Microliths

Introduction:
This paper discusses the interaction between foragers and farmers during the various phases of the neolithisation processes in south-western and north-western central europe. The disparate state of research on Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups and early Neolithic farmers in terms of the certainty of the detailed chronology, the number of sites and the comprehensiveness of the find and feature analyses, does not permit a discussion on the basis of equally-weighted data. Nevertheless, examples can be found to illustrate and evaluate such interaction with regard to the questions raised in this volume on “Mobility in prehistoric sedentary societies”. Important for the following discussions are the distribution maps (Figs. 2–4) and the sites of special interest (Fig. 1; list of sites in Appendix, p. 73).

The Arabian climate fluctuated between phases of extreme aridity and humidity over the course of the Quaternary. Archaeologists have registered a diverse record of human occupation throughout the mosaic of ecosystems in the Peninsula, regions variably affected by the ebb and flow of precipitation. In some areas, the history of habitation is disjointed, with clear breaks in cultural continuity, while other parts of Arabia exhibit enduring traditions across oscillating climatic phases. In this paper, we explore the evo- lution of local populations and cultures in South Arabia through recent archaeogenetic and archaeological findings. We look at the prehistoric record from the Last Glacial Maximum to the end of the Holocene Climate Optimum. The emerging picture tends to suggest that the indigenous peoples of southern Arabia developed from a local demo- graphic reservoir. The shift to animal husbandry took place here between 9,000 and 8,000 years BP. We evaluate if this transformation was the result of 1) foreign herders spreading into the region, bringing with them domesticated livestock, 2) the indigenous population importing domesticated animals, and/or 3) an independent locus of cattle domestication in South Arabia.

The 23rd Annual Meeting of the German Mesolithic Workgroup took place in the district office at Landshut, from 21–23 March
2014 at the invitation of the district of Landshut. The meeting was attended by more than 60 scientists, students and amateur archaeologists from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland and Denmark. A total of 20 papers were presented. In addition to the reports from the individual work areas of the participants, the Bavarian Mesolithic and a workshop on settlement dynamics in the Mesolithic were in the focus of the meeting.

Abstract
Microlith types are of crucial significance for relative dating of Mesolithic assemblages as well as for assigning them to cultural traditions. This is especially important for assessing inventories from surface collections and old excavations. Here we present a new way of multivariate analysis to relate microlith type spectra to chronology. Our data set comprises 34 radiocarbon-dated microlith assemblages from Germany and the BeNeLux region dating to the Early Mesolithic and the early Middle Mesolithic (c. 9000 to c. 7800 cal BC, i.e. later Preboreal to early middle Boreal) as well as two radiometrically undated assemblages.  The typological classification of the assemblages is submitted to a constrained correspondence analysis (CCA) using calibrated radiocarbon age of assemblages (cal BC) as a constraint. As an innovation we apply a so called calibration of the CCA model – not to be confused with calibrating radiocarbon dates (!) – to estimate the cal BC dates for the two assemblages which had no specific dating information. Besides the canonical chronological ordering of the assemblages the CCA triplot also shows interesting features related to geographical regions and cultural traditions, which require further investigations.

Keywords
Early and Middle Mesolithic, north western Central Europe, typology of Mesolithic microliths, C14-dating, CCA (constrained correspondence analysis), CCA calibration model

