Paul Heinrich Adalbert Reinecke (September 25, 1872 – May 12, 1958) was a German prehistorian and archaeologist.

Life and work

Reinecke was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

. He studied medicine and science under Rudolf Virchow. Interested in

prehistory Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

, he also attended classes with the anthropologist

Johannes Ranke Johannes Ranke (23 August 1836, Thurnau – 26 July 1916, Munich) was a German physiologist and anthropologist. He was the son of theologian Friedrich Heinrich Ranke (1798–1876), the brother of pediatrician Heinrich von Ranke (1830–1909 ...

(1836–1916) and the

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

Adolf Furtwängler (1853–1907). During his studies, in 1893, Reinecke led an extensive study trip through Austria and Hungary. After graduating in 1897, he worked until 1908 at the

Romano-Germanic Central Museum (Mainz) Romano-Germanic may refer to: *Romano-Germanic culture of ancient Germanic peoples subject to the Roman Empire * Romano-Germanic law, a family of legal systems *Romano-Germanic Empire, more commonly called the Holy Roman Empire *Romano-Germanic Muse ...

, and later at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection (Die Kunstdenkmäler von Bayern). Until his death in 1958, he worked on almost all periods of European prehistory and early history, in particular on the chronology of the European

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

and

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

. The names Michelsberg culture (1908) and the

Altheim culture Altheim culture (Altheim group) is a Chalcolithic culture that derives its name from the town of Altheim. It is also a subgroup of Lengyel culture. Not defined until 1915 by the German Prehistorian Paul Reinecke after finds from a Causewayed en ...

(1915) as well as the periodization of the Hallstatt culture go back to him. Particularly important are his contributions in Volume V of the "Antiquities of our pagan past" (Alterthümer unserer heidnischen Vorzeit), where he developed a chronology system, based on an historical analysis of stylistic features and on typological characteristics, that has essentially retained its validity to this day. Reinecke died in

Herrsching Herrsching am Ammersee is a municipality in Upper Bavaria, Germany, on the east shore of the Ammersee, southwest of Munich. The population is around 8,000 in winter, increasing to 13,000 in summer. Situated at one terminus of the Munich S-Bahn li ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

. (See also Bronze Age in Central Europe)

Awards

* 1942:

Goethe Medal for Art and Science Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

* 1953:

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

(Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).

Publications

* ''Brandgräber vom Beginn der Hallstattzeit aus den östlichen Alpenländern und die Chronologie des Grabfeldes von Hallstatt''. In: Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien 30, 1900, S. 44 ff. * ''Beiträge zur Kenntnis der frühen Bronzezeit Mitteleuropas''. In: Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft Wien 32, 1902, S. 104 ff. * ''Zur Kenntnis der Latène-Denkmäler der Zone nordwärts der Alpen''. In: Festschrift RGZM (1902) S. 53–109. * Unsere Reihengräber der Merowingerzeit nach ihrer geschichtlichen Bedeutung. Bayerische Vorgeschichtsblätter 5, 1925, S. 54–64. * ''Zur Frage "Reihengräber und Friedhöfe der Kirchen"''. Germania 14, 1930, 175-177. * ''Spätkeltische Oppida im rechtsrheinischen Bayern''. Bayerischer Vorgeschichtsfreund 9, 1930, S. 29–52. * ''Bodendenkmale spätkeltischer Eisengewinnung an der untersten Altmühl'' (München, um 1934/35). * ''Mainzer Aufsätze zur Chronologie der Bronze- und Eisenzeit'' (Bonn 1965). (Wiederabdruck der Aufsätze aus den 'Alterthümern unserer heidnischen Vorzeit V')

References

External links

Deutsche BiographieOxford reference: Paul Reinecke
1872 births 1958 deaths Archaeologists from Berlin Prehistorians Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany {{Germany-archaeologist-stub