Schmuck aus dem Aurignacien von der Schwäbischen Alb im Vergleich mit Inventaren aus dem Lahntal und dem Rheinland

Abstract

Personal ornaments of the Swabian Aurignacian compared with inventories of the Lahn Valley and the Rhineland

Excavations in six caves of the Swabian Jura (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) have yielded personal ornaments from Aurignacian deposits made by the early anatomically modern humans. Sirgenstein, Geißenklösterle and the Hohle Fels are situated in the Ach Valley between the towns of Blaubeuren and Schelklingen. Vogelherd, Hohlenstein-Stadel and Bockstein-Törle are located in the Lone Valley between Niederstotzingen and Rammingen. Both drainages are tributaries of the Upper Danube. The caves in the Ach and Lone valleys are at a distance of c. 40km, and within each valley the sites form groups within 2 km of each other as the crow flies. Here we also present an overview of the jewellery from Wildscheuer Cave in Lahn Valley of Hessen and from Lommersum near the town Euskirchen. We examine the different bead types and their production sequence from all the sites. These rich assemblages of personal ornaments provide high quality information on the cultural background of the Aurignacian people. The Swabian sites reflect a wide range of common features that document a strong cultural unity between the Ach and Lone valleys during the Aurignacian. Finally, the study documents intra- and interregional connections, as well as providing information about the social and economic contexts in which the caves were used.