The Baden culture or Baden-Pécel culture is a Chalcolithic archaeological culture dating to 3520–2690 BC.

It is found in Central and Southeast Europe, and is in particular known from Moravia (Czech Republic), Romania, Hungary, southern Poland, Slovakia, northern Croatia and eastern Austria. Imports of Baden pottery have also been found in Germany and Switzerland (Arbon-Bleiche III). It is often grouped together with the Coțofeni culture as part of the Baden-Coțofeni culture.

History of research

thumb|Copper pectoral, Czech Republic

The Baden culture was named after Baden near Vienna by the Austrian prehistorian Oswald Menghin. It is also known as the Ossarn group or Pecel culture. The first monographic treatment was produced by J. Banner in 1956. Other important scholars are E. Neustupny, Ida Bognar-Kutzian and Vera Nemejcova-Pavukova.

Baden has been interpreted as part of a much larger archaeological complex encompassing cultures at the mouth of the Danube (Ezero-Cernavodă III) and the Troad. In 1963, Nándor Kalicz had proposed a connection between the Baden culture and Troy, based on the anthropomorphic urns from Ózd-Centre (Hungary). This interpretation cannot be maintained in the face of radiocarbon dates. The author himself (2004) has called this interpretation a "cul-de-sac", based on a misguided historical methodology.

Chronology

Baden developed out of the late Lengyel culture in the western Carpathian Basin. Němejcová-Pavuková proposes a polygenetic origin, including southeastern elements transmitted by the Ezero culture of the early Bronze Age (Ezero, layers XIII-VII) and Cernavodă III/Coțofeni. Ecsedy parallelises Baden with Early Helladic II in Thessaly, Parzinger with Sitagroi IV. Baden was approximately contemporaneous with the late Funnelbeaker culture, the Globular Amphora culture and the early Corded Ware culture.

The following phases are known: Balaton-Lasinya, Baden-Boleráz, Post-Boleráz (divided into early, Fonyod/Tekovský Hrádok and late, Červený Hrádok/Szeghalom-Dioér by Vera Němejcová-Pavuková) and classical Baden.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Phase

! Subgroups

! Date

! sites

|-

| Balaton-Lasinya

| -

| 3700 BC cal

| -

|-

| Boleráz

| -

| 3500 BC

| Pilismarot

|-

| Ia

| Štúrovo

| -

| Letkès

|-

| Ib

| Nitriansky Hrádok

| -

| Lánycsok, Vysoki breh

|-

| Ic

| Zlkovce

| -

| Balatonboglár

|-

| Post-Boleraz

|

| | -

|

|-

| early

| Fonyod/Tekovský Hrádok

| -

| -

|-

| late

| Červený Hrádok/Szeghalom-Dioér

| -

| -

|-

| Classical Baden

|

| | 3400 BC

| -

|-

| II, III

| older

| -

| Nevidzany, Viss

|-

| IV

| younger

| -

| Uny, Chlaba, Ózd

|}

For radiocarbon dates: Horváth, Tünde & Svingor, Éva & Molnár, Mihály. (2008). New Radiocarbon Dates for the Baden Culture. Radiocarbon. 50. 447-458. 10.1017/S0033822200053546.

Settlement

thumb|Modern sculpture of a Baden culture wagon/cart model dating from c. 3300 BC, Hungary.

Before the Baden culture, there was no culture that was centralized in the Carpathian Basin and completely filled it, but the Baden-Pécel culture transcends the Carpathian Basin, which proves that it was a populous and unified culture. It can be observed that in the centre of some settlements, a larger building was constructed, and crown-like decorations were also found in some cemeteries, perhaps indicating that a kind of patronage society was characteristic of the culture.

Examining the Balatonőszöd artefacts, archaeologists have concluded that although the settlements were large, they were seasonal "towns", and their inhabitants were constantly changing. This would explain why we find such a high number of settlements linked to the culture. However, the archaeological evidence shows that there were also settlements that were fortified and served as a kind of centre, and were permanently inhabited. These settlements were mainly found on hilltops.

