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#0143
142
Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
At the beginning of the Middle Neolithic, the un-
perforated shoe-last celts were still in use, but in a de-
creasing amount, with the first shaft-hole axe heads
starting to be in use (Lonne 2003, 176). Yet, these
are still just perforated adze-shaped tools, only with
their shaft-holes oriented parallel to their asymmetri-
cal cutting edges. Moreover, the first shaft-hole axe
heads with a pointy triangular shape (so-called broad
wedges) were employed. Their number increased
gradually until the time of the Stroke-ornamented
Pottery culture, while the shaft-hole axe heads rep-
resented by perforated adze heads became fewer in
number (Biermann 2011, 41).
These changes in tool types, from the Early to
the Middle Neolithic, and the introduction of different
hafting methods, go along with new working meth-
ods and possibilities (e.g. Elburg etal. 2015). Even
if it was often tried to connect some of the new tools
exclusively to distinct Middle Neolithic cultures, in
depth-research suggests that no definite assignment
is possible (Lonne 2003, 177-178; 182; Kaufmann
2012). Furthermore, in nearly all cases, it was so far
impossible to connect scientifically dateable material
with the hoards. For this reason, and due to a lack
of metric studies on the items from Early and Middle
Neolithic hoards, we will restrain from making such
assignments in this paper. Another shortcoming has to
do with the lack of information concerning the stone
tools from some of the hoards, as the items themselves
got lost and the only few available details come from
old field reports. Luckily, in many such cases the re-
ports mention at least axe heads with shaft-hole, mak-
ing a Middle Neolithic dating possible.
According to the criteria mentioned so far, 28
of the 110 depositions containing heavy stone tools
included in our study can be dated to the Early Neo-
lithic period, which is represented by the Linear
Pottery culture. The remaining 82 depositions can
be assigned to one of the Middle Neolithic groups,
where Stroke-ornamented Pottery culture and Ros-
sen culture make up the biggest part. However, the
assignment is not certain in every case, especially
due to the lack of basic information concerning dis-
coveries by chance and/or without a proper archaeo-
logical examination. For this reason, the distribution
maps and examinations presented here have to be
considered preliminary until further research has
been carried out.
The distribution map in Figure 4 displays find
spots of depositions from the second half of the 6th
millennium BC, i.e. the Early Neolithic period. Clus-
ters of depositions are visible in Moravia, Bohemia
and in central Germany, while in their surroundings
the distribution is rather loose. In northern Germany,
only two hoards are known, and none in Poland.
The number of objects in the Early Neolithic
depositions is usually between three and nine. Only
two hoards from central Germany contained 15 and
16 items, respectively. In Hesse one probable single
deposition has been identified until now. It contained
an adze head (shoe-last celt), which was found under
a stone (site Rockenberg; see Quitta 1955,45 no. 41).
Flat adze heads and different variants of shoe-last
celts are the most common items in these deposi-
tions. Rarely are flint blades connected with heavy
stone tools. A particular exception is one hoard
from Saxony-Anhalt, containing one club head and
twelve flint blades, unique in its composition (site
Naumburg-Kleinjena [Saale]; see Quitta 1955, 33 no.
12). Preforms of heavy stone tools were found in ten
depositions, and half of these were accompanied also
by finished items. Blanks were found in four deposi-
tions, out of which only one contained additionally
finished stone tools.
Concerning the nature of the ground into which
the hoards were put, this information is available for
25 out of the 28 depositions, and in all the 25 cases,
it appears to have been dry ground. Out of these, ten
depositions were found inside and six other nearby a
Linear Pottery culture settlement. It was mentioned
that hoards, amongst other things, are defined by not
being settlement finds. But the term ‘settlement find’
refers only to ordinary left-behinds from settlements,
such as house debris, garbage, production waste, and
lost or forgotten objects. Hoards on the other hand
represent a recurring specific selection and combi-
nation of items which were left behind on purpose.
Inside settlements they can be identified due to their
separation from usual garbage, their special arrange-
ment or unusual placement. Inside the settlements,
the depositions were found in pits and, once, in a
ditch. Two of the remaining twelve depositions with
no connection to any settlement were each found
under a big stone. In another case the items lay in a
semicircle on a ceramic bed. One example is known
where the stone objects were placed crosswise one
above the other. Finally, for one hoard deposited in
a settlement a covering with red paint (ochre?) was
reported (Kaufmann 2012, 401).
This distribution picture of depositions changes
in the Middle Neolithic Period, during the 5th mil-
lennium BC (Fig. 5). The 82 depositions known for
this period show, besides three concentrations in
Moravia, Bohemia and central Germany, as in the
Early Neolithic period, also a dense cluster in north-
eastern Germany. Additionally, some more hoards
Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
At the beginning of the Middle Neolithic, the un-
perforated shoe-last celts were still in use, but in a de-
creasing amount, with the first shaft-hole axe heads
starting to be in use (Lonne 2003, 176). Yet, these
are still just perforated adze-shaped tools, only with
their shaft-holes oriented parallel to their asymmetri-
cal cutting edges. Moreover, the first shaft-hole axe
heads with a pointy triangular shape (so-called broad
wedges) were employed. Their number increased
gradually until the time of the Stroke-ornamented
Pottery culture, while the shaft-hole axe heads rep-
resented by perforated adze heads became fewer in
number (Biermann 2011, 41).
These changes in tool types, from the Early to
the Middle Neolithic, and the introduction of different
hafting methods, go along with new working meth-
ods and possibilities (e.g. Elburg etal. 2015). Even
if it was often tried to connect some of the new tools
exclusively to distinct Middle Neolithic cultures, in
depth-research suggests that no definite assignment
is possible (Lonne 2003, 177-178; 182; Kaufmann
2012). Furthermore, in nearly all cases, it was so far
impossible to connect scientifically dateable material
with the hoards. For this reason, and due to a lack
of metric studies on the items from Early and Middle
Neolithic hoards, we will restrain from making such
assignments in this paper. Another shortcoming has to
do with the lack of information concerning the stone
tools from some of the hoards, as the items themselves
got lost and the only few available details come from
old field reports. Luckily, in many such cases the re-
ports mention at least axe heads with shaft-hole, mak-
ing a Middle Neolithic dating possible.
According to the criteria mentioned so far, 28
of the 110 depositions containing heavy stone tools
included in our study can be dated to the Early Neo-
lithic period, which is represented by the Linear
Pottery culture. The remaining 82 depositions can
be assigned to one of the Middle Neolithic groups,
where Stroke-ornamented Pottery culture and Ros-
sen culture make up the biggest part. However, the
assignment is not certain in every case, especially
due to the lack of basic information concerning dis-
coveries by chance and/or without a proper archaeo-
logical examination. For this reason, the distribution
maps and examinations presented here have to be
considered preliminary until further research has
been carried out.
The distribution map in Figure 4 displays find
spots of depositions from the second half of the 