Mesolithic Europe

Southern Scandinavian Mesolithic research has one of the longest traditions within archaeology, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s. However, a combination of site visibility and an emphasis on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition has meant that research has primarily been directed towards the Late Mesolithic Erte-bølle culture (c. 5400-4000 cal. BC) at the expense of the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture (c. 9600-6400 cal. BC). Whilst fishing during the Ertebølle culture is well studied (Enghoff 2011; Ritchie 2010), fishing during the Early Mesolithic is rarely discussed in any detail. In this contribution we attempt to rectify this imbalance by collating all readily available data on fish remains and related technologies within the literature. Although our primary focus is the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture of Southern Scandinavia, an area encompassing Denmark, Scania in Sweden and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany, we draw on contemporaneous sites within the broader region to provide a more nuanced picture of the exploitation of this important resource, fish.

This paper comments on the bone and antler assemblages excavated from the Early Preboreal site of Star Carr (North Yorkshire, United Kingdom) between 2004 and 2015. It examines the spatial distribution of osseous material across the site, and discusses the various depositional processes which have led to their accumulation. As a previously excavated site, the published literature surrounding Star Carr has presented challenges for the traditional categories of animal bones, artefacts and osseous manufacturing waste. This paper uses some of the most high-profile finds from Star Carr, the red deer antler frontlets, as a case study for the examination of these tensions, and details the ways in which the most recent excavations required a reappraisal of the categorisation of these artefacts in light of new finds, technological analysis, and experimental replication.

Demographic change lies at the core of debates on genetic inheritance and resilience to climate change of prehistoric hunter-gatherers. Here we analyze the radiocarbon record of Iberia to reconstruct long-term changes in population levels and test different models of demographic growth during the Last Glacial-Interglacial transition. Our best fitting demographic model is composed of three phases. First, we document a regime of exponential population increase during the Late Glacial warming period (c.16.6-12.9 kya). Second, we identify a phase of sustained population contraction and stagnation, beginning with the cold episode of the Younger Dryas and continuing through the first half of the Early Holocene (12.9-10.2 kya). Finally, we report a third phase of density-dependent logistic growth (10.2-8 kya), with rapid population increase followed by stabilization. Our results support a population bottleneck hypothesis during the Last Glacial-Interglacial transition, providing a demographic context to interpret major shifts of prehistoric genetic groups in southwest Europe.

Studie byla publikována roku 1965 v knize Archeologické studijní materiály (2) vydané Archeologickým ústavem ČSAV v Praze / The study was published in 1965 in the book Archeological Study Materials (2) published by the Institute of Archeology of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Prague.

During the early Holocene the Mesolithic campsites at Friesack in northern Central Europe were located on an island amidst a wetland landscape: a swampy valley rich of reeds with generally slowly flowing water (with the exception of spring), forests dominated by birch and pine, sandy hills covered with pine, and open grasslands. Due to excellent preservation conditions thousands of mammal remains could be excavated in the refuse areas of the site Friesack 4 by B. Gramsch and his team between 1978 and 1989. 826 identified mammal remains derive from the oldest, mid-Preboreal layers of the station, 1200 bones from the following late Preboreal layers, and further 3082 remains from the subsequent early Boreal horizons. The main game species of the inhabitants of Friesack 4 were red deer, roe deer, and wild boar. Based on the bone weight, red deer was the most relevant and important species in all the Mesolithic stages of occupation. In the course of the c. 1500 years of habitation investigated on this site the economical relevance of wild boar increased gradually, whereas in particular elk lost its importance. Significantly, red deer hunting always focused on older juveniles or young adults. Based on the number of identified specimen, remains of roe deer dominate the mammal bone assemblage in all the occupation stages, and their frequency continuously increases from the oldest to the youngest Mesolithic horizon. Roe deer hunting occurred especially in May and June and was purposefully dedicated to young females. Similarly, hunting red deer was not focussed on strong, older deer, as at some contemporane-ous sites, but on young adults. Both species show that the hunter's strategy at Friesack 4 was in these cases not to get a maximum of food resources per hunting expedition, but rather to secure a successful hunt. In wild boar, in contrast, the analyses give evidence of a selective hunting of full-grown and quite old individuals, thus of wild boars for meat. Remarkably, the hunter's wild boar prey was nearly all female. A résumé of all seasonal indications concerning the mammal bones shows that Mesolithic people stayed at the location nearly exclusively in the months between May and October. There is no evidence for human presence during late autumn and winter/early spring. The portions of the body parts of the different game species show concordantly that the animals were slaughtered elsewhere. Friesack 4 was only the place of consumption. Partly, however, some valuable parts of the prey are missing at the campsite-potentially these parts were reserved for the successful hunters, who consumed them already at the kill site.