Zusammenfassung
Mikrolith-Typen sind sowohl für die relative Datierung mesolithischer Inventare als auch für ihre Zuordnung zu kulturellen Traditionen von größter Bedeutung. Sie sind besonders wichtig für die Beurteilung von Inventaren aus Oberflächenaufsammlungen und Altgrabungen. Hier stellen wir eine neue Art der multivariaten Analyse vor, um Spektren von Mikrolithtypen mit der Chronologie in Beziehung zu setzen. Unser Datensatz umfasst 34 14C-datierte Mikrolithkomplexe des Frühmesolithikums und des frühen Mittelmesolithikums (ca. 9000 bis ca. 7800 cal BC, d.h. mittleres Präboreal bis mittleres Boreal) aus Deutschland und der BeNeLux-Region sowie zwei radiometrisch undatierte Fundkomplexe. Die typologische Klassifikation der Mikrolithinventare wird einer kanonischen Korrespondenzanalyse (CCA) unterzogen, wobei das kalibrierte 14C-Alter (cal BC) als Bedingung verwendet wird. Völlig neu ist die Anwendung einer sogenannten Kalibrierung des CCA-Modells – nicht zu verwechseln mit der
Kalibration von Radiokohlenstoffdaten (!) –, um die kalibrierten BC-Daten für die zwei Mikrolithkomplexe zu schätzen, für die es bisher keine konkrete Altersbestimmung gab. Neben der kanonischen chronologischen Ordnung der Inventare zeigt der CCATriplot auch interessante Hinweise auf Zusammenhänge mit geographischen Regionen und kulturellen Traditionen, die weitere Untersuchungen erfordern.

Schlüsselwörter
Früh- und Mittelmesolithikum, nordwestliches Mitteleuropa, Typologie mesolithischer Mikrolithen, 14C-Datierung, CCA (Constrained Correspondence Analysis), CCA-Kalibrierungsmodell

Here we conduct the first direct metric examination of two early regional manifestations of microlithic industries e the Howiesons Poort of southern Africa (c. 65-60 ka) and the Microlithic industry of South Asia (c. 38-12 ka). Inter-regional comparative analysis of microlithic industries is rare, but can contribute much to our understanding of technological systems in the past. Metric and qualitative variables were recorded on cores, debitage, and tools from Rose Cottage Cave and Umhlatuzana, South Africa, and Batadomba-lena, Sri Lanka, with the aim of conducting a first-stage technological assessment of the degree of technological homogeneity and diversity within these rich microlithic assemblages. The lithic methodology employed here uses the full range of lithic by products, as opposed to an approach based on tool typology alone. Preliminary analyses reveal areas of significant variation in inter-regional technological strategies. These include differences in blade production and blank selection, variation in microlith typology and morphology, disparate quartz reduction processes designed to produce similar tool types, varying degrees of utilisation of bipolar technology, and the existence of distinct reduction trajectories within sites. The examination of the diversity of microlithic assemblages through the use of detailed technological attribute analyses demonstrates a useful alternative methodology for the way we examine behavioural variability, and is a first step towards a thorough assessment of the place of microliths in models of human dispersals.

Auf Einladung des Landkreises Landshut fand die 23. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mesolithikum vom
21.–23.3.2014 im Landratsamt Landshut statt. An der Tagung nahmen mehr als 60 Wissenschaftler, Studierende und an der Mittelsteinzeit interessierte Amateurarchäologen aus Deutschland, Österreich, Tschechien, Italien, der Schweiz und Dänemark teil. Insgesamt wurden 20 Vorträge gehalten. Neben Berichten aus den einzelnen Arbeitsgebieten der Teilnehmer waren das bayerische Mesolithikum und ein Workshop zur Siedlungsplatzdynamik im Mesolithikum Schwerpunkte der Tagung.

Hunting was an important aspect of life in the Epipaleolithic period of the Levant (ca. 24,000–11,500 cal. BP), but direct evidence on hunting methods and techniques is scarce, mainly due to the illusive archaeological signature of animal capture methods. Here we approach this problem directly with the intention of reading Epipaleolithic animal remains for signs of weapon injuries. We present new experimental results from an archery experiment with microlith-tipped arrows. The shooting resulted in diagnostic holes, notches, striations and embedded flint chips on the bones of the target animal carcass. This experimental reference was integrated into a comprehensive taphonomic study of Late Epipaleolithic (Natufian) faunas. We found that, even with the help of a modern reference, Epipaleolithic bone fragmentation and preservation issues may greatly reduce the chance of recognizing projectile injuries on archaeofaunal remains. This mode of preservation illustrates the need for a systematic inspection of rib and vertebrae fragments for all types of projectile injuries, including less conspicuous types. Considering this, we managed to identify two mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) specimens with lithic projectile injuries, the first such evidence for animal bones in Natufian context. The injuries constitute direct evidence of gazelle hunting with lithic-tipped weapons, supplementing previous inferences from diagnostic impact fracture analysis and use-wear analysis of microliths. Natufian hunters frequently targeted specific gazelle individuals (e.g., males), which may suggest that shooting at the desired animals using projectile weapons was indeed preferred over other, less focused methods for gazelle hunting.