Interpretation

In the Kurgan hypothesis espoused by Marija Gimbutas, the Baden culture is seen as being Indo-Europeanized. However, according to Grandpierre K. Endre, it is possible that kurgan burials developed in parallel in the Carpathian Basin, before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans.

<gallery perrow="8">

File:Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte Berlin 034.jpg|Baden culture ceramic vessel.

File:Zoomorphic vessel Bull from Vác (Hungary).jpg|Zoomorphic vessel from Vác, Hungary

File:Copper age middle 3500-2700BC copper ax IMG 0935.jpg|Metal axes, Hungary

File:02021 0544 Baden culture pottery in Lesser Poland.jpg|Large pottery, Poland

File:Kraków A-53 ul. Sasanek 2b lamus ekspozycja 4 naczynie zasobowe.jpg|Large pottery, Poland

File:Copper age middle 3500-2700BC baden culture IMG 0952.JPG|Pedestal bowl, Hungary

File:02021 0530 Baden culture pottery in Lesser Poland, Kraków.jpg|Ceramic cups, Poland

File:Late Eneolithic water dish, museum Zrenjanin.jpg|Ceramic dish, Serbia

File:Late Eneolithic cups, museum Zrenjanin.jpg|Ceramics, Serbia

File:Ceramic wagon model - Hungarian National Museum 1972.19.1.jpg|Ceramic wagon model, 3500-3000 BC, Hungary

File:Depot of Eneolithic jugs, 2900-2700 BC, City of Prague Museum, 175516.jpg|Ceramic cups, Czech Republic

File:Female figurine 1.jpg|Anthropomorphic ceramic vessels

File:Female figurine 0.jpg|Anthropomorphic ceramic vessel

File:Smolík 1890 1.jpg|Various artefacts

File:Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle (oldest wooden wheel yet discovered).jpg|The Ljubljana Marshes Wheel, c. 3200 BC

</gallery>

Genetics

thumb|PCA and ADMIXTURE analysis showing that Baden individuals predominantly belong to European Neolithic populations of Anatolian ancestry, per Gelabert et al. 2022.

In three genetic studies the remains of fifteen individuals roughly from 3600 to 2850 BCE ascribed to the Baden culture were analyzed. Of the nine (plus one Proto-Boleraz) samples of Y-DNA, five belonged to various subclades of haplogroup G2a2 (G2a2b2a1a1c-CTS342, G2a2a2b-Z36525, G2a2b2a1a1b-L497, G2a2a1a2a1a-L166, G2a2b2a1a-PF3346), and four belonged to haplogroup I2 subclades (3x I2a1a1a1-Y11222, I2-P37). The mtDNA extracted included subclades of U5a1, U5b, U8b1a1, J1c, J1c2, J2a1a1, H, H26a, T2, T2b, T2c1d1, HV, K1a and W, summing up the earlier ones, in particular.

According to ADMIXTURE analysis they had approximately 78-91% Early European Farmers, 6-17% Western Hunter-Gatherer and 0-8% Western Steppe Herders-related ancestry, implying that the Indo-European influence on the local population was predominantly cultural and not biological.

See also

  • Prehistoric Europe
  • Ezero culture
  • Coțofeni culture
  • Prehistory of Transylvania
  • Vučedol culture

Notes

Sources

  • J. Banner, "Die Peceler Kultur. Arch. Hungarica 35, 1956.
  • Vera Němejcová-Pavuková 1984. "K problematike trvania a konca boleazkej skupiny na Slovensku". Slovenska Arch. 34, 1986, 133–176.
  • J. P. Mallory, "Baden Culture", Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, (Fitzroy Dearborn), 1997.
  • Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture: Baden culture (p.43-44)
  • Prehistoric wagon models in the Carpathian Basin, 3500-1500 BC (Bondar 2012)
  • Baden culture mask
  • Baden culture milk churn
  • Baden culture copper pectoral and grave goods
  • Baden culture copper diadem