Das Duvenseer Moor gehört zu den wichtigsten mittelsteinzeitlichen Fundarealen. Neue Forschungen ... more Das Duvenseer Moor gehört zu den wichtigsten mittelsteinzeitlichen Fundarealen. Neue Forschungen an den exzellent erhaltenen »Wohnplätzen« befassen sich mit der Entwicklung des Subsistenzverhaltens am Beginn unserer heutigen Warmzeit. Und führen zu überraschenden Ergebnissen, die auch ein neues Licht auf die Ursprünge unserer heutigen Ernährungsweise werfen. Hochauflösende Rekonstruktionen der Siedlungsvorgänge, Artefaktuntersuchungen und Modellierungen zeigen: die saisonalen Wohnplätze dienten einer äußerst produktiven und nachhaltigen Nusswirtschaft. Sie ist Teil neuer Wirtschaftsstrategien, die dem späteren Neolithikum bereits viele Innovationen vorweg nehmen.
We present the first techno-functional study on macrolithic tools from a late Mesolithic Ertebøll... more We present the first techno-functional study on macrolithic tools from a late Mesolithic Ertebølle/ early Neolithic Funnel Beaker context: sandstone slabs from the submerged site Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany) have been investigated by a combined approach of use wear and residue analyses, including biochemical staining, FTIR and SEM/EDX. Checked against results from experiments with respective raw materials we reconstructed the use lifes of the slabs. The excellently preserved organic residues allow for high resolution reconstructions of the slab's functions. The unmodified, inconspicuous stones have been versatilely used as tools in different settlement activities otherwise archaeologically invisible. These include the processing of plant foods as well as of animal tissues for crafting technologies. For these tasks, slabs of specific qualities have been selected as revealed by raw material analyses. The study proves the high potential of macrolithic tools for the deciphering of daily activities in resource processing in a context of complex land use strategies at the transition to the Neolithic. With this, they provide another example of the high diversity of Mesolithic and early Neolithic land use strategies, especially evident in waterlogged sites.
FTIR analyses were tested as reliable for the fast identification of heated sandstones from archa... more FTIR analyses were tested as reliable for the fast identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts and the differentiation of thermal activities. FTIR spectra of experimentally heated sandstone samples reveal distinctive peak changes depending on heating intensity. The method was applied to stone slabs from the late Mesolithic/ early Neolithic site of Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany), in order to reconstruct their individual functions in relation to fire and with this, hearth activities and hearth constructions. FTIR analyses prove different heat exposures of the individual stones that point to diverse functions in relation to fire and partly contradict assumptions from visual inspection. Most stones have been slightly to moderately heated, often from one side only, potentially taking advantage of the good heat capacity of sandstone. This case study for the identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts builds a basis for reconstructions of fire use, hearth constructions and thermal energy management in the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic, which played an important role in the intensified land use systems.
The Beef behind all Possible Pasts The Tandem Festschrift in Honour of Elaine Turner and Martin Street, 2021
Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Ro... more Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Rothenklempenow 17, a small group of large stones stand out. Designated as "stationary stones", these display use-wear traces on their wide working surfaces, which speak in favour of a use as anvils. In comparison to a recently used nut cracking stone from a mangetti nut groove in Namibia, use wear on the archaeological samples only formed weakly to moderately. Remarkably, most of the "stationary stones" analysed have been detected at Duvensee, Wohnplatz 8, a late Preboreal camp for hazelnut processing. Following ethnographic examples, an installation of these stones in the landscape is assumed. This supports the notion of Mesolithic land use strategies as being effective and provident.
Rezension zu: Grunberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson, L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016)... more Rezension zu: Grunberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson, L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016). Mesolithic burials – Rites, symboles and social organisation of early postglacial communities. International Conference Halle (Saale), Germany, 18th-21th September 2013 (Tagungen des Landesmuseums fur Vorgeschichte Halle 13,1-2). Halle (Saale): Landesamt fur Denkmalpflege und Archaologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Landesmuseum fur Vorgeschichte.
S. Gaudzinski-Windheuser · O. Jöris (Eds.), The Beef behind all Possible Pasts. The Tandem-Festschrift in Honour of Elaine Turner and Martin Street. Monographien des RGZM 157, 2021
Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Ro... more Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Rothenklempenow 17, a small group of large stones stand out. Designated as "stationary stones", these display use-wear traces on their wide working surfaces, which speak in favour of a use as anvils. In comparison to a recently used nut cracking stone from a mangetti nut groove in Namibia, use wear on the archaeological samples only formed weakly to moderately. Remarkably, most of the "stationary stones" analysed have been detected at Duvensee, Wohnplatz 8, a late Preboreal camp for hazelnut processing. Following ethnographic examples, an installation of these stones in the landscape is assumed. This supports the notion of Mesolithic land use strategies as being effective and provident.
The Mesolithic is distinguished by patterns of subsistence and settlement behaviour significantly... more The Mesolithic is distinguished by patterns of subsistence and settlement behaviour significantly different from those found in the Palaeolithic and Neolithic. The intensive use of seasonally available rich plant resources, such as hazelnuts, forms a characteristic of Mesolithic subsistence that is well preserved at the sites of the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Hazelnut roasting hearths and associated patterns of organization and settlement dynamics form the focus of this paper. GIS-based high resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place during the Duvensee occupations, as well as the roasting process and contemporaneous artefact production (retooling) also provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Comparative analyses of two chronologically different sites at Duvensee document a long tradition of hazelnut exploitation over more than 700 years.
