Construction, Maintenance and Ritual Practices on the Neolithic Rondel at Nowe Objezierze (Northwestern Poland): The chaîne opératoire of Rondel’s Architecture

Abstract In the history of the “Danubian Neolithic” society, monumental ceremonial centers appeared around 4800 BCE and lost their importance around 300 years later. Among them, one of the most distinctive forms are rondels. However, it is worth remembering the contemporary Rosheim-type circles and Passy-type tombs. The name “rondels” refers to the currently preserved architectural form, dominated by concentric ditches. The article presents an analysis of the biography of a rondel from Nowe Objezierze (north-western Poland). For this purpose, the chaîne opératoire method was used, which is a very effective tool for reconstructing the full sequence of events including the construction, use and abandonment of the examined monument, in its historical and social context. Thanks to this, it was possible to draw attention to previously little-explored details of planning construction works, the skills of ritual leaders and the seasonal availability of some construction materials. As a consequence, the construction and use of rondels can be presented as a complex ceremonial cycle, stretched over time and interrupted by festivals. When the rondel was ready, the cycle began with renovating the surrounding wall and digging the ditch, most likely reaching its culmination on the day of the winter solstice. The celebrations ended with a ceremony of backfilling of the ditch.