DOI chapter:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI chapter:Müller, Michael; Schirren, Michael: Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0140
Michael Muller and Michael Schirren
139
Neolithic depositions in central and
northern Europe
The terms ‘hoard’ and ‘deposition’, which we are us-
ing in this article, need perhaps some further explana-
tion. The term ‘deposition’ refers to hoards, which are
defined as a minimum of two objects put in the same
place at the same time, as well as to single object
depositions (see Hansen 2002 for further discus-
sions on that topic). Both terms describe finds which
are neither grave goods nor settlement finds. First
theories about hoards from prehistoric times were
published in 1866 by the Danish archaeologist and
director of the Danish National Museum, J. J. A. Wor-
saae (Worsaae 1866). While his examinations were
exclusively connected to Bronze Age hoards, Wor-
saae’s successor, S. Muller, was among the earliest
archaeologists mentioning and characterising Neo-
lithic hoards (Muller 1886). In 1914, K. Schumacher
published an article about Neolithic hoards from all
parts of Germany (Schumacher 1914). The presented
finds come from the entire Neolithic period, start-
ing with the Linear Pottery until the northern Final
Neolithic phase. Early theories about the nature
and the purpose of hoards varied considerably and
included trade goods, caches, stashes or sacrificial
offerings.8
Past decades’ studies brought many arguments
supporting a ritual interpretation for most of the
Neolithic hoards. The recurring selection of objects,
their often extraordinary sizes or surface treatments
as well as their arrangements, and the choice of the
places for the depositions suggest they might have
served as ritual offerings,9 dedicated to imagined
supernatural beings. Nevertheless, cases exist where
evidence strongly suggests that the depositions can
sometimes be seen as left-behind caches, like in the
case of blanks found close to exploitable resources
(cf. Becker 1980).
The largest number of depositions for central
and northern Europe is known from the time of
the Funnelbeaker culture (‘Trichterbecherkultur’,
c. 4,100-2,800 cal BC; hereinafter referred to as
TRB complex); these have been studied for several
8 See, among others, Kauffmann 1913; Schumacher 1914;
Petzsch 1928; Aust 1961; Stjernquist 1962/1963; Becker 1952;
1976.
9 Inter alia Rech 1979; Ebbesen 1995; Koch 1998; Klimscha
2009; Muller in prep.
regions.10 The objects occurring most often and most
widespread are flint axe heads, followed by amber
beads, ceramic vessels, copper items and flint blades.
A new study about the whole range of TRB deposi-
tions is in preparation (Muller in prep.). The two-
sided pointed-butted flint axe head is the earliest
axe head type of the TRB. It is still not sure how
the deposition custom started in the northern Neo-
lithic, but there is evidence that the practice was
already established at the very beginning of the
TRB (Muller in prep.). It is rather unlikely to see
roots of TRB deposition practices coming from the
preceding Ertebolle culture, due to the quantitative
lack of recurring hoards with Ertebolle stone tools,
especially flint axe heads. Over the past 15 years,
the influences of the western / central European
Michelsberg culture (4,400-3,500 cal BC) in the
formation of the TRB complex were convincingly
argued (cf. inter alia Klassen 2004; Sorensen 2014).
In the distribution area of the Michelsberg culture
depositions of two-sided pointed butted axe heads
are also known. These are made of Alpine rocks,
mostly eclogite, omphacitite and jadeitite, but also
amphibolite and serpentinite, which were exploited
from the late 6th millennium BC and were circulating
through exchange networks even to the outer fringes
of Europe (Petrequin et al. 2008, 261). Following,
we will refer to these items as axe heads of Alpine
rocks or Alpine axe heads.
Due to the scarcity of finds of heavy stone tools
in Michelsberg graves or settlements (Jeunesse 2010,
51; Ramminger 2010, 198) it was long unclear wheth-
er the depositions and single finds with axe heads of
Alpine rocks occurring in the Michelsberg distribu-
tion area can indeed be connected to that culture.
Taking all the pieces of evidence together, however,
we can only see the people of the Michelsberg culture
as the actors of those depositions (cf. Kreuz et al.
2014, 75; Berenger 2015, 217). But it must be noted
that even before the emergence of the Michelsberg
culture axe heads made of Alpine rocks were of great
importance to the people at the Gulf of Morbihan in
Brittany (France) in the first half of the 5th millen-
nium BC. There Alpine axe heads occur in deposi-
tions and in very large numbers inside the tumuli of
10 Inter alia for Sweden: Karsten 1994; Denmark: Nielsen
1977; Koch 1998; Ebbesen 1995; the Netherlands: Wentink
2006; Germany and Scandinavia in general: Rech 1979. - The
abbreviation ‘TRB’ comes from the German word ‘Trichter-
randbecher’, which is tranlated into English as ‘funnel-necked
beaker’ (after the shape of typical ceramic vessels). It became
the standard abbreviation also in the English language.
