LBK to Post-LBK Trajectories in Saxony and Bavaria: Comparison of Two Models

Résumé En

This paper is part of a new doctoral project that examines the dynamics of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) to post-LBK transition in Central Europe through the lens of lithic productions. In order to establish the historiographical basis for this project, our presentation will aim to provide a comparative overview of the transition processes identified in Saxony and Bavaria. Indeed, despite their proximity, these two areas seem to follow different cultural trajectories. In Saxony, the transition was marked by the shift to the Stichbandkeramik; in Bavaria, the LBK is followed by a regionally distinct group with both Stichbandkeramik and Lengyel influences, the so-called SOB.At this transition, we witness fundamental changes in the archaeological landscape, with the emergence of large circular enclosures in the Middle Neolithic and the turning-away from LBK ceramic traditions. However, the decline of settlements at the end of the LBK in the Western part is contrasted by continuous settlement activity in the East. Moreover, the regional variability does not just start at the end of the LBK, but is rather present already during the early LBK. This paper will synthesize a comprehensive range of available data (e.g., settlements, continuity and density of occupation, environmental settings, material cultures) to critically assess the differing cultural trajectories observed in Saxony and Bavaria during the LBK to post-LBK transition. Through this approach, the project aims to contribute to a nu