Fortified settlements or ceremonial sites: new evidence from Bylany, Czechoslovakia.

Fortified settlements or ceremonial sites: new evidence from Bylany, Czechoslovakia. IntroductionThe Bohemian site of Bylany, near Kutna Hora ho��raalso ho��rah ?n.A traditional round dance of Romania and Israel.[Modern Hebrew h , is well known inarchaeological literature on account of its Neolithic, especiallyLinearbandkeramik (LBK LBK Lubbock (Texas)LBK Linearbandkeramik (European Archaeological Culture)LBK Landing Barge, Kitchen (US Navy)LBK Lutherske BekjennelseskirkeLBK Location-Based Key ) settlement (Bylany 1). Initially, theinvestigations of the Neolithic settlement here were conceived on agrand scale using the then rare open-area excavations. In the late 1960sthe disadvantages of vast find material pertaining only to one site werehighlighted and it also became evident that the site was too large fortotal excavation. Moreover, the question of the displacement ofNeolithic settlement initiated investigation further afield -- takinginto consideration the entire micro-region centred on the Bylanka river(Soudsky 1966; Soudsky and Pavlu 1972).Being subject to natural erosion -- exacerbated by modernagricultural activities -- the micro-region of Bylany, however,represents a very fragile landscape. For this reason a differentstrategy was developed in the 1970s and 1980s which combined surfaceprospection, extensive mapping, sample excavation, geophysical survey Geophysical survey refers to the systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies. Geophysical surveys may use a great variety of sensing instruments, and data may be collected from above or below the Earth's surface or from aerial or marine platforms. and, recently, also aerial photography This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.This article has been tagged since September 2007. , with the objective of carryingout non-destructive research and causing the least damage to thisfragile area (Pavlu 1982; Rulf 1983, 1989; Pavlu et al. 1986). As aresult of this strategy, investigations in the immediate vicinity ofBylany revealed the presence of sites with other than residentialfunction, namely the Stichbandkeramik (SBK SBK Superbike (racing motorbikes)SBK Snowboard Kids (gaming)SBK Svenska BrukshundklubbenSBK Stichting Bouwkwaliteit (Dutch)SBK South Brooklyn Railway Company ) cemeteries (Zapotocka 1981)and a circular enclosure The name given to a large prehistoric earthwork. Usually a circular or oval-shaped flat area enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork - usually a ditch with an external bank. , a Rondel ron��del?n.1. A poem similar to a rondeau, having 13 or 14 lines with two rhymes throughout. The first and second lines reappear in the middle and at the end, although sometimes only the first line appears at the end.2. (Zapotocka 1983). The bi-ritualcemetery near Miskovice, comprising inhumations and cremations, iscontemporary with the Rondel (SBK IVa phase); contemporary settlementtraces were also noted in the area west of the Rondel. It is these laterNeolithic finds and their spatial and temporal relationship that are thesubject of current investigations at Bylany.Results of current investigationsIn the 1991 season the most important feature of the investigationwas the Rondel, and a total of 2175 sq. m of continuous area in itssouthern part was excavated. The Rondel, originally identified throughgeophysical survey, consists of two concentric, slightly irregularditches (115 m and 90 m in diameter) with four entrances oriented on thecardinal points. Thus, in comparison with the known contemporaryRondels, the Bylany structure falls into the category of medium-sizedsites. Moreover, a geophysical survey carried out in the spring of 1992confirmed the presence of a third ditch, about 75 m from the enclosure,which appears to run concentrically to the Rondel and must therefore beconsidered an integral element of the overall design.The inner ditch of the Rondel is the larger of the two (3 m wide and2.6 m deep) while the outer ditch is both narrower (2.5 m) and shallower(2.2 m deep at maximum). Three roughly concentric internal palisades Palisades,cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). were discovered 1 m, 2.5 m and 6.5 m respectively inside the innerditch; a fourth, very poorly preserved palisade, which most probablyalso belongs to this complex system, was situated 20 m inside the innerditch. Within the area delimited by the 3rd and 4th palisades over 100post-holes were also excavated.The only traces of habitation HABITATION, civil law. It was the right of a person to live in the house of another without prejudice to the property. 