Throughout the greater part of human evolution in Europe, use of plant foods is invisible and thu... more Throughout the greater part of human evolution in Europe, use of plant foods is invisible and thus might have played a secondary role in nutrition. Ecological changes at the beginning of the early Holocene provoked innovations in early Mesolithic subsistence, focusing on the rich plant resources of the increasingly forested environment. High-resolution analyses of the excellently preserved and well-dated special task camps documented in detail at Duvensee, Northern Germany, offer an outstanding opportunity for case studies on Mesolithic subsistence and land use strategies. Quantification of the nut utilisation demonstrates the great importance of hazelnuts. These studies revealed very high return rates and allow for absolute assessments of the development of early Holocene economy. Stockpiling of the energy rich resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use, which is reflected in the stable tradition of uniform seasonal settlement patterns at early Mesolithic Duvensee. The case study reveals characteristics in early Mesolithic subsistence and land use that anticipate attributes of the Neolithic economy.
Zusammenfassung: Die Entwicklungen von Subsistenz und Siedlungsverhalten sind charakteristische P... more Zusammenfassung: Die Entwicklungen von Subsistenz und Siedlungsverhalten sind charakteristische Parameter zur Definition des Mesolithikums. Der frühholozäne Landschaftswandel bedingte Innovationen in der Landschaftsnutzung, die auf die intensivierte Ausbeute saisonal verfügbarer Ressourcen in begrenzten Territorien fokussierte. Hierbei spielte die Bevorratung mit energiereichen Haselnüssen eine ökonomisch tragende Rolle. Das Beispiel der gut erhaltenen und hochauflösend dokumentierten Wohnplätze von Duvensee (Schleswig-Holstein) zeigt die damit verbundenen Nutzungsstrategien und den Umfang der Haselnussnutzung durch die Kombination GIS-gestützter räumlicher Analysen, technologischer Artefaktuntersuchungen und quantitativer Modellierungen auf. Die Strukturen der Wohnplätze, ihre Ausstattung, Saison und Datierung sowie die gefundenen Nussschalen weisen sie als Werkplätze zur Bevorratung mit Haselnüssen aus, was eine hohe logistische Kapazität, vorausschauendes Planen und eine lange, besitzrechtartige Nutzungstradition dieses Territoriums impliziert. Die Untersuchungen am Duvensee sind Gegenstand meiner Dissertation (Holst 2007), deren die Subsistenz betreffenden Aspekte im Folgenden zusammengefasst werden. Schlagwörter: Norddeutschland, Mesolithikum, Subsistenz, Landschaftsnutzung, Haselnüsse
"The use of space is the most prominent manifestation of the innovations characterizing modern hu... more "The use of space is the most prominent manifestation of the innovations characterizing modern human socio-economic behaviour. Spatially differentiated units seem to reflect an organization of space beyond ephemeral activities. On-site activities as well as land-use strategies delimited and structured space following an underlying set of conventions, habits and economic constraints. This new form of structuring of sites and territories is interpreted as a modern human invention: Modern humans make themselves at home. Until today our lives are governed by this spatiality. Nevertheless, the consequences of this “revolution of spatial behaviour” have yet not been fully explored.
In a diachronic perspective, spatial analysis of archaeological finds, structures and features reveals common traits of modern human behaviour that distinguish the archaeological record since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic.
Research undertaken during the last decades at the Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for the Evolution of Human Behaviour (formerly “Forschungsbereich Altsteinzeit - Department of Palaeolithic Research” of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz) has been aiming to a large degree at understanding the parameters involved in the evolution of spatial behaviour.
Precisely dated and well-documented sites that form the basis of our studies provide spatial data of finds and features at high resolution. The sites addressed span the period from the Lower Palaeolithic until the Mesolithic with the majority of sites being open-air localities in Central Europe (e.g. Miesenheim I, Bilzingsleben, Neumark-Nord, Breitenbach, Gönnersdorf, Andernach, Ölknitz, Niederbieber, Duvensee). All these have revealed well-defined in-situ situations of living-floor character with excellent preservation of organic matter, allowing for the integration of results from specific sub-disciplines within Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research (e.g. lithic and archaeozoological analyses). Together with the application of geo-statistical methods, experiments, refitting and microwear analyses they allow the reconstruction of past hominin daily-life activities in their spatial context.
Here, we will report the major results of our research established thus far, outlining the principal changes underlying the modern human “revolution” of spatial behaviour. We will try to present an agenda for future research.
