Late Neolithic Research Articles

Subsistence and population development from the Middle Neolithic B (2800-2350 BCE) to the Late Neolithic (2350-1700 BCE) in Southern Scandinavia.

The present study aims to explore the hypothesis of a link between a population increase derived from intensified food production and the development from the widespread cultural diversity of the Middle Neolithic B (MNB) to the cultural unity towards the end of the Late Neolithic (LN) in Southern Scandinavia. We explore this through quantitative modelling of radiocarbon dates, aoristic time series of material culture and palynological data. On this basis, we propose three main results that may explain the transformation: (1) A supra-regional population increase, culminating in the middle of the LN (c. 2100 BCE). (2) A depopulation in Western Jutland at the transition from the MNB to the LN (c. 2400-2300 BCE) counterbalanced by a population increase in North and East Denmark. (3) A population boom in Southern Sweden around 2250-2000 BCE, possibly leading to migrations towards west. Furthermore, we propose an overall decline in population in the final LN (c. 1850 BCE).

Dating the beginning of the Pottery Neolithic in South Iran: Radiocarbon dates from Tol-e Sangi, the Fars

Abstract The Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia is considered one of the main centers of the first Neolithization worldwide. However, the dating and processes of its spread to neighboring regions have yet to be studied. This study reports new chronological data from the Fars highlands, southeast of the Fertile Crescent. Although the Pottery Neolithic in Fars has long been believed to have started in the late 7th millennium BC, recent excavations at Tepe Rahmatabad have suggested a date half a millennium earlier, raising controversy. Our data from Tol-e Sangi, a stratified site with Pre-Pottery (PPN) and Pottery Neolithic (PN) cultural deposits, support the advent of the Pottery Neolithic at the beginning of the 7th millennium BC. This suggests that despite the late arrival of the food production economy in the Fars highlands, which is dated from the mid-8th millennium BC, subsequent cultural development followed a path similar to that of the eastern wing of the Fertile Crescent.

DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN HYLLIE MOSSE (SCANIA, SWEDEN): ESTIMATING ABSOLUTE POPULATION BETWEEN THE LATE NEOLITHIC AND THE EARLY BRONZE AGES

SummaryThis paper reconstructs the population dynamics within the Hyllie Mosse region (Scania, Sweden) from 2400 to 1600 BC. South‐western Scania is particularly well‐known thanks to extensive archaeological work in the past decades, making it one of the most thoroughly investigated areas in Sweden. The Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods are of paramount importance in understanding the socio‐cultural transformations within the Baltic region. By integrating a comprehensive database of longhouses from Scania with the available archaeological data from the Hyllie Mosse area, this study provides absolute demographic estimates through a transparent and replicable methodology. It highlights that the region experienced a significant peak in human occupation between 2000 and 1800 BC, followed by a decline. In prehistoric times, the area was covered by a relatively large bog, and was therefore not uniformly settled. At its peak, it is estimated that the region, approximately 9.7 km2 in size – 4 km2 of which have been archaeologically investigated – could have supported 75 to 150 inhabitants.

Technology and provenience of the oldest pottery in the northern Pannonian Basin indicates its affiliation to hunter-gatherers

Consensus holds that pottery technology came to Central Europe from the Northern Balkans with independent pottery traditions existing concurrently in Eastern Europe. An unusual grass-tempered pottery dating back to around 5800 cal BC found in lake sediments at Santovka, Slovakia, predated the earliest known Neolithic pottery in the region (~ 5500 cal BC), suggesting unexplored narratives of pottery introduction. Analyses of the pottery’s technology, origin, and grass temper shedding light on ceramic traditions' spread can unveil mobility patterns and community lifestyles. Our findings indicate a non-local provenance, low temperature firing, Festugc sp. grass temper and unique rectangular or cylindrical vessel shapes which align with Eastern European hunter-gatherer practices. Moreover, the pottery style and technology have no analogies in the contemporary Danubian pottery traditions and have more similarities to those of the Eastern traditions. The pottery's raw materials likely originated from distant areas, indicating extensive territorial access for its creators. Our findings imply late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers as the probable artisans and with implications for the site's significance in the late Mesolithic landscape.

