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Danish Bell Beaker pottery and flint daggers – the display of social identities?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Torben Sarauw*
Affiliation:
Aalborg Historical Museum, Denmark

Abstract

This article summarizes and discusses recent research into the Danish Bell Beaker phenomenon c.2350–1950 BC. Its focus is on the meaning of material culture here represented by Bell Beakers and bifacial lanceolate flint daggers, both seen from a social perspective. The Bell Beaker pottery is known to have had a very wide distribution. However, questions remain as to why Bell Beakers were only adopted in some regions and what meaning this special pottery had? Similarly the Danish type I daggers, which were manufactured within the context of the Danish Bell Beaker phenomenon in the northern parts of Jutland, had a wide distribution. Daggers of this type, which in general denote male identity, were exported in vast quantities, especially to Norway and the western parts of Sweden. In both case studies the evidence from a Danish Bell Beaker settlement site excavated in recent years – Bejsebakken – plays a major part.

Cet article propose un résumé et une analyse des recherches récentes sur la culture des Gobelets Campaniformes au Danemark (env. 2350–1950 av. JC). Il se concentre sur la signification de la culture matérielle, représentée ici par les gobelets campaniformes et les poignards bifaces en silex lancéolés et considérés tous les deux à partir d'un point de vue social. On sait que la poterie campaniforme avait une très large répartition. Cependant il faut se poser quelques questions: pourquoi les gobelets campaniformes étaient adoptés dans certaines régions seulement, et quelle était la signification de cette poterie particulière? De même, les poignards du type danois I fabriqués dans le contexte de la culture campaniforme dans le nord du Jutland, étaient largement répandus. Les poignards de ce type, qui en général ont une connotation mâle, étaient exportés en grandes quantités, plus particulièrement vers la Norvège et les parties occidentales de la Suède. Les constatations faites lors des récentes fouilles d'un village campaniforme – Bejsebakken – jouent une part majeure dans les deux études.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Aufsatz diskutiert und fasst die aktuellen Forschungen zum dänischen Glockenbecherphänomen (ca. 2350–1950 v. Chr.) zusammen. Sein Fokus liegt auf der Bedeutung der materiellen Kultur, die hier anhand von Glockenbechern sowie bifazialen blattförmigen Flintdolchen untersucht wird, und die beide aus einer sozialen Perspektive betrachtet werden. Die Glockenbecherkeramik ist dafür bekannt, eine weite Verbreitung zu haben. Allerdings sind damit verschiedene Fragen verbunden, z. B. warum Glockenbecher nur in einigen Regionen genutzt wurden und was die Bedeutung dieser besonderen Keramik war. Gleichermaßen waren die dänischen Dolche des Typs 1, die im Rahmen des dänischen Glockenbecherphänomens in den nördlichen Teilen Jütlands hergestellt wurden, weit verbreitet. Dolche dieses Typs, die generell mit einer männlichen Identitätssphäre in Verbindung gebracht werden, wurden in sehr großer Menge insbesondere nach Norwegen und Westschweden exportiert. In beiden Fallstudien spielen die Beobachtungen von einem unlängst ausgegrabenen dänischen Glockenbecherfundplatz – Bejsebakken – eine grundlegende Rolle.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Sage Publications 

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