Prehistory to History

A New Archaeological Approach to Knowledge Transmission and the Inception of Literacy in Central Europe

Dados Bibliográficos

ID7992172
AutoresJiří Macháček (0000-0002-8693-4423, Masaryk University, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume37
Fascículo1
Páginas27-52
Data de publicação2024-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of World Prehistory (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0892-7537 • E-ISSN: 1573-7802
EditoraSpringer Nature (PUBLISHER • SG)
DOI10.1007/s10963-024-09184-y
OpenAlexW4398217783
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas43

This paper reviews archaeological research on the transmission of writing knowledge between literate and pre-literate societies. It proposes the use of productive approaches, such as cultural epidemiology and cultural attraction theory (CAT). The case study focuses on East-Central Europe and discusses the role of writing in the construction of social group identity and the transition from local communities with a prehistoric mindset to a historically acting society during the first millennium AD. The study collects relevant archaeological records of Early Mediaeval writing and explains them using reflective archaeology. It is shown that interactions between literate and pre-literate societies are highly complex social processes that function not only at the cultural and cognitive levels of individuals but also among larger groups of people. By combining cultural attraction theory with empirical archaeological data, this study formulates a conclusive explanation for the introduction of writing among Europe’s Slavic-speaking population

Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Cultural transmission in animals · Epistemology · Folklore · Geography · Identity (music · Literacy · Mindset · Population · Prehistory · Sociology · Anthropology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History