Welt und Umwelt frühmesolithischer Jäger und Sammler. Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktion im Frühholozän in der nordmitteleuropäischen Tiefebene

Abstract

The beginning of the Holocene is marked by extensive environmental changes in the northern European plain. At the same time, significant changes in the archaeological artefact inventories can be observed. In his dissertation Daniel Groß investigates aspects of human-environment-interaction and analyses under what kind of circumstances Mesolithic traditions spread into the area. To approach this, he uses environmental models which are derived from animal bones and palynological investigations. These are subsequently contextualized with the artefact inventories. Thus the influence of environmental factors on the selection of settlement sites is evaluated. Furthermore, prehistoric hunter-gatherers’ constraints to specific ecological niches are discussed with respect to the spread of Mesolithic industries in the area under consideration.
Apart from these investigations the site Friesack 27a from the state of Brandenburg (Germany) is presented. Detailed stratigraphical analyses made it possible to differentiate four layer complexes which give the opportunity to examine diachronically artefact and environmental developments throughout the preboreal and boreal chronozone in the micro-region Friesack. Thanks to the extensive palaeoecological investigation which enable detailed environmental reconstructions, the site becomes a controlling role within the comparative analyses.