Herxheim near Landau – pottery of the LBK (Linear Pottery culture) outside the pit enclosure

Abstract

Apart from the famous pit enclosure of Herxheim/Palatinate several early Neolithic settlement sites, known only from surveys and few excavations, have been identified in the general area. The associated pottery indicates that these settle ments persisted during the entire period of the western LBK culture (west of the river Rhine). Using correspondence analysis it was possible to develop a relative chronological order of the pottery allowing for further interpretations of settlement processes. A two-phase farmyard (Hofplatz) near the pit enclosure – excavated in 2001 – is described in detail. The repertoire of motifs from this site showed characteristics of the  final LBK. It is possibly that this farmyard was occupied until the end of the final LBK, for which time in the southern Palatinate settlement activities had as yet only been documented at the pit enclosure of Herxheim