DOI chapter:
Changing Worlds – The Spread of the Neolithic Way of Life in the North
DOI chapter:Philippi, Alexandra: The Schöningen group and the cultural development around 4,000 calBC
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0404
Stone Age Borderland Experience (MAN 60, 2022, 403 -416)
403
The Schoningen group and the cultural
development around 4,000 calBC
Alexandra Philippi
Abstract This article presents the results of the author’s bachelor thesis on the finds of the Schoningen group from the
eponymous site Schoningen 9, distr. Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The main focus of the paper is the evaluation and
classification of the ceramic finds within the Neolithic, as the latter has caused considerable problems in the past. The vessels
show different characteristics in their form as well as in their decoration, which can be traced back to different strong influ-
ences from the Michelsberg and the late Lengyel cultures during the Late Neolithic.
Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag legt die Ergebnisse der Bachelorarbeit der Verfasserin zum Fundmaterial der Schbninger
Gruppe vom namensgebenden niedersachsischen Fundplatz Schoningen 9, Ldkr. Helmstedt, Deutschland, vor. DerFokus des
Beitrages liegt auf der Auswertung und der Einordnung des keramischen Fundmaterials innerhalb des Neolithikums, da letz-
tere in der Vergangenheit erhebliche Probleme bereitete. Die KeramikgefaSe weisen sowohl in ihrer Form als auch in ihrer
Verzierungsweise verschiedene Merkmale auf, die auf unterschiedlich starke Einflusse a us der Michelsberger und der spaten
Lengyel- Kultur zuruckgefuhrt werden kbnnen.
Introduction
The site of Schoningen 9 is situated in a lignite mine
area on the eastern border of Schoningen, distr. Helm-
stedt, in Lower Saxony (Fig. 1). In spring 1985 rescue
excavations began at the site in the northern mining
area (Maier 1995, 134). The finds from an almost
round pit (feature 31; Fig. 2) attracted special atten-
tion. It contained unmodified stones and animal bones
as well as a few stone artefacts and numerous pottery
fragments (Maier 1995, 137). The pottery recovered
from this pit did not have good analogies in the ar-
chaeological record of Lower Saxony. About 65 m east
of feature 31 similar pottery could be recovered from
another pit (feature 74). Therefore Maier (1995, 139)
assigned these finds to the same context. In feature
74 there was also a layer of charred fibres, which
were identified by Korber-Grohne (1987, 463) as
fruit stalks and awns of a feather grass (Stipa pen-
nata L. s. Str.).
Because of missing parallels the classification of
the pottery caused considerable problems, and subse-
quently a scientific dispute developed. Already in May
1985 Maier presented the features and their finds for
the first time on a congress. Because of the presence of
arcade rims and a clay disc there was no doubt about
a Neolithic classification. Maier (1987) referred on
the one hand to an influence of the Lengyel culture
and emphasised the more structured vessel shapes.
On the other hand, he saw influences of the Rossen
culture in the Schoningen vessels. However, the Late
Neolithic elements like arcade rims or the fragment
of a clay disc led him to consider the Schoningen
finds to be later than the Rossen culture (Maier 1987,
115). A classification to the Michelsberg culture was
rejected because of the more rounded vessel shapes
of the carinated bowls and their shoulder decoration;
a connection with the early Funnel Beaker culture or
the Baalberge culture of Central Germany was also
denied (Maier 1987, 115-116).
