Corded Ware Coastal Communities. Using ceramic analysis to reconstruct third millennium BC societies in the Netherlands

316 Pages·16.372 MB·English

by  Beckerman S.M.

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The Corded Ware Culture (c. 2900–2300 BC) is found in a large
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area, from Russia to the Netherlands and from Scandinavia d
to Switzerland. Supra-regional elements include beakers e
decorated with cord and/or spatula imprints, battle-axes, and d

a funerary customs involving crouched inhumations under W
barrows with gender-specific placement of the body gender-
a
specific funerary gifts.
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Analysis of ceramics from well-preserved settlements from the

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Dutch coastal zone have provided very valuable new information
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on the Corded Ware chronology, social organisation, ideology,
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subsistence, and use of material culture. A critical review of the
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commonly applied chronological models shows that many of
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the underlying premises cannot be supported due to problems a
with (broad calibration and sample reliability of) 14C dates. l

This study shows that in the Neolithic Dutch coastal zone, the c
thin-walled ceramics reflect supra-regional (Corded Ware) o
affiliations, whereas the medium-thick-walled and thick-walled m
ceramics reflect persistent regional (Vlaardingen) traditions. m
The beakers decorated with cord and spatula impressions were u
used primarily for cooking; indications for the often proposed n
use of alcohol (and associated rise of individualisation and i
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elites) were not found. i
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It is argued in this study that the Corded Ware Culture
represents an economic alliance, a dynamic totality as well as a
network linking regional groups – each with a distinct economic
base, material culture and ideology. These communities all
using ceramic analysis to
participated in a vast supra-regional network that was a
platform for inter-community exchanges of goods, skills, reconstruct third millennium bc
ideas and possibly people. Affiliation to this supra-regional

network was a vital aspect for all regional groups involved, and societies in the netherlands
membership to it was expressed by using a set of common
traits. Decorated thin-walled beakers act as symbols of these
Sandra Mariët BeckerMan
supra-regional networks and thus embody both functional and
ideological roles.
ISSBNid 97e8-s90t-o88n90e-31 8P-2ress
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ISBN: 978-90-8890-318-2 i
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9 789088 903182
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CORDED WARE COASTAL COMMUNITIES
Sidestone Press

CORDED WARE COASTAL COMMUNITIES

usingceramicanalysistoreconstructthird

millennium bc societies in the netherlands
PhD Thesis
to obtain the degree of PhD at the
University of Groningen
on the authority of the
Rector Magnificus Prof. E. Sterken
and in accordance with
the decision by the College of Deans.

This thesis will be defended in public on

Thursday 4 June 2015 at 16.15 hours
by
Sandra Mariët Beckerman
Born on 31 March 1983
in Veenendaal
Supervisor
Prof. D.C.M. Raemaekers
Co-supervisor
Dr. S. Arnoldussen
Assessment committee
Prof. M. Besse
Prof. H. Fokkens
Prof. J. Müller
© 2015 S.M. Beckerman
Published by Sidestone Press, Leiden
www.sidestone.com
ISBN 978-90-8890-318-2
Lay-out & cover design: Sidestone Press
Cover: Two SGC beakers from Aartswoud (front), provincie Noord-Holland
(numbers 9157-01 and 9157-02); Microscope photo’s (back), Sylvia
Blomsma (Univesity of Groningen/Groningen Institiute of Archaeology)
This publication was financially supported by the Stichting Nederlands Museum
voor Anthropologie en Praehistorie (SNMAP)
Also available as:
e-book (PDF): ISBN 978-90-8890-319-9
To my parents