139
Neolithic depositions in central and
northern Europe
The terms ‘hoard’ and ‘deposition’, which we are us-
ing in this article, need perhaps some further explana-
tion. The term ‘deposition’ refers to hoards, which are
defined as a minimum of two objects put in the same
place at the same time, as well as to single object
depositions (see Hansen 2002 for further discus-
sions on that topic). Both terms describe finds which
are neither grave goods nor settlement finds. First
theories about hoards from prehistoric times were
published in 1866 by the Danish archaeologist and
director of the Danish National Museum, J. J. A. Wor-
saae (Worsaae 1866). While his examinations were
exclusively connected to Bronze Age hoards, Wor-
saae’s successor, S. Muller, was among the earliest
archaeologists mentioning and characterising Neo-
lithic hoards (Muller 1886). In 1914, K. Schumacher
published an article about Neolithic hoards from all
parts of Germany (Schumacher 1914). The presented
finds come from the entire Neolithic period, start-
ing with the Linear Pottery until the northern Final
Neolithic phase. Early theories about the nature
and the purpose of hoards varied considerably and
included trade goods, caches, stashes or sacrificial
offerings.8
Past decades’ studies brought many arguments
supporting a ritual interpretation for most of the
Neolithic hoards. The recurring selection of objects,
their often extraordinary sizes or surface treatments
as well as their arrangements, and the choice of the
places for the depositions suggest they might have
served as ritual offerings,9 dedicated to imagined
supernatural beings. Nevertheless, cases exist where
evidence strongly suggests that the depositions can
sometimes be seen as left-behind caches, like in the
case of blanks found close to exploitable resources
(cf. Becker 1980).
The largest number of depositions for central
and northern Europe is known from the time of
the Funnelbeaker culture (‘Trichterbecherkultur’,
c. 4,100-2,800 cal BC; hereinafter referred to as
TRB complex); these have been studied for several
8 See, among others, Kauffmann 1913; Schumacher 1914;
Petzsch 1928; Aust 1961; Stjernquist 1962/1963; Becker 1952;
1976.
9 Inter alia Rech 1979; Ebbesen 1995; Koch 1998; Klimscha
2009; Muller in prep.
regions.10 The objects occurring most often and most
widespread are flint axe heads, followed by amber
beads, ceramic vessels, copper items and flint blades.
A new study about the whole range of TRB deposi-
tions is in preparation (Muller in prep.). The two-
sided pointed-butted flint axe head is the earliest
axe head type of the TRB. It is still not sure how
the deposition custom started in the northern Neo-
lithic, but there is evidence that the practice was
already established at the very beginning of the
TRB (Muller in prep.). It is rather unlikely to see
roots of TRB deposition practices coming from the
preceding Ertebolle culture, due to the quantitative
lack of recurring hoards with Ertebolle stone tools,
especially flint axe heads. Over the past 15 years,
the influences of the western / central European
Michelsberg culture (4,400-3,500 cal BC) in the
formation of the TRB complex were convincingly
argued (cf. inter alia Klassen 2004; Sorensen 2014).
In the distribution area of the Michelsberg culture
depositions of two-sided pointed butted axe heads
are also known. These are made of Alpine rocks,
mostly eclogite, omphacitite and jadeitite, but also
amphibolite and serpentinite, which were exploited
from the late 6th millennium BC and were circulating
through exchange networks even to the outer fringes
of Europe (Petrequin et al. 2008, 261). Following,
we will refer to these items as axe heads of Alpine
rocks or Alpine axe heads.
Due to the scarcity of finds of heavy stone tools
in Michelsberg graves or settlements (Jeunesse 2010,
51; Ramminger 2010, 198) it was long unclear wheth-
er the depositions and single finds with axe heads of
Alpine rocks occurring in the Michelsberg distribu-
tion area can indeed be connected to that culture.
Taking all the pieces of evidence together, however,
we can only see the people of the Michelsberg culture
as the actors of those depositions (cf. Kreuz et al.
2014, 75; Berenger 2015, 217). But it must be noted
that even before the emergence of the Michelsberg
culture axe heads made of Alpine rocks were of great
importance to the people at the Gulf of Morbihan in
Brittany (France) in the first half of the 5th millen-
nium BC. There Alpine axe heads occur in deposi-
tions and in very large numbers inside the tumuli of
10 Inter alia for Sweden: Karsten 1994; Denmark: Nielsen
1977; Koch 1998; Ebbesen 1995; the Netherlands: Wentink
2006; Germany and Scandinavia in general: Rech 1979. - The
abbreviation ‘TRB’ comes from the German word ‘Trichter-
randbecher’, which is tranlated into English as ‘funnel-necked
beaker’ (after the shape of typical ceramic vessels). It became
the standard abbreviation also in the English language.