Die kulturellen Beziehungen der Bevölkerung des Nördlinger Rieses in der Latenezeit

Abstract

A detailed analysis of the archaeological objects and features dating to the Latene period in the Nördlinger Ries has shown significant cultural distinctions between the early and the later Latene period (Latene B2-D1) in this area. For  the early Latene period the burial customs and objects display an affiliation to the northeastern part of Bavaria. In contrast to the amount of Settlements of the Hallstatt period, the Nördlinger Ries seems to be only sparsely populated during the early Latene period. The number of Settlements does not increase again until the later Latene period. By then. however. the cultural contacts of the population have changed fundamentally. The burial customs and objects now show close ties with the middle Neckar area. If the population increase in  the Nördlinger Ries is to be seen as a result of Immigration, then this will be the area the immigrants would have come from. The objects of higher quality  not only show close contacts to the region of Manching in the Danube valley but also to Berching-Pollanten,  situated north of the Frankenalb. There
are further differences between the early and the later Latene period in the Nördlinger Ries concerning the distribution of the Settlements. While the Western Ries is accentuated by imported objects during the early Latene  period, in the southeastern part of the basin Settlements are concentrating around the important site of Heroldingen „Kalbläcker" in the later Latene period.