"
Intrasite spatial analyses provide one of the most meaningful tools for the reconstruction of eco... more Intrasite spatial analyses provide one of the most meaningful tools for the reconstruction of economic and social behaviour. They form a sound, verifiable base for models of land use, subsistence and settlement systems. Short term seasonal special task camps can provide a basis for studies of settlement behaviour and dynamics as the reduced palimpsest character of these sites means that they can be deciphered to a greater extent. At Mesolithic sites in central and northern Europe recurrent patterns of artefact distributions at fireplaces point to a specific organisation of settlement and subsistence activities. This seems to be linked to one of the most significant innovations in Mesolithic economy, the intensive utilisation and storage of plant foods, especially hazelnuts. Specialised hazelnut processing sites identified by the excavations at Duvensee, Northern Germany, reflect innovations in Mesolithic subsistence and settlement behaviour. The sites are distinguished by their excellent preservation and detailed documentation of organic implements and structures associated with nut roasting. Comparative GIS-based high-resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place at the Duvensee camps reveal characteristic settlement patterns associated with nut processing and additionally provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Geostatistical interpolation techniques and their quantitative assessments enable a direct and absolute comparison of artefact distributions. Spatial analyses at Duvensee reveal characteristic patterns of settlement organisation with a specific use of fire associated with extensive hazelnut exploitation.
Early Mesolithic subsistence is characterised by intensified plant use, demonstrating innovations... more Early Mesolithic subsistence is characterised by intensified plant use, demonstrating innovations in land use as an adaptation to the changing early Holocene environment and its resources. The human influence or possibly even selective maintenance of rich resources like hazelnuts has been widely debated since the beginnings of Mesolithic research. New investigations of the well-known special task camps location Duvensee, Northern Germany assess the development and tradition of Mesolithic subsistence strategies based on the extensive exploitation and storage of hazelnuts. The chronology of nut processing settlements at the former lakeshore shows a synchrony with the advent and possibly climatically induced decline of Corylus. The reactions of Mesolithic subsistence strategies to landscape development versus possible human strategies for plant management are discussed in the context of a radiocarbon data base of European Mesolithic sites with evidence for hazelnut exploitation.
"The importance of plant resources in Mesolithic subsistence is suggested by the frequent presenc... more "The importance of plant resources in Mesolithic subsistence is suggested by the frequent presence of macrofossils, especially of hazelnuts. However the absence of detailed quantitative surveys in conjunction with spatial analyses at archaeological sites prevents verifiable reconstructions of their economic relevance within the innovative Mesolithic land use patterns.
Mesolithic strategies of subsistence and land use are well preserved at the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Roasting hearths, processing equipment and layers of nutshells document the function of this special task camp’s location for nut processing.
Focussing on the carefully documented sites Wohnplatz 8 (Preboreal) and Wohnplatz 6 (Boreal), analyses of the extensive hearth structures and the associated roasting processes reveal high investment for nut exploitation, evident in large amounts of sand imported to the sites. Bark and wood constructions with associated woodworking tools are further components of the roasting hearths.
Plant macrofossils and radiocarbon data reflect a stable tradition of uniform seasonal occupations at the former lake shore during harvest time in late summer/ early autumn.
GIS-based spatial analyses demonstrate characteristic settlement dynamics connected with nut exploitation.
Quantifications of the nut utilisation reveal very high return rates for early Mesolithic hazelnut processing. Stockpiling of the energy rich and storable resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use."
Das Duvenseer Moor gehört zu den wichtigsten mittelsteinzeitlichen Fundarealen. Neue Forschungen ... more Das Duvenseer Moor gehört zu den wichtigsten mittelsteinzeitlichen Fundarealen. Neue Forschungen an den exzellent erhaltenen »Wohnplätzen« befassen sich mit der Entwicklung des Subsistenzverhaltens am Beginn unserer heutigen Warmzeit. Und führen zu überraschenden Ergebnissen, die auch ein neues Licht auf die Ursprünge unserer heutigen Ernährungsweise werfen. Hochauflösende Rekonstruktionen der Siedlungsvorgänge, Artefaktuntersuchungen und Modellierungen zeigen: die saisonalen Wohnplätze dienten einer äußerst produktiven und nachhaltigen Nusswirtschaft. Sie ist Teil neuer Wirtschaftsstrategien, die dem späteren Neolithikum bereits viele Innovationen vorweg nehmen.
We present the first techno-functional study on macrolithic tools from a late Mesolithic Ertebøll... more We present the first techno-functional study on macrolithic tools from a late Mesolithic Ertebølle/ early Neolithic Funnel Beaker context: sandstone slabs from the submerged site Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany) have been investigated by a combined approach of use wear and residue analyses, including biochemical staining, FTIR and SEM/EDX. Checked against results from experiments with respective raw materials we reconstructed the use lifes of the slabs. The excellently preserved organic residues allow for high resolution reconstructions of the slab's functions. The unmodified, inconspicuous stones have been versatilely used as tools in different settlement activities otherwise archaeologically invisible. These include the processing of plant foods as well as of animal tissues for crafting technologies. For these tasks, slabs of specific qualities have been selected as revealed by raw material analyses. The study proves the high potential of macrolithic tools for the deciphering of daily activities in resource processing in a context of complex land use strategies at the transition to the Neolithic. With this, they provide another example of the high diversity of Mesolithic and early Neolithic land use strategies, especially evident in waterlogged sites.
