Carpathian obsidian exchange and social connectivity in eastern central Europe between the 7th and 3rd millennia BCE

• Uses Carpathian obsidian as a proxy for the connectivity of Neolithic and Copper Age communities in eastern central Europe. • Detects spatial and temporal patterning in the circulation of Carpathian obsidian. • Finds that structured depositions involving Carpathian obsidian are mostly restricted to LBK contexts. • Recognises that there are changes over time in the social values around Carpathian obsidian depositional practices. • Shows Carpathian obsidian as one element of the LBK Neolithic package and group identity beyond practical and economic use. This paper discusses the spatial distribution of Carpathian obsidian within a 1,000 km radius around the raw material sources in the northern Carpathian Mountains between 6200 and 2500 BCE, using data on archaeological sites for which the occurrence of Carpathian obsidian can be verified. Based on mapping at 500 year intervals differentiated mapping; kernel density estimation (KDE); and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) analyses, I demonstrate that the distribution of Carpathian obsidian beyond the 250 km radius – that is, beyond the region of supposed direct access – follows the major river systems of the region, namely the Danube, Elbe, Oder and Vistula. Moreover, by mapping the distribution in 500 year increments, I show that the distribution is closely associated with the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) – including the Bükk subunit – and its extensive interaction networks and with post-LBK communities (5500–4500 BCE) and that this obsidian is much less frequent on sites before and after that time. I conclude that the procurement and exchange of Carpathian obsidian are governed more by its socio-cultural values within LBK society than by its practical or economic value.