A diachronic perspective on lithic raw material procurement strategies and mobility: case studies from the Final Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic in Central Europe

Gehlen B, Affolter J, Schön W, Scharl S, Siegmund F, Fischer AL, Grunert M, Meiborg C, Mischka D, Treude E, Uthmeier T (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Journal of Maps Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2022.2150572

Abstract

Analysis of prehistoric lithic artefacts helps to answer a wide array of questions concerning archaeological contexts and prehistoric human behaviour. During three projects, we studied the origin of the raw materials of 32 inventories from the Late Glacial and Early Holocene in northwest and southern Germany. The basal petrographic analysis was conducted by the geologist and petro-archaeologist Jehanne Affolter. In addition, data of more than 60 published assemblages from Switzerland as well as western and southern Germany were recorded. The origin of lithic raw materials from most of these inventories was determined using the microfacial method. GIS-based maps of the raw material sources from the aforementioned regions are compiled and raw material catchment areas of the Stone Age sites are mapped. The area calculations of the raw material catchments revealed a diachronic alternation of larger and smaller areas, which above all suggest culturally determined cycles in the range of mobility and communication networks.

Authors with CRIS profile

Werner Schön Professur für Ur- und Frühgeschichte Doris Mischka Lehrstuhl für Jüngere Urgeschichte mit Schwerpunkt Neolithikum und Ältere Metallzeiten Thorsten Uthmeier Lehrstuhl für Ur- und Frühgeschichte

Involved external institutions

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Hessen DE Germany (DE) Universität zu Köln DE Germany (DE) Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster DE Germany (DE) Lippisches Landesmuseum Detmold DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Gehlen, B., Affolter, J., Schön, W., Scharl, S., Siegmund, F., Fischer, A.-L.,... Uthmeier, T. (2022). A diachronic perspective on lithic raw material procurement strategies and mobility: case studies from the Final Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic in Central Europe. Journal of Maps. https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2022.2150572

MLA:

Gehlen, Birgit, et al. "A diachronic perspective on lithic raw material procurement strategies and mobility: case studies from the Final Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic in Central Europe." Journal of Maps (2022).

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