The Mesolithic lithic assemblage of site VF1-sector III of Mondeval de Sora (BL, Italy). Economy, technology and typology. Site VF1 (2,150 m a.s.l.) is located in the wide Mondeval de Sora basin (Belluno, Italy), protected by a dolomite erratic boulder. Sector III is characterized by a well preserved stratigraphic sequence, attesting Mesolithic, Bronze Age and historical occupations. Radiocarbon dates are available for two Mesolithic stratigraphic units, supporting the archaeological attribution of these layers to the Sauveterrian. The typological analysis of the lithic assemblages from the whole Mesolithic sequence along with the reconstruction of provisioning systems and reduction sequences has allowed the contextualization of the early Holocene frequentation of this sector. Evolution of tech-no-typological and economic parameters through time is highlighted by the comparison between different Mesolithic layers. The picture obtained fits well the general Sauveterrian sequence of the southeastern Alps. Riassunto L'insieme litico mesolitico del sito VF1-settore III di Mondeval de Sora (Belluno, Italia). Economia, tecnologia e tipologia. Il sito VF1 (2.150 m s.l.m.) si trova nell'ampia conca di Mondeval de Sora (Belluno), protetto da un masso erratico di dolomia. Il settore III è caratterizzato da una sequenza stratigrafica ben conservata, con evidenze di frequentazioni durante il Mesolitico, l'età del Bronzo e l'epoca storica. Le datazioni radiometriche disponibili per due livelli mesolitici supportano l'attri-buzione di queste unità stratigrafiche al Sauveterriano. L'analisi tipologica degli insiemi litici prove-nienti dalla sequenza mesolitica, assieme alla ricostruzione delle strategie di approvvigionamento e delle catene operative permettono di ben inquadrare la frequentazione antico olocenica di questo settore. Sulla base del confronto tra i diversi livelli è stato possibile evidenziare che l'evoluzione diacronica di alcuni aspetti tecno-tipologici ed economici ben si integra nel quadro del Sauveterria-no dell'area alpina sud-orientale.

Resümee. Bei Prospektionen auf der Flur Overath-Ginsterfeld im Frühjahr 2014 wurden fast fünfhundert Funde eingemessen. Etwa ein Drittel davon gehört in die Steinzeit. Die mittelsteinzeitlichen Funde können wahrscheinlich der Rhein-Maas-Schelde-Kultur des jüngeren Mittelmesolithikums, Phase A, zugeordnet werden (7600–6500 v. Chr.), die jungsteinzeitlichen entstammen dem Jung- bis Spätneolithikum (3800–2800 v. Chr.). Unter den mehr als einhundert Felsgesteingeräten sind viele Schleifwerkzeuge und einige Retuscheure vermutlich mesolithischer Zeitstellung. Die Rohmaterialien der Silex- und Felsgesteinobjekte sind teils lokaler Herkunft, etwa aus dem Bonner Raum, teils von weit her eingeführt, und stammen aus der Region nördlich von Düsseldorf sowie dem Gebiet von Aachen und Niederländisch Limburg. Die Sedimentbeobachtungen, die lockere Verteilung der Funde und ihre vergleichsweise geringe Anzahl lassen Erosionsvorgänge am Ort erkennen und auf eine wenig intensive Nutzung des Areals während der steinzeitlichen Perioden schließen.

