3 - 4 pm (CET)

Prof. Michael Meyer, PD Dr. Piotr Łuczkiewicz and Dr. Martin Schönfelder

The absolute chronology of the late pre-Roman Iron Age (late 2nd and 1st century BCE) in central Europe has been changed dramatically in the last three decades – leading to corrections of about 40 years. But whereas the southern part, the La Tène culture, has taken part in these discussions, the colleagues in the North (Jastorf) and in the East (Przeworsk culture) remained within their traditional concepts. This has led to a situation in which the basis for an understanding of contemporanity is lost.

We take the Chronoi topic of Synchronicity – Synchronization as a starting point for a reconsideration of this very particular situation. Based on detailed studies of specific grave goods we analyze object groups with a large distribution that might serve as means for a re-synchronization of the diverging chronologies. But at the same time we challenge the concept of archaeological synchronicity. Are objects that look the same really always contemporary? Are they really the same at all? 

A recent finding of us is the observation that in peripheral areas of the distribution of certain types variations occur on a regular level which seem to be of a later date than in the core region. Are the people who produce and use these variations convinced that they are used in the foreign societies at the same time? Or is it just the imagination of contemporaneity that counts – we call this ‘virtual synchronicity’.

For the synchronization of the diverging chronological concepts these variations offer a great opportunity, as they allow for a far more differentiated evaluation of contemporaneity.

Online participants, please join us via WebEx by clicking on the following link:

https://fu-berlin.webex.com/fu-berlin/j.php?MTID=m7eeb0a8d9cd12400d9830d3bb38c02b0

The conference room can be accessed using the following methods:

• Joining directly in your browser; simply click the link above, and look for a button with this option near the bottom of the webpage.

• Downloading the program to your computer (instructions can be found by following the meeting link)

• Using the smartphone app called “Cisco Webex Meetings."

You are welcome to enter the online conference room up to 15 minutes in advance of the start time.