Hilversum culture is a designation of a group of the ancient population of the Netherlands who lived there during the early Bronze Age. Culture belongs to the period of 18 - 9 centuries BC. e. (dating is controversial, the upper limit of culture could be more ancient). The first monument of this culture discovered is a funerary hill near Tauterfaut-Halve-Mijl in the Hilversum region. A number of researchers are joining the northwestern block .
From an archaeological point of view, culture is distinguished by special forms of burials and ceramics.
The culture was first identified by several hilly burials in Hilversum (Netherlands). The peculiarity of the burials was in the very atypical cremation of the deceased for that time. Ashes were piled up in an urn and buried under a mound. The urns were a type of pottery, widespread long before in the settlements of this area. Due to the very poor quality of ceramics, a hypothesis was put forward that it belonged to the late Neolithic, although radiocarbon analysis allowed the possibility of creating burials in the era of the early Bronze Age.
As a result of the subsequent series of excavations, a series of bronze objects, representing funeral gifts, was discovered; these bronze items made it possible to more accurately date the culture. These were small bronze daggers, in shape related to the early or early Middle Bronze Age.
Ceramics of the Hilversum culture has a barrel-shaped shape, vessels are decorated with various cord prints or overlays in the upper part. The walls of blood vessels usually have a thickness of at least 1 centimeter with a strong admixture of quartz.
Literature
- T. ten Anscher, Vogelenzang. A Hilversum-1 Settlement . Helinium 29 (1), 1990, 44-78.
- S. Hoffmann, Die Entstehung und Entwicklung der Mittleren Bronzezeit im Westlichen Mittelgebirgsraum (Bonn 2004) [1]
- L. Theunissen, Midden-bronstijdsamenlevingen in het zuiden van de Lage Landen (Leiden 2000).