Neolithic people shared cultural identities across the Rhine River

Archaeologist Sebastian Schultrich and researchers at the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence at Kiel University (CAU) identified links between human groups on both sides of the Rhine river during the late Neolithic period.

The study, published in Germania, challenges the long held belief that the Rhine acted as a barrier between Western and Central Europe between the late fourth and early third millennia B.C.

Schultrich found that common archaeological features, including double axes, coarse pottery, and collective graves, suggest that people in these regions maintained high mobility and shared cultural narratives. While some pottery styles were finely crafted, the widespread use of plain, roughly shaped coarse ware indicates a gradual and unconscious convergence of styles across large distances. This suggests that boundaries between groups were fluid rather than distinct.

The researchers also identified double-edged stone axes as prestigious objects that were deliberately spread across France, Central Europe, Scandinavia, and Poland. Unlike the pottery, these axes suggest a shared, intentional identity. Additionally, the discovery of large-scale collective graves that held dozens to hundreds of individuals across these regions points to shared rituals and social structures. The study concludes that these populations formed a complex society where people maintained a common supraregional identity while still allowing for local regional peculiarities.