DOI Kapitel:
Changing Worlds – The Spread of the Neolithic Way of Life in the North
DOI Kapitel:Klimscha, Florian; Neumann, Daniel: A longue durée perspective on technical innovations in the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic of the North European Plain
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0384
Florian Klimscha and Daniel Neumann
383
used on these monuments uses a limited number
of elements that describe a geographically distinct
area.16 It might be assumed that the distribution area
of the style can be read as a proxy for the knowledge
of early wagons (cf. Gunther 1997, 157 fig. 125). The
latest date for its spread can be seen with the Bern-
burg culture, i.e. before 3,200/3,100 calBC, while the
earliest possible date can easily be connected with
the upper limit of the phase Bronocice III and within
the early Wartberg culture: Raetzel-Fabian (1997,
175) discusses a more or less simultaneous erection
of the Warburg necropolis around 3,400 calBC, based
on the available 14C-dates and typological arguments,
and this would also apply to the depictions.
An early dating of the Wartberg signs is also
strengthened by new research on the huge corpus
of rock art in the Alps. There are two major concen-
trations of depictions, one in the Vai Camonica and
the neighbouring Valteline and Vai Venoste valleys,
and the other in the region of Mont Bego (cf. Arca
2011 for an overview). The chronology of the im-
ages is established by defining stylistic units, which
are dated by the association with datable artefacts
depicted in them (Fedele 2006,48 fig. 1). Altogether
21 depictions of ploughs and one of a wagon with a
Remedello or Bell Beaker date are reported from Vai
Camonica.17 The situation is similar at Mont Bego:
While ploughs are very numerous, wagons occur
rarely (De Saulieu / Serres 2006, 76 fig. 7). Most
scenes were not created in a single event, but clear
associations are existent though rare. A key-position
within this sequence is given to those depictions as-
sociated with specific axe, dagger, or halberd types.18
The most recent study on dating the Alpine rock
art relies heavily on horn-shape and classifies such
depictions as type Cla or C3 horned figurines (Huet
2016, 12-13).19 Type Cla figurines can be placed into
16 Described further above already as comprising North Hesse,
Warburg Boerde and southern Lower Saxony, complemented by
finds from the low mountain range border in Saxony-Anhalt.
17 These were found on the statue menhirs of Borno 1, Ceres-
olo / Bagnolo 2, Ossimo 7, and Ossimo 8, the larger rocks of
Cemno Masso 1 and 2, as well as on the surfaces of Naquane
R.99, Campanine R.8, and R.X, and Dos Cui; cf. Fedele 2006,
49 fig. 2.
18 The finds in question are flat axes with low flanges, daggers
with a central rib of the Remedello-type as well as halberds. Cf.
esp. Dolfini 2010; Klimscha 2010; Horn 2014. For an example
see De Saulieu / Serres 2006, 78 fig. 9,80.
19 This same sequence has been published in another paper,
where the fork-shaped signs have been named A(=C2), B(=C3),
and C(=Cla): Huet / Bianchi 2016, 106 fig. 2.
a sequence with C2 and C3 horned figurines. The
styles have been dated by the association with weap-
ons - in these cases daggers - as well as archaeologi-
cal finds in the vicinity. This results in correlating
C3 with the phase ‘Chasseen recent’, c. 4,050-3,500
calBC, while C2 signs are assumed to begin at 4,000
calBC, and Cla signs are contemporary with halberd
depictions (Huet 2016, esp. 13 fig. 12). The superim-
position of daggers by C3 horned figurines is crucial
in this respect. Huet (2016, 9-11) describes the dag-
gers shown as resembling shapes of the Italian Eneo-
lithic, which Huet / Bianchi (2016, 114) suggested
as contemporary with the Rinaldone phase. For the
dating of the rock art it is relevant that the triangular
Remedello daggers and the axes with low flanges
both date to 3,300-2,700 calBC (Dolfini 2013, 39
tab. 2), while scenes including halberds with midrib
should be even older, as recently proposed by Horn /
Schenck (2016, 18) while discussing the chrono-
logical position of Rinaldone, prov. Viterbo, grave
3. This would suggest a date of 3,600-3,300/3,200
calBC, which is supported independently by Dol-
fini’s (2010, 711-715) 14C-datings of grave 21 from
Pietro, prov. Viterbo.20 Accordingly, Horn’s type 2
halberds, characterised by a prominent central rib
and relatively long blades, can be found associated
with cattle teams pulling ploughs in the Mont Bego
region (De Lumley 2003, 381 fig. 129), thereby dat-
ing them to 3,600-3,300/3,200 calBC. This would
result in a terminus ante quem of 3,300-2,900 calBC
for type Cla.21 At this point, it seems appropriate to
return to the dating of the Wartberg culture, which,
if the analogy with the sign group of type C2 is ac-
cepted, should be older than or contemporary to sign
group Cla (3,600-3,300/3,200 calBC; cf. Huet 2016,
esp. 13 fig. 12). This, in turn, would support Raetzel
Fabian’s hypothesis of a rather simultaneous erec-
tion around 3,400 calBC. While the data from the
Alpine rock art are still not conclusive, it is possible
to date the appearance of the earliest two-wheeled
vehicles contemporary to early halberds, i. e. around
or before the middle of the 4th millennium calBC (cf.
Matuschik 2006).
20 From the same typological horizon, Horn / Schenck 2016,
18-20 further add the halberds from Rinaldone, grave 5; Poggio
Aquilone, prov. Terni; Poggio delle Sorche, prov. Grosseto;
Casanuovo, prov. Perugia; Villafranca-Veronese, prov. Verona.
