Selective use of Cornus sanguinea L. (red dogwood) for Neolithic fish traps in the Netherlands

Abstract

Recurrent results of wood identifications at Dutch Neolithic wetland sites indicate selective use of wood for fish traps. Three hypotheses on wood selection for fish traps are presented: functional selection, selection through cultural preference and selection under influence of the distribution of Cornus sanguinea L. (red dogwood). The hypotheses are tested by the available data of Neolithic fish traps from the Netherlands. The data show that fish traps in the north of the Netherlands are generally made of Salix species (willow) and/or Corylus avellana L. (hazel) while fish traps in the south are made of Cornus sanguinea (red dogwood). The hypotheses on functional selection and on the role of the distribution of Cornus sanguinea are strongly supported by archaeological and palaeoecological data, while the hypothesis on cultural preference is not broadly supported but cannot be rejected either. Predictions on the wood species of fish traps that are to be excavated in the future are put forward in order to facilitate future testing of the hypotheses. Representativity of the dataset remains sub-optimal and wood identification of fish traps needs more attention in the future.