Summary. During archaeological surveys in the Overath-Ginsterfeld area in spring 2014, nearly five hundred finds were measured. About one third of these objects date back to the Stone Age period. The Mesolithic finds probably belong to the Rhine-Meuse-Schelde Culture of the later Middle Mesolithic period, Phase A (7600–6500 B. C.), whereas the Neolithic finds date back to the Late or Final Neolithic (3800 to 2800 B. C.). Among the more than one hundred tools of rock material, there are numerous grindstones and a few retouchers that are supposedly Mesolithic. The rawmaterials of the artefacts made of flint and rock are partly of local origin, i. e. from the area around Bonn, and partly imported from distant regions, i. e. north of Düsseldorf as well as the areas around Aachen and Dutch Limburg. The sediment, the loose distribution of the finds and their comparatively low number indicate local processes of erosion, but also a less intensive use of the area during the Stone Age periods.

Résumé. Lors des prospections sur le terrain d’Overath-Ginsterfeld au printemps 2014, on a mesuré près de cinq cents objets trouvés. Environ un tiers de ces découvertes appartient à l’Age de la Pierre. Les outils mésolithiques sont susceptibles d’être associés à la culture de Rhin-Meuse-Escaut, c’est-àdire à la phase A du Mésolithique moyen (7600–6500 av. J.-C.), tandis que les artéfacts néolithiques proviennent du Néolithique récent jusqu’au Néolithique final (3800–2800 av. J.-C.). Parmi la centaine d’outils de roche qu’on a trouvés ici, il y a beaucoup de polissoirs et quelques compresseur-retouchoirs qui remontent probablement auMésolithique. Les matières premières des objets de silex et de roche sont en partie de provenance locale, ou plutôt de la région de Bonn, et en partie importés de loin, c’est-à-dire de la région au nord de Düsseldorf, mais aussi de la région d’Aix-la-Chapelle et du Limbourg néerlandais. Les observations des sédiments, la distribution lâche des objets découverts et leur nombre relativement faible révèlent les processus d’érosion sur le site et indiquent une utilisation moins intensive du terrain pendant les périodes de l’Age de la Pierre.

Microlithic industries, a technology associated with
modern humans, as defined by the production of
microblades have been found in different parts of the
Indian subcontinent with the earliest date being 48 ka.
The present communication reports on recent archaeological
excavations of these industries from a colluvial
context located in the pediment surface of
Precambrian hills in Purulia, West Bengal. These are
dated to 34–25 ka by optically stimulated luminescence
dating and are the earliest dates for microlithic
industries in eastern India. To our knowledge such
dating does not exist for any prehistoric site in Bengal.
The context of the sites – hill-slope colluvium – is also
unique and a rarity in the subcontinent. These findings
add additional inputs to the knowledge of these
industries, providing supporting evidence to their
antiquity.

Since 1968 the site of Sielenbach-Weinberg, district of Aichach-Friedberg (Bavarian Swabia), has been continuously prospected by volunteers. During these field surveys, more than 3,000 lithic artefacts were recovered, including 67 cores, 65 retouched  tools, and 68 microliths. Due to the fact, that the inventory is clearly mixed with younger finds, only the microliths can be securely dated to the Mesolithic. They confirm a repeated visit of the site during the Boreal (Beuronien B and C) and the Late Mesolithic.
The Late Mesolithic microliths are, as far as we know, typologically unique in Southern Germany. However, they correspond to a type of the Castelnoviano of northern Italy. The contact between southern Bavaria and the southern Alps is also evidenced by the use of lithic raw materials from northern Italy in further Bavarian Late Mesolithic assemblages. Although the Late Mesolithic microliths in the inventory of Sielenbach-Weinberg were not made of northern Italian raw material, the mentioned microlith type reveals the  interregional influence of the Castelnoviano across the Alps. However, this seems to only be recognisable in southern Bavaria on a regional scale.

