A Study of the Mesolithic Handle Core Technology in Schleswig-Holstein

Abstract

In this paper, flint materials from three sites in Schleswig-Holstein are studied to investigate the local expression of the lithic technology known as the handle core concept. This technology was implemented in Scandinavia and parts of continental Europe during the Mesolithic. Handle cores are for example found in northern Germany but few technological studies have focused on these materials and little is known about how the local expression of the technology compares to other parts of northern Europe. The present study acts as a local case study that, when included in a larger setting, could approach subjects such as transmission of knowledge, social interaction and mobility in landscapes. The study includes the systematic recording of 3735 flint artefacts that, through descriptive statistics and analysis, describes the preparation of the cores and the production of blades. The results are then compared to other studies from Scandinavia. The results show that the handle core technology in Schleswig-Holstein largely corresponds to the already established picture of the handle core concept in Scandinavia, and is especially similar to handle cores found in southern Scandinavia. This indicates that southern Scandinavia and northern Germany were a part of the same social and cultural sphere during the Mesolithic.

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