Borderlands of the Linear Pottery culture landscape

A case study of the Dobřeň settlement in eastern Central Bohemia

Bibliographic Data

ID24031830
AuthorsDaniel Pilař (0000-0003-2419-0139, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology, Prague), Filip Velímský (0000-0003-0695-2064, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology, Prague)
Year2026
Volume67
Issue2
Publication date2026-12-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePřehled výzkumů (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1211-7250 • E-ISSN: 2571-0605
PublisherArcheologicky ustav AV CR, Brno, v. v. i. (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.47382/pv0672-01
LanguageEN
References cited16

The research focuses on the peripheries of the Elbe Lowlands in the east of Central Bohemia during the Early Neolithic, examining colonisation dynamics and the character of settlements in marginal areas. The recently discovered Linear Pottery culture (LBK; 5500–4950 BC) settlement at Dobřeň provides new insights into this issue. A rescue excavation conducted in 2024 uncovered a loosely arranged settlement consisting of four longhouses. Based on relative chronology and radiocarbon dating, the site can be placed within the classical LBK period, roughly between 5300 and 5050 BC. Other sites in the peripheral zone, such as the well-known settlement at Miskovice, may also be assigned to this period, although uneven data quality limits broader comparisons. The results indicate that the periphery of the selected part of the Elbe Lowlands was apparently not settled until after 5300 BC, i.e. several generations after the initial colonisation of the fertile lowlands. This may reflect a process of secondary densification of occupation within the region. The research also shows that most settlements in the area contain almost none of the pottery typical for the Late and Final LBK. However, available data are still insufficient for drawing firm conclusions about a possible decline or abandonment during these phases. It also remains unclear whether these sites were simply unfavourable or whether they offered Neolithic communities different advantages, such as access to resources outside the settled zone. Therefore, studying the peripheries and ‘empty’ regions outside occupied enclaves is crucial for fully understanding the Neolithic centres themselves in the future.