FTIR analyses were tested as reliable for the fast identification of heated sandstones from archa... more FTIR analyses were tested as reliable for the fast identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts and the differentiation of thermal activities. FTIR spectra of experimentally heated sandstone samples reveal distinctive peak changes depending on heating intensity. The method was applied to stone slabs from the late Mesolithic/ early Neolithic site of Neustadt LA 156 (Northern Germany), in order to reconstruct their individual functions in relation to fire and with this, hearth activities and hearth constructions. FTIR analyses prove different heat exposures of the individual stones that point to diverse functions in relation to fire and partly contradict assumptions from visual inspection. Most stones have been slightly to moderately heated, often from one side only, potentially taking advantage of the good heat capacity of sandstone. This case study for the identification of heated sandstones from archaeological contexts builds a basis for reconstructions of fire use, hearth constructions and thermal energy management in the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic, which played an important role in the intensified land use systems.
The Beef behind all Possible Pasts The Tandem Festschrift in Honour of Elaine Turner and Martin Street, 2021
Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Ro... more Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Rothenklempenow 17, a small group of large stones stand out. Designated as "stationary stones", these display use-wear traces on their wide working surfaces, which speak in favour of a use as anvils. In comparison to a recently used nut cracking stone from a mangetti nut groove in Namibia, use wear on the archaeological samples only formed weakly to moderately. Remarkably, most of the "stationary stones" analysed have been detected at Duvensee, Wohnplatz 8, a late Preboreal camp for hazelnut processing. Following ethnographic examples, an installation of these stones in the landscape is assumed. This supports the notion of Mesolithic land use strategies as being effective and provident.
Rezension zu: Grunberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson, L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016)... more Rezension zu: Grunberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson, L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016). Mesolithic burials – Rites, symboles and social organisation of early postglacial communities. International Conference Halle (Saale), Germany, 18th-21th September 2013 (Tagungen des Landesmuseums fur Vorgeschichte Halle 13,1-2). Halle (Saale): Landesamt fur Denkmalpflege und Archaologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Landesmuseum fur Vorgeschichte.
S. Gaudzinski-Windheuser · O. Jöris (Eds.), The Beef behind all Possible Pasts. The Tandem-Festschrift in Honour of Elaine Turner and Martin Street. Monographien des RGZM 157, 2021
Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Ro... more Among the "Ground Stone Tools" assemblages of the Mesolithic sites of Duvensee, Friesack 4 and Rothenklempenow 17, a small group of large stones stand out. Designated as "stationary stones", these display use-wear traces on their wide working surfaces, which speak in favour of a use as anvils. In comparison to a recently used nut cracking stone from a mangetti nut groove in Namibia, use wear on the archaeological samples only formed weakly to moderately. Remarkably, most of the "stationary stones" analysed have been detected at Duvensee, Wohnplatz 8, a late Preboreal camp for hazelnut processing. Following ethnographic examples, an installation of these stones in the landscape is assumed. This supports the notion of Mesolithic land use strategies as being effective and provident.
The Mesolithic is distinguished by patterns of subsistence and settlement behaviour significantly... more The Mesolithic is distinguished by patterns of subsistence and settlement behaviour significantly different from those found in the Palaeolithic and Neolithic. The intensive use of seasonally available rich plant resources, such as hazelnuts, forms a characteristic of Mesolithic subsistence that is well preserved at the sites of the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Hazelnut roasting hearths and associated patterns of organization and settlement dynamics form the focus of this paper. GIS-based high resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place during the Duvensee occupations, as well as the roasting process and contemporaneous artefact production (retooling) also provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Comparative analyses of two chronologically different sites at Duvensee document a long tradition of hazelnut exploitation over more than 700 years.
Throughout the greater part of human evolution in Europe, use of plant foods is invisible and thu... more Throughout the greater part of human evolution in Europe, use of plant foods is invisible and thus might have played a secondary role in nutrition. Ecological changes at the beginning of the early Holocene provoked innovations in early Mesolithic subsistence, focusing on the rich plant resources of the increasingly forested environment. High-resolution analyses of the excellently preserved and well-dated special task camps documented in detail at Duvensee, Northern Germany, offer an outstanding opportunity for case studies on Mesolithic subsistence and land use strategies. Quantification of the nut utilisation demonstrates the great importance of hazelnuts. These studies revealed very high return rates and allow for absolute assessments of the development of early Holocene economy. Stockpiling of the energy rich resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use, which is reflected in the stable tradition of uniform seasonal settlement patterns at early Mesolithic Duvensee. The case study reveals characteristics in early Mesolithic subsistence and land use that anticipate attributes of the Neolithic economy.
