DOI chapter:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI chapter:Hülsebusch, Christian; Jockenhövel, Albecht: Going north . . . The Middle Neolithic settlement of Nottuln-Uphoven (Westphalia) and the start of the neolithisation in the lowlands
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0132
Christian Hulsebusch and Albrecht Jockenhbvel
131
Nottuln-Uphoven in the context of
neolithisation in the northwest German
lowlands
Regarding the neolithisation it seems that in the case
of the Miinsterland we have to envisage immigration
during Rossen times originating from the settlement
clusters of the Hellweg region c. 50-70 km south of
the Baumberge hills (Figs. 1; 9). The shape and decora-
tion of the Rossen pottery can be traced back almost
exclusively to examples from inventories of the Rossen
settlements in the region of Soest (Gunther 1976).
The import of a heavy sandstone quern refers to the
same area of origin. The spectrum of the silex-variet-
ies is similar to that of Deiringsen-Ruploh and other
settlements from the Rossen Hellweg cluster. Further-
more a direct connection exists between the Rossen
sites of the Hellweg zone and Nottuln-Uphoven via the
river system of Stever/Lippe, which might have been
navigable up to a certain point by logboats or canoes;
or at least the rivers were simply used for orientation
as landmarks when travelling by land. It is likely that
the Neolithic pioneer-farmers of the Rossen culture
were able to identify the small plots of fertile loess soil
in the Baumberge region, for example by a particular
kind of woodland and a different kind of vegetation.
The first occupation of the northwest German
lowland by the Middle Neolithic Rossen culture was
not the result of one single expedition. The series of
the AMS-dates confirms a longer period of perma-
nent colonisation at Nottuln-Uphoven over some
generations (Fig. 8).
Fig. 9 Distribution of ‘Danubian stone tools’ (adzes/axes) in
Westphalia. Star symbol: Nottuln-Uphoven (after Narr 1983, with
additions after Groer 2013a).
The current map of distribution of the polished
‘Danubian stone tools’ assigned to the Rossen culture
in the area of the Miinsterland and the lowland might
possibly treble the evidence known so far (Fig. 9).
Unfortunately, these axes and adzes are mainly sin-
gle finds without any archaeological context, and it
cannot be definitely said whether their distibution
represents Neolithic activities, exchange goods of
local Mesolithic groups, or relics of premodern su-
perstition (‘Donnerkeil’). While Nottuln-Uphoven
is interpreted as an outpost of the Neolithic world,
evidence of contacts or coexistence with its Meso-
lithic neighbours is completely absent.
A natural overland link to the north into the
northwest German lowlands existed via passes in
the mountainous Teutoburg Forest and the Wiehen
mountains along small rivers, mainly the Hunte, to
the Dummer lake (linear distance from Nottuln-
Uphoven: c. 80-100 km). Near the Dummer lake
settlement with its mixture of Mesolithic and Neo-
lithic elements (Hude I) the oldest wooden pathway
in the lowlands was detected (Campemoor Pr 31:
Metzler 2004), dated to 4,614-4,540 denBC. This
indicates contemporaneous activity with the Rossen
settlement of Nottuln-Uphoven!
At the time of the northbound activities in the
Early and Middle Neolithic periods southbound
interactions existed as well. Inside a Rossen settle-
ment in Soest-Riinstert (house V, pit 80) a piece of
unprocessed amber was found (Fig. 10; Buczka 2013
Abb. 2,3). Most likely amber raw material comes
from local glacial deposits in the lowlands or from
farther north (Cimbrian peninsula: Woltermann
2016, 243 ff.; 247 Abb. 184-185). The interactions
between Early Neolithic farmers and Mesolithic
hunter-gatherers were certainly not always peace-
ful. Anyhow, the destruction of the LBK-well (well I)
of Erkelenz-Kiickhoven (Kr. Heinsberg, Rhineland),
dated to c. 5,110 denBC, is interpreted as the result
of an attack by hunter-gatherers living in the neigh-
borhood or farther away: from the bottom of the
Fig. 10 Soest-Riinstert, Rossen settlement: House V, pit 80 (Kr.
