Lye-melaun culture

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The Laugen-Melaun culture is a Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age cultural group in the Alpine regions of Trentino (to Rovereto ), Münstertal , South and (initially) East Tyrol and part of the Lower Engadine below the Reschen Pass .

Jug of the Laugen-Melaun culture, around 1000 before. BC, found in Feldkirch, Austria

Emergence

The Laugen-Melaun culture emerged in the course of the 14th century BC. In the course of the general cultural upheavals in Europe that emerged in Central Europe and led to the development of the urn field culture . This resulted in population shifts for about 300 years. Some groups reached the Mediterranean and the ancient civilizations took note of them. The urn field culture is named after the suddenly emerging custom of no longer burying the deceased in large, stone family graves, but rather burning the corpses and filling the ashes in urns. Behind this change must have been completely new religious ideas.

features

South of the main Alpine ridge we find from around 1350/1250 BC. A culture that is called Laugen-Melaun culture after two important sites near Brixen . With the beginning of the Laugen-Melaun culture, ceramics of special quality and numerous new forms were found, including lavishly decorated jugs . The archaeological sources cannot tell that the Adige Valley and its side valleys were conquered by a foreign people. B. Eppan , which existed in the Middle Bronze Age , were still inhabited. It is possible that only a new, belligerent upper class has immigrated, which has brought new cultural impulses with it.

Not only the ceramics and the cremation in urns were new, but also the construction of special sanctuaries, sometimes in unbelievable seclusion can be observed. These sanctuaries are sometimes high piled stone cones, sometimes they are on mountain peaks, sometimes near the waters. But they always had to do with burning offerings. That is why they are called burnt offering places . There seem to have been festivals among the smoking offerings, as heaps of smashed pottery are typical for these places. The many jugs and bowls are particularly striking . For this reason it can be assumed that around 1300 BC The wine played a certain role in cultic celebrations. In addition to metals, wine was the most important trade factor in the Adige Valley .

Further development

From the 13th to the 11th century (Late Bronze Age) the Laugen-Melaun culture flourished due to the mining of the copper ore required for bronze production (rich grave goods, "Laugen-Melaun A", also in East Tyrol ) and suffered accordingly with the emergence of the Eisens in the surrounding area from around 1000 ("Laugen-Melaun B", East Tyrol turns away and towards the Eastern Alps, see Breitegg location ). In the 8th century the use of iron also increased locally, but the corresponding level “Laugen-Melaun C” did not join the northern Hallstatt culture . Only under Mediterranean influence (peak of the Etruscan culture also in the Po Valley , Greeks in the Maritime Alps , Venetians , lively transalpine trade) did the Laugen-Melaun culture transform into the Fritzens-Sanzeno culture in the late 6th century and thus merge with it the adjacent Inntal culture to the north , which until then was part of the Hallstatt culture. Ceramics in the Laugen-Melaun style have been found since 1200 BC. BC also in the area of ​​the otherwise differently shaped Alpine Rhine Valley group , but from local production, and still in the Sarganserland .

literature

  • Gleirscher Paul: The Laugen-Melaun Group. In: Ingrid R. Metzger and Paul Gleirscher (eds.): Die Räter / I Reti. An overview of the research status of the "Raetians" on the occasion of the traveling exhibition of the same name developed by the Rätisches Museum Chur. Athesia, Bozen 1992. ( Series of publications by the Alpine countries working group, published by Commission III (Culture). New series; Volume 4. German-language edition, Italian contributions only in summary. 765 pages.) ISBN 88-7014-646-4 , p 117-134.
  • Leitner Walter: Eppan-St. Pauls, a late Bronze Age settlement. A contribution to the inner-alpine Laugen-Melaun culture. In: Archaeologia Austriaca Vol. 72, 1988, 1-90.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fig. 4 and text on p. 12f. in: P. Gleirscher: The Raetians . Rätisches Museum Chur 1991. Fig. 4 is identical to Fig. 1 on p. 16 in: Metzger / Gleirscher: Die Räter , Bozen 1992 (given in literature ).
  2. ↑ E.g. finds in Ardez-Suotchastè and Scuol-Munt Baselgia, Ottavio Clavuot: Engadin; The Engadine from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  3. ↑ Cited literature, especially the chronological table in Metzger / Gleirscher (ed.): Die Räter (1992) on p. 764; in basics pp. 12–15 in: P. Gleirscher: Die Räter . Rhaetian Museum Chur 1991.
  4. ↑ Cf. Jürg Rageth: Graubünden; Prehistory and early history; Bronze and Iron Ages. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  5. ↑ ZB Jürg Rageth: Chur (community); Prehistory and early history; Pre-Roman times. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  6. ^ For example, Regula Anna Steinhauser-Zimmermann: Montlingerberg. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  7. ^ For example, Regula Anna Steinhauser-Zimmermann: Gräpplang. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  8. ^ ZB Regula Anna Steinhauser-Zimmermann: Mels; Prehistory and Roman times. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .