Although I favor a diachronic approach, the Preroman Iron Age is my favourite epoch. My PhD and my habilitation were focussed on the Iron Age and many of my activities are centred on Iron Age research. Alongside these these central topics I have cultivated a strong a interest in quantitative archaeology, interaction and centrality. A selection of projects and intiatives will be mentioned in the following sections.

Initiative Spheres of Interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean in the first Millennium BC

The SIMB-initiative aims to develop a new vision of Europe in the first Millenium BC. In particular we intend to develop valid models of inter-regional interaction on a European scale for the first Millennium BC, based on the sound comparison of regional research, aiming at multifactorial interpretations. Research on the first Millennium BC in Europe is split into several regional and chronological communities with limited interaction and exchange. Furthermore, each community has developed its own research traditions and terminology, making it difficult to apply a pan-european perspective on the various developments of this period. This initiative was initiated in 2015 by Jes Martens and me.

Conferences

  • Lublin 2017: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 5: Economy, production, trade and far distance connections, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Piotr Łuczkiewicz, Lublin and Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo
  • Kiel 2017: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 4: Territoriality, centrality, conflict and spatial structures, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo
  • Kiel 2017: International Open Workshop 2017 GSHDL, Sektion 6 ‘Exploring inter-regional interactions in the first Millennium BC in Europe’, in collaboration with Dr. Simon Stoddart, Cambridge, Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo, Dr. Jutta Kneisel, Kiel and Franziska Faupel, Kiel; Funding: GSHDL
  • Odense 2016: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 2: Formation Processes, in collaboration with Dr. Mads Runge and Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo; Funding: Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, MUE50.2016-0014
  • Kiel 2015: Kick off meeting ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, in collaboration with Jes Martens, Oslo; Funding: Deutsch-Norwegisches Studienzentrum (DNSZ)

Project Modelling and reconstruction of interaction and distribution systems from the Early Iron Age in Southwest- and West Germany and Alsace IMODEZ

Interaction is a key-term in many fields of research. Interaction connects communities, drives historical processes and is an important part in everyday life. Interaction can be seen from social, cultural, geographical, economic, political and other points of view. Interacting groups were interpreted as cultures in traditional archaeology. A more modern definition of an Archaeological culture is defined by common elements of material culture. Cultures are delimiting areas of interaction and allow for the recognition of imports. For some years now it is becoming more and more obvious that the image of homogeneous and sharply delimited cultures is oversimplified. A view of cultures as having no spatial focus, fuzzy borders and complex interaction systems, seems more appropriate these days. This project investigates interaction in the Iron Age as dependent on geographical, economic and social distances. The investigation does not focus on spatial groups, but rather on interaction at small distances. In most cases we cannot detect small-scale interaction with traditional methods. This study applies four methodical concepts to develop interaction models and communication networks, as well as transportation networks for small-scale cases:

  1. Analysis of cultural distances using ‘Typenspektren’
  2. Scientific analysis of selected finds to detect imported material
  3. Analysis of import finds detected by typology
  4. Analysis of distribution patterns of finds and sites.

The first project phase concentrates on the statistical analysis of material culture while the second phase is dedicated to scientific analysis and synthesis of results.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2017). Quantifying Iron Age urbanism. In: S. Stoddart (ed.), Delicate urbanism in context: pre-Roman German urbanism. (The DAAD Cambridge Symposium) (Cambridge 2017) 87-95.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Räumliche Interaktionsmodelle. Prähist. Zeitschr. 88, 226-257.

Conferences

  • Uppsala 2016: LAC 4, Section A2 ‘Interactions in archaeology’, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. James Allison, Provo, Dr. Aleksandr Diachenko, Kiev, Franziska Faupel, Kiel, Dr. Daniel Knitter, Berlin and Prof. Dr. Ezra Zubrow, Buffalo
  • Strasbourg 2016: Projektworkshop ‘I​nteraktion-­ und Distributionsmodelle der frühen Eisenzeit’, in collaboration with Franziska Faupel, Kiel; Funding: DFG
  • Kiel 2015: Workshop ‘Reconstructing Iron Age Systems of Interaction’, in collaboration with Franziska Faupel, Kiel; Funding: DFG

SHKR

Within the SPP 1171 the project ‘Siedlungshierarchien und kulturelle Räume’ analysed the areal repercussions of centralising processes. Other processes related to centralisation were dealt with in sub-projects on a supra-regional scale. In this context centralisation is defined as a process that doesn’t exclusively occur on the settlement level, but rather as a social, economic and cultural process, that encompasses all aspects of life. The formation of social elites, settlement hierarchies and the spatial distribution of cultural similarities (cultural metrics) are all manifestations of the centralising processes which are archaeologically tangible and analysable.

