Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis

In the Early Iron Age, the Western Carpathians constituted a contact zone of various cultural traditions, which contributed to the complex, syncretic stylistic character of this region. At the same time, due to the scarcity of archaeological data...

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Main Author: Joanna A. Markiewicz
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences 2024-12-01
Series:Acta Archaeologica Carpathica
Online Access: https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/acta-archaeologica-carpathica/artykul/where-styles-collide-the-western-carpathians-in-the-early-iron-age-in-the-light-of-pottery-analysis
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author Joanna A. Markiewicz
author_facet Joanna A. Markiewicz
author_sort Joanna A. Markiewicz
collection DOAJ
description In the Early Iron Age, the Western Carpathians constituted a contact zone of various cultural traditions, which contributed to the complex, syncretic stylistic character of this region. At the same time, due to the scarcity of archaeological data, consisting mostly of relatively poor pottery assemblages from settlements, these mountainous areas escape unambiguous cultural classifications. Leaving aside the problems of taxonomy, this paper is an attempt to define the past processes that resulted in the observed diversity. Analyses were performed based on the most numerous sources available, which are ceramic vessels. Instead of being assigned to specific cultural units, individual pottery assemblages from the Western Carpathians were described in terms of stylistic diversity. This approach made it possible to analyse the available sources using quantitative methods, e.g. network analysis. The obtained results were treated as the starting point for a broader discussion on the processes of cultural development in prehistory. The problem of the possibility of reconstructing past social relations based on the pottery was addressed. Furthermore, a detailed study of three Western Carpathian regions provided a framework for considering the branching and blending models of cultural development in the context of local geographical conditions. It was demonstrated that very different processes may occur in neighbouring regions at the same time, resulting in various patterns of pottery styles distribution.
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spelling doaj-art-f79907921b544b9aa4a23fc81cc6631a2025-02-05T12:26:41ZdeuPolish Academy of Arts and SciencesActa Archaeologica Carpathica0001-52292719-48412024-12-012024112915810.4467/00015229AAC.24.006.21119Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysisJoanna A. Markiewicz0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1926-4300 Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie In the Early Iron Age, the Western Carpathians constituted a contact zone of various cultural traditions, which contributed to the complex, syncretic stylistic character of this region. At the same time, due to the scarcity of archaeological data, consisting mostly of relatively poor pottery assemblages from settlements, these mountainous areas escape unambiguous cultural classifications. Leaving aside the problems of taxonomy, this paper is an attempt to define the past processes that resulted in the observed diversity. Analyses were performed based on the most numerous sources available, which are ceramic vessels. Instead of being assigned to specific cultural units, individual pottery assemblages from the Western Carpathians were described in terms of stylistic diversity. This approach made it possible to analyse the available sources using quantitative methods, e.g. network analysis. The obtained results were treated as the starting point for a broader discussion on the processes of cultural development in prehistory. The problem of the possibility of reconstructing past social relations based on the pottery was addressed. Furthermore, a detailed study of three Western Carpathian regions provided a framework for considering the branching and blending models of cultural development in the context of local geographical conditions. It was demonstrated that very different processes may occur in neighbouring regions at the same time, resulting in various patterns of pottery styles distribution. https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/acta-archaeologica-carpathica/artykul/where-styles-collide-the-western-carpathians-in-the-early-iron-age-in-the-light-of-pottery-analysis
spellingShingle Joanna A. Markiewicz
Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
Acta Archaeologica Carpathica
title Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
title_full Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
title_fullStr Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
title_full_unstemmed Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
title_short Where styles collide: the Western Carpathians in the Early Iron Age in the light of pottery analysis
title_sort where styles collide the western carpathians in the early iron age in the light of pottery analysis
url https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/acta-archaeologica-carpathica/artykul/where-styles-collide-the-western-carpathians-in-the-early-iron-age-in-the-light-of-pottery-analysis
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