Taxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic dueto their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio... Show moreTaxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic dueto their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio-temporal distributions of whale populations and of possible early whaling activities. To overcomethis challenge, we performed zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry on an unprecedented 719archaeological and palaeontological specimens of probable whale bone from Atlantic Europeancontexts, predominantly dating fromca3500 BCE to the eighteenth century CE. The results showhigh numbers of Balaenidae (many probably North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)) andgrey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) specimens, two taxa no longer present in the eastern NorthAtlantic. This discovery matches expectations regarding the past utilization of North Atlantic rightwhales, but was unanticipated for grey whales, which have hitherto rarely been identified in theEuropean zooarchaeological record. Many of these specimens derive from contexts associated withmediaeval cultures frequently linked to whaling: the Basques, northern Spaniards, Normans,Flemish, Frisians, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians. This association raises the likelihood that earlywhaling impacted these taxa, contributing to their extirpation and extinction. Much lower numbersof other large cetacean taxa were identified, suggesting that what are now the most depletedwhales were once those most frequently used. Show less
Dikkenberg, L. van den; Pomstra, D.R.; Gijn, A.L. van 2023
In the western Netherlands Neolithic axes are hardly ever found in a complete state. Flint is scarce in this area and when these axes were exhausted, or when they broke during use, they were often... Show moreIn the western Netherlands Neolithic axes are hardly ever found in a complete state. Flint is scarce in this area and when these axes were exhausted, or when they broke during use, they were often re-used as flake cores. Vlaardingen Culture (3400–2500 BC) sites often yield large quantities of flakes and retouched tools made on polished axe fragments. Using an experimental approach, we tried to better understand the importance of recycling of these objects. For the experiments we reconstructed four so-called Buren axes. The experiments provided insights into the usefulness of broken axes as flake cores. It was also demonstrated that flakes struck from axes generally do not have a remnant of a polished surface, indicating that the importance of broken axes as flake cores has so far been underestimated. Furthermore, it was concluded that micro-debitage can successfully be studied to identify areas where broken axes were flaked. Show less
On the 22nd of October 2022 we hosted a hide-working workshop for the volunteers of Masamuda. The workshop was aimed to gain insight into hide-working traces on Vlaardingen Culture (VLC) scrapers.... Show moreOn the 22nd of October 2022 we hosted a hide-working workshop for the volunteers of Masamuda. The workshop was aimed to gain insight into hide-working traces on Vlaardingen Culture (VLC) scrapers. On the VLC site of Hekelingen III several scrapers were found with hide working traces which potentially could be linked to the scraping of fatty hides with the use of additives (Van Gijn 1990). To test this hypothesis, we scraped two sealskins with flint scrapers using additives. One hide was scraped with sand while the other was scraped with dried clay. The sealskins were donated to the project by Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen, a seal rescue center. These skins belonged to weaners, common seals (Phoca vitulina), who died of pneumonia, the skins were removed during the autopsy. We chose to use sealskins because these are notoriously fat and because seal bones were found both in Hekelingen III and in Vlaardingen (Brinkkemper et al. 2010). Show less
The importance of animal husbandry at El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and its use as a sheepfold has been confidently confirmed. This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary... Show moreThe importance of animal husbandry at El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and its use as a sheepfold has been confidently confirmed. This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach that includes traditional zooarcheological methods, isotopic analyses and archeobotanical studies of faunal and plant remains from El Mirador cave. The main objective of this study is to perform an in-depth analysis of the husbandry carried out at this site. We also aim to understand the implementation and evolution of these livestock rearing practices from the second half of the 6th millennium to the 2nd millennium BCE. The characterization of the use of the different landscapes by the herders is further completed with a study of hunting and fishing practices. Herd management was analyzed from a broad perspective: herd composition and feeding, birth management, and inferences regarding the potential use of domesticated animals. Husbandry practices evolved over the four millennia studied. In the Neolithic, livestock pressure on the landscape was minor and breeding practices focused mainly on sheep and goats. However, husbandry activities intensified throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Pollen values suggest that livestock pressure on the landscape increased and cattle breeding and hunting also became more important. Show less
Ilett, M.; Gransar, F.; Allard, P.; Bakels, C.C.; Hachem, L.; Hamon, C.; ... ; Naze, Y. 2022
