Schnelle Zeiten – langsame Zeiten: Archäologische Chronologiesysteme als Geschichtsquelle

Abstract

This article investigates the absolute duration of the individual phases of archaeological chronology systems based on material finds. The duration of these phases varies. In Roman times, the Migration Period, under the Merovingians and in the modern era the phases last on average 30 years; in the Iron Age, the Roman Iron Age in Germania Magna and the Middle Ages, the average duration is about 60 years; in the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age an average of 100 years (Figs. 1- 2). Four different classes become apparent (Figs. 3 - 4): short phases of up to 45 years, medium phases of 45 to 80 years, long phases of 80 to 175 years and very long phases of more than 175 years. The duration of these phases follows no general trend in the sense of “the older the longer, the younger the shorter”. Instead, short phases can also be observed in every era, especially in the Early Neolithic period. The duration of the phases does not primarily depend on the source circumstances and taphonomy. In early historical situations, which thanks to written sources can be cross-referenced to a certain extent, the duration of the phases corresponds well with historical events and developments. Archaeological chronologies can therefore be used as a comparative diachronic and intercultural tool to assess cultural changes as well as to assess the force of traditions and innovations.
A major cause of the variation in the duration is seen in the way culture is transmitted to young people: short phases are mainly linked to cultural transfers between peers; medium-length phases result principally from the transfer of culture from parents to children; long phases from the transfer from grandparents to grandchildren. The introduction of major technological innovation – agriculture (farming) and animal husbandry, the “secondary products evolution”, the beginning of the Bronze Age, or the beginning of the Iron Age – is accompanied by relatively long phases, i.e. periods with fewer changes in the material culture.