The project investigates the functions of ground stone tools from selected Mesolithic find inventories, mainly from Northern Germany (Duvensee, Rothenklempenow, Friesack, Neustadt and Rottenburg-Siebenlinden). Ground stone tools play a key role in the reconstruction of prehistoric diet, land use and settlement behaviour. They were used for food preparation, manufacturing of tools, building material or as heat conductor.
The planned analyses focus on raw material, morphology, use wear and residues as well as on experiments on tool use and include intra-site spatial investigations. The DFG funded project aims on reconstructions of function and economy of this commonly and multifunctionally used stones, which still receive little attention.

Nicky Milner, Chantal Conneller & Barry Taylor (ed.). 2018.
Star Carr volume 1: a persistent place in a changing world.
Leeds: White Rose University Press; 978-1-912482-04-7
£32.68. - Nicky Milner, Chantal Conneller & Barry Taylor
(ed.). 2018. Star Carr volume 2: studies in technology,
subsistence and environment. Leeds: White Rose University
Press; 978-1-912482-00-9 £46.99.

This paper explores water and watery places as sacred elements among the cultures of the northern boreal zone during the Stone Age, and especially the Neolithic period, through materials deriving from Northwestern Russia and Fennoscandia. The peculiarity and importance of water and certain watery environments, like rivers, lakes, bogs, waterfalls, and rapids, are discussed through depositional practices of material culture, mainly lithic artifacts. Rock-art provides further tools for approaching the topic, not only through its locations in the landscape but also through its motifs, which allow parallels to be drawn to later ethnographical sources and folklore, too. Finally, the paper briefly touches upon the rationality behind making a strict separation between "sacred” and "mundane” when interpreting prehistoric cultural phenomena. Water was integral to human life in many different ways, but bodies of water and watery places could also be threatening and unpredictable. Therefore water would have been an ambivalent element, probably invested with significant cultural meanings in the Stone Age world.
Статья посвящена изучению воды и водных объектов как сакральных элементов в культурах каменного века (в первую очередь неолита) северной части лесной полосы Восточной Европы на материалах, происходящих преимущественно с территории Северо-Запада России и Фенноскандии. Особая значимость воды и определенных водных элементов ландшафта, таких как реки, озера, болота, водопады и пороги, рассматривается в контексте древних практик помещения в природную среду предметов материальной культуры, в первую очередь каменных артефактов. Другим источником для освещения этой темы являются памятники наскального искусства, как в силу ландшафтной приуроченности этих объектов, так и благодаря представленным в них мотивам, параллели которым можно найти в этнографических материалах и фольклоре. Наконец, кратко рассматривается вопрос о разграничении «сакрального» и «профанного» при интерпретации культурных феноменов доисторической древности. Вода является важным элементом человеческого существования во многих аспектах, но водные объекты могут также быть опасными и непредсказуемыми. Таким образом, вода имела двойственное значение, и этому элементу окружающей среды в каменном веке мог придаваться соответствующий смысл.

Bone bird figurines used as personal adornments are very characteristic of the period around 3500–2700 cal BC in the territory of Central Russia – in the Moscow region and surroundings at the interfluve of the Volga and Oka Rivers. This material culture is known among researchers as the Volosovo culture and features a wide range of high-quality flint, bone, stone and even sometimes wooden artifacts and porous ceramics with an abundant organic admixture (mostly freshwater shells). Many excavated settlements give indications of a year-round habitation by Volosovo groups due to the numerous, large, semi-subterranean dwellings (usually measuring more than 100 square meters) that have been investigated. These dwellings are situated at shorelines or on small islands, where rivers flow into or run off the lake (or at river arms between lakes), as these are obviously the most abundant in fish. The evidence of intensive fishing is supplemented with that of intensive hunting, according to the collections of rich faunal remains that have been found. The investigation of these communities’ spiritual life became possible due to quite numerous finds of mobile art pieces, mostly small sculptured pendants, depicting humans and animals of different species and made of bone, flint and, extremely rarely, amber. One of the most numerous groups is that of bone pendants depicting bird images, which today consists of 89 pieces. Eighty-two of these are from settlement layers, five pieces are from burials and two pieces are loose finds. Several aspects of the bone bird pendants can be studied, such as: their regional variations in morphology, the interpretation of archaeological contexts and the ‘totem’ hypothesis concerning their symbolic meaning.