A preventive excavation undertaken in 2006 in the Aisne valley at Menneville "La Bourguignotte" uncovered some Neolithic features near the edge of the area investigated. These include a longhouse... Show moreA preventive excavation undertaken in 2006 in the Aisne valley at Menneville "La Bourguignotte" uncovered some Neolithic features near the edge of the area investigated. These include a longhouse with its lateral pits, another long pit and two circular pits. Decorated ceramics date the occupation to the Seine basin final Linear Pottery. The flint industry, also typical of this period, is characterized by quite a broad range of raw materials. Sandstone artefacts were mainly used for polishing activities. Although faunal remains are mostly of domestic species, the proportion of wild animals in the assemblage is relatively high. Certain features also produced burnt daub, as well as carbonised plant remains, including cereals, legumes and hazel nut. The excavated features are probably part of a small settlement that was linked in some way to the large neighbouring site of Menneville "Derrière le Village". Show less
Tell Sabi Abyad was a major Neolithic settlement in Upper Mesopotamia, occupied for 1800 years during the 7th to 6th millennium cal BC. Excavations have revealed hundreds of clay sealings, stamp... Show moreTell Sabi Abyad was a major Neolithic settlement in Upper Mesopotamia, occupied for 1800 years during the 7th to 6th millennium cal BC. Excavations have revealed hundreds of clay sealings, stamp-seal impressions and an even greater number of small, geometric-shaped clay objects or ‘tokens’. Drawing on previous unpublished data from decades of excavations, a detailed, contextual study of the form and distribution of Tell Sabi Abyad’s ‘tokens’ is presented. Though likely used as counting tools in certain specific occupational areas and levels, the evidence does not suggest a singular universal role of geometric clay objects as mnemonic accounting devices. Show less
This paper presents a review of the ceramic investigations at the Late Neolithic site of Shir. Situated in Western Syria the site occupies a central position in the so-called ‘Levantine corridor’,... Show moreThis paper presents a review of the ceramic investigations at the Late Neolithic site of Shir. Situated in Western Syria the site occupies a central position in the so-called ‘Levantine corridor’, which linked the southern Levant, Central Anatolia, and Upper Mesopotamia in the Neolithic. The ceramic sequence covers a period of several centuries between c. 7000 and 6450 cal BC. The pottery analysis combined bulk processing in the field and archaeometric work in the laboratory to construct a viable ceramic categorization. This paper discusses long-term ceramic trends that follow the first appearance of pottery in the northern Levant, including the development of pottery containers for storage. Show less
Recent studies emphasise the mosaic character of the process of neolithisation in north-western Europe. However, some overarching motives influencing the uptake of farming can be identified across... Show moreRecent studies emphasise the mosaic character of the process of neolithisation in north-western Europe. However, some overarching motives influencing the uptake of farming can be identified across regions. We model the importance of evolutionary processes underlying neolithisation. We focus on the southern part of the Low Countries, where the uptake of agriculture follows distinct trajectories in different biomes. We analyse the transition in terms of fitness benefits that foraging and agriculture bestow on the actors involved. We suggest that different substrates offer different fitness benefits with regard to the uptake of farming and that these benefits differed between the sexes, leading to differing “optimal” strategies for males and females regarding whether and how to adopt Neolithic innovations. Show less
The adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse.... Show moreThe adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse. This book presents a study into the archaeology of the indigenous communities involved in the process of Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area (5500-2500 cal BC). It elucidates the role played by these in relation to their environmental context. This work brings together a comprehensive array of excavated archaeological sites in the Lower Rhine Area and indicates that the successive Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant culture, Hazendonk group and Vlaardingen culture societies represent a continuous long-term tradition of inhabitation of the wetlands and their margins. After demonstrating the existence of a diverse Mesolithic background to Neolithisation, the subsequent developments are studied by foregrounding the relationship between local communities and the dynamic wetland landscape. This points to long-term flexible behaviour and pragmatic choices in livelihood, food economy and mobility. For the interpretation of Neolithisation this study emphasises the persistent traditions of the communities involved. New elements are shown to be attuned to existing hunter-gatherer practices. By documenting indications of the mentalité of the wetland inhabitants, it is demonstrated that their mindset remains essentially ‘Mesolithic' for millennia. Show less
