Winds of change

Prof. Dr. Peter Breunig, head of the Department of African Archaeology and Archaeobotany at the Goethe University’s Institute for Archaeological Sciences in Frankfurt am Main and a renowned and highly regarded Africanist archaeologist, celebrated his 65th birthday in April 2017. This Festschrift is dedicated by four of his former students to his scientific achievements in African prehistory and to his ability to enthuse students and staff for archaeology in general and for African archaeology in particular. This volume comprises recognitions of his academic achievements and four thematic sections with 33 scientific and personal contributions by archaeologists worldwide. The first section “Early Companions” contains several papers by colleagues and friends from the time of Peter Breunig’s early archaeological footsteps at the University of Cologne, first as a student and then as assistant at the Institute for Pre- and Early History. The second and third sections “West African Savanna” and “Nok and Neighbouring Regions” illustrate his significant research years as full professor at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main working in West Africa, mostly in Nigeria. The final section “Beyond West African Savanna – Wider Perspectives” looks at a wider spectrum of geographical and thematic subjects. The contributions range geographically from Africa, especially West and southern Africa, to northern Germany and even to China. Thematically, this volume comprises a variety of archaeologically relevant topics: archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analyses as well as archaeological investigations into settlement developments, pottery, burial customs, rock art, Celtic fields, cultural change and the interaction between man, climate and environment, as well as ethno-historical studies. Theoretical and methodological papers and travel accounts complete the wide array of subjects written in honour of Peter Breunig.