Neolithic Yersinia pestis infections in humans and a dog

Yersinia pestis has been infecting humans since the Late Neolithic (LN). Whether those early infections were isolated zoonoses or initiators of a pandemic remains unclear. We report Y. pestis infections in two individuals (of 133) from the LN necropolis at Warburg (Germany, 5300–4900 cal BP). Our analyses show that the two genomes belong to distinct strains and reflect independent infection events. All LN genomes known today (n = 4) are basal in the phylogeny and represent separate lineages that probably originated in different animal hosts. In the LN, an opening of the landscape resulted in the introduction of new rodent species, which may have acted as Y. pestis reservoirs. Coincidentally, the number of dogs increased, possibly leading to Y. pestis infections in canines. Indeed, we detect Y. pestis in an LN dog. Collectively, our data suggest that Y. pestis frequently entered human settlements at the time without causing significant outbreaks.

Pottery use across the Neolithic transition in northern Belgium: evidence from isotopic, molecular and microscopic analysis

This study represents the first extensive residue analysis of prehistoric pottery from northern Belgium. It examines pottery use and culinary practices across the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, from the late 6th to the early 4th millennium cal BC. Residue analyses were performed on more than 200 samples from nine archaeological sites, representing different cultural groups from this transitional phase. This includes the analysis of charred food residues encrusted on the vessel surfaces by elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), stereomicroscopic analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), as well as the analysis of absorbed lipids by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). This study provides the first evidence of ruminant dairy fats in Early Neolithic Limburg pottery, supporting the hypothesis that this pottery was produced and used by LBK farmers rather than hunter-gatherer populations. The first indigenous pottery of the Swifterbant culture was frequently used to process freshwater fish (often together with plant foods) and ruminant meat, although several of the studied vessels likely contained mixtures of resources which could also include porcine products. Ruminant dairy is nearly absent from this pottery. Similar results were obtained for pottery of the subsequent Michelsberg culture/Group of Spiere of the late 5th and early 4th millennium cal BC. The limited presence of ruminant dairy fats in this pottery contrasts with the findings for Middle Neolithic pottery from neighbouring regions, providing further evidence for the existence of regional variations in pottery use or culinary practices throughout prehistoric NW Europe. However, our current view of pottery use during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in northern Belgium might be biased by the difficulties in distinguishing between wild and domesticated ruminant adipose fats as well as in detecting plant foods through lipid residue analysis.

Compositional and Microstructural Investigations of Prehistoric Ceramics from Southern Romania (Middle Neolithic Pottery)

In this paper, based on our previous expertise on ceramic artifacts, several archaeometric methods applied to some samples collected from the Dudești archaeological site (Oltenia region, Romania) are reported for the first time in the literature. The chemical composition, and microstructural and morphological characterization of these samples offer important conclusions about the processing conditions. Some specific techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy provide compositional information about composition and the decay processes. Additionally, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method helps to estimate pore sizes and specific surface areas. A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/TDG) was used to establish details regarding the production technology and also the raw materials source used to make the ceramics. The obtained results indicated that the ceramics are based on a paste of muscovite and feldspar, with high plasticity, together with quartz and hematite/goethite and calcite, the latter in very low concentrations. According to the obtained results, we could assume that clays from the investigated samples had a low concentration of calcium. Gypsum is present as paste in a very low concentration, identified by the presence of a sulphate group in WDXRF. In the same context, iron oxides have a significant impact on the firing atmosphere of iron-rich clay, resulting in blackening under reducing conditions and a reddish coloration under oxidative conditions. The use of hematite and gypsum as pigments further contributes to the color variations in the pottery. The consistent firing temperature range of 200–600 °C in Dudești pottery implies a standardized production process, the variation in color being dependent on the specific reducing/oxidative regime conditions (reducing atmosphere followed by rapid oxidation). This relationship between clay composition and local sources suggests a connection to Neolithic pottery production in the region and their color depending on the reducing/oxidative regime conditions.

Combined spectroscopic approach for identification of mineral pigments in decoration of Neolithic pottery from the Western Bulgaria region

Combined spectroscopic approach for identification of mineral pigments in decoration of Neolithic pottery from the Western Bulgaria region

Continuity and Innovation in Pottery Technology: The Karst Region (North-East Italy) from Neolithic to Early Bronze Age

This paper explores the development of pottery technology in the Trieste Karst region (North-East Italy) from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (EBA). It also seeks to identify cultural links with other areas by examining potentially imported vessels. Archaeometric analyses (X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy) reveal significant differences between Neolithic ceramics (Danilo–Vlaška Group) and the majority of Late Copper Age (LCA)/Early Bronze Age (EBA) pottery (primarily associated with the Ljubljana Culture and a few with the Cetina Culture). Neolithic pottery displays consistent characteristics across all vessel types, including coarse grain, prevalent sparry calcite temper, and the absence of grog. In contrast, most LCA and EBA vessels exhibit distinct features such as very fine-grained paste, no sparry calcite, notable use of grog temper, higher quartz, muscovite, and flint content. Notably, from a technological perspective, the analyzed Cetina vessels bear a strong resemblance to the majority of LCA ceramics. The differences between Neolithic and LCA/EBA vessels clearly suggest the use of new raw materials, recipes, and techniques, likely reflecting changes in cultural and social contexts and potential connections with the core area of the Ljubljana Culture.

Technological Study of the Neolithic Pottery in Archaeology of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia. Historiographical Essay

Purpose. This article is devoted to the history of the study of the Neolithic pottery in Baikal-Yenisei Siberia from the point of view of the vessel manufacturing technology.Results. At the first stage (1880–1915), researchers proposed hypotheses for the manufacture of vessels based on logical conclusions and ethnographic analogies without analyzing design features. The second stage (1916–1960s) was characterized by serious progress in the diagnosis of various techniques and the creation of hypotheses about Neolithic vessels manufacturing. Separate experiments on vessel modeling were carried out. At the third stage (1970–1990), due to the shift in the focus of research on the typology and chronology of ceramics, technological research was episodic. But after these issues were partially resolved and the achievements of domestic archeology were used in the study of ceramics, at the fourth stage (2000–2020s), the technological direction began to develop most actively. As a result of the technical and technological analysis and experiments, the cultural traditions of pottery were identified and options for reconstructing the manufacturing technology of all groups and types of Neolithic ceramics of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia were proposed.Conclusion. As a result of studies carried out over many years, a lot of data has been obtained on the manufacture of vessels and a number of cultural traditions in the field of pottery have been identified among the Neolithic population of the region. The technological direction remains promising for obtaining further data, which requires the development of existing methods and the introduction of new ones.

Digital restoration and 3D visualisation of the early Neolithic pottery from Ryńsk, Poland

The archaeological site of Ryńsk in north-central Poland produced sound evidence of long-distance journeys of people and pottery from the 6th millennium BC in Central Europe by yielding a sophisticated ceramic footed bowl that can be traced to the Carpathian Basin region. Archaeology indicates that the earliest ceramic vessels had a different functional, social and ritual role, but it is difficult to convey information on the significant role of pottery in ancient societies in a way that would pique the interest of the general public. This paper presents the digital restoration and 3D visualisation of the footed bowl from Ryńsk and other accompanying ceramics that may assist in feeding the historical imagination and education about the ancient pottery making of the LBK people and can be used to provide a wider audience with new forms of engagement and interaction with the archaeological heritage of the region.

Early Neolithic Pottery on the Kola North: Typology and New Data on Chronology

Early Neolithic Pottery on the Kola North: Typology and New Data on Chronology

Comments on the Article by V. G. Petrenko “Late Eneolithic Archaeological Sites of the South Dniester Region and Budzhak Steppe”

Comments on the Article by V. G. Petrenko “Late Eneolithic Archaeological Sites of the South Dniester Region and Budzhak Steppe”

Continuity and climate change: the Neolithic coastal settlement of Habonim North, Israel

ABSTRACTSedentary occupation of the southern Levantine coast spans from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C to the Early Bronze Age Ib phase (c. 7000–3100 BC). Sites dating to the Early Pottery Neolithic (c. 6400–5500 BC) are scarce, however, potentially reflecting the effects of the 8.2ka climatic event. Here, the authors present the investigations at the submerged site of Habonim North off the Carmel Coast. Typological and radiocarbon dating indicate an Early Pottery Neolithic occupation and evidence for continuity of subsistence and economic strategies with both earlier and later Neolithic cultures. The results indicate the resilience of coastal communities in the face of significant climatic uncertainty and contribute to understanding human responses to environmental change.

Spectroscopic Study of White Pigments in the Decoration of Neolithic Pottery in the Region of the Thracian Valley, Bulgaria

Throughout history, ceramics have been the most abundant artifacts in archaeological discoveries. Within the Neolithic period in present-day Bulgaria, skilled artisans applied additional materials to decorate their pottery, evolving in composition and application techniques such as painting or incrustation. This study is focused on the investigation of white pigments used in decorating Early and Late Neolithic pottery from Madzherito, Kaloyanovets, and Hadzhidimitrovo—archaeological sites located in the Thracian Valley, Central South Bulgaria, affiliated with the cultural groups of Karanovo I and IV. Thirteen ceramic sherds were investigated through archaeometric techniques, including Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS data underwent further analysis using principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed that calcite, enriched with diverse fillers like quartz, clays, feldspars, and metal oxides, was the primary raw material for white decoration throughout the entire period. Talc emerged as an addition to calcite in the paint of two Early Neolithic sherds. The presence of hydroxyapatite and kaolinite in Late Neolithic pottery was also observed. The inclusion of supplementary ingredients in the primary formula for crafting white decorations signifies either the emergence of novel trends in manufacturing techniques or serves as evidence of vessels imported from adjacent territories.

Preliminary result of archaeological and petrographic classification of Neolithic pottery from Bahçelievler settlement in Northwestern Anatolia

In prehistoric archaeology, pottery is a significant fragment in defining and making sense of the culture. The pottery forms and the differences in the variety of decorations are used together with other archaeological elements in the stratification of the settlement at the local scale. Bahçelievler settlement is located in the southeast of the Marmara Sea and in a mountainous area, unlike many other settlements with similar cultural characteristics. Bahçelievler Neolithic settlement was inhabited for the first time between 7192 and 7052 BCE and continued to be used until 6063–5971 BCE. Therefore, the settlement in question has a crucial role in the beginning and development of the Pottery Neolithic Period, especially in Northwestern Anatolia. Both the differences in form variation and the change in decoration preferences, as well as the changes in undefined stone, limestone, quartz, volcanic rock, basalt, etc. additives, provide meaningful results in the settlement stratigraphy. As a result of petrographic research, Bahçelievler Neolithic potteries are divided into four main groups and are very compatible with the archaeological classification. Clay and clay paste used in pottery are almost entirely consistent with local clays. It has been understood that the tempered material, which is strictly compatible with the geology of the immediate environment, is preferred for pottery. Although different forms and ware groups were selected chronologically to evaluate all the data together, it can be quickly asserted that the samples were of local production.

Drawing diffusion patterns of Neolithic agriculture in Anatolia

The data distribution for plant domestication in the various parts of Anatolia is uneven and quite scarce or altogether missing for large tracts of the region. The Southeastern Taurus region and Central Anatolia provide a relatively good Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) archaeobotanical record, which is also the case, to a certain degree, for Central Anatolia. The rest of present-day Turkey, e.g., the northeast region, Cilicia, the Lake District and major parts of western Anatolia (the Black Sea, Mediterranean coast and Marmara regions) provide mostly Pottery Neolithic (PN) archaeobotanical data. The PN sites in these regions appear to represent Neolithic “pioneer” communities that established new sites based on an agricultural economy, of which none predate the second half of the 8th millennium cal. BC. Evidently, domesticated plants that first appeared in the Southeastern Taurus region ca. 8500 cal. BC spread rapidly to western Syria, Cyprus and Central Anatolia a couple of hundreds of years later (still within the second half of the 9th millennium cal. BC). It took another millennium for domesticates and agriculture to reach western Anatolia. While the growing intensity of Neolithic research throughout Turkey (western Turkey included) in recent years may change the picture, for now, based on the available data, this is the emerging pattern and it deserves thought. Based on evidence from a range of relevant disciplines (geobotany, archaeobotany, agronomy, genetics, archaeology and ethnobotany) we support a “rapid” model for plant domestication in Anatolia (as opposed to the “protracted” model). We reconstruct the diffusion of domesticates and the new economy in Turkey and into Europe via maritime routes and through the inland “Anatolian Corridor.” We offer itinerant farming craftsmen (“expert harvesters”) as a possible mechanism in the diffusion of agricultural products during the Neolithic.

A Technology Study on the Late Neolithic Pottery of Hakemi Use, Southeastern Türkiye

A Technology Study on the Late Neolithic Pottery of Hakemi Use, Southeastern Türkiye

NEOLITHIC LITHIC INDUSTRIES OF THE EASTERN WING OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT: PAYING HOMAGE TO PROFESSOR STEFAN K. KOZŁOWSKI

A systematic study by Stefan K. Kozłowski during the 1990s and the 2000s revealed marked techno-typological differences between the Neolithic lithic industries of the “Eastern and Western Wings” of the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia. The present article addresses regional variability in Pottery Neolithic flaked stone industries within the Eastern Wing. It suggests the potential existence of lithic variability between the plains and the mountains of central Mesopotamia. Given the known lithic variability also in the Eastern Wing of northern Mesopotamia, the present study suggests the need to define the variability of lithic industries in other parts of each wing; such research would help better explain the historical, ecological, and cultural backgrounds of regional differences.

Новые данные по радиоуглеродной хронологии неолитических комплексов Виловатовской стоянки

Introduction. The article presents some latest absolute dates for Neolithic pottery from the Vilovatoye site, the latter being characterized by a most impressive pottery collection from the Middle and Late Neolithic across the forest-steppe Volga River basin. Goals. The work shall introduce a series of radiocarbon dates for Neolithic patterns of the Vilovatoye site. To facilitate this, the paper shall describe the vessels that yielded such radiocarbon dates, analyze and interpret the absolute values, compare the latter to those of the Middle Volga culture. Materials and methods. In 2018–2019, shards from a total of fourteen Neolithic vessels excavated in the site of Vilovatoye were selected. Four of them were decorated with pricks of different shapes, one bore pricks combined with blackened lines, and nine vessels had comb stamps. Radiocarbon dating by liquid scintillation was conducted at the Radiocarbon Laboratory of Herzen University. Results. The pricked vessels of the Vilovatoye site dated from the third quarter of the 6th millennium BC to the second quarter of the 5th millennium BC. These results tend to well correlate with dates yielded by pricked pottery of the Middle Volga culture. The shards of the vessel decorated with pricks and blackened lines were dated to the first half of 5th millennium BC. The absolute dates for the comb-imprinted pottery cluster within a vast interval — from the last quarter of the 6th millennium BC to the third quarter of the 5th millennium BC. So, the latter dates also well correlate with available radiocarbon values for comb-ornamented pottery of both the Vilovatoye site and the Middle Volga culture. Conclusions. The newly obtained radiocarbon values shall significantly add to the set of dates for the Middle Volga culture. Those are evidence that the traditions of pricked and comb-stamped pottery somewhat co-existed — on the Vilovatoye site in particular, and within the Middle Volga culture at large.