject of scholarly discussions in recent years, even though recent archaeological discoveries and analytical developments offered new opportunities to investigate these issues, the co-editors of this volume organised a session at the 2024 international conference of the European Association of Archaeologists in Rome. Their aim was to examine the origins and dynamics of Bell Beaker connections across the Mediterranean, be it in terms of material culture, subsistence strategies, technology, human-environment relationships, absolute chronology, genomic ancestry or isotopic provenance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This resulting volume is a coherent collection of papers covering the entire western and central Mediterranean, including coastal Maghreb, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Sicily. The chapters present a wide variety of scales, methodological approaches and sub-topics ranging from site-based to supra-regional studies, typological and technological approaches, network analyses, computational modelling, but also raw material, isotopic and palaeogenomic data, and touch on themes such as mobility patterns, local integration, power display, exchange networks, luxury and exotic goods consumption, metallurgy and the emergence of social complexity. Some focus solely on Bell Beaker contexts, others discuss the relationships between the traditions of the preceding Chalcolithic societies and the Bell Beaker phenomenon, or the ties the latter shared with the Bronze Age groups that followed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, these contributions demonstrate the dynamic interplay of cultural, social and technological factors that shaped the Mediterranean during the late 4th\u2013early 2nd millennia BCE. By integrating diverse lines of evidence and a wide array of methodological approaches, this volume not only provides a nuanced understanding of Bell Beaker networks and their integration with local Chalcolithic societies but also sheds light on the precursors to the major Mediterranean civilisations of the Bronze Age. The volume aims to stimulate further research and dialogue on these transformative centuries, bridging gaps in the scholarly discourse and setting a foundation for future interdisciplinary investigations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Publisher\u2019s homepage:<\/strong> Bell Beakers and the Mediterranean – Oxbow Books<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A comprehensive account of the adoption of ironworking in Europe and Western Asia, based on archaeological evidence alongside written sources from the Near East. Southern Europe and the Near East are the focus, but the book also considers early ironworking in Central Europe, the North Pontic steppe and the regions north and south of the Caucasus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iron and the Iron Age<\/em> presents a comprehensive account of the adoption of ironworking in Europe and Western Asia. The study is mainly based on archaeological evidence, but the early introduction of iron in the Near East also takes account of the written sources. After the fundamental innovation of iron production by smelting iron ores, iron use spread at an ever-increasing rate between the 12th and 9th centuries BC – eventually reaching a vast area between the Atlantic coast in the west and the North China Plain in the east. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book mainly concentrates on the adoption of iron in the Near East and southern Europe, but also includes discussions of early ironworking in Central Europe, the North Pontic steppe and the regions north and south of the Caucasus. The changing conceptualization of bronze and iron is another theme which receives detailed attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the final part of the book, the study turns to the concept of an ‘Iron Age’, and the fundamental culture-historical disjunctions and transformations which can be observed in many regions at the time of the introduction of iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

now also available in Open Access . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Publisher’s homepage:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.archaeopress.com\/Archaeopress\/Products\/9781805830009<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academia.edu:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/129359165\/Iron_and_the_Iron_Age_The_Introduction_of_Iron_in_Europe_and_Western_Asia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Research Unit Pre– and Early History Archaeology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pre- and Early Historical Archaeology research unit of the IAW (formerly the Institute of Pre- and Early History) at Johannes Gutenberg University focuses on cultures from the beginning of human history, the Paleolithic, to the Roman and Medieval periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The institution benefits from its geographical proximity and institutionalized cooperation with major archaeological research institutions, museums and heritage offices (LEIZA – Leibnitz Centre for Archaeology <\/a>and the Romano-Germanic Commission (RGK), Frankfurt am Main<\/a>. This warrants methodical and practical training and makes Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology in Mainz an important training location in Germany. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/jgu-base-section>\n\n\n

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The research unit Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology at the Institute of Classical Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is located at Hegelstra\u00dfe 59, 55122 Mainz. Here you will find the office, offices and seminar rooms as well as the archaeobotanical laboratory, the laboratory for finds processing and the diverse teaching and research collections of the research unit. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n\n

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research unitLeibniz AssociationThe Leibniz Center for Archeology (LEIZA) is a globally active research institute for archaeology with headquarters in Mainz and is one of the Leibniz Association’s research museums. As part of a cooperation with LEIZA, the Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology working group operates an on-site laboratory for the chemical analysis of bioarchaeological remains. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n\n