2. It differed from a usufruct in this, that the usufructuary might have applied the house to any purpose, as, a store or manufactory; whereas are documented by one house complexbelonging to the earliest LBK. The house was delineated by typical outertrenches, a group of post-holes and the accompanying pits; the Rondelconstruction was clearly superimposed on the house. Additionally, asubstantial number of SBK and LBK storage pits (individual or ingroups), as well as three ovens, were encountered. There are two clearstratigraphies to show that the Bylany 4 area was used during theStichbandkeramik both prior to the construction of the Rondel ditchesand also after the use of the Rondel came to an end.DiscussionBoth of the Rondel ditches are V-shaped, with conspicuously narrowingbottoms cut into the bedrock. Neither of the sections revealed anyevidence of re-cutting or cleaning of the ditches nor traces of specificuse of individual segments. Both ditches date to the later stage ofStichbandkeramik and contain relatively few pottery sherds, stoneimplements, daub and animal bones, all giving the impression of commonrefuse. Only the large number of grinding stones can now be seen asintentionally deposited. There was no unequivocal evidence of theexistence of a bank (or banks) piled up from the soil excavated from theditches, but the inner ditch contained slightly stony fill recorded incertain sections near the surface; this may represent the material whichoriginally was piled up between the two ditches, while the white-greyfill in the upper part of the most of the inner ditch could derive fromthe compression of the loess in the possible bank between the twoditches.The outer entrances to the Rondel may be described as long (up to 8m) and narrow corridors created by the outcurving of the outer ditchends. The entrances across the inner ditch are 6 m to 7 m broadcauseways but the investigated southern entrance was in fact narrowed bya complex system of palisades to 2 m. The discovery of the narrowconcentric inner palisade slots within the space enclosed by the ditchesunderlines the existence of an elaborate system of internal timberpalisades. The way in which the palisades and ditches mutually respectone another suggests that they were all constructed at the same time, aspart of an overall ditch/palisade design. One of the possible functionsof the first three palisades could have been the fortification fortification,system of defense structures for protection from enemy attacks. Fortification developed along two general lines: permanent sites built in peacetime, and emplacements and obstacles hastily constructed in the field in time of war. andnarrowing of the entrance to control access to the interior of theenclosure.The arrangement and the course of the Bylany palisades are mostclosely comparable with similar features at Tesetice-Kyjovice in Moravia(Podborsky 1988: figure 10) and the Bucany and Svodin Rondels inSlovakia (Pavuk 1991: figures 2 & 3), where these features alsoappear to have a constricting function with respect to entrances acrossthe ditches.The interpretation of over 100 post-holes from the area between the3rd and 4th palisades is difficult. On the one hand, familiarity withthe ground-plans of LBK and SBK houses recovered in various sectors ofBylany (Pavlu et al. 1986) makes it quite clear that none of thepatterns discernible in this area conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?"fit, meetcoordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" those characteristic of thedomestic structures of these two cultural complexes and the post-holesunder consideration cannot be argued to represent the truncatedfoundations of ordinary houses, as we know them from the archaeologicalrecord at Bylany. A preliminary analysis of the post-holes reveals twodouble rows (17 m and 15 m in length) running at right angles so as to form a right angle or right angles, as when one line crosses another perpendicularly.See also: Right to oneanother with the individual post-holes clearly arranged in pairs (c. 25%of post-holes); the remainder of the post-holes do not appear to formany immediately recognizable patterns, although both short curves andstraight alignments can be identified.While there are no immediate parallels for interior post-structuresamong the Bohemian Rondels, one should bear in mind the existence of arelatively simple inner post-structure at Bucany as well as the morecomplex arrangements at Zlkovce in the neighbouring Slovakian enclosures(Pavuk 1991); the two double rows of post-holes may represent apartially surviving timber-framed inner structure within the Rondel,additionally defining a central area within the enclosure. If, as thepalisades appear to suggest, the constriction constriction/con��stric��tion/ (kon-strik��shun)1. a narrowing or compression of a part; a stricture.constric��tive2. a diminution in range of thinking or feeling, associated with diminished spontaneity. of and clear definition ofaccess to the interior of the Rondel were significant features, theremaining post-holes may represent the vestigial ves��tig��i��aladj.Occurring or persisting as a rudimentary or degenerate structure. traces of some sort ofbarrier placed transversely between the 3rd and 4th palisade and thecentral structure.The question of the emergence and the development of'fortified' settlement sites in the Stichbandkeramik andLengyel culture complexes in