Hasil untuk "History of Central Europe"

Vagheesh M. Narasimhan, N. Patterson, Priya Moorjani et al.

Ancient human movements through Asia Ancient DNA has allowed us to begin tracing the history of human movements across the globe. Narasimhan et al. identify a complex pattern of human migrations and admixture events in South and Central Asia by performing genetic analysis of more than 500 people who lived over the past 8000 years (see the Perspective by Schaefer and Shapiro). They establish key phases in the population prehistory of Eurasia, including the spread of farming peoples from the Near East, with movements both westward and eastward. The people known as the Yamnaya in the Bronze Age also moved both westward and eastward from a focal area located north of the Black Sea. The overall patterns of genetic clines reflect similar and parallel patterns in South Asia and Europe. Science, this issue p. eaat7487; see also p. 981 Genome-wide analysis of ancient DNA from more than 500 individuals from Central and South Asia illuminates the spread of Indo-European languages. RATIONALE To elucidate the extent to which the major cultural transformations of farming, pastoralism, and shifts in the distribution of languages in Eurasia were accompanied by movement of people, we report genome-wide ancient DNA data from 523 individuals spanning the last 8000 years, mostly from Central Asia and northernmost South Asia. RESULTS The movement of people following the advent of farming resulted in genetic gradients across Eurasia that can be modeled as mixtures of seven deeply divergent populations. A key gradient formed in southwestern Asia beginning in the Neolithic and continuing into the Bronze Age, with more Anatolian farmer–related ancestry in the west and more Iranian farmer–related ancestry in the east. This cline extended to the desert oases of Central Asia and was the primary source of ancestry in peoples of the Bronze Age Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). This supports the idea that the archaeologically documented dispersal of domesticates was accompanied by the spread of people from multiple centers of domestication. The main population of the BMAC carried no ancestry from Steppe pastoralists and did not contribute substantially to later South Asians. However, Steppe pastoralist ancestry appeared in outlier individuals at BMAC sites by the turn of the second millennium BCE around the same time as it appeared on the southern Steppe. Using data from ancient individuals from the Swat Valley of northernmost South Asia, we show that Steppe ancestry then integrated further south in the first half of the second millennium BCE, contributing up to 30% of the ancestry of modern groups in South Asia. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the unique features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages. The primary ancestral population of modern South Asians is a mixture of people related to early Holocene populations of Iran and South Asia that we detect in outlier individuals from two sites in cultural contact with the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), making it plausible that it was characteristic of the IVC. After the IVC’s decline, this population mixed with northwestern groups with Steppe ancestry to form the “Ancestral North Indians” (ANI) and also mixed with southeastern groups to form the “Ancestral South Indians” (ASI), whose direct descendants today live in tribal groups in southern India. Mixtures of these two post-IVC groups—the ANI and ASI—drive the main gradient of genetic variation in South Asia today. CONCLUSION Earlier work recorded massive population movement from the Eurasian Steppe into Europe early in the third millennium BCE, likely spreading Indo-European languages. We reveal a parallel series of events leading to the spread of Steppe ancestry to South Asia, thereby documenting movements of people that were likely conduits for the spread of Indo-European languages. The Bronze Age spread of Yamnaya Steppe pastoralist ancestry into two subcontinents—Europe and South Asia. Pie charts reflect the proportion of Yamnaya ancestry, and dates reflect the earliest available ancient DNA with Yamnaya ancestry in each region. Ancient DNA has not yet been found for the ANI and ASI, so for these the range is inferred statistically. By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages.