Prehistoric human diet can be reconstructed by the analysis of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) stable isotopes in bone, whereas ancient mobility and provenance can be studied using the... Show morePrehistoric human diet can be reconstructed by the analysis of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) stable isotopes in bone, whereas ancient mobility and provenance can be studied using the isotopes of strontium (Sr) and oxygen (O) in tooth enamel, and of sulphur in bone. Although thirty years have passed since the first application of the stable isotope method to European skeletal material, gaps in biochemical research have remained within German archaeology. This dissertation seeks to fill these gaps by providing novel evidence from multiple isotope analyses in different transitional periods of German prehistory, including the earliest Neolithic farmers of the Linearbandkaramik culture, the Early Bronze Age necropolis site of Singen, and the elite burial population from the Early Iron Age site of Magdalenenberg. To assess the local characteristics of Sr isotopes in south-western Germany, environmental samples (n=93) were collected and analysed from the different geological formations between the Black Forest and Lake Constance. As a result of this work, these reference data are now available for future research. A substantial dataset of C and N isotopes was obtained from the human populations from the Linearbandkeramik sites of Derenburg, Halberstadt and Karsdorf (n=97) in Central Germany. The data provides information on early Neolithic subsistence and individual diet, and can be connected to evidence from a previous palaeogenetic study on lactose intolerance. Furthermore, the analysis of contemporary fauna (n=45) provides novel evidence on Neolithic livestock management strategies. The reconstruction of ancient mobility using the isotopes of Sr, O and S provided information on human provenance at the Early Bronze Age cemetery site of Singen. While the population had been considered mobile because of exotic grave goods found at the site, biochemical evidence suggests all sampled individuals (n=29) originated and lived locally in the region of Lake Constance. A very distinct pattern was found at the Early Iron Age monumental tumulus site of Magdalenenberg in the Black Forest. The results of Sr, O and S analyses in the skeletal remains (n=90) of this elite Hallstatt Culture burial population suggest various regions of human origin. Only a small proportion of the people originated locally. The majority of the burial population is derived from the Black Forest highlands or from the plains towards Lake Constance. In some cases, individual origin could be assigned to specific areas in the Alps and Italy through the application of various isotope systems. Show less
Until now the Late Neolithic period of Northern Syria (c. 6900 to 5300 BC) has remained somewhat of an enigma, despite the fact that it is acknowledged as one of the most important stages of... Show moreUntil now the Late Neolithic period of Northern Syria (c. 6900 to 5300 BC) has remained somewhat of an enigma, despite the fact that it is acknowledged as one of the most important stages of history in the Near East. It is a period that shows a vast amount of regional differentiation in terms of site types, chronologies, material culture and subsistence patterns, yet it is period for which there are pitifully few comprehensively excavated, analysed and published sites. It is this intriguing period of human history that forms the basis of this research, with the site of Tell Sabi Abyad in the Balikh Valley of the northern Syrian dessert steppe forming the central focus. This impressive site has revealed over 1000 years of seemingly uninterrupted occupation, the excavation of which has unveiled a wealth of finds giving an insight into life some 8000 years ago. One of the most numerous finds is the faunal material; thousands upon thousands of animal bone fragments being all that is left of generations of hunting and farming at and around the site. This book is the result of the research undertaken on this material by Anna Russell for her PhD thesis at Leiden University. The analysis of these remains has given important and new insights into hunting and farming practices over a millennium. The local spectrum of wild and domestic fauna in the area is discussed together with an assessment of the domestication status of some of the key domestic animals through time – sheep, goats, cattle and pigs - with the methods of herding implemented being carefully elucidated from the zooarchaeology data together with an isotopic study of diet. The relationship between the animals and their natural environment and the possible implications of an abrupt climate change (the ‘8.2 k BP Event’ which peaked c. 6200 BC) on the subsistence patterns of the late Neolithic people of Tell Sabi Abyad are also considered in detail. This comprehensive zooarchaeological study of the faunal remains, uncovered during the excavations of Tell Sabi Abyad, has not only shown the gradual development of animal husbandry to the detriment to hunting throughout the seventh millennium BC, but has also revealed for the first time one of the earliest uses of domestic animals for secondary products, such as milk and fibre. It has also uncovered evidence that people adapted to changes in their local environment brought about by climate change through local innovation and promotion of cultural adaptations developed as a result of generations of living in a marginal environment. As such this research brings us one step closer to filling the void in our knowledge of this pivotal period at the end of the Neolithic period. Show less
