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Enchainment commodification and gender in the Balkan Copper Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

John Chapman
John Chapman*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, Great Britain
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Abstract

Two strategies for social relations are defined for the Neolithic and Chalcolithic of south-eastern Europe: enchainment and commodification. Enchained relations are based upon inalienable objects exchanged between relations, while barter relations are concerned with the re-contextualisation of exotic objects into local communities. The metaphor of fragmented artefacts is explored in relation to enchained relations, while those complete objects subject to formal deposition are interpreted as symbolising integral social relations. Fragmentation analysis conducted for a variety of materials indicates the varying potential of fired clay and metals (copper and gold) for relations based on enchainment.

The social practices surrounding fragmentation and structured/formal deposition are explored in two socia-spatial contexts - the domestic arena and the mortuary arena. Fragmentation of figurines is analysed at the late Copper Age tell of Goljamo Delcevo, in north-eastern Bulgaria. By contrast, three north-eastern Bulgarian Copper Age cemeteries are analysed to examine the extent to which material culture is used to express gendered social competition in the mortuary domain. It is proposed that the tension between enchained relations and commodification is one of the key factors in the generation of dynamic hange in the Balkan Copper Age, at the time of the Varna cemetery.

Deux stratégies des sont définies pour les relations sociales à l'époqe du néolithique et chalcolithique de l'Europe du Sud Est: l'enchaînment et la conversion des objets en marchandises. Les relations enchaînées sont basées sur des objets inaliénables échangés entre relations, alors que les rapports échangés sont concernés par la ré-contextualisation d'objets exotiques dans les communautés locales. Le métaphore des objets fragmentés est examinée par rapport aux relations enchainées, alors que ces objets complets soumis à une déposition structurée sent interprétés comme étant symbole d'intégration des relations sociales. La fragmentation de l'analyse conduite par une quantilé de matériaux indique le potentiel variable des céramiques et des métaux (en cuivre et en or) pour des relations basées sur l'enchaînement.

Les practiques sociales concernant la fragmentation et la déposition structurée sent étudiées dans deux contextes socio-spatiaux: l'arène domestique et l'arène mortuaire. Le morcéllement des figurines est analysé à la fin de l'âge de cuivre en Bulgarie du Nord Est raconté par Goljamo Delcevo. Par contraste, trois cimetières du Nord Est de la Bulgarie à l'âge de cuivre sont analysées pour évaluer l'étendre par laquelle la culture matérielle est utilisée pour exprimer la compétition sociale des sexes dans le domaine mortuaire. Il est suggéré que la tension entre les relations enchaînées et les matière premières est un des faiteurs-clé dans les transformations dynamiques à l'âge de cuivre dans les Balkans à l'époque du cimetière de Varna.

Es werden zwei Strategien von Sozialbeziehungen in der Jungsteinzeit und Kupferzeit in Südosteuropa voneinander abgegrenzt ‘Verkettung’ und ‘Kommodifizierung’. Verkettete Beziehungen basieren auf unveräußerlichen Gegenständen, die zwischen Verwandten ausgetauscht werden, während Tauschbeziehungen die Rekontextualisierung exotischer Gegenstände in lokale Gemeinschaften betreffen. In Bezug auf verkettete Beziehungen wird die Metapher fragmentierter Artefakte ausgelotet, während jene vollständigen Gegenstände, die formalen Deponierungen ausgesetzt sind, als Symbole für vollkommene Sozialbeziehungen interpretiert werden. Fragmentationsanalysen, die für verschiedene Materialien durchgeführt worden sind, zeigen das unterschiedliche Potential von gebranntem Ton und Metallen (Kupfer und Gold) für auf Verkettung basierende Beziehungen.

Die sozialen Praktiken, die die Fragmentierung und strukturierte/formale Deponierung umgeben, werden in zwei sozial-räumlichen Zusammenhängen untersucht: dem des Hauses und dem der Bestattungen. Die Fragmentierung von Figurinen wird an Material vom spätkupferzeitlichen Siedlungshügel Goljamo Delcevo in Nordostbulgarien analysiert. Als Kontrast werden drei kupferzeitliche nordostbulgarische Friedhöfe auf die Frage hin analysiert, wieviel materielle Kultur dazu benutzt wird, um ‘geschlechtlichen’ sozialen Wettbewerb im Bereich der Bestattungen auszudrücken. Es wird vorgeschlagen, daß die Spannung zwischen verketteter Beziehungen und Kommodifizierung einer der Schlüsselfaktoren bei der Erzeugung von dynamischem Wandel während der Kupferzeit (zur Zeit des Freidhofs von Varna) auf dem Balkan ist.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of European Archaeology , Volume 4 , 1996 , pp. 203 - 242
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 

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