Vlaardingen culture or stein group? From object biographies to communities of practice

Abstract

A longstanding debate in Dutch Neolithic archaeology concerns the distinction between the Vlaardingen culture and the Stein group. These groups are occasionally merged in a larger complex with the German Wartberg group. In this article I aim to move beyond typological classifications by discussing the problem from the perspective of object biographies and communities of practice. For the German Wartberg group we can argue that this group has virtually nothing in common with the Vlaardingen culture and Stein group, besides the occasional presence of perforations under the rims of certain types of ceramics. The differences between the Vlaardingen and Stein group are less straightforward. From a typological perspective these groups are virtually indistinguishable. But if we look at the biography of axes and blades we see that these objects have different life trajectories. In Vlaardingen settlements there is no production of axes and generally no production of blades, they were imported in a ready-made state from Stein settlements. Despite the intensive exchange networks in place, the skills to produce these objects were not shared between these groups. Therefore, I will argue that these groups should be seen as separate communities of practice.