DOI chapter:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI chapter:Gerken, Klaus; Kotula, Andreas; Ludwig, Clemens; Nelson, Hildegard; Philippi, Alexandra: Niedernstöcken – a settlement of the Linear Pottery culture beyond the loess border in the land of hunters and gatherers
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0108
Klaus Gerken, Andreas Kotula, Clemens Ludwig, Hildegard Nelson and Alexandra Philippi
107
mountains in the Sudetes mountains have been sug-
gested as the scource of origin (e.g. Prostrednik et al.
2005). All three axes show signs of use and can be
assigned to types I-III as defined by Moos (1996). One
of the completely preserved axes (Fig. 5) is remarkably
flat and short with a very large width, which is prob-
ably due to reworking (cf. Klimscha 2016, 79-102). In
the Niedernstocken inventory there is also a spherical
pounder (Fig. 7,24).
The composition of the flint artefact inventory
from Niedernstocken 21 largely corresponds to that
of other LBK sites in the Leine valley. Both the pro-
portion of implements in the flint inventory and the
percentage frequency of the individual implement
forms lie within the range determined, for example,
by Weller (2003) for settlements in the Leine valley
south of Hanover. The 196 flint artefacts consist of
98 flakes, 48 blades, 28 pieces of debris, and 18 cores
(each including fragments). Ten flakes were modified
into tools. Eleven intentionally retouched blades are
present. In addition to the intentional retouching,
traces of use can be seen on the artefacts under a
binocular microscope as well as macroscopically, in
the form of fractures and polish / varnish (Fig. 6) as
well as pitting (for a closer description of the artefacts,
see Gerken / Nelson 2016, 49-58). The relatively
high proportion of debris (14 %) can be seen as an
indication of a rather poor raw material situation in
the area. Tool forms present are scrapers, pieces with
end retouch, burins, partially retouched pieces, drills/
sharpeners, microliths, surface retouched points, and
other combined modifications. Scrapers are attested
on basic forms of both blades and flakes(Fig. 7,1-8).
Sickle sheen on end-retouched artefacts and two blade
fragments suggest use as sickle inserts. (Fig. 7,15-16).
A microlith from the site can be addressed as a
trapezoidal point. Such point forms are rather found
in Early Mesolithic inventories, e. g. Duvensee 2 and 6
(Bokelmann 1981). The strongly deviating patination
of this artefact and also of one core speak for an Early
Mesolithic context of these finds; this is regionally
significant for the period, also considering the soil
milieu (Gerken / Piche in prep.).
Settlement expansion - geomagnetic
prospection and verification of results
After the excavation in 2015, a first geomagnetic
prospection was carried out to the south and west of
the excavation area on a total of 5,000 m2 in order
to locate further features. Two axes picked up during
systematic surveys (Gerken / Piche 2020) suggested
that the settlement area also continued to the north.
In November 2018, geomagnetic prospection was also
carried out in this direction (Ludwig / Philippi 2019).
The magnetogram showed numerous anomalies in-
dicating an intensive settlement of the area (Fig. 8).
Most of the structures visible in the measurement
image are round to elongated interferences with high
magnetic radiation, which probably originate from pits
or similar findings. They are distributed, sometimes in
clusters, over almost the entire area, but seem to thin
out towards the north. Several elongated positive struc-
tures occur in pairs in the southern part of the survey
area. These are probably typical wall-accompanying
pits of LBK longhouses (e.g. Posselt / Saile 2014,
137-140). The orientation of the presumed house lay-
outs corresponds to the results of the geomagnetic sur-
vey of 2015. In view of their predominant NW-SE orien-
tation, the majority of the detected anomalies probably
belong to the LBK settlement of Niedernstocken, which
thus seems to continue to the east and west.
In August 2019 a short excavation campaign un-
der the direction of A. Kotula took place to test the ex-
tension of the LBK settlement area to the north (FStNr.
24, Fig. 8; cf. Kotula 2021). In area 1, about 80 m
northwest of the known site, the geomagnetic survey
had revealed elongated (pit) structures running NW-SE.
Initially, no such features were identified in the planum.
However, in the western part of the planum a row of
four smaller round pits, running NW-SE, appeared,
which can be interpreted as a row of posts. A distinct
discolouration was then visible about 0.2 m below the
top of the planum, which is interpreted as a long pit
according to the geomagnetic picture. Few undecorated
pottery finds from this area correspond technologi-
cally to the known LBK ware of the site. About 150 m
further north, oval to amorphous settlement pits were
found in area 2, as well as some smaller features that
can be interpreted as posts. Most of the features were
poor in finds, but one pit yielded over 5.5 kg of pottery
material as well as three almost complete adzes. In the
lower area, the features were interspersed with charcoal
and contained bone fragments and a few flint artefacts.
The pottery largely corresponds to that of site 21.