Contents
1 How can we reconstruct Corded Ware Culture chronology and society? 13
1.1 Introduction 13
1.2 Previous research questions and debates 15
1.2.1 Introduction 15
1.2.2 Corded Ware Culture Chronology 15
1.2.2.1 Migration, diffusion or a combination 15
1.2.2.2 Origin 17
1.2.2.3 Preceding cultures 18
1.2.2.4 Motor behind the spread 18
1.2.2.5 Typochronology and absolute dates 19
1.2.2.6 End of the Corded Ware Culture and transition to the
Bell Beaker Culture 19
1.2.3 Corded Ware Culture Society 20
1.2.3.1 Introduction 20
1.2.3.2 Technology and economy 20
1.2.3.3 Subsistence 21
1.2.3.4 Settlements 22
1.2.3.5 Graves 23
1.2.3.6 Gender roles 23
1.2.3.7 Individualisation and elites 24
1.2.3.8 Martiality 25
1.2.3.9 The alcohol problem 26
1.2.3.10 Religion and ideology 26
1.2.4 Uniformity or diversity: Scale and regionality 27
1.3 Current research questions 28
1.4 Choosing the dataset 29
1.4.1 Introduction 29
1.4.2 Choosing settlements 29
1.4.3 Choosing settlements in the Netherlands 30
1.4.4 Ceramics from settlements in the Netherlands 31
1.5 Outline 33
1.5.1 Chapter 1: Introduction 33
1.5.2 Chapters 2 and 3: The ceramics from Corded Ware settlement
sites and a supra-regional comparison 34
1.5.3 Chapter 4: Corded Ware Culture chronology 34
1.5.4 Chapter 5: Corded Ware Culture society 35
1.5.5 Chapter 6: Gordon Childe and the new approaches to Dutch
Corded Ware communities 36
2 Neolithic ceramics from Noord-Holland, the Netherlands 37
2.1 The dataset 37
2.1.1 Introduction 37
2.1.2 Selection of sites for ceramic analysis 37
2.1.3 Location, environment, landscape and subsistence 39
2.2 Methodology 40
2.2.1 Introduction 40
2.2.2 Van der Waals and Glasbergen (1955) type division 40
2.2.3 New theories and methods 42
2.2.3.1 Introduction 42
2.2.3.2 Salanova (2001): Bell Beaker decoration techniques 43
2.2.3.3 Besse (2004): Bell Beaker common ware 44
2.2.3.4 Larsson (2008): Battle Axe Culture and Pitted Ware Culture
in southern Sweden 44
2.2.3.5 Furholt (2008): Baden ceramics 45
2.2.4 Methodology of this study 46
2.2.4.1 Introduction 46
2.2.4.2 Technology 46
2.2.4.3 Morphology 48
2.2.4.4 Decoration 49
2.2.4.5 Use 50
2.2.4.6 Inter- and intra-site analysis and regional comparison 51
2.3 Ceramics from the different settlements 52
2.3.1 Slootdorp-Bouwlust 52
2.3.1.1 Introduction 52
2.3.1.2 Technological characteristics 53
2.3.1.3 Morphological characteristics 59
2.3.1.4 Decoration 61
2.3.1.5 Age and use 65
2.3.2 Zandwerven 68
2.3.2.1 Introduction 68
2.3.2.2 Technological characteristics 68
2.3.2.3 Morphological characteristics 69
2.3.2.4 Decoration 69
2.3.2.5 Use, discard and spatial patterning 72
2.3.3 Zeewijk 74
2.3.3.1 Introduction 74
2.3.3.2 Technological characteristics 80
2.3.3.3 Morphological characteristics 80
2.3.3.4 Decoration 81
2.3.3.5 Age and use 82
2.3.4 Aartswoud 84
2.3.4.1 Introduction 84
2.3.4.2 Technological characteristics 85
2.3.4.3 Morphological characteristics 89
2.3.4.4 Decoration 89
2.3.4.5 Use, discard and spatial patterning 91
2.3.5 Keinsmerbrug 92
2.3.5.1 Introduction 92
2.3.5.2 Technological characteristics 92
2.3.5.3 Morphological characteristics 92
2.3.5.4 Decoration 95
2.3.5.5 Use, discard and spatial patterning 96
2.3.6 Mienakker 96
2.3.6.1 Introduction 96
2.3.6.2 Technological characteristics 97
2.3.6.3 Morphological characteristics 97
2.3.6.4 Decoration 101
2.3.6.5 Use, discard and spatial patterning 101