Zur Chronologie der Aunjetitzer Kultur in Mitteldeutschland
Chronology of the Únětice Culture (UC) in Central Germany

Summary/Abstract: The author’s chronology of the Únětice Culture (UC) in Central Germany is based on a typological sequence of the cups, the characteristic type fossil of this culture. The typological sequence is based on the position of the handle which in the first stage was directly attached to the rim of the cup and then shifted continuously downwards. Whereas cups with handles attached directly to their rims belonged to the last i.e. third stage of the Bell Beaker culture cups with the distinct position of their handles below the rims characterizing the first stage of the UC in the proper sense. The second stage of the UC is characterized by cups whose handles were attached to the shoulder’s upper offset. Besides the downwards shift of the handles, the height of the cup’s neck increased to the detriment of the shoulder’s height. In the third stage besides the tripartite cups (cups with neck and shoulder), bipartite so called classical cups emerged for the first time. Both shapes were in use side by side without the tripartite cups being replaced by the bipartite ones as has been argued so far. By means of the rims of the cups, the third stage UC3 can be divided into further sub stages: an older one (UC 3a) with cups with funnel shaped rims and a younger one (UC 3b) with cups with rims bent into a horizontal position. Both shapes of rims occurred likewise on tripartite and bipartite cups. Stage 4 cups become less frequent and differ from the older ones in their C shaped rims with downwards bended edges which also occurred on contemporary bowls. On the whole, the stages 1–5 of my UC harmonize largely with the stages already published by Neumann in 1929: that means that Uraunjetitz corresponds with UC 1, Frühaunjetitz with UC 2, Hochaunjetitz with UC 3a and Spätaunjetitz comprises the stages UC 3b–5. Therefore, Neumann’s chronology can be sustained at least to a certain degree.

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