The chronological classification of the
site
The pottery corresponds well to material from the site
of Itzum (district of Hildesheim; Wendland 2012),
which is dated to phases II and III according to Meier-
Arendt (1966). Find material from Briindeln (Heege
1989) also shows similarities with the pottery from
107
mountains in the Sudetes mountains have been sug-
gested as the scource of origin (e.g. Prostrednik et al.
2005). All three axes show signs of use and can be
assigned to types I-III as defined by Moos (1996). One
of the completely preserved axes (Fig. 5) is remarkably
flat and short with a very large width, which is prob-
ably due to reworking (cf. Klimscha 2016, 79-102). In
the Niedernstocken inventory there is also a spherical
pounder (Fig. 7,24).
The composition of the flint artefact inventory
from Niedernstocken 21 largely corresponds to that
of other LBK sites in the Leine valley. Both the pro-
portion of implements in the flint inventory and the
percentage frequency of the individual implement
forms lie within the range determined, for example,
by Weller (2003) for settlements in the Leine valley
south of Hanover. The 196 flint artefacts consist of
98 flakes, 48 blades, 28 pieces of debris, and 18 cores
(each including fragments). Ten flakes were modified
into tools. Eleven intentionally retouched blades are
present. In addition to the intentional retouching,
traces of use can be seen on the artefacts under a
binocular microscope as well as macroscopically, in
the form of fractures and polish / varnish (Fig. 6) as
well as pitting (for a closer description of the artefacts,
see Gerken / Nelson 2016, 49-58). The relatively
high proportion of debris (14 %) can be seen as an
indication of a rather poor raw material situation in
the area. Tool forms present are scrapers, pieces with
end retouch, burins, partially retouched pieces, drills/
sharpeners, microliths, surface retouched points, and
other combined modifications. Scrapers are attested
on basic forms of both blades and flakes(Fig. 7,1-8).
Sickle sheen on end-retouched artefacts and two blade
fragments suggest use as sickle inserts. (Fig. 7,15-16).
A microlith from the site can be addressed as a
trapezoidal point. Such point forms are rather found
in Early Mesolithic inventories, e. g. Duvensee 2 and 6
(Bokelmann 1981). The strongly deviating patination
of this artefact and also of one core speak for an Early
Mesolithic context of these finds; this is regionally
significant for the period, also considering the soil
milieu (Gerken / Piche in prep.).
Settlement expansion - geomagnetic
prospection and verification of results
After the excavation in 2015, a first geomagnetic
prospection was carried out to the south and west of
the excavation area on a total of 5,000 m2 in order
to locate further features. Two axes picked up during
systematic surveys (Gerken / Piche 2020) suggested
that the settlement area also continued to the north.
In November 2018, geomagnetic prospection was also
carried out in this direction (Ludwig / Philippi 2019).
The magnetogram showed numerous anomalies in-
dicating an intensive settlement of the area (Fig. 8).
Most of the structures visible in the measurement
image are round to elongated interferences with high
magnetic radiation, which probably originate from pits
or similar findings. They are distributed, sometimes in
clusters, over almost the entire area, but seem to thin
out towards the north. Several elongated positive struc-
tures occur in pairs in the southern part of the survey
area. These are probably typical wall-accompanying
pits of LBK longhouses (e.g. Posselt / Saile 2014,
137-140). The orientation of the presumed house lay-
outs corresponds to the results of the geomagnetic sur-
vey of 2015. In view of their predominant NW-SE orien-
tation, the majority of the detected anomalies probably
belong to the LBK settlement of Niedernstocken, which
thus seems to continue to the east and west.
In August 2019 a short excavation campaign un-
der the direction of A. Kotula took place to test the ex-
tension of the LBK settlement area to the north (FStNr.
24, Fig. 8; cf. Kotula 2021). In area 1, about 80 m
northwest of the known site, the geomagnetic survey
had revealed elongated (pit) structures running NW-SE.
Initially, no such features were identified in the planum.
However, in the western part of the planum a row of
four smaller round pits, running NW-SE, appeared,
which can be interpreted as a row of posts. A distinct
discolouration was then visible about 0.2 m below the
top of the planum, which is interpreted as a long pit
according to the geomagnetic picture. Few undecorated
pottery finds from this area correspond technologi-
cally to the known LBK ware of the site. About 150 m
further north, oval to amorphous settlement pits were
found in area 2, as well as some smaller features that
can be interpreted as posts. Most of the features were
poor in finds, but one pit yielded over 5.5 kg of pottery
material as well as three almost complete adzes. In the
lower area, the features were interspersed with charcoal
and contained bone fragments and a few flint artefacts.
The pottery largely corresponds to that of site 21.
The chronological classification of the
site
The pottery corresponds well to material from the site
of Itzum (district of Hildesheim; Wendland 2012),
which is dated to phases II and III according to Meier-
Arendt (1966). Find material from Briindeln (Heege
1989) also shows similarities with the pottery from