Zusammenfassung: Die Entwicklungen von Subsistenz und Siedlungsverhalten sind charakteristische P... more Zusammenfassung: Die Entwicklungen von Subsistenz und Siedlungsverhalten sind charakteristische Parameter zur Definition des Mesolithikums. Der frühholozäne Landschaftswandel bedingte Innovationen in der Landschaftsnutzung, die auf die intensivierte Ausbeute saisonal verfügbarer Ressourcen in begrenzten Territorien fokussierte. Hierbei spielte die Bevorratung mit energiereichen Haselnüssen eine ökonomisch tragende Rolle. Das Beispiel der gut erhaltenen und hochauflösend dokumentierten Wohnplätze von Duvensee (Schleswig-Holstein) zeigt die damit verbundenen Nutzungsstrategien und den Umfang der Haselnussnutzung durch die Kombination GIS-gestützter räumlicher Analysen, technologischer Artefaktuntersuchungen und quantitativer Modellierungen auf. Die Strukturen der Wohnplätze, ihre Ausstattung, Saison und Datierung sowie die gefundenen Nussschalen weisen sie als Werkplätze zur Bevorratung mit Haselnüssen aus, was eine hohe logistische Kapazität, vorausschauendes Planen und eine lange, besitzrechtartige Nutzungstradition dieses Territoriums impliziert. Die Untersuchungen am Duvensee sind Gegenstand meiner Dissertation (Holst 2007), deren die Subsistenz betreffenden Aspekte im Folgenden zusammengefasst werden. Schlagwörter: Norddeutschland, Mesolithikum, Subsistenz, Landschaftsnutzung, Haselnüsse
"The use of space is the most prominent manifestation of the innovations characterizing modern hu... more "The use of space is the most prominent manifestation of the innovations characterizing modern human socio-economic behaviour. Spatially differentiated units seem to reflect an organization of space beyond ephemeral activities. On-site activities as well as land-use strategies delimited and structured space following an underlying set of conventions, habits and economic constraints. This new form of structuring of sites and territories is interpreted as a modern human invention: Modern humans make themselves at home. Until today our lives are governed by this spatiality. Nevertheless, the consequences of this “revolution of spatial behaviour” have yet not been fully explored.
In a diachronic perspective, spatial analysis of archaeological finds, structures and features reveals common traits of modern human behaviour that distinguish the archaeological record since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic.
Research undertaken during the last decades at the Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for the Evolution of Human Behaviour (formerly “Forschungsbereich Altsteinzeit - Department of Palaeolithic Research” of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz) has been aiming to a large degree at understanding the parameters involved in the evolution of spatial behaviour.
Precisely dated and well-documented sites that form the basis of our studies provide spatial data of finds and features at high resolution. The sites addressed span the period from the Lower Palaeolithic until the Mesolithic with the majority of sites being open-air localities in Central Europe (e.g. Miesenheim I, Bilzingsleben, Neumark-Nord, Breitenbach, Gönnersdorf, Andernach, Ölknitz, Niederbieber, Duvensee). All these have revealed well-defined in-situ situations of living-floor character with excellent preservation of organic matter, allowing for the integration of results from specific sub-disciplines within Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research (e.g. lithic and archaeozoological analyses). Together with the application of geo-statistical methods, experiments, refitting and microwear analyses they allow the reconstruction of past hominin daily-life activities in their spatial context.
Here, we will report the major results of our research established thus far, outlining the principal changes underlying the modern human “revolution” of spatial behaviour. We will try to present an agenda for future research.
"
Intrasite spatial analyses provide one of the most meaningful tools for the reconstruction of eco... more Intrasite spatial analyses provide one of the most meaningful tools for the reconstruction of economic and social behaviour. They form a sound, verifiable base for models of land use, subsistence and settlement systems. Short term seasonal special task camps can provide a basis for studies of settlement behaviour and dynamics as the reduced palimpsest character of these sites means that they can be deciphered to a greater extent. At Mesolithic sites in central and northern Europe recurrent patterns of artefact distributions at fireplaces point to a specific organisation of settlement and subsistence activities. This seems to be linked to one of the most significant innovations in Mesolithic economy, the intensive utilisation and storage of plant foods, especially hazelnuts. Specialised hazelnut processing sites identified by the excavations at Duvensee, Northern Germany, reflect innovations in Mesolithic subsistence and settlement behaviour. The sites are distinguished by their excellent preservation and detailed documentation of organic implements and structures associated with nut roasting. Comparative GIS-based high-resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place at the Duvensee camps reveal characteristic settlement patterns associated with nut processing and additionally provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Geostatistical interpolation techniques and their quantitative assessments enable a direct and absolute comparison of artefact distributions. Spatial analyses at Duvensee reveal characteristic patterns of settlement organisation with a specific use of fire associated with extensive hazelnut exploitation.
Early Mesolithic subsistence is characterised by intensified plant use, demonstrating innovations... more Early Mesolithic subsistence is characterised by intensified plant use, demonstrating innovations in land use as an adaptation to the changing early Holocene environment and its resources. The human influence or possibly even selective maintenance of rich resources like hazelnuts has been widely debated since the beginnings of Mesolithic research. New investigations of the well-known special task camps location Duvensee, Northern Germany assess the development and tradition of Mesolithic subsistence strategies based on the extensive exploitation and storage of hazelnuts. The chronology of nut processing settlements at the former lakeshore shows a synchrony with the advent and possibly climatically induced decline of Corylus. The reactions of Mesolithic subsistence strategies to landscape development versus possible human strategies for plant management are discussed in the context of a radiocarbon data base of European Mesolithic sites with evidence for hazelnut exploitation.
"The importance of plant resources in Mesolithic subsistence is suggested by the frequent presenc... more "The importance of plant resources in Mesolithic subsistence is suggested by the frequent presence of macrofossils, especially of hazelnuts. However the absence of detailed quantitative surveys in conjunction with spatial analyses at archaeological sites prevents verifiable reconstructions of their economic relevance within the innovative Mesolithic land use patterns.