Monrepos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ba International research on site. Monrepos Archaeological Research Center and Museum of Human Behavioral Evolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monrepos Archaeological Research Center and Museum of Human Behavioral Evolution (Monrepos) is a department of the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology, a non-university research institute for archaeology. The Leibniz Center for Archaeology is an institution of the Leibniz Association. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monrepos explores the longest and most formative epoch in human history: the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, our hunting history. The decisive biological and social foundations of our present-day existence were formed during this period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monrepos pursues a diachronic and perspective-oriented research strategy. Monrepos operates internationally and conducts research in Europe, Asia and Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research center is based at Monrepos Castle near Neuwied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ba From excavation to exhibition by the shortest route: Project Incarnation: an archaeological exhibition<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The direct link between research and museum presentation guarantees topicality. The almost 1000m\u00b2 permanent exhibition Project Incarnation: an archaeological exhibition at Monrepos Castle illustrates human development from our beginnings 2.5 million years ago to the end of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. World-famous finds impressively illustrate the diversity of long-gone living environments in a vivid way. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabs>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Project<\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

The Neumark-Nord project is investigating the survival strategies of Neanderthals during the interglacial period on the basis of a unique site in Saxony-Anhalt. Under the direction of Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser and Lutz Kindler, in cooperation with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments Saxony-Anhalt and the University of Leiden, the project is investigating how early humans shaped their environment. The exceptionally well-preserved interglacial deposits in Neumark-Nord provide high-resolution and precisely datable archives of human activity. By examining these materials, we will explore how Neanderthals actively modified their ecosystems to meet their specific needs. This diachronic “deep history” perspective provides valuable insights into the early stages of human impact on the environment – particularly relevant today, when almost all ecosystems show clear anthropogenic influences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser (project manager)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lutz Kindler (project manager)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our research examines the fundamental role of hunger as a driver of human behavior in Prehistory. While humans exhibit conservative dietary patterns due to basic biological needs, food procurement and consumption goes far beyond mere energy supply and forms an essential part of social and cultural life. As omnivores, humans show a remarkable adaptability in the use of different plant and animal resources in different habitats. Our research particularly investigates the important role of animal resources in human evolution. Through complementary projects in Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, led by Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser and Lutz Kindler in collaboration with international partners, we are investigating early human food selection, procurement, processing and stockpiling, and the associated technologies and land use systems. The project focuses on understanding how early hominins adapted their subsistence strategies to the changing biotopes at the headwaters of the Awash during the Old and Middle Pleistocene. This research contributes to our long-term goal of developing a holistic understanding of the Stone Age diet from the first humans to the last hunter-gatherers and exploring how humans became the dominant species in the food web. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser (project manager)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lutz Kindler (project manager)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our research investigates how rules and sets of rules serve as fundamental building blocks of complex social structures, with the Breitenbach site providing important insights into early human spatial organization. Led by Olaf J\u00f6ris, in collaboration with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments Saxony-Anhalt and the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, this project explores how early hunter-gatherer societies developed and implemented social rules. Modern human communities are based on complex systems of rules that shape social environments, with internal dynamics being determined more by social rules than by external factors. These systems help to locate individuals in communities and create both individual and group identities. Archaeological evidence shows that the complexity of such rules varied across time and space. Our research at Breitenbach focuses on understanding how spatial and social organization interacted in Aurignacian societies and examines the evolutionary benefits of establishing rule systems and their associated social structures. This provides important insights into how early rules and frameworks extended into all areas of human life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Olaf J\u00f6ris (project manager)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n\n

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SUSTAIN: Sustainability of Agriculture in Neolithic Europe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUSTAIN is a five-year research project (2020-2026) funded by the European Research Council. It seeks to understand the sustainability of Early Neolithic agricultural societies in Europe through a combination of climate and biodiversity informatics, bioarchaeology and agent-based modeling. It examines societies that have only recently settled in new environments and started to practice mixed agriculture and pastoralism. This then novel way of interacting with the environment involved a different scale of intervention in the life cycles of plants and animals and was of fundamental importance for later developments in Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information: https:\/\/sustain-erc.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n