Spatial analyses of selected dense find scatters at the Allerød site Niederbieber, Neuwied (Rhineland- Palatinate) – excavations 1996-1999

Abstract

Excavations at the Federmessergruppen site of Niederbieber since 1980 have until now uncovered an area of more than 900 m². Excavation campaigns between 1996 and 1999 in particular unearthed eleven dense
find scatters (K VIII-K XVII) in the central area of the site. These find concentrations are characterized by some common features, suggesting that they were the focus of similar activities. The two main activities
recognized are preparation for the hunt, indicated by the dominance of backed pieces accumulated close to the hearths (indicating hafting and retooling), and a post-hunt phase of carcass processing, represented
by the presence of scrapers, truncated and laterally modified pieces which tend to be located away from the hearth. Niederbieber can thus be interpreted as a »special task camp«, at which small groups of Late
Palaeolithic hunters met. Indications of a relatively long term occupation are absent at Niederbieber so far. Within the region, some features of the Federmessergruppen site of Kettig suggest a longer occupation phase and a function (»base camp«) other than the one proposed for Niederbieber. This circumstance offers new perspectives for the reconstruction of possible settlement systems in the Central Rhineland during the Allerød period.