Abstract
The Early Celtic site of the Heuneburg (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany) has long been understood as a hallmark of early urbanization in Central Europe. The rich collection of Mediterranean imports recovered from the settlement, the elite burials in its surroundings and the Mediterranean-inspired mudbrick fortification wall further point to the importance of intercultural connections with the Mediterranean as a crucial factor in the transformation of Early Iron Age societies. We describe a new facet of this process by studying the transformation of consumption practices, especially drinking habits, brought about by intercultural encounters from the late 7th to the 5th century BC through the analysis of organic remains in 133 ceramic vessels found at the Heuneburg using Organic Residue Analysis (ORA). During the Ha D1 phase, fermented beverages, including Mediterranean grape wine, were identified in and appear to have been consumed from local handmade ceramics. The latter were recovered from different status-related contexts within the Heuneburg, suggesting an early and well-established trade/exchange system of this Mediterranean product. This contrasts with the results obtained for the drinking and serving vessels from the Ha D3 phase that were studied. The consumption of fermented beverages (wine and especially bacteriofermented products) appears to have been concentrated on the plateau. The ORA analyses presented here seem to indicate that during this time, grape wine was consumed primarily from imported vessels, and more rarely from local prestigious fine wheel-made vessels. In addition to imported wine, we demonstrate the consumption of a wide variety of foodstuffs, such as animal fats (especially dairy products), millet, plant oils and waxy plants, fruit and beehive products as well as one or several other fermented beverage(s) that were probably locally produced. Through this diachronic study of vessel function from different intra-site contexts, we inform on changing and status-related practices of food processing and consumption.
Highlights
The Early Celtic princely site of the “Heuneburg” is a key site for understanding Early Iron Age (7th–5th centuries BC) societies in Central Europe
In the early 6th century BC, the plateau of the Heuneburg was fortified with a mudbrick wall built following a Mediterranean construction typology, its lower settlement was adorned with a Mediterranean style gateway complex, and a large outer settlement was constructed [5]
During this period (Ha D1), the hilltop plateau was densely settled with rows of houses along a network of streets, whereas the large outer settlement was subdivided into an extensive system of different neighborhoods
Summary
The Early Celtic princely site of the “Heuneburg” is a key site for understanding Early Iron Age (7th–5th centuries BC) societies in Central Europe. After early excavations of the princely burials around the Heuneburg in the 19th century, comprehensive studies and excavations of the settlement on the Heuneburg plateau and its surroundings began in the 1950s and continue until today. This intensive fieldwork has brought to light an increasing number of imported Mediterranean objects, many of which were associated with feasting practices [1]. In the early 6th century BC, the plateau of the Heuneburg was fortified with a mudbrick wall built following a Mediterranean construction typology, its lower settlement was adorned with a Mediterranean style gateway complex, and a large outer settlement was constructed [5]. The outer settlement appears to reveal the presence of farmstead-like compounds, some with evidence of artisanal production, within a larger agglomeration [6]
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