Karolina Jakaitė, Karina Simonson

The conference Art Beyond the Politics: Africa and the ‘Other’ Europe during the Cold War, planned by the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2022, was intended to explore the often-overlooked cultural exchanges between Central-Eastern Europe and Africa during the Cold War era. Its goal was to address a significant gap in art historical research by examining both actual and imagined connections between these regions, challenging the prevailing narratives that predominantly focus on Western Europe and the United States. Unfortunately, the outbreak of war in Ukraine rapidly disrupted these plans. Global academic networks were suddenly fractured, and scholars found themselves increasingly divided along national lines. Panels, collaborations, and exchanges that had been in preparation were postponed or cancelled, underscoring how geopolitical crises continue to shape the conditions of intellectual work. This special issue of Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis seeks to advance the conference’s objectives despite these disruptions, providing a platform for scholarly engagement with the intersections of art, politics, and cultural exchange between Africa and the ‘Other’ Europe during the Cold War. This issue brings together the work of twelve authors, whose papers engage with a wide range of questions, insights, and perspectives. Each contribution offers a unique approach to understanding the cultural, political and artistic intersections between Africa and the Central-Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Collectively, the papers illuminate both historical connections and conceptual frameworks, providing new analyses, critical reflections, and, in some cases, tentative answers to long-standing questions in art history and cultural studies.

Orsolya Falus, Borbála Obrusánszky

In the first half of the 13th century, Europe feared the conquering invasion of the Mongol Empire. The key to an empire's strength undoubtedly lies in its organized state and legal structure. The first remarkable stage of the development of the legal system of the Mongolian nation took place during the formation of the Great Mongol Empire with the establishment of Genghis Khan's so-called Yassa Law, as the first, integrated, written code. The legal source compiled the customary law of the time by Šigi Qutuqu, chief judge of the great khan. The original text of the code has not survived, but we can indirectly deduce its content through the study of historical sources and traditions. Despite the fact that many literary works have been published on the Great Mongol Empire, representing various disciplines, no one has yet undertaken a legal history- and legal theory-based examination of The Secret History of the Mongols - which, unlike Yassa, is the oldest surviving contemporary document in Mongolian history. The present paper collects the customary law elements found in the source work by branch of law and attempts to capture the moment in legal history when codification and the separation of powers, as the first steps of legal modernization, appeared on the Mongolian steppe as early as the 13th century. The research method used is source analysis.

Radosław Domke

The article analyses the motif of the countryside in films made during the last two decades of the Polish People’s Republic, focusing on contemporary plots of the era. It explores the city–countryside dichotomy, where the countryside symbolises traditionalism, while the city represents modernisation and social advancement. The role of dual occupation population and the ambivalent effects of urbanisation are also discussed.

Adéla Pokorná, Petr Kočár, Tereza Šálková

The Bronze Age (BA) in Central Europe witnessed significant transformations in various aspects of human activities. This study focuses on changes in subsistence strategies during the BA, represented by the assortment of edible plants. We examined charred macroremains from 39 archaeological sites in the Czech Republic. Our aims include providing an overview of crop records, determining the dating of new crop introductions, and identifying spatial patterns of the assortment changes. The results indicate a complex agricultural transformation. Emmer and einkorn dominated in the Early Bronze Age (EBA), while the broomcorn millet was widespread in the Middle Bronze Age (MBA). The Late Bronze Age (LBA) saw increased cereal and pulse diversity, whereas the Final Bronze Age (FBA), characterised by coexisting cereals, represented a terminal stage of the process of gradually evolving subsistence strategies. The study highlights the sudden introduction of broomcorn millet in the MBA and expanding the range of crops, which allowed more flexible responses to local conditions and a better distribution of field work throughout the year.

Noémi Borbély, Dániel Dudás, Attila Tapasztó et al.