Mesolithic strategies of subsistence and land use are well preserved at the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Roasting hearths, processing equipment and layers of nutshells document the function of this special task camp’s location for nut processing.
Focussing on the carefully documented sites Wohnplatz 8 (Preboreal) and Wohnplatz 6 (Boreal), analyses of the extensive hearth structures and the associated roasting processes reveal high investment for nut exploitation, evident in large amounts of sand imported to the sites. Bark and wood constructions with associated woodworking tools are further components of the roasting hearths.
Plant macrofossils and radiocarbon data reflect a stable tradition of uniform seasonal occupations at the former lake shore during harvest time in late summer/ early autumn.
GIS-based spatial analyses demonstrate characteristic settlement dynamics connected with nut exploitation.
Quantifications of the nut utilisation reveal very high return rates for early Mesolithic hazelnut processing. Stockpiling of the energy rich and storable resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use."
"The excellent preservation of organic features at localities in the Duvensee moorland (Schleswig... more "The excellent preservation of organic features at localities in the Duvensee moorland (Schleswig-Holstein) and the exact, three-dimensional recording of all lithic artefacts from these sites, provide a rich source of data for research into early Mesolithic settlement behaviour.
The concentrations of finds designated as “dwellings” are the in situ, clearly defined and fully excavated remains of short-term occupations on the banks of the former lake of the Duvensee.
A comparative spatial analysis of two sites permitted a reconstruction of the development of early Mesolithic settlement behaviour. The sites chosen are comparable in size, were from similar biotopes of the Preboreal ("Wohnplatz" 8) and Boreal ("Wohnplatz" 6) and, according to evidence for the roasting of hazel nuts at both sites, appear to have served the same economical function.
GIS-supported spatial analyses of artefact distribution and refitting produced information about settlement dynamics. It is expected that comparisons of this data with the distribution of organic remains (a mat of bark approximately 5m2 in "Wohnplatz" 8 as well as numerous pine stumps and artificial wooden constructions in "Wohnplatz" 6) will provide interesting results concerning refined assessments of site-specific behaviour patterns and also methodology."
Die Fundplätze aus dem Duvenseer Moor (Schleswig-Holstein) bieten durch die exzellente Erhaltung ... more Die Fundplätze aus dem Duvenseer Moor (Schleswig-Holstein) bieten durch die exzellente Erhaltung ihrer organischen Befunde sowie die exakte dreidimensionale Erfassung sämtlicher Steinartefakte eine reiche Datenbasis zur Erforschung frühmesolithischen Siedlungsverhaltens. Bei den als "Wohnplätze" bezeichneten Fundkonzentrationen handelt es sich um vollständig erfaßte, unvermischte und deutlich begrenzte Siedlungsniederschläge kurzer Aufenthalte am Ufer des ehemaligen Duvensees. Die vergleichende räumliche Untersuchung zweier ähnlich großer Fundstellen des gleichen Biotops aus dem Präboreal (Wohnplatz 8) und Boreal (Wohnplatz 6) mit nach Ausweis der dort erhaltenen Haselnußröststellen gleicher ökonomischer Funktion erlaubt eine Rekonstruktion der Entwicklung frühmesolithischen Siedlungsverhaltens. GIS-gestützte räumliche Analysen der Artefaktverteilungen und Zusammensetzungen geben Aufschluß über die Siedlungsdynamik. Der Abgleich dieser Daten mit der Lage erhaltener organischer Reste (eine etwa 5m2 große Rindenmatte auf Wohnplatz 8 sowie zahlreiche Kiefernstubben und artifizielle Holzstrukturen auf Wohnplatz 6) läßt über eine differenzierte Beurteilung der fundplatzspezifischen Verhaltensmuster hinaus auch in methodischer Hinsicht interessante Ergebnisse erwarten.
Review: Grünberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson,
L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016).
Meso... more Review: Grünberg, J. M., Gramsch, B., Larsson, L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016). Mesolithic burials – Rites, symboles and social organisation of early postglacial communities. International Conference Halle (Saale), Germany, 18th-21th September 2013 (Tagungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle 13,1- 2). Halle (Saale)
The project investigates the functions of ground stone tools from selected Mesolithic find invent... more 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.
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Books by Daniela Holst
Papers by Daniela Holst
found in the Palaeolithic and Neolithic. The intensive use of seasonally available rich plant resources, such as hazelnuts,
forms a characteristic of Mesolithic subsistence that is well preserved at the sites of the Duvensee Bog, Northern
Germany. Hazelnut roasting hearths and associated patterns of organization and settlement dynamics form the focus
of this paper. GIS-based high resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place during the
Duvensee occupations, as well as the roasting process and contemporaneous artefact production (retooling) also
provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Comparative analyses of two chronologically different
sites at Duvensee document a long tradition of hazelnut exploitation over more than 700 years.
energy rich resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use, which is reflected in the stable tradition of uniform seasonal settlement patterns at early Mesolithic Duvensee. The case study reveals characteristics in early Mesolithic subsistence and land use that anticipate attributes of the Neolithic economy.
