Book contents
- 6000 BC
- 6000 BC
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Upper Mesopotamia and Eastern Mediterranean
- Part II Anatolia
- Part III Aegean and Marmara
- Part IV Southeast Europe
- Part V Modeling the Change
- Chapter 20 The Neolithic Colonization of Balkanic Europe
- Chapter 21 Modes and Models of Neolithization in Europe
- Part VI Commentaries
- Index
- References
Chapter 21 - Modes and Models of Neolithization in Europe
Comments to an Ongoing Debate
from Part V - Modeling the Change
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2022
- 6000 BC
- 6000 BC
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Upper Mesopotamia and Eastern Mediterranean
- Part II Anatolia
- Part III Aegean and Marmara
- Part IV Southeast Europe
- Part V Modeling the Change
- Chapter 20 The Neolithic Colonization of Balkanic Europe
- Chapter 21 Modes and Models of Neolithization in Europe
- Part VI Commentaries
- Index
- References
Summary
The archaeological discourse on the spread of the Neolithic way of life has experienced several paradigm shifts during the last three decades. This chapter attempts to classify different past and recent approaches to describe or even explain that major transformation. A review of Neolithization models suggested for central Europe during the last five decades illustrates changing assumptions and schools of archaeological research. While the more recent regional models tend to integrate elements of demic diffusion as well as indigenous adaptation, some recent general and global models focus on external and internal causes for the Neolithic transformation in a rather deterministic way. While the classical “wave of advance” model (Ammermann and Cavalli-Sforza) can be regarded as characteristic for the broad generalizations of processual archaeology, enhanced spatial and temporal resolution revealed a rather discontinuous and nonlinear process of spread (“modèle arythmique” of Jean Guilaine). It is argued that these “stagnation phases” in the spread of the Neolithic from the Near East throughout Europe, despite having a similar structure, might reflect different regional variants in the Neolithic transformation. In conclusion it will be suggested that “Neolithization” actually comprises quite different processes with specific regional scope and time scale, involving both change and its avoidance.
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- Chapter
- Information
- 6000 BCTransformation and Change in the Near East and Europe, pp. 372 - 392Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022
References
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