The use of lithic raw materials at the Early Mesolithic open-air site Feuersteinacker (Vogelsbergkreis, Germany).

Abstract

The open‐air site Feuersteinacker near Stumpertenrod has yielded one of the largest lithic assemblages in Central Germany. It repeatedly served as a workshop for the production of stone tools during an early phase of the Mesolithic. The range of lithic raw materials is extremely diverse, but until today, there is only a limited number of archaeological studies on the occurrence of lithic resources in the area. The following study presents the first in‐depth investigation of the use of different rock types by Mesolithic hunter–fisher–gatherers at the site. Provenance analyses using petrographic methods permit raw materials to be assigned to a specific source and provide new insights into their formation. Furthermore, this study explores the way in which the materials were processed throughout the reduction sequence. A comparison of topographic parameters suggests that the location was situated on an important transit route during prehistoric times. The presented results contribute to a better understanding of mobility patterns and subsistence strategies of Early Mesolithic groups in Central Germany.