Isotope analyses on human and faunal skeletal remains from different Swedish Neolithic archaeological contexts are here applied as a means to reconstruct dietary strategies and mobility patterns. The chronological emphasis is on the Middle Neolithic period, and radiocarbon dating constitutes another central focus. The results reveal a food cultural diversity throughout the period in question, where dietary differences in part correspond to, but also transcend, the traditionally defined archaeological cultures in the Swedish Early to Middle Neolithic. Further, these differences, and the apparent continued utilisation of marine resources in several regions and cultural contexts, can only in part be explained by chronology or availability of resources depending on geographic location. Thus, the sometimes suggested sharp economic shift towards an agricultural way of life at the onset of the Neolithic is refuted. Taking the potential of isotope analyses a step further, aspects of Neolithic social relations and identities are discussed, partly from a food cultural perspective embarking from the obtained results. Relations between people and places, as well as to the past, are discussed. The apparent tenacity in the dietary strategies observed is understood in terms of their rootedness in the practices and social memory of the Neolithic societies in question. Food cultural practices are further argued to have given rise to different notions of identity, some of which can be related to the different archaeological cultures, although these cultures are not to be perceived as bounded entities or the sole basis of self-conceptualisation. Some of these identities have been focused around the dietary strategies of everyday life, whereas others emanate from practices, e.g. of ritualised character, whose dietary importance has been more marginal. Isotope analyses, when combined with other archaeological indices, have the potential to elucidate both these food cultural aspects. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Submitted. Paper 5: In press. Paper 6: Accepted.

Folgender Artikel stellt die nach der politischen Wende in Sachsen gefundenen und bisher nur aus Vorberichten bekannten Glockenbechergräber vor. Die archäologisch-kulturelle Zuordnung der Gräber steht im Vordergrund, da einige Gräber keine oder kulturunspezifische Beigaben enthielten. Durch die Analyse eines internen und externen Grabkontextes kann der Großteil der Gräber der archäologischen Kultur mit Glockenbecher zugeordnet und die mit den Gräbern in Beziehung stehenden Befunde interpretiert werden. Weiterhin wird die Beziehungen zwischen den archäologischen Kulturen Glockenbecher und Aunjetitz thematisiert und auf besondere Aspekte der Glockenbecherbestattungssitte in Nordwestsachsen eingegangen. / This article presents the Bell Beaker graves found in Northwest Saxony after 1989. Because some of the burials contained none or only culturally non-specific grave goods, the overall analysis focused on the cultural classification of the graves. Investigation of the internal and external grave context allowed to classify the majority as graves of the Bell Beaker Culture and subsequently to interpret the features related to the graves. Furthermore the relationship between the Bell Beaker and Únetice Culture is discussed and special regional aspects of Bell Beaker burial customs are described in detail.

Abstract  Erik Samuelsson: A View Towards the Sea – Towards a Changed Understanding of the Culture and Social Life of the Middle Neolithic in Eastern Central Sweden.  The objective of this essay is to undertake an investigation and critical review of the Neolithic cultural groups as defined by contemporary archaeologists. This will be achieved through the analysis of empirical material derived from the Neolithic site of Tibble, located in the Björklinge parish of Uppland, Sweden. The primary aim is to develop a more comprehensive understanding and interpretation of not only the specific site but also the cultural and social aspects of the Neolithic period as a whole. Key questions addressed in this study include the impact of material studies on the overall interpretation of Neolithic culture and social life, as well as the potential for attaining a more holistic understanding of a time and place through an analytical approach that oscillates between detailed analysis and broader contextual perspectives. The primary sources utilized in this research consist of material artifacts, reports, and relevant literature pertaining to the Middle Neolithic settlement at Tibble, Björklinge parish, Uppland, Sweden. The theoretical framework employed in this study, as well as the chosen methodology, is rooted in the hermeneutic spiral. Previous investigations into the Stone Age have been largely characterized by the classification of cultural groups, with limited consideration given to the criticism of the concept of culture itself. Consequently, substantial changes in the interpretation of the Neolithic period and its inhabitants have not been extensively pursued. In this essay, the integration of hermeneutics and interdisciplinary approaches is demonstrated as a valuable means to foster a transformative understanding of both specific sites and broader chronological periods. By doing so, it becomes possible to harness the knowledge embedded in material studies.It is important to note that this essay does not aspire to provide an ultimate solution to the perceived problem but rather represents an initial step towards a new direction of inquiry. This process is not necessarily confined to a singular location or region but can be applied to the interpretative work concerning other Neolithic sites as well.