Indicators of Transformation Processes: Change Profiles as a Method for Identifying Indicators

Abstract

The sound interpretation and convincing detection of transformations require dense data from different domains. This chapter aims to develop some rather simple indicators that can be used to identify and characterise transformations using change profiles. This chapter concentrates on location-based indicators that are applied to case studies from the Iron Age in Central Italy and South-West Germany. We focus on rather well-known transformations characterising them with location-based parameters and validating those indicators with additional information, such as data on climate, technology, and society. The additional parameters also help to gain decent interpretations of the transformations. The requirement of the multi-proxy approach is satisfied on two levels. First, each domain is represented by different indicators, and second, different domains are considered for interpretation and evaluation. This chapter results in a set of simple location-based indicators, change profiles, and the description and interpretation of the Iron Age transformations from the case studies. Furthermore, with the case study of South-West Germany for instance, we revealed two interrelated transformation processes. The first process focuses on the formation of the elites, which supports and accelerates technical developments. That prepared the ground for the second process, which affects the whole society and includes a kind of social consolidation. After the Hallstatt-Latène transition, the intensity of the transformations seems to decrease.