Patterns of Socio-economic Cultural Transformations in Neolithic and Bronze Age Societies in the Central Northern European Plain

Abstract

Does history repeat itself? What causes and mechanisms of action are at work in prehistoric societies? These are two questions we want to tackle in a longue durée perspective. In order to do so we bring together two main epochs in human history in the central northern European Plain: the Neolithic and the Bronze Age of northern Germany. In this timeframe we want to identify patterns of socio-economic cultural transformations.Consequently, the reconstruction of the causes and mechanisms of action in prehistoric societies are essential. In order to increase our knowledge of potential triggers and drivers of transformations, different economic, demographic, and socio-cultural data as well as climate data will be combined for a timeline of about 3500 years. As a new approach the concept of capitals by Bourdieu will be applied to construct comparable diachronic measurements for our different data sets of Material Culture. This allows for the first-time statistical analyses and quantitatively tested combinations of driving factors and socio-environmental responses. This will allow the identification of comparable patterns of transformation and how differently organised societies in the Neolithic and the Bronze Age reacted to comparable changes.