Talks by Daniela Holst
In a diachronic perspective, spatial analysis of archaeological finds, structures and features reveals common traits of modern human behaviour that distinguish the archaeological record since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic.
Research undertaken during the last decades at the Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for the Evolution of Human Behaviour (formerly “Forschungsbereich Altsteinzeit - Department of Palaeolithic Research” of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz) has been aiming to a large degree at understanding the parameters involved in the evolution of spatial behaviour.
Precisely dated and well-documented sites that form the basis of our studies provide spatial data of finds and features at high resolution. The sites addressed span the period from the Lower Palaeolithic until the Mesolithic with the majority of sites being open-air localities in Central Europe (e.g. Miesenheim I, Bilzingsleben, Neumark-Nord, Breitenbach, Gönnersdorf, Andernach, Ölknitz, Niederbieber, Duvensee). All these have revealed well-defined in-situ situations of living-floor character with excellent preservation of organic matter, allowing for the integration of results from specific sub-disciplines within Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research (e.g. lithic and archaeozoological analyses). Together with the application of geo-statistical methods, experiments, refitting and microwear analyses they allow the reconstruction of past hominin daily-life activities in their spatial context.
Here, we will report the major results of our research established thus far, outlining the principal changes underlying the modern human “revolution” of spatial behaviour. We will try to present an agenda for future research.
"
At Mesolithic sites in central and northern Europe recurrent patterns of artefact distributions at fireplaces point to a specific organisation of settlement and subsistence activities. This seems to be linked to one of the most significant innovations in Mesolithic economy, the intensive utilisation and storage of plant foods, especially hazelnuts.
Specialised hazelnut processing sites identified by the excavations at Duvensee, Northern Germany, reflect innovations in Mesolithic subsistence and settlement behaviour. The sites are distinguished by their excellent preservation and detailed documentation of organic implements and structures associated with nut roasting.
Comparative GIS-based high-resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place at the Duvensee camps reveal characteristic settlement patterns associated with nut processing and additionally provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Geostatistical interpolation techniques and their quantitative assessments enable a direct and absolute comparison of artefact distributions.
Spatial analyses at Duvensee reveal characteristic patterns of settlement organisation with a specific use of fire associated with extensive hazelnut exploitation.
New investigations of the well-known special task camps location Duvensee, Northern Germany assess the development and tradition of Mesolithic subsistence strategies based on the extensive exploitation and storage of hazelnuts. The chronology of nut processing settlements at the former lakeshore shows a synchrony with the advent and possibly climatically induced decline of Corylus.
The reactions of Mesolithic subsistence strategies to landscape development versus possible human strategies for plant management are discussed in the context of a radiocarbon data base of European Mesolithic sites with evidence for hazelnut exploitation.
Mesolithic strategies of subsistence and land use are well preserved at the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Roasting hearths, processing equipment and layers of nutshells document the function of this special task camp’s location for nut processing.
Focussing on the carefully documented sites Wohnplatz 8 (Preboreal) and Wohnplatz 6 (Boreal), analyses of the extensive hearth structures and the associated roasting processes reveal high investment for nut exploitation, evident in large amounts of sand imported to the sites. Bark and wood constructions with associated woodworking tools are further components of the roasting hearths.
Plant macrofossils and radiocarbon data reflect a stable tradition of uniform seasonal occupations at the former lake shore during harvest time in late summer/ early autumn.
GIS-based spatial analyses demonstrate characteristic settlement dynamics connected with nut exploitation.
Quantifications of the nut utilisation reveal very high return rates for early Mesolithic hazelnut processing. Stockpiling of the energy rich and storable resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use."
found in the Palaeolithic and Neolithic. The intensive use of seasonally available rich plant resources, such as hazelnuts,
forms a characteristic of Mesolithic subsistence that is well preserved at the sites of the Duvensee Bog, Northern
Germany. Hazelnut roasting hearths and associated patterns of organization and settlement dynamics form the focus
of this paper. GIS-based high resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place during the
Duvensee occupations, as well as the roasting process and contemporaneous artefact production (retooling) also
provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Comparative analyses of two chronologically different
sites at Duvensee document a long tradition of hazelnut exploitation over more than 700 years.
energy rich resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use, which is reflected in the stable tradition of uniform seasonal settlement patterns at early Mesolithic Duvensee. The case study reveals characteristics in early Mesolithic subsistence and land use that anticipate attributes of the Neolithic economy.
In a diachronic perspective, spatial analysis of archaeological finds, structures and features reveals common traits of modern human behaviour that distinguish the archaeological record since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic.
Research undertaken during the last decades at the Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for the Evolution of Human Behaviour (formerly “Forschungsbereich Altsteinzeit - Department of Palaeolithic Research” of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz) has been aiming to a large degree at understanding the parameters involved in the evolution of spatial behaviour.