References

  • Laurie Tremblay Cormier, Oliver Nakoinz and Cătălin Nicolae Popa, Three Methods for Detecting Past Groupings: Cultural Space and Group Identity. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 2017. URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10816-017-9350-2
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Archäologische Kulturgeographie der ältereisenzeitlichen Zentralorte Südwestdeutschlands. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 224 (Bonn 2013). amazon
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2014). Fingerprinting Iron Age Communities in South-West-Germany and an Integrative Theory of Culture. In: C. Popa, C., Stoddart, S. (eds.), Fingerprintig the Iron Age (Oxford 2014) 187-199.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2010). Kulturelle Räume der älteren Eisenzeit in Südwestdeutschland. In: Krausse, Dirk and Beilharz, Denise (eds.). ‘Fürstensitze’ und Zentralorte der frühen Kelten. Abschlußkolloquium des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1171. Teil II. Forsch. u. Ber. Vor- u. Frühgesch. Baden-Württemberg 120 (Stuttgart 2010) 317-332.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Steffen, Christoph (2009). Siedlungshierarchien und kulturelle Räume II ‘Die kulturellen und sozialen Dimensionen des Raums. In: Karl, R. and Leskovar, J. (ed.). Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich 22 (Linz 2009) 191-206.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver, Krausse, Dirk and Steffen, Markus (2008). Siedlungsarchäologie und archäologische Kulturgeographie. In: Krausse, D. and Biel, J. (ed.). Frühe Zentralisierungs- und Urbanisierungsprozesse nördlich der Alpen. Kolloquien und Arbeitsberichte des DFG-SPP 1171 (Stuttgart 2008) 381-398.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Steffen, Markus (2007). Siedlungshierarchien, kulturelle Räume, soziale Evolution und Territorialität im 8. bis 4. Jahrhundert v. Chr. in Südwestdeutschland und den angrenzenden Regionen. In: Trebsche, P., Balzer, I., Eggl, C., Koch, J., Nortmann, H. and Wiethold, J. (eds.). Die unteren Zehntausend - auf der Suche nach den Unterschichten der Eisenzeit. Beiträge zur Tagung der AG Eisenzeit in Xanten 2006 (Langenweissbach 2007) 149-156.

HEK

My diploma was concerned with landscape archaeology in the Volcanic Eifel. Sites from the Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur (HEK) provided the majority of archaeological evidence in this area and Professor Dr. Alfred Haffner steered my interest towards this particular culture from the Iron Age.