Abstract This study focuses on exploring the uniparental genetic lineages of Hungarian-speaking minorities residing in rural villages of Baranja (Croatia) and the Zobor region (Slovakia). We aimed to identify ancestral lineages by examining genetic markers distributed across the entire mitogenome and on the Y-chromosome. This allowed us to discern disparities in regional genetic structures within these communities. By integrating our newly acquired genetic data from a total of 168 participants with pre-existing Eurasian and ancient DNA datasets, our goal was to enrich the understanding of the genetic history trajectories of Carpathian Basin populations. Our findings suggest that while population-based analyses may not be sufficiently robust to detect fine-scale uniparental genetic patterns with the sample sizes at hand, phylogenetic analysis of well-characterized Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) data and entire mitogenome sequences did uncover multiple lineage ties to far-flung regions and eras. While the predominant portions of both paternal and maternal DNA align with the East-Central European spectrum, rarer subhaplogroups and lineages have unveiled ancient ties to both prehistoric and historic populations spanning Europe and Eastern Eurasia. This research augments the expansive field of phylogenetics, offering critical perspectives on the genetic constitution and heritage of the communities in East-Central Europe.

Luboš Jiráň

Naďa Profantová, Daniel Dvořáček, Tomáš Kmječ

Kaptorgas were small trapezoidal boxes with lids worn by women and girls in early medieval central Europe as magic or protective amulets. The paper presents a new find of a bronze cast die for hammering the front side of kaptorgas, which was excavated at the Nad Dolnicí settlement site located in the hinterland of the important central Bohemian hillfort of Kouřim. The die was used to produce type 1A kaptorgas with a motif of a four-legged eared gryphon with an indication of a wing and a tail ending in a floral decorative element. Although kaptorgas with this particular motif have not been recorded in Bohemia, it has analogies in Bulgaria and Poland. Based on the stylistic assessment of this originally Mediterranean motif and the chronology of type IA kaptorgas in Bohemia, the die can be dated to the 10th and beginning of the 11th century. X-Ray fluorescence analysis and elemental mapping of the object's surface show that it was made from bronze with a significant lead admixture and a small admixture of zinc. The die is discussed in terms of the spread of Mediterranean motifs and their adaptation by local craftsmen.

Kristina Doležalová, Jaroslav Řídký, Daniel Pilař

Past societies have used various raw materials for making grinding-milling tools (GMT). These included rhyolite, a hard volcanic rock with a porphyritic texture and pores, which is suitable for grinding. Thus far, no experiments have been carried out involving use-wear analysis on rhyolite grinding stones, and more specifically on Neolithic GMTs made of this raw material. Therefore, in this paper, we present an experimental program designed to investigate the development of wear from the grinding of einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) on rhyolite GMT replicas. To test the resulting observations, four GMTs found at the Neolithic site of Vchynice were used as a case study. However, the results of the experiments can be used to study these important artefacts in other geographic and cultural areas. The experiment has yielded several important findings relating to the kinematics of the tools and throws new light on their users. The orientation of the tool relative to the user can be distinguished based on the distribution of the use-wear traces. The study of the archaeological assemblage revealed that substances other than einkorn wheat, which was used for our experimental grinding, were processed on the Neolithic GMTs.

Emilia Anna Deutsch

This paper will concentrate firstly on American and European culture in the 19th and 20th centuries to illustrate the cultural context in which proverbs about women were used, which refer to the following themes: women’s work, a woman’s place is in the home and a woman makes a home, a man needs a woman, and smart women were then put to use. The main aim of the article is to show briefly the correlation between the history and culture of women in the U.S.A. and in Central and Eastern Europe (where the German, Polish, Czech and Sorbian languages were used) and the position of women in some American, German, Polish, Czech and Sorbian proverbs. The language material of this article is confirmed by statements from women who lived in the nineteenth century and also with scientific publications about women’s place in society until now.

HSCE Historical Studies on Central Europe

Szilvia Keszte, Arpad Ferincz, Katalin Tóth-Ihász et al.