Precisely dated and well-documented sites that form the basis of our studies provide spatial data of finds and features at high resolution. The sites addressed span the period from the Lower Palaeolithic until the Mesolithic with the majority of sites being open-air localities in Central Europe (e.g. Miesenheim I, Bilzingsleben, Neumark-Nord, Breitenbach, Gönnersdorf, Andernach, Ölknitz, Niederbieber, Duvensee). All these have revealed well-defined in-situ situations of living-floor character with excellent preservation of organic matter, allowing for the integration of results from specific sub-disciplines within Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research (e.g. lithic and archaeozoological analyses). Together with the application of geo-statistical methods, experiments, refitting and microwear analyses they allow the reconstruction of past hominin daily-life activities in their spatial context.
Here, we will report the major results of our research established thus far, outlining the principal changes underlying the modern human “revolution” of spatial behaviour. We will try to present an agenda for future research.
"
At Mesolithic sites in central and northern Europe recurrent patterns of artefact distributions at fireplaces point to a specific organisation of settlement and subsistence activities. This seems to be linked to one of the most significant innovations in Mesolithic economy, the intensive utilisation and storage of plant foods, especially hazelnuts.
Specialised hazelnut processing sites identified by the excavations at Duvensee, Northern Germany, reflect innovations in Mesolithic subsistence and settlement behaviour. The sites are distinguished by their excellent preservation and detailed documentation of organic implements and structures associated with nut roasting.
Comparative GIS-based high-resolution spatial and temporal reconstructions of activities which took place at the Duvensee camps reveal characteristic settlement patterns associated with nut processing and additionally provide a data base for the understanding of spatial patterning. Geostatistical interpolation techniques and their quantitative assessments enable a direct and absolute comparison of artefact distributions.
Spatial analyses at Duvensee reveal characteristic patterns of settlement organisation with a specific use of fire associated with extensive hazelnut exploitation.
New investigations of the well-known special task camps location Duvensee, Northern Germany assess the development and tradition of Mesolithic subsistence strategies based on the extensive exploitation and storage of hazelnuts. The chronology of nut processing settlements at the former lakeshore shows a synchrony with the advent and possibly climatically induced decline of Corylus.
The reactions of Mesolithic subsistence strategies to landscape development versus possible human strategies for plant management are discussed in the context of a radiocarbon data base of European Mesolithic sites with evidence for hazelnut exploitation.
Mesolithic strategies of subsistence and land use are well preserved at the Duvensee Bog, Northern Germany. Roasting hearths, processing equipment and layers of nutshells document the function of this special task camp’s location for nut processing.
Focussing on the carefully documented sites Wohnplatz 8 (Preboreal) and Wohnplatz 6 (Boreal), analyses of the extensive hearth structures and the associated roasting processes reveal high investment for nut exploitation, evident in large amounts of sand imported to the sites. Bark and wood constructions with associated woodworking tools are further components of the roasting hearths.
Plant macrofossils and radiocarbon data reflect a stable tradition of uniform seasonal occupations at the former lake shore during harvest time in late summer/ early autumn.
GIS-based spatial analyses demonstrate characteristic settlement dynamics connected with nut exploitation.
Quantifications of the nut utilisation reveal very high return rates for early Mesolithic hazelnut processing. Stockpiling of the energy rich and storable resource and an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early Mesolithic land use."
The concentrations of finds designated as “dwellings” are the in situ, clearly defined and fully excavated remains of short-term occupations on the banks of the former lake of the Duvensee.
A comparative spatial analysis of two sites permitted a reconstruction of the development of early Mesolithic settlement behaviour. The sites chosen are comparable in size, were from similar biotopes of the Preboreal ("Wohnplatz" 8) and Boreal ("Wohnplatz" 6) and, according to evidence for the roasting of hazel nuts at both sites, appear to have served the same economical function.
GIS-supported spatial analyses of artefact distribution and refitting produced information about settlement dynamics. It is expected that comparisons of this data with the distribution of organic remains (a mat of bark approximately 5m2 in "Wohnplatz" 8 as well as numerous pine stumps and artificial wooden constructions in "Wohnplatz" 6) will provide interesting results concerning refined assessments of site-specific behaviour patterns and also methodology."
Die vergleichende räumliche Untersuchung zweier ähnlich großer Fundstellen des gleichen Biotops aus dem Präboreal (Wohnplatz 8) und Boreal (Wohnplatz 6) mit nach Ausweis der dort erhaltenen Haselnußröststellen gleicher ökonomischer Funktion erlaubt eine Rekonstruktion der Entwicklung frühmesolithischen Siedlungsverhaltens.
GIS-gestützte räumliche Analysen der Artefaktverteilungen und Zusammensetzungen geben Aufschluß über die Siedlungsdynamik. Der Abgleich dieser Daten mit der Lage erhaltener organischer Reste (eine etwa 5m2 große Rindenmatte auf Wohnplatz 8 sowie zahlreiche Kiefernstubben und artifizielle Holzstrukturen auf Wohnplatz 6) läßt über eine differenzierte Beurteilung der fundplatzspezifischen Verhaltensmuster hinaus auch in methodischer Hinsicht interessante Ergebnisse erwarten.
L., Orschiedt, J. & Meller, H. (eds.) (2016).
Mesolithic burials – Rites, symboles and social
organisation of early postglacial communities.
International Conference Halle (Saale), Germany,
18th-21th September 2013 (Tagungen des
Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle 13,1-
2). Halle (Saale)
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.