Loteshwar (23o 36ʹ 1.8ʺ N; 71o 50ʹ 11.8ʺ E) is situated in the Sami Taluka of Patan District in North Gujarat, Western India. First excavated in 1990’s the site was re-excavated by the North Gujarat Archaeological Project during November/December 2009. The 2009 excavation unearthed two cultural periods namely Mesolithic (dated between the end of the eighth millennium cal BC and the middle of sixth millennium cal BCE) and Chalcolithic (dated to around 3600-3000 BC).  The comparative analysis of the lithic assemblages associated with these periods is the main objective of the current study. Other artefacts and ecofacts recovered during the excavations suggest a changing economy at the site from hunting and gathering to agro-pastoralisam. However, the analysis of the lithic assemblage, in particular the cores shows continuity in term of a tool technology (quartering technique of stone tool manufacturing) for over five thousand years. This technological continuity is associated to continuity in settlement patterns, characterized by the occupation of dune tops and the uninterrupted transmission of technological knowledge from one generation to another.

Resümee

Bei Prospektionen auf der Flur Overath-Ginsterfeld im Frühjahr 2014 wurden fast fünfhundert Funde eingemessen. Etwa ein Drittel davon sind gehören in die Steinzeit. Die mittelsteinzeitlichen Funde können wahrscheinlich der Rhein-Maas-Schelde–Kultur des älteren Mittelmesolithikums, Phase A, zugeordnet werden (ca. 7600–6500 v. Chr.), die jungsteinzeitlichen entstammen dem Jung- bis Spätneolithikum (ca. 3800–2800 v. Chr.). Unter den mehr als einhundert Felsgesteingeräten sind viele Schleifsteine und einige Retuscheure vermutlich mesolithischer Zeitstellung. Die Rohmaterialien der Silex- und Felsgesteinobjekte sind teils lokaler Herkunft, etwa aus dem Bonner Raum, teils von weit her eingeführt, und stammen aus der Region nördlich von Düsseldorf sowie dem Gebiet von Aachen und Niederländisch Limburg. Die Sedimentbeobachtungen, die lockere Verteilung der Funde und ihre vergleichsweise geringe Anzahl lassen Erosionsvorgänge am Ort erkennen und auf eine wenig intensive Nutzung des Areals während der steinzeitlichen Perioden schließen.



Summary
During archaeological surveys in the Overath-Ginsterfeld area in spring 2014, nearly five hundred finds were measured. About a third of these objects date back to the Stone Age period. The Mesolithic finds probably belong to the Rhine-Meuse-Schelde Culture of the earlier Middle Mesolithic period, Phase A (approx. 7600 – 6500 BC), whereas the Neolithic finds date back to the Late / Final Neolithic (approx. 3800 to 2800 BC). Among the more than one hundred tools of rock material, there are numerous grindstones and a few retouchers that are supposedly Mesolithic. The raw materials of the artefacts made of flint and rock are partly of local origin, i.e. from the area around Bonn, and partly imported from distant regions, i.e. north of Dusseldorf as well as the areas around Aachen and Dutch Limburg. The study of the sediment, the loose distribution of the finds and their comparatively low number indicate local processes of erosion, but also a less intensive use of the area during the Stone Age periods.



Résumé
Lors des prospections sur le terrain d’Overath-Ginsterfeld au printemps 2014, on a mesuré près de cinq cents objets trouvés. Environ un tiers de ces découvertes appartient à l’Age de la Pierre. Les objets mésolithiques sont susceptibles d’être associés à la culture de Rhin-Meuse-Escaut, c’est-à-dire à la phase A du Mésolithique moyen (environ 7600-6500 av. J.-C.), tandis que les objets néolithiques proviennent du Néolithique récent jusqu’au Néolithique final (environ 3800-2800 av. J.-C.). Parmi la centaine d’outils de roche qu’on a trouvés ici, il y a beaucoup de polissoirs et quelques compresseur-retouchoirs qui remontent probablement au Mésolithique. Les matières premières des objets de silex et de roches sont en partie de provenance locale, ou plutôt de la région de Bonn, et en partie importés de loin, c’est-à-dire de la région au nord de Düsseldorf, mais aussi de la région d'Aix-la-Chapelle et du Limbourg néerlandais. Les observations des sédiments, la distribution lâche des objets trouvés et leur nombre relativement faible révèlent les processus d'érosion sur le site et indiquent une utilisation moins intensive du terrain pendant les périodes de l’Age de la Pierre.