Background Invasive gibel carp, Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) has become well-established in the Hungarian waters and now are spreading in the European waters. On major concern now is the potential hybridization between gibel carp and the other invasive species in the Carassius auratus complex (CAC), which may further accelerate the spread of the whole invasive species complex. The identification of gibel carp and their hybrids is difficult because of its morphological similarity to the other species in CAC. Here we carry out a genomic assessment to understand the history of gibel carp invasion and its phylogenetic relationship with the other species in CAC. Three loci of the mitochondrial genome (D-loop, CoI, Cytb) were used to determine the phylogenetic origin of individuals and relarionship among six gibel carp populations and the other species in the CAC. Methodolgy A total of 132 gibel carp samples from six locations in Southern Transdanubia (Hungary) were collected after phenotypic identification to measure the genetic diversity within and among gibel carp populations of Southern Transdanubia (Hungary). The genetic background was examined by the sequences of the mitochondrial genome: D-loop, Cytochrome c oxidase I (CoI) and Cytochrome b (Cytb). Mitochondrial genetic markers are excellent tools for phylogenetic studies because they are maternally inherited. Successfully identified haplotypes were aligned and with reference sequences in nucleotide databases (i.e., NCBI-BLAST: National Centre for Biotechnology Information and BOLD: Barcode of Life Data System). The phylogenetic relationships among gibel carp populations were then analyzed together with the reference sequences to understand the relationship and the level of hybridization with the species in CAC. Results Among the 132 aligned D-loop sequences 22 haplotypes were identified. Further examination of representative individuals of the 22 haplotypes, six Cytb and four CoI sequences were detected. The largest number of haplotypes of all three loci were found in Lake Balaton, the largest shallow lake in Central Europe. Based on the NCBI-BLAST alignment of the D-loop, haplotypes of Carassius auratus auratus and Carassius a. buergeri in CAC were identified in the C. gibelio samples. Further analysis of haplotypes with the other two mitochondrial markers confirmed the occurrence of intragenus hybridization of C. gibelio in the Hungarian waters. Conclusion By using three mitochondrial markers (D-loop, Cytb, CoI), we genomically characterized a gibel carp-complex in Hungarian waters and assessed the C. gibelio phylogenetic status between them. Hybrid origin of locally invasive Carassius taxon was detected in Hungary. It points out that invasive species are not only present in Hungary but reproduce with each other in the waters, further accelerating their spread.

Elisabeth Schimpfössl, I. Yablokov, Olga Zeveleva et al.

Bringing together empirical studies of former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, this Special Issue explores the relationship between censorship and self-censorship. All the cases under consideration share a history of state-led censorship. Importantly, however, the authors argue that journalism in the former Eastern bloc has developed features similar to those observed in many countries which have never experienced state socialism. This introduction presents the theoretical framework and the historical backgound that provide the backdrop for this Special Issue’s contributions, all of which take a journalist-focused angle.

S. A. Semerikova, I. Isakov, V. Semerikov

Darius Baronas

This article deals with the issue of the Lithuanian conversion to Christianity in the 14th century by focusing on the art of politics of the Lithuanian rulers Gediminas (1316–1341), Algirdas (1345–1377) and Kęstutis (1381–1382) with regard to their Christian neighbours. The topic of intentional deception has been contextualised and given special attention in an attempt to highlight that the accession to Christendom was not a self-evident priority for Lithuanian rulers as long as they were beholden to a pagan-warrior lifestyle and were content with the inherited political situation vis-à-vis their Christian and Tatar neighbours.

Jadranka Jerčinović, Emilija Reljac Fajs

U povijesti hrvatske književnosti Vjenceslav Novak predstavljen je kao realistički pisac primorske sredine, s naglaskom na njegovo podrijetlo, rad u školi, materijalne životne uvjete i tematiku koju je uglavnom uzimao iz stvarnoga svijeta. Novak je objektivan realistički pripovjedač jer ne uzdiže ni ne prezire, no istodobno i socijalno osjećajan jer je prvi u hrvatski realizam unio ljubav prema obitelji i jeziku kojim je stvarao roman pod naslovom Posljednji Stipančići. Očito je ljepota odabranih riječi pridonijela da se tijekom cijeloga pripovijedanja porodične pripovijesti o Stipančićima osjećaju sigurni potezi piščeva pera, bilo da o njoj pripovijeda kronološki ili retrospektivno. Kritika realizma nije imala razumijevanja za ogroman Novakov opus kao rezultat jedne osebujne umjetničke stvaralačke snage. Moderna hrvatska književna kritika prikazala je rast Novakova opusa kroz četiri koncentrična kruga. Budući da je svako književno djelo poseban suodnos svijeta koji umjetnik prikazuje i jezika kojim o tom svijetu piše, logična je povezanost Novakove socijalne i jezične osjećajnosti dok je pripovijedao životnu priču obitelji svojega doba. U suvremenoj književnoj kritici roman Posljednji Stipančići proglašen je najboljim romanom hrvatskoga realizma, zastupljen je u srednjoškolskoj nastavi književnosti, a prošle školske godine i na državnoj maturi.

