Archaeology of a transformation period. The cemetery of Niedernai and the 5th century along the Upper Rhine

尼德奈墓地于1995年被发现，几乎没有受到干扰，是5世纪下半叶唯一一个几乎完全现代挖掘的墓地，不仅在阿尔萨斯，而且在其更广阔的环境中。通过对相对较小的墓地的32个坟墓（其中有33人死亡）的分析，将从根本上证明西罗马帝国结束后的转型时期（5世纪下半叶和6世纪初）的考古资料，并在必要时重新进行历史解释。问题的焦点在于，考古学上可见的、根本的文化变化是由来自东方的人口群体的移民引起的，还是它们可以被视为前罗马人口的文化重新定位。与以往的研究不同，以往的研究都是根据选定的考古发现（如蝴蝶结胸针）来回答这个问题，而这次的分析将考虑到所有的考古发现和特征，并使用各种现代科学方法。科学分析提供了通过面对新数据来检验传统解释方案的机会。14C-AMS数据允许将即使只有一些或甚至没有墓葬物品的坟墓整合到时间顺序考虑中，这些墓葬物品无法通过考古手段确定日期。对aDNA的分析提供了生物关系的信息，此外，它还为我们提供了一个指示，即墓地上的坟墓群是否代表家庭，以及考古学上假设的社会关系是否真的存在。另一方面，将来自尼德奈的DNA与其他地方的DNA以及与现代DNA进行比较，将提供有关死者地理起源的信息。它们将得到多同位素分析的补充。与dna数据相比，锶和氧同位素分析提供了有关死者流动性和局部稳定性的对比迹象。氮和碳同位素分析还提供了关于营养的信息，当从个体中提取多个亚样本时，它们的生存可能会发生变化。通过将现代的、理论上有充分根据的考古学观点与常规科学分析的结果和方法上反映的使用紧密联系起来，该项目为未来的研究树立了榜样。一方面，我们期待着德国和法国早期中世纪研究的重要推动力，另一方面，通过密切的两国合作，两国不同研究视角的结合。同时，该项目扩大和扩展了已经存在的法德古董研究网络到古代晚期和中世纪早期领域，包括科学研究。

The cemetery of Niedernai discovered in 1995 and nearly undisturbed, is the only nearly fully and modern excavated necropolis of the second half of the 5th century not only within Alsace but also in its wider surroundings. Based on the analysis of 32 graves (with 33 dead) of the relatively small grave yard, the archaeological sources about the transformation period after the end of the West Roman Empire - the second half of the 5th and the early 6th centuries - will be fundamentally proofed and if necessary reinterpreted historically. The focus lies on the question, whether the archaeologically visible, fundamental cultural changes are caused by the immigration of population groups from the east - or whether they could be seen as a cultural re-orientation of the former Roman population. In contrast to older studies which tried to answer this question on the basis of selected archaeological finds e. g. the bow brooches, the analysis will take into consideration the whole spectrum of archaeological finds and features as well as it uses a variety of modern scientific methods.The scientific analysis offers the opportunity to check traditional schemes of interpretation through confronting them to new data. 14C-AMS data allow integrating even graves with only some or even without grave goods, which could not be dated by archaeological means, into chronological considerations. The analysis of aDNA offers information on biological relations and additionally, it provides us with indications whether groups of graves on a cemetery represent families, and whether archaeologically assumed social relationships really existed. On the other hand the comparison of aDNA from Niedernai with other places and with modern DNA will present information on the geographic origin of the dead. They will be complemented by multi-isotope analyses. Strontium and Oxygen isotope analyses provide with contrasting indications concerning mobility and local stability of the deceased compared to the aDNA data. Nitrogen and Carbon isotope analyses additionally provide information about nutrition, possible changes in their subsistence when multiple subsamples are taken from individuals.Through the close connection of modern, theoretically well-grounded archaeological perspectives and the consequent and methodologically reflected use of routine scientific analysis, the project sets an example for future research. We expect an important impetus for German and French early medieval studies at one hand, and on the other the combination of two different national research perspectives through intense bi-national cooperation. Simultaneously, the project widens and extends the already existing French-German network in antique studies to the field of late antiquity and the early middle ages, including scientific studies.