Abstract
Abstract This article presents the mineral resource procurement territories of Early Neolithic settlements (LBK or Rubané) in the Aisne valley. Our study focuses on data from 15 LBK sites belonging to the final LBK of central Europe; C14 dates for the sites fall between 5100 and 4900 cal BC. The bulk of pottery from these sites seems to have been produced using local raw materials that can be found over a large part of the valley; only a dozen recorded vessels were made of an exogeneous raw material. Analysis of the supply and management of sandstone and flint productions indicates the presence of three groups of villages. These distinct groups correspond to the definition of a cluster as proposed to define site organization in the Aisne valley. On the LBK sites of the Aisne valley blades, polished tools and certain personal ornaments were occasionally made of non-local materials. Some of these objects seem to indicate contacts outside the LBK settlement zones and suggest relationships with southern Neolithic groups.
Highlights
The emergence of sedentary lifestyles during the Neolithic transition profoundly modified the relationship of humans to their environment and their raw material procurement strategies
Our study focuses on data from 15 LBK sites, with over 90 house plans and almost 85 graves, including the major site of Cuiry-lès-Chaudardes, which has the longest duration of occupation and the largest number of domestic units recorded in the Aisne valley
Studies of ceramic raw materials on LBK sites of the Aisne valley have focused on the site of Cuiry-lèsChaudardes (Constantin, 1985) but a broader valley-wide study is currently underway as part of the ANR Homes program
Summary
The emergence of sedentary lifestyles during the Neolithic transition profoundly modified the relationship of humans to their environment and their raw material procurement strategies. Fertile agricultural environments do not always provide the materials necessary for all components of the technical system and access to geo-resources was no longer integrated within the mobility cycles of nomadic populations (Binder & Perlès, 1990). For this reason, raw material analyses are relevant in studies of regional structures and social context (Mateiciucová, 2010). In temperate Europe, the Neolithic transition is characterized by the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) or Rubané. The idea of networks at various scales is well established and illustrated by diverse materials, such as flint, hard stones, and personal
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