21 According to Huet 2016 this happened after 2,500 calBC.
From the information published it seems as if the work by Horn
(2014; 2012-2021) was not taken into account.
383
used on these monuments uses a limited number
of elements that describe a geographically distinct
area.16 It might be assumed that the distribution area
of the style can be read as a proxy for the knowledge
of early wagons (cf. Gunther 1997, 157 fig. 125). The
latest date for its spread can be seen with the Bern-
burg culture, i.e. before 3,200/3,100 calBC, while the
earliest possible date can easily be connected with
the upper limit of the phase Bronocice III and within
the early Wartberg culture: Raetzel-Fabian (1997,
175) discusses a more or less simultaneous erection
of the Warburg necropolis around 3,400 calBC, based
on the available 14C-dates and typological arguments,
and this would also apply to the depictions.
An early dating of the Wartberg signs is also
strengthened by new research on the huge corpus
of rock art in the Alps. There are two major concen-
trations of depictions, one in the Vai Camonica and
the neighbouring Valteline and Vai Venoste valleys,
and the other in the region of Mont Bego (cf. Arca
2011 for an overview). The chronology of the im-
ages is established by defining stylistic units, which
are dated by the association with datable artefacts
depicted in them (Fedele 2006,48 fig. 1). Altogether
21 depictions of ploughs and one of a wagon with a
Remedello or Bell Beaker date are reported from Vai
Camonica.17 The situation is similar at Mont Bego:
While ploughs are very numerous, wagons occur
rarely (De Saulieu / Serres 2006, 76 fig. 7). Most
scenes were not created in a single event, but clear
associations are existent though rare. A key-position
within this sequence is given to those depictions as-
sociated with specific axe, dagger, or halberd types.18
The most recent study on dating the Alpine rock
art relies heavily on horn-shape and classifies such
depictions as type Cla or C3 horned figurines (Huet
2016, 12-13).19 Type Cla figurines can be placed into
16 Described further above already as comprising North Hesse,
Warburg Boerde and southern Lower Saxony, complemented by
finds from the low mountain range border in Saxony-Anhalt.
17 These were found on the statue menhirs of Borno 1, Ceres-
olo / Bagnolo 2, Ossimo 7, and Ossimo 8, the larger rocks of
Cemno Masso 1 and 2, as well as on the surfaces of Naquane
R.99, Campanine R.8, and R.X, and Dos Cui; cf. Fedele 2006,
49 fig. 2.
18 The finds in question are flat axes with low flanges, daggers
with a central rib of the Remedello-type as well as halberds. Cf.
esp. Dolfini 2010; Klimscha 2010; Horn 2014. For an example
see De Saulieu / Serres 2006, 78 fig. 9,80.
19 This same sequence has been published in another paper,
where the fork-shaped signs have been named A(=C2), B(=C3),
and C(=Cla): Huet / Bianchi 2016, 106 fig. 2.
a sequence with C2 and C3 horned figurines. The
styles have been dated by the association with weap-
ons - in these cases daggers - as well as archaeologi-
cal finds in the vicinity. This results in correlating
C3 with the phase ‘Chasseen recent’, c. 4,050-3,500
calBC, while C2 signs are assumed to begin at 4,000
calBC, and Cla signs are contemporary with halberd
depictions (Huet 2016, esp. 13 fig. 12). The superim-
position of daggers by C3 horned figurines is crucial
in this respect. Huet (2016, 9-11) describes the dag-
gers shown as resembling shapes of the Italian Eneo-
lithic, which Huet / Bianchi (2016, 114) suggested
as contemporary with the Rinaldone phase. For the
dating of the rock art it is relevant that the triangular
Remedello daggers and the axes with low flanges
both date to 3,300-2,700 calBC (Dolfini 2013, 39
tab. 2), while scenes including halberds with midrib
should be even older, as recently proposed by Horn /
Schenck (2016, 18) while discussing the chrono-
logical position of Rinaldone, prov. Viterbo, grave
3. This would suggest a date of 3,600-3,300/3,200
calBC, which is supported independently by Dol-
fini’s (2010, 711-715) 14C-datings of grave 21 from
Pietro, prov. Viterbo.20 Accordingly, Horn’s type 2
halberds, characterised by a prominent central rib
and relatively long blades, can be found associated
with cattle teams pulling ploughs in the Mont Bego
region (De Lumley 2003, 381 fig. 129), thereby dat-
ing them to 3,600-3,300/3,200 calBC. This would
result in a terminus ante quem of 3,300-2,900 calBC
for type Cla.21 At this point, it seems appropriate to
return to the dating of the Wartberg culture, which,
if the analogy with the sign group of type C2 is ac-
cepted, should be older than or contemporary to sign
group Cla (3,600-3,300/3,200 calBC; cf. Huet 2016,
esp. 13 fig. 12). This, in turn, would support Raetzel
Fabian’s hypothesis of a rather simultaneous erec-
tion around 3,400 calBC. While the data from the
Alpine rock art are still not conclusive, it is possible
to date the appearance of the earliest two-wheeled
vehicles contemporary to early halberds, i. e. around
or before the middle of the 4th millennium calBC (cf.
Matuschik 2006).
20 From the same typological horizon, Horn / Schenck 2016,
18-20 further add the halberds from Rinaldone, grave 5; Poggio
Aquilone, prov. Terni; Poggio delle Sorche, prov. Grosseto;
Casanuovo, prov. Perugia; Villafranca-Veronese, prov. Verona.
21 According to Huet 2016 this happened after 2,500 calBC.
From the information published it seems as if the work by Horn
(2014; 2012-2021) was not taken into account.