This book explores how and why farming and herding started in a particular time period in a particular region of Egypt. The earliest Neolithic farming in combination with herding in Egypt is known... Show moreThis book explores how and why farming and herding started in a particular time period in a particular region of Egypt. The earliest Neolithic farming in combination with herding in Egypt is known in the Fayum, which is a large oasis with a permanent lake in the Egyptian Western Desert. Farming and herding started at the transition from the Epipalaeolithic to Neolithic in the 6th millennium cal.BC owing to the arrival of Levantine domesticates. The Neolithic farmer-herders in the Fayum relied heavily on hunting and fishing, which had been the major subsistence activities since the Epipalaeolithic period. There are no remains of substantial dwellings to indicate that these farmer-herders lived a sedentary way of life. Previous researchers have thus asserted that the Fayum people were nomadic and moved seasonally. Lithic evidence obtained through new research suggests that the Fayum people were not nomadic but were tethered to lakeshores. The introduction of farming and herding would not have taken place in the Fayum without a lakeshore-tethered if not fully sedentary way of life. But the success of a farming-herding way of life in the Fayum would not have been possible without the reorganisation of mobility, which led to decreased moves of residential bases and increased logistical moves of individuals. Lithic evidence also suggests that the Fayum people kept exerting special efforts to make farming and herding a reliable subsistence and to maximise the yield. The introduction of farming and herding in the Fayum would have been a solution to mitigate growing population/resource imbalances when the climate became drier and more people had to aggregate around permanent water sources in the 6th millennium cal.BC. Show less
"A Living Landscape. Bronze Age settlements in the Dutch river area (c. 2000-800 BC)" Academisch proefschrift over de aard en dynamiek van bronstijdnederzettingen in het rivierengebied. Het bevat... Show more"A Living Landscape. Bronze Age settlements in the Dutch river area (c. 2000-800 BC)" Academisch proefschrift over de aard en dynamiek van bronstijdnederzettingen in het rivierengebied. Het bevat een introductie op de geologische processen en de paleogeografie van de Nederlandse rivierdelta als geheel en samenvattingen van de resultaten van de opgravingen te Zijderveld, Rumpt-Eigenblok, Meteren - De Bogen, Wijk bij Duurstede, Lienden - Kesteren en Dodewaard. Verder wordt in detail ingegaan op de structuur van bronstijd huizen, nederzettingselementen zoals spiekers, hekken en greppelsystemen, huisplaatsen en de aard van het cultuurlandschap in- en rondom nederzettingen. PhD thesis on the nature (i.e. composition) and dynamics of Bronze Age settlements in the Dutch river area. Contains sections on the palaeogeography of that area, the results of six large-scale extensive wetland excavations with exellent preservation, descriptions of settlement site elements such as houses, outbuildings, granaries, pits and fences. An analysis of Bronze Age farmsteads or house-sites, synthesis of the Bronze Age cultural landscape and long-term (Middle Neolithic to Iron Age) overview of settlement dynamics is offered as well. Today, half of the Netherlands is situated below sea level. Because of this, water-management is of key importance when it comes to maintaining present-day habitation of the Dutch low-lands. In prehistory, however, large parts of the Dutch landscape were highly dynamic due to ongoing fluvial sedimentation. Vast deltaic areas with ceaseless river activity formed the backdrop against which prehistoric occupation took place. Although such landscapes may seem inhospitable, the often excellently preserved archaeological evidence indicates that people lived in these lowlands throughout prehistory. This book describes why Bronze Age farmers were keen to settle here and how these prehistoric communities structured the landscape around their house-sites at various scales. Using a vast body of evidence from several large-scale excavations in the Dutch river area, the author, reconstructs the changes in the cultural landscape over time. Starting from the Middle Neolithic, changing preferences for settlement site locations and changes in domestic architecture are traced in detail to the Iron Age. However, for proper understanding of the cultural landscape, not only settlements but also graves and patterns of object deposition - and their landscape characteristics - are discussed. By using evidence of over 50 major excavations, yielding over 300 house plans, this book contains by far the richest data-set on Dutch Bronze Age settlements. Most of these results were not before published in English, making this book of over 500 pages a true academic treasure for an international audience. The in-depth presentation of Bronze Age settlement sites, as well as the critical discussion of models and premises current in later prehistoric settlement archaeology, have an important relevance stretching beyond the Dutch lowland areas on which it is based. The wealth of high-quality Dutch data is presented as a synthesized (yet well-annotated) narrative, that rises above mere site interpretation, even more so due to its landscape-scale focus. Therefore this book is a must-have for those interested in later prehistoric cultural landscapes and settlement archaeology. Keywords: nederzetting, nederzettingen, bronstijd, ijzertijd, neolithicum, nederzettingsdynamiek, proefschrift, PhD thesis, bewoningsdynamiek, bewoningsmodel, modelvorming, zwervende erven, erf, huisplaats, bronstijdhuis, rivierengebied, cultuurlandschap, neolithic, iron age, bronze age, settlements, settlement site, houses, house, house-site, housesite, farmstead, farmyard, farmsteads, farmyards, farm-stead, farm-yard, cultural landscape, cultural biography, settlement dynamics, settlement pattern, settlement system, domestic mobility Show less