Soest). Unprocessed piece of amber with a length of 2,8 cm (Stad-
tarchaologie Soest / Chr. Theopold).
131
Nottuln-Uphoven in the context of
neolithisation in the northwest German
lowlands
Regarding the neolithisation it seems that in the case
of the Miinsterland we have to envisage immigration
during Rossen times originating from the settlement
clusters of the Hellweg region c. 50-70 km south of
the Baumberge hills (Figs. 1; 9). The shape and decora-
tion of the Rossen pottery can be traced back almost
exclusively to examples from inventories of the Rossen
settlements in the region of Soest (Gunther 1976).
The import of a heavy sandstone quern refers to the
same area of origin. The spectrum of the silex-variet-
ies is similar to that of Deiringsen-Ruploh and other
settlements from the Rossen Hellweg cluster. Further-
more a direct connection exists between the Rossen
sites of the Hellweg zone and Nottuln-Uphoven via the
river system of Stever/Lippe, which might have been
navigable up to a certain point by logboats or canoes;
or at least the rivers were simply used for orientation
as landmarks when travelling by land. It is likely that
the Neolithic pioneer-farmers of the Rossen culture
were able to identify the small plots of fertile loess soil
in the Baumberge region, for example by a particular
kind of woodland and a different kind of vegetation.
The first occupation of the northwest German
lowland by the Middle Neolithic Rossen culture was
not the result of one single expedition. The series of
the AMS-dates confirms a longer period of perma-
nent colonisation at Nottuln-Uphoven over some
generations (Fig. 8).
Fig. 9 Distribution of ‘Danubian stone tools’ (adzes/axes) in
Westphalia. Star symbol: Nottuln-Uphoven (after Narr 1983, with
additions after Groer 2013a).
The current map of distribution of the polished
‘Danubian stone tools’ assigned to the Rossen culture
in the area of the Miinsterland and the lowland might
possibly treble the evidence known so far (Fig. 9).
Unfortunately, these axes and adzes are mainly sin-
gle finds without any archaeological context, and it
cannot be definitely said whether their distibution
represents Neolithic activities, exchange goods of
local Mesolithic groups, or relics of premodern su-
perstition (‘Donnerkeil’). While Nottuln-Uphoven
is interpreted as an outpost of the Neolithic world,
evidence of contacts or coexistence with its Meso-
lithic neighbours is completely absent.
A natural overland link to the north into the
northwest German lowlands existed via passes in
the mountainous Teutoburg Forest and the Wiehen
mountains along small rivers, mainly the Hunte, to
the Dummer lake (linear distance from Nottuln-
Uphoven: c. 80-100 km). Near the Dummer lake
settlement with its mixture of Mesolithic and Neo-
lithic elements (Hude I) the oldest wooden pathway
in the lowlands was detected (Campemoor Pr 31:
Metzler 2004), dated to 4,614-4,540 denBC. This
indicates contemporaneous activity with the Rossen
settlement of Nottuln-Uphoven!
At the time of the northbound activities in the
Early and Middle Neolithic periods southbound
interactions existed as well. Inside a Rossen settle-
ment in Soest-Riinstert (house V, pit 80) a piece of
unprocessed amber was found (Fig. 10; Buczka 2013
Abb. 2,3). Most likely amber raw material comes
from local glacial deposits in the lowlands or from
farther north (Cimbrian peninsula: Woltermann
2016, 243 ff.; 247 Abb. 184-185). The interactions
between Early Neolithic farmers and Mesolithic
hunter-gatherers were certainly not always peace-
ful. Anyhow, the destruction of the LBK-well (well I)
of Erkelenz-Kiickhoven (Kr. Heinsberg, Rhineland),
dated to c. 5,110 denBC, is interpreted as the result
of an attack by hunter-gatherers living in the neigh-
borhood or farther away: from the bottom of the
Fig. 10 Soest-Riinstert, Rossen settlement: House V, pit 80 (Kr.
Soest). Unprocessed piece of amber with a length of 2,8 cm (Stad-
tarchaologie Soest / Chr. Theopold).