In 1991 J. Beran completed his investigation of
the site Salzmiinde-Schiepzig, distr. Saalekreis, and
discussed the position of the Salzmunde culture in
the Neolithic of the Saale region (Beran 1993). He
discovered that the finds from Salzmiinde-Schiepzig
had little in common with the Salzmunde culture
and had been erroneously placed in such a cultural
context by former authors (Beran 1993, 43). Beran
found convincing parallels for his pottery in the ce-
ramics form the site Schoningen 9 (features 31 and
74) and proposed the name ‘Schoningen group’ for
this type of ceramics (Beran 1993, 43-46). He placed
the Schoningen group at the beginning of the Late
Neolithic and confirmed its similarities to the cultural
403
The Schoningen group and the cultural
development around 4,000 calBC
Alexandra Philippi
Abstract This article presents the results of the author’s bachelor thesis on the finds of the Schoningen group from the
eponymous site Schoningen 9, distr. Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The main focus of the paper is the evaluation and
classification of the ceramic finds within the Neolithic, as the latter has caused considerable problems in the past. The vessels
show different characteristics in their form as well as in their decoration, which can be traced back to different strong influ-
ences from the Michelsberg and the late Lengyel cultures during the Late Neolithic.
Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag legt die Ergebnisse der Bachelorarbeit der Verfasserin zum Fundmaterial der Schbninger
Gruppe vom namensgebenden niedersachsischen Fundplatz Schoningen 9, Ldkr. Helmstedt, Deutschland, vor. DerFokus des
Beitrages liegt auf der Auswertung und der Einordnung des keramischen Fundmaterials innerhalb des Neolithikums, da letz-
tere in der Vergangenheit erhebliche Probleme bereitete. Die KeramikgefaSe weisen sowohl in ihrer Form als auch in ihrer
Verzierungsweise verschiedene Merkmale auf, die auf unterschiedlich starke Einflusse a us der Michelsberger und der spaten
Lengyel- Kultur zuruckgefuhrt werden kbnnen.
Introduction
The site of Schoningen 9 is situated in a lignite mine
area on the eastern border of Schoningen, distr. Helm-
stedt, in Lower Saxony (Fig. 1). In spring 1985 rescue
excavations began at the site in the northern mining
area (Maier 1995, 134). The finds from an almost
round pit (feature 31; Fig. 2) attracted special atten-
tion. It contained unmodified stones and animal bones
as well as a few stone artefacts and numerous pottery
fragments (Maier 1995, 137). The pottery recovered
from this pit did not have good analogies in the ar-
chaeological record of Lower Saxony. About 65 m east
of feature 31 similar pottery could be recovered from
another pit (feature 74). Therefore Maier (1995, 139)
assigned these finds to the same context. In feature
74 there was also a layer of charred fibres, which
were identified by Korber-Grohne (1987, 463) as
fruit stalks and awns of a feather grass (Stipa pen-
nata L. s. Str.).
Because of missing parallels the classification of
the pottery caused considerable problems, and subse-
quently a scientific dispute developed. Already in May
1985 Maier presented the features and their finds for
the first time on a congress. Because of the presence of
arcade rims and a clay disc there was no doubt about
a Neolithic classification. Maier (1987) referred on
the one hand to an influence of the Lengyel culture
and emphasised the more structured vessel shapes.
On the other hand, he saw influences of the Rossen
culture in the Schoningen vessels. However, the Late
Neolithic elements like arcade rims or the fragment
of a clay disc led him to consider the Schoningen
finds to be later than the Rossen culture (Maier 1987,
115). A classification to the Michelsberg culture was
rejected because of the more rounded vessel shapes
of the carinated bowls and their shoulder decoration;
a connection with the early Funnel Beaker culture or
the Baalberge culture of Central Germany was also
denied (Maier 1987, 115-116).
In 1991 J. Beran completed his investigation of
the site Salzmiinde-Schiepzig, distr. Saalekreis, and
discussed the position of the Salzmunde culture in
the Neolithic of the Saale region (Beran 1993). He
discovered that the finds from Salzmiinde-Schiepzig
had little in common with the Salzmunde culture
and had been erroneously placed in such a cultural
context by former authors (Beran 1993, 43). Beran
found convincing parallels for his pottery in the ce-
ramics form the site Schoningen 9 (features 31 and
74) and proposed the name ‘Schoningen group’ for
this type of ceramics (Beran 1993, 43-46). He placed
the Schoningen group at the beginning of the Late
Neolithic and confirmed its similarities to the cultural