Central Europe is currently a subject ofdebate and doubtless, with a flood of new discoveries facilitated by thesudden outburst of aerial photography in this region (a 15-minute flightover Bylany last summer revealed a substantial rectangular enclosureclose by, although its date is not yet known), will continue to bedebated for some time to come. However, even at this early stage of theinvestigation, the Bylany Rondel reveals that the origin and,especially, the function of such sites may be more complex and variedthan their apparent formal similarity of layout implies.Although the temporal dimensions of the various features in the areaof the Rondel are not yet entirely clear, the concentration of pits andgranaries, nearly twice as high as anywhere else at Bylany, and acorrespondingly lower proportion of houses (1 house in 2175 sq. m hereas opposed to 1 house in 447.9 sq. m at Bylany 1) suggest that thisarea, from the very beginning of the LBK period, was not residential innature but rather fulfilled other functions which are manifested in thehigher density of certain features. This appears to have continuedduring the Stichbandkeramik period: neither inside nor outside theRondel were there any traces of SBK houses. On the other hand, insidethe Rondel there was a conspicuous oval pit filled with a mixture ofblack and clay layers whose rich finds suggest a special function -- avotive vo��tive?adj.1. Given or dedicated in fulfillment of a vow or pledge: a votive offering.2. pit or possibly a grave.Having considered the various possible functional interpretations ofthe Central European Rondels (cf. Podborsky 1988: 258-76; Mercer 1989a& b) and, assuming the existence and relative stability of spatiallydefined and functionally distinct areas within the context of aNeolithic settlement on a micro-regional scale, one can suggest thatRondels demarcate de��mar��cate?tr.v. de��mar��cat��ed, de��mar��cat��ing, de��mar��cates1. To set the boundaries of; delimit.2. To separate clearly as if by boundaries; distinguish: demarcate categories. 'enclosed' ceremonial areas, distinct andseparate from the residential areas with long houses. This certainlyseems to be the case at Bylany where, on present evidence, the conceptof a 'fortified' settlement is not applicable. The excavationsat Bylany 4 suggest that the same areas could have been in use longbefore without any specific 'fortifications', existing as anaccumulation of features lacking strong residential elements. TheRondels of Bohemia would therefore represent a formal manifestation ofthis phenomenon, seemingly of a relatively short duration, at thebeginning of the later SBK.ReferencesFALTYSOVA, K. & F. MAREK. 1983. Geofyzikalni z jis te ni kruhovych pr ikopu kultury s vypichanou keramikou b Bylanech okr. Kutna Hora,Archeologicke rozhledy 35: 486-95.MERCER, R.J.M. 1989a. The earliest defences in western Europe I:warfare in the Neolithic, Fortress 2: 16-22.1989b. The earliest defences in western Europe II: the archaeologicalevidence, Fortress 3: 2-11.PAVLU, I. 1982. Die Entwicklung des Siedlung-sareals Bylany 1, in: J.Pavuk (ed.), Siedlungen der Kultur mit Linearkeramik in Europa: 193-206.Nitra: Archaologisches Institut der Slowakischen Akademie derWissenschaften.PAVLU, I., J. RULF & M. ZAPOTOCKA. 1986. Thesis on the Neolithicsite of Bylany, Pamatky archeologicke 77: 288-412.PAVUK, J. 1991. Lengyel-culture fortified fortified (fôrt´fīd),adj containing additives more potent than the principal ingredient. settlements in Slovakia,Antiquity 65: 348-57.PETRASCH, J. 1990. Mittelneolithische Kreisgrabenanlagen inMitteleuropa, Bericht der Romisch-Germanischen Kommission 71: 407-564.PODBORSKY, V. 1988. Tesetice-Kyjovice 4. Rondel osady lidu smoravskou malovanou keramikou. Brno: Universita J.E. Purkynev Brne.RULF, J. 1983. Prirodni prostredi a kultury ceskeho neolitu aeneolitu, Pamatky archeologicke 74: 35-95.1989. (ed.) Bylany -- Seminar 1987. Collected papers. Prague:Archeologicky Ustav CSAV CSAV Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (University of Hawaii)CSAV Compa?��a Sud Americana de Vapores (Chilean Shipping Company)CSAV Chief of Staff Aviation .SOUDSKY, B. 1966. Bylany -- osada nejstarsich zemedelcu z mladsi dobykamenne. Prague: Academia.SOUDSKY, B. & I. PAVLU. 1972. The linear pottery culture “LBK” redirects here. For other uses, see LBK (disambiguation).The Linear Pottery culture is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic, flourishing ca. 5500—4500 BC. settlement patterns of Central Europe, in: P. Ucko, G. Dimbleby & R.Tringham (ed.), Man, settlement and urbanism: 317-28. London: Duckworth.TRNKA, G. 1991. Studien zu mittelneolithischen Kreisgrabenanlagen.Vienna: Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.ZAPOTOCKA, M. 1981. Bi-ritual cemetery of the Stroked-Pottery cultureat Miskovice, district Kutna Hora, Nouvelles archeologiques dans laRepublique Socialiste Tcheque: 26-31. Prague: Archeologicky Ustav CSAV.1983. Kruhove prikopy kultury s vypichanou keramikou v Bylanech, okr.Kutna Hora, Archeologicke rozhledy 35: 475-85.