Work

Monumental farmhouses and powerful farmers in Late Neolithic Denmark

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: During the Late Neolithic, a series of short-lived, monumental-scale farmhouses were constructed across southern Scandinavia. The size of these structures is often taken as a tangible manifestation of the elite status of the inhabitants. Here, the author explores the architecture and associated material culture of the six largest known examples, drawing attention to general parallels with smaller farmhouses in the region. The comparison highlights similarities in spatial organisation and function indicating that, despite their size, these monumental houses served the same roles as dwellings and centres of agricultural production. Attention to function rather than size emphasises the importance of food production and control of surpluses in the emergence of social elites at the end of the Neolithic.

Source: Antiquity

DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2024.179

Author: Jens Winther Johannsen

Institution: Aarhus University

Language: English

Topic: Archaeological and Geological Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450