Emilian Kavalski

Xiangchuan Li, Fujun Ma, Liang Xiao et al.

Abstract Podocarpium (Fabaceae), characterized by single seeded pods and paripinnate compound leaves, is well known as an extinct legume genus having extensive fossil occurrences from the Miocene of Central Europe and eastern Asia. However, the Palaeogene unambiguous megafossils are quite scarce, especially the Oligocene record from eastern Asia, which heavily impedes our understanding of early dispersal patterns and infrageneric relationships of this enigmatic genus. Here, we described dozens of legume specimens from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi in South China, the Early Miocene Guide Group of Qinghai in Northwest China and the Middle–Late Miocene Shengxian Formation of Zhejiang in Southeast China as Podocarpium podocarpum (A. Braun) Herendeen based on extremely similar fruit characters. Meanwhile, we reexamined variation in fruit morphology among the previously reported fruits of Eurasia and present legumes as a basis for interpreting the infrageneric relationship and subfamily affinity of Podocarpium. The high similarities presented by these fossil fruits support the previous recognition of the specimens from the Oligocene–Miocene of Central Europe and the Miocene– Pliocene of eastern Asia as P. podocarpum, but such a low species diversity of Podocarpium appears to indicate a bradytelic morphological evolution for this whole ancient lineage through geologic time. Moreover, judging from seed orientation as well as seed and fruit comparative sizes, the oblong seed is parallel to the long axis of the fruit and its placentation is near the apex of the seed chamber, which favor the previous assignment of Podocarpium to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Additionally, we speculated that this extinct genus may prefer a warm and humid (or mildly arid) environment by plotting the megafossil localities on the overall Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene palaeoclimate maps based on continental drift. The Oligocene occurrence from the Ningming Formation in Guangxi, South China sheds new light on the historical biogeographical pattern between Central Europe and eastern Asia, i.e. after the probable origin in low latitude tropic coastal regions of southernmost South China (i.e. Hainan) by the Middle Eocene, Podocarpium may subsequently disperse into Guangxi and then Europe via a probable low-latitude land connection located among the Tethys and Paratethys seas to the southwest of Eurasia in the Early Oligocene, independent of the gradual closure of the Turgai Strait in the middle-high latitudes during the Oligocene.

W. Dekker

The stock of the European eel is in decline throughout its distribution area-for decades, if not for centuries. Its population dynamics are not well understood. The extremely scattered occurrence, as well as the general lack of quantified information before 1950, prevents a straightforward analysis. This article discusses the history of eel fisheries across Europe, reviewing the literature published before 1940. A follow-up study is advocated, to unearth primary information in archives across Europe. In the late 1800s, development programmes were initiated in central Europe, complementing the widespread subsistence fisheries with "modern" commercial exploitation of new areas, new markets and new products. In the early 1900s, increasing fisheries and trade were reported throughout northern Europe, and new developments started in the south. This lasted until about 1950-when the current multidecadal decline set in. The eel fisheries have never experienced a period of stable, sustainable exploitation. The decline in the stock is probably not a simple case of overfishing, but a continent-wide serial depletion of local resources-eventually depleting the whole stock-in times of growing non-fisheries impacts. Consequences for the European eel protection programme and for the derivation of restoration targets are discussed.