Dr. Jeannot Metzler suggested to investigate the boundaries and inner structure of the HEK in a PdD project. During this project I developed a deep interest in quantitative methods.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2004). Studien zur räumlichen Abgrenzung und Strukturierung der älteren Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 118 (Bonn 2005) und elektronische Dissertation (Kiel 2004). macau
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2003). Dämme in Hügelgräberfeldern der Westeifel und des Hunsrücks. Diskussion und Katalog. Arch. Korrbl. 33, 87-101.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2001). Die Siedlungsgeschichte der südlichen Vulkaneifel. Trierer Zeitschr. 64, 9-48.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2009). Die Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur - Keramikstil oder Regionalgruppe. In: Chaume, B. and Mordant, C. (ed.). Actes du colloque de Dijon sur la céramique hallstattienne. E.U.D. : Editions de l’ Université de Bourgogne (Dijon 2009) 531-540.
  • Dörfler, Walter, Evans, Andrew, Nakoinz, Oliver, Usinger, Hartmut and Wolf, Achim (2000). Wandel der Kulturlandschaft als Ausdruck kulturellen Wandels? - Pollenanalytische und siedlungsarchäologische Untersuchungen zur Romanisierung in der Vulkaneifel. In: Haffner, A. and v. Schnurbein, S. (ed.). Kelten, Germanen, Römer im Mittelgebirgsraum zwischen Luxemburg und Thüringen. Akten des Internationalen Kolloquiums zum DFG-Schwerpunktprogramm ‘Romanisierung’ in Trier vom 28. bis 30. September 1998 (Bonn 2000) 129-146.
  • Krauße, Dirk and Nakoinz, Oliver (2000). Binnenkolonisation und Zentralisation. überlegungen zur latènezeitlichen Besiedlungs- und Bevölkerungsentwicklung im Mittelgebirgsraum nordwestlich der Mosel. In: Guichard, V., Sievers, S. and Urban, O. H. (eds.). Les processus d’urbanisation â l’Âge du Fer. Collection Bibracte 4, Congress Glux-en-Glenne 1998, (Glux-en-Glenne 2000) 127-140.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2003/2004). Studien zur räumlichen Abgrenzung und Strukturierung der älteren Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Starigard Jahresber. FUFG 2003/2004, 18-21.
  • Haffner, Alfred, Kapelle, Frank, Möller, Christian, Nakoinz, Oliver, Schertlein, Oliver and Scholz, Sebastian (2000). Die keltisch-römische Nekropole von Elchweiler bei Birkenfeld. Ein Vorbericht. Mitt. Ver. Heimatkde. Birkenfeld 74, 11-20.
  • Caspari, Wolfgang, Möller, Christian, Nakoinz, Oliver and Nortmann, Hans (2000). Erhellung des Romanisierungsprozesses. Arch. Deutschland 2000/4, 51.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (1999). Siedlungsarchäologische Untersuchungen im Umfeld des Holzmaares in der Eifel. Arch. Inf. 22/1, 125-128.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (1998). Siedlungsarchäologische Untersuchungen im Umfeld des Holzmaares in der Eifel (unpubl. Diploma Kiel 1998).

Other contributions

Other contributions to Iron Age research include papers and talks on dykes, on funnel shaped objects, on path ways, on the problem of Celts, on urbanity and on the complexity of Iron Age societies.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2017). Quantifying Iron Age urbanism. In: S. Stoddart (ed.), Delicate urbanism in context: pre-Roman German urbanism. (The DAAD Cambridge Symposium) (Cambridge 2017) 87-95.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver, Kneisel, Jutta, Beilke-Voigt, Ines and Dräger, Jana (2017). Befestigungen der Bronze- und Eisenzeit zwischen Marburg und Uppsala. Beilke-Voigt, Ines, and Nakoinz, Oliver (eds. 2017). Enge Nachbarn: Das Problem von Doppelburgen und Mehrfachburgen in der Bronzezeit und im Mittelalter. Edition Topoi (Berlin 2017) 21-88.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2012). Verkehrswege der älteren Eisenzeit in Südwestdeutschland. In: Tappert, C., Later, C., Fries-Knoblach, J., Ramsl, P., Trebsche, P., Wefers, S. and Wiethold, J. (ed.). Wege und Transport (Beiträge zur Sitzung der AG Eisenzeit während der 80. Verbandstagung des West- und Süddeutschen Verbandes für Altertumsforschung e.V. in Nürnberg 2010). BUFM 65 (Langenweilbach 2012), 73-82.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2003/2004). Hallstattzeitliche Trichteranhänger am Niederrhein - eine semiotische Analyse. Starigard Jahresber. FUFG 2003/2004, 145-161.

Conferences

  • Glasgow 2015: EAA Session Rethinking the Celts, session organization, in collaboration with John Collis and Timothy Taylor
  • Kiel 2015: Internationaler GSHDL-Workshop ‘The Complex Society of the Iron Age’, in collaboration with Timothy Taylor, Vienna, Maria Gelabert Oliver, Kiel, Karina Iwe, Kiel, Artur Ribeiro, Kiel und Manuel Fernández-Götz, Edinburgh; Funding: DFG/GSHDL

Reviews

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2014). Review of Florian Schneider, Neue Studien zur Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Germania 92, 237-240.