Un certain nombre de symboles visibles à partir du néolithique, se sont rependus sur presque tous les continents, malgré l'arrivée des nouvelles religions. Quel peut bien être leurs significations initiales. Comment ont-ils pu durer aussi longtemps et résister aux évolutions importantes de ces périodes ? Quel sont leurs modes de propagation ? Que sait-on de leurs significations ? Je propose dans cette synthèse de revenir sur le cas particulier de la symbolique des croix antérieures au christianisme en Europe. Différents symboles plus ou moins cruciformes sont apparus sur notre continent Européen, ils sont souvent apparentés ou partagent des significations proches : croix solaires, svastikas, rosa camuna, croix anthropomorphes, croix dites grec ou latines, d'autres symboles semblent aussi avoir des liens de signification avec ces symboles cruciformes : arbalètiformes, symboles en phy, cupules, ... Dans cette synthèse nous précisons les connaissances actuelles sur ces sujets et formulons de nouvelles hypothèses sur l'évolution et la signification de ces symboles au vu de nombreux nouveaux éléments. Paléolithique Au paléolithique les cruciformes sont rares, on ne trouve que quelques rares signes en forme de x gravés sur os ou peints en grottes, rien de bien significatif. La seule vraie croix attestée est celle de la grotte Chauvet mais cela reste un cas bien isolé pour le moment. C'est aussi dès cette période que commence à se développer un culte de la fertilité, représenté par les très nombreuses petites statuettes féminines. Le paléolithique supérieur est une période ou l'art apparait, on en retient surtout des peintures animalières fabuleuses de réalisme. Mais c'est aussi l'apparition des premiers signes symboliques qui semblent être signifiants, mais dont le sens ne nous est pas encore connu. Une révolution c'est mise en place à la fin du paléolithique avec une ébauche du concept de symbole. Ce sont les premières étapes mentales mèneront aux shamanismes, et dans plusieurs millénaires vers les civilisations, les religions et les écritures. Mésolithique A ces périodes les évolutions climatiques et les pratiques communautaires font que l'art se fait plus discret et moins compréhensible, apparait un art de traits répétitifs dont le sens nous échappe. Au moment de l'Azilien plusieurs concepts de base sont probablement déjà en places et seront partagés sur plusieurs continents. Pour le moment on n'en perçoit que le bruit de fond. Quelques cruciformes ont été représenté au début de cette période sur des galets. Une peinture rupestre cruciforme a aux USA été daté de plus de 13000 ans BP. Des formes anthropomorphes schématiques commencent à apparaitre à la fin de cette période, avec des dessins très primitifs et très peu figuratifs. Les croix restent rares et les leurs datations très imprécises. Dans la zone du massif de Fontainebleau en France un art schématique particulier a laissé beaucoup de traces. C'est une région avec beaucoup de petites cavités, dont la taille se prête mal à l'habitat. Groupement de relevés de gravures en Ile de France, présumées mésolithiques, avec forme en partie cruciforme ci-dessus. Cruciforme du panneau surnommé le Sacré-Coeur datant de 35 000 ans dans la grotte Chauvet.

Studie autora byla vydána roku 1979 v časopise ,,Výběr - z prací členů historického spolku při Jihočeském muzeu v Českých Budějovicích" ( ročník 16, číslo 4) / The study published in 1979 in the journal ,,Výběr - from the works of members of the Historical Society at the South Bohemian Museum in České Budějovice (Volume 16, Number 4)".

In the Neckar valley two different Late Mesolithic traditions can be observed. They adopted succesively neolithic cultural traits from two directions - the Western Mediterranean and the Balkans. The two mesolithic traditions can be observed until the end of earliest LBK.


Im Neckarland grenzten zwei technische Traditionen des Spätmesolithikums aneinander, deren Träger aus unterschiedlichen Richtungen – aus dem westmediterranen und dem balkanischen Bereich –
neolithische Impulse aufnahmen. Deren unterschiedliche Schlagtechnik für Steingeräte trennte auch noch in der ältesten Bandkeramik das Obere Gäu vom mittleren und unteren Neckar. Der Widerspruch zwischen den archäologischen Hinweisen auf Kontinuität und den genetischen Belegen für eine massive Einwanderung aus dem balkanischen Raum zu Beginn der Neolithisierung könnte ein Hinweis darauf sein, dass nicht nur Ideen, sondern auch Personen aus dem Bereich des balkanischen Frühneolithikums bereits um 6.000 BC begannen, nach Mitteleuropa einzusickern, und dort auch
genetisch eine allmähliche Neolithisierung einleiteten. Allerdings setzte sich im Neckarland erst mit
der im Laufe des 54. Jahrhunderts BC erfolgten Integration der autochthonen Gruppen in die Gesellschaft der ab 5.500 BC eingewanderten Bandkeramiker endgültig die balkanische gegen die westmediterrane frühneolithische Tradition durch.

This three-volume publication presents an up-to-date overview on the human colonisation of Northern Europe across the Pleistocene–Holocene transition in Scandinavia, the Eastern Baltic and Great Britain. Volume 1, Ecology of early settlement in Northern Europe, is a collection of 17 articles focusing on subsistence strategies and technologies, ecology and resource availability and demography in relation to different ecological niches. It is structured according to three geographic regions, the Skagerrak-Kattegat, the Baltic Region and the North Sea/Norwegian Sea, while its temporal focus is Late Glacial and Postglacial archaeology, c. 11000–5000 cal BC. These regions are particularly interesting given the long research history, which goes back as far as the nineteenth century (see Gron & Rowley-Conwy 2018), and the numerous environmental changes that have taken place throughout the Holocene: the presence of ice until c. 7500 cal BC, isostatic rebound alongside sea-level rise and the formation of the Baltic Sea, all of which have contributed to the preservation of outstanding archaeology.