Middle Neolithic Site Research Articles

STONE-PAVED CELLARS IN THE STONE AGE? ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR A NEOLITHIC SUBTERRANEAN CONSTRUCTION FROM NYGÅRDSVEJ 3, FALSTER, DENMARK

ABSTRACT We present the excavation results from a Middle Neolithic site associated with the Funnel Beaker Culture. Within two overlying house phases, a recessed area was recorded, which had been constructed using different sized pebbles. The arrangement and form of the feature clearly indicated anthropogenic origin and is understood as belonging to one of the house phases. Consequently, it is interpreted as a cellar. Several pits and post holes are additional features that were recorded at the site and indicate the presence of a fence structure with up to seven parallel courses. In this paper, we present radiocarbon dates from the features and an age model for the construction and use of the cellar as well as the fences. Moreover, the site Nygårdsvej 3 will be placed in its regional archaeological landscape.

Use-wear evidence for the use of threshing sledges in Neolithic Greece

Threshing sledge or tribulum represents an important innovation in agricultural techniques. It allows processing huge amounts of cereals and it has often associated to an increased agricultural production. Their use is attested during the Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age both in south-western Asia and Europe. In the Mediterranean area, their use lasted until few decades ago. Recently, as part of project focused on the analysis of the early agricultural tools of Neolithic Greece, a few elements bearing macro- and microscopic use-wear traces visually similar to ethnographic and archaeological threshing sledges have been identified from a number of Early and Middle Neolithic sites (i.e., Achilleion, Platia Magoula Zarkou, Revenia Korinos, Paliambela Kolindros). In this paper, we present the result of their study, including technological and traceological analysis. To provide a stronger assessment of the nature of the observed use-wear traces a quantitative comparison with ethnographic and experimental use-wear traces is carried out by integrating confocal microscopy. Despite the low number of recorded artefacts, obtained results suggest that threshing sledges were in use since the early phases of the Neolithic in Greece.

Pottery vessels and technology of “colouring materials” in the central-western Mediterranean (Sardinia, Italy) during the Middle Neolithic: An interdisciplinary approach combining use-wear and chemical-physical analysis

Despite the wide occurrence of colour deposits adhering to the surfaces of several artefacts (specifically, pottery and lithic tools) in Early and Middle Neolithic sites of the Western Mediterranean regions, the chaîne opératoire of colouring materials has not been frequently addressed by systematic techno-functional studies. Particularly, the relationship between pottery function and coloured contents is generally overlooked.In this paper, the use of colouring materials by Middle Neolithic (4500–4000 cal BC) societies in Sardinia (Italy) is investigated, focusing on the archaeological findings from the open-air settlement of Su Mulinu Mannu-Terralba (OR). The aims are to identify the kind of materials, to provide a first assessment of the production methods and to evaluate the role assigned to pottery vessels in processing, handling, and using colouring materials. For these purposes, we apply an interdisciplinary approach, combining analysis of lithic artefacts, use-wear analysis of pottery, archaeometric identification of the chemical and mineralogical composition of geomaterials and colour deposits on artefacts by PXRD, ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDS analyses, and biomolecular analysis of organic residues from pottery by GC-FID and GC–MS.This study reveals the use of haematite-rich ochre as the exclusive red colour-producing geomaterial, processed in situ with basalt macro-tools. Use-wear associated with ochre deposits on pottery vessels points to the selection of some bowls and jars, respectively for processing and storing ochre as the single content or, possibly, as an ingredient of composite products. However, based on our data, the addition of organic materials to ochre is not definitely demonstrated. Beside the preparation of pigments, the occurrence of ochre as content in pottery vessels could be related to a broader range of purposes, encompassing both the technical and the symbolic realm. Overall, these results provide insights both on the technology of “colouring materials” and the use of pottery in the practices of Middle Neolithic groups.

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In 2021 the University Museum of Bergen conducted an archaeological excavation at the Middle Neolithic (3500–2700 BC) site Nerlandsøy at Sunnmøre. The most surprising find was 154 teeth from Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) imbedded in culture layers. Teeth from this species have been found in three other sites infrom North-Western Norway, however in much lesser number than on Nerlandsøy. In this paper the shark teeth are interpreted as a hitherto unknown part of the increasing big game hunting taking place in the Middle Neolithic. The hunting activity is reflected both in the material culture, as well as in the rock art, in the region and is believed to be an important part of the social dynamics of the society.

Micro‐CT‐assisted determination of the shattering and non‐shattering phenotypes of charred rice spikelet bases from archaeological sites: a new methodological approach

AbstractThe selection of a non‐shattering phenotype is a pivotal change in the process of rice domestication. However, current research is heavily restricted by the preservation conditions of macro‐plant remains in early and middle Neolithic sites, as very limited well‐preserved rice spikelet bases could be retrieved. We present a non‐destructive method based on micro‐computed tomographic (CT) scanning, which could provide detailed visualization of the internal structures of charred spikelet bases and efficiently discriminate the shattering and non‐shattering phenotypes of rice spikelet bases according to the abundance of fusiform echinate phytoliths. It could be widely applied in different contexts, especially those poorly preserved specimens and tempers in pottery sherds, greatly improving our knowledge of rice domestication.

Middle Neolithic fluorites in Northern France and Belgium: Characterization, sourcing and methodological limitations

Ornaments and fragments of fluorite have been found at sixteen Neolithic sites in Belgium and Northern France, mainly Middle Neolithic sites associated with the Michelsberg culture and the Spiere and Chassean groups. These sites are located in a large geographical area representing different types of sites and various geological backgrounds. One of the aims of this study is to identify where this mineral could have been quarried in the Neolithic and compare the possible source(s) with those used during the Palaeolithic. A survey of some Neolithic fluorite occurrences in Belgium and Northern France was conducted and the origins of this mineral investigated by means of geochemical Rare Earth Elements and Sr-isotopic analysis. We also explore the limitations of isotopic 87Sr/86Sr and REE ratios for analysis of fluorite. Results show that Neolithic fluorite originates from different local and regional sources, mainly the Dinantian limestones/dolostones of the Ardennes Allochthon, in contrast to the use of silicified Givetian limestones of the Calestian Band near Givet (France) during the Magdalenian. The Neolithic fluorite that is studied in this paper is found exclusively at settlement sites whereas elsewhere, fluorite comes exclusively from funerary contexts.

Governed by Grief, Fear and Reverence: Dealing with the Dead and the Buried during the Middle Neolithic on Gotland

The Middle Neolithic sites on Gotland are characterized by variety in the handling of human remains. In addition to burials with complete and intact skeletons and package-burials, some contexts contain mutilated bodies, or they contain a few human bones or none. These practices have previously been interpreted as resulting from modern disturbances such as ploughing or pre-depositional treatment of dead bodies. Based on re-examination of the field documentation and C14-dates, I argue that the diverse ways of treating human skeletal remains represent post-depositional practices, and I propose that part of the mortuary practices was to reopen graves and exhume bones. During the Middle Neolithic, death might have been conceptualized as a process, and treatment of the dead and the buried could have been governed by a variety of emotions like grief, fear and reverence.

Textile production and craft specialisation at Tianluoshan in the lower Yangzi Valley

Early craft specialisation provides insights into the emergence of social complexity. Textile production also offers a lens through which specialisation can be recognised. Here, the authors present a detailed contextual and technological analysis of a large assemblage of textile-production tools from Tianluoshan, a waterlogged Middle Neolithic site in the Yangzi Valley, China. Using thechaîne opératoireapproach, tools are identified, their roles in the production process explained and their significance explored. The results trace the production of textiles from spinning through loom weaving to fabric construction with needles. The use of a variety of fibre-based plants is suggested and tentative evidence for the early use of ground looms explored.

Early millet cultivation, subsistence diversity, and wild plant use at Neolithic Anle, Lower Yangtze, China

This study examines the archeological seed assemblage of Anle, a middle Neolithic site located in the Lower Yangtze region, China. The Lower Yangtze is thought to be the origin of domesticated rice and most studies of this region to date have focused on rice domestication and cultivation within its paleoenvironmental setting. In contrast, we highlight here diverse uses of non-rice plant resources. In addition to large quantities of rice remains (carbonized grains and spikelet bases), we identify both foxtail and broomcorn millet, both AMS radiocarbon dated earlier than 5750 cal BP, demonstrating the dispersal of millet cultivation to the Lower Yangtze in the middle Neolithic, earlier than previously securely documented. While most wild species identified in macrobotanical assemblages are traditionally categorized as weeds or incidental intrusions among food residues, many can be exploited for food and medicinal purposes. By analyzing the ecological and functional implications of identified plants, we infer ecological niches of cultivation, gathering, and possible propagation of wild plants as food and medicine. Analyses of diversity and seasonality of plant resources identified show that residents of Anle created a complex seasonal sequence of temporally compatible crops, constructing niches for two crops (rice and millet) and actively structuring opportunities to exploit available wild plant resources in their immediate environment.

Small Animals, Big Impact? Early Farmers and Pre- and Post-Harvest Pests from the Middle Neolithic Site of Les Bagnoles in the South-East of France (L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur).

Simple SummaryArchaeological excavations at Les Bagnoles (SE France) unearthed three Middle Neolithic water wells (4250–3700 cal B.C.) whose waterlogged conditions allowed the preservation of organic remains, notably a large number of rodent and beetle species. The evaluation of these results in the context of an open-air farming site raised the question of whether these species could have posed a threat to both the field plants and crops stored at the Middle Neolithic settlement. The findings of this study suggest that the native wood mouse was probably one of the first unwanted inhabitants of human settlements in Europe prior to the appearance of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The analysis also advances the argument that the storage pest grain weevil played a role in the clear shift in the crop spectrum from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C., as glume wheats are less vulnerable to its infestation. Moreover, the current study demonstrates that investigating insects and rodents from archaeological sites is key to grasping the challenges of the competitive relationship between Neolithic farming communities and pests.Pests appear to have accompanied humans and their crops since the beginning of farming. Nevertheless, their study is only rarely integrated into research on farming in prehistory. An assemblage of invertebrates and small mammals was recovered from the waterlogged layers of three wells at the Middle Neolithic site (4250–3700 cal B.C.) of Les Bagnoles (SE France). The microfaunal remains were retrieved from sediment samples by wet sieving (wash-over technique). The most common among the rodents is the wood mouse. The assemblage also consists of insect remains of grain weevil, seed beetle, and corn ground beetle. The different finds not only offer data on the role of insect and rodent pests in the Neolithic but on the possible strategies adopted by the early farming communities in the western Mediterranean in response to pest infestation. The findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that the wood mouse was a commensal and storage pest in settlements long before the arrival of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The presence of the main storage pest, the grain weevil, suggests a long-term grain storage issue at Les Bagnoles. The combination of the results of the site’s archaeobotanical findings with those of other sites in the western Mediterranean suggests that the shift from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C. may also stem from a reaction to the problem of grain weevil infestation.

Large-scale investigations of Neolithic settlement dynamics in Central Germany based on machine learning analysis: A case study from the Weiße Elster river catchment.

The paper investigates potentials and challenges during the interpretation of prehistoric settlement dynamics based on large archaeological datasets. Exemplarily, this is carried out using a database of 1365 Neolithic sites in the Weiße Elster river catchment in Central Germany located between the southernmost part of the Northern German Plain and the Central Uplands. The recorded sites are systematically pre-processed with regard to their chronology, functional interpretation and spatial delineation. The quality of the dataset is reviewed by analyzing site distributions with respect to field surveys and modern land use. The Random Forests machine learning algorithm is used to examine the impact of terrain covariates on the depth of sites and pottery preservation. Neolithic settlement dynamics are studied using Site Exploitation Territories, and site frequencies per century are used to compare the intensity of land use with adjacent landscapes. The results show that the main trends of the Neolithic settlement dynamics can be derived from the dataset. However, Random Forests analyses indicate poor pottery preservation in the Central Uplands and a superimposition of Neolithic sites in the southernmost part of the Northern German Plain. Throughout the Neolithic the margins between soils on loess and the Weiße Elster floodplain were continuously settled, whereas only Early and Late Neolithic land use also extended into the Central Uplands. These settlement patterns are reflected in the results of the Site Exploitation Territories analyses and explained with environmental economic factors. Similar with adjacent landscapes the Middle Neolithic site frequency is lower compared to earlier and later periods.

Woodland management at the Swedish middle Neolithic site of Alvastra? A new perspective

Woodland management at the Swedish middle Neolithic site of Alvastra? A new perspective

Некоторые результаты технико-морфологического анализа керамики среднего неолита юго-западного побережья Байкала (по материалам стоянки Падь Долгая II)

This article presents the results of a technical and morphological analysis of Middle Neolithic pottery from the multilayered site Pad Dolgaya 2 that located on the southwestern coast of Lake Baikal. The pottery collection includes 574 fragments from at least 13 vessels. It has been established that the raw material for all the pottery of the layer was heavily sandy, ferruginous clay with a natural admixture of sand and fine quartz. The composition of the molding mass is mainly free of artificial additives. In 5 cases, inclusions were recorded, presumably being fireclay. Different traditions were noted in the processing of the outer surface of the vessels (knocking out with a smooth, corded or ribbed spatula). The basis of the complex is the Posolskaya pottery with an external thickening of the rim. Vessels are mostly of complex, closed shape. Probably their bottom is pointed. Corolla diameters vary from 22 to 28 cm; in one case - 10 cm. The shards are dense and thin. There is evidence that the vessels were made using patchwork molding, probably on base molds (string prints are noted on the inner surface of one of the vessels). All units are ornamented; the pattern was located along the rim and in the upper part of the vessel. Vessels with a relief thickening of the rim, decorated in the classic embassy tradition, predominate in the findings. On a number of vessels (while retaining the main features characteristic of the Posolskaya type), there are tendencies towards simplification of the ornamental scheme and leveling of the thickening of the rim. Together with the Posolskaya ceramic type, fragments from a vessel with imprints of a braided net were found. The combination of the Posolskaya and reticulated types of pottery in one complex is noted at all stratified objects of the Middle Neolithic of the Baikal region. The studied pottery complex is similar in composition and main technical and morphological features to materials from stratified Middle Neolithic sites in the Upper Angara region. The dating of complex of the cultural layer II of the Pad Dolgaya 2 site (Posolskaya ceramic type) is based on stratigraphic observations, analogies with the materials of reference objects in the Baikal region, and radiocarbon AMS dating. As a result, it was found that the studied complex belongs to the Middle Neolithic and is dated within 6750– 6310 cal BP.

Human–environment interactions at Yangguanzhai, a Middle Neolithic site in the Wei River Valley, northern China: A comprehensive soil‐stratigraphic analysis

AbstractYangguanzhai, a Middle Neolithic archaeological site (c. 5500–5000 cal year BP) in the Wei River Valley of China, contains a well‐preserved record of environmental fluctuation, landscape evolution, and human–environment interaction over the Holocene. We examined eight stratigraphic profiles across the site and identified an alternating sequence of sediment and buried soils, indicative of multiple changes in landscape stability. Through this study, we provide a more detailed soil‐stratigraphic framework for the site. Buried soils are well developed, with a subangular blocky structure, high organic matter content, and pedogenic carbonate. There are clear associations between buried soils and the two main archaeological occupations (the Middle Neolithic and a later historic period occupation, c. 600–300 cal year BP). Lower soil horizons contain abundant Middle Neolithic ceramics and archaeological features, and the upper soil horizon contains historic period artifacts and features. Sediment between these soils lacks any artifacts or evidence of occupation, suggesting that Yangguanzhai was abandoned as a residential area for over 3000 years. Heightened sediment deposition and landscape instability contributed to Late Holocene shifts in human land use and settlement patterns at the site. Our work is consistent with previous stratigraphic investigations at the site, while refining descriptions of buried soil horizons.

Integrating buccal and occlusal dental microwear with isotope analyses for a complete paleodietary reconstruction of Holocene populations from Hungary

Dietary reconstruction is used to make inferences about the subsistence strategies of ancient human populations, but it may also serve as a proxy to characterise their diverse cultural and technological manifestations. Dental microwear and stable isotope analyses have been shown to be successful techniques for paleodietary reconstruction of ancient populations but, despite yielding complementary dietary information, these techniques have rarely been combined within the same study. Here we present for the first time a comprehensive approach to interpreting ancient lifeways through the results of buccal and occlusal microwear, and δ13C and δ15N isotope analyses applied to the same individuals of prehistoric populations of Hungary from the Middle Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age periods. This study aimed to (a) assess if the combination of techniques yields a more precise assessment of past dietary and subsistence practices, and (b) contribute to our understanding of the dietary patterns of the prehistoric Hungarian populations. Overall, no correlations between microwear and δ13C and δ15N isotope variables were observed, except for a relationship between nitrogen and the vertical and horizontal index. However, we found that diachronic differences are influenced by the variation within the period. Particularly, we found differences in microwear and isotope variables between Middle Neolithic sites, indicating that there were different dietary practices among those populations. Additionally, microwear results suggest no changes in the abrasiveness of the diet, neither food processing methods, despite higher C4 plant resource consumption shown by carbon isotopic signal. Thus, we demonstrate that the integration of dental microwear and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope methodologies can provide complementary information for making inferences about paleodietary habits.

Chert procurement in Corsica during the Neolithic: Inferring social territories in the Tyrrhenian islands

From the Neolithic, foreign siliceous materials were imported into Corsica as the island lacks local chert and obsidian. Such a context constitutes a real opportunity to investigate the relationship of the island with surrounding areas, in perspective with cultural evolutions. For 20 years, chert sourcing studies were carried out. We took into account 26 sites, dating from the Ancient Neolithic to the Final Neolithic. The work is based on non-destructive petro-archaeological observations of the artefacts. and on the survey and characterization of Sardinian sources (320 samples collected and 60 different lithotypes characterized).
 The study aims to better understand the place of chert among the lithic assemblages throughout time and identify the provenance of most of the chert material introduced into Corsica. It reveals procurement evolution in terms of preferred facies and of stages of introduction, depending on the chronology and geographical situation of the sites. The results confirm connections with Sardinia, among which Perfugas basin constitutes a major source of raw material for Corsica. It also shows relations with the Italian Peninsula for some Middle Neolithic sites in Northern Corsica. Comparisons with data from Sardinia show the affinities and differences between the two islands and open further avenues for research.

Retrieving, Curating and Depositing Skulls at Pitted Ware culture Sites

At many Middle Neolithic sites in south-central Scandinavia associated with the hunter-gatherer complex known as the Pitted Ware culture, the skulls of humans and animals seem to have been treated differently from other skeletal elements. This is evident, for example, in inhumation graves lacking crania or entire skulls as well as numerous finds of cranial and mandibular fragments scattered in cultural layers or deposited in hearths and pits. Despite parallels in overall treatment and find contexts, the selective handling of human skulls has generally been regarded as a mortuary practice and thus qualitatively different from the handling of animal skulls. Focusing primarily on the head bones themselves and relating their treatment to the wider use of skeletal remains allows us to consider a more complex system of retrieving, modifying, curating and depositing crania and mandibles. Drawing on the overlapping general treatment of human and animal remains, it is suggested that head bones from both humans and animals were efficacious objects that could be used in depositional acts.

Fowling on the banks of the Scheldt river in the recent Neolithic (France, 3300-2900 cal BC)

The site of Bouchain is the first recent Neolithic site excavated in northern France. The four excavation campaigns have revealed an activity zone on the bank of a palaeochannel of the Scheldt river. The fauna comprising 1892 bone remains buried in a waterlogged sediment is very well preserved revealing surface modifications including cutting, breakage and cooking. Wild mammals and birds are important components of the subsistence strategy summing up to 43% of vertebrate remains. Fowling constitutes 15% of exploited wild resources with a focus on waterfowl, primarily mallard. No equivalent pattern of fowling could be found in the final Neolithic nor in the middle Neolithic sites of the regional context. The closest subsistence strategies to the one of Bouchain was found in the Netherlands within contemporaneous sites where hunting for mammals and waterfowl played a major role in the diet.

Mobility and exchange in the Middle Neolithic: Provenance studies of Pitted Ware and Funnel Beaker pottery from Jutland, Denmark and the west coast of Sweden

This paper presents the results of a ceramics study that forms part of a larger research project, “CONTACT”. The aim of this study was to trace the provenance of pottery found at Middle Neolithic sites on both sides of the Kattegat and to discuss possible pottery exchange between Jutland in Denmark and the west coast of Sweden. A combination of pXRF, ICP-MA/ES and thin-section analyses was applied to 524 Funnel Beaker culture (FBC) and Pitted Ware culture (PWC) sherds to investigate their fabric and technology. The different analyses supplemented each other well: The elemental composition of the ceramic material evident from both the XRF and ICP analyses was appropriate for determining the provenance of the clay, while the thin sections gave an indication of techniques recipes and materials employed in pottery production. The PWC pottery proved to be more heterogeneous than the FBC pottery, and several plausible explanations are suggested for this. Some regional exchange was observed, but only two vessels were identified, which could have crossed the Kattegat.

Crop and wild plant exploitation in Italy during the Neolithic period: New data from Su Mulinu Mannu, Middle Neolithic site of Sardinia

This paper provides new data from Su Mulinu Mannu Late Middle Neolithic (ca. 4500–4100calBCE) open-air site, (Central-West Sardinia). The new archaeobotanical data from Sardinia provided us with information about an agricultural system based on the cultivation of different cereals, such as Triticum aestivum/durum, Hordeum vulgare var. nudum and Hordeum vulgare. Edible wild fruits, such as Ficus carica, Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris, and Pinus sp. integrated subsistence in the site. In addition, seeds of typically Mediterranean trees and herbaceous plants such as Pistacia lentiscus and Malva sp., were also documented. This research provides the first evidence of the role of cultivated plants and wild fruit consumption in the diet of Middle Neolithic groups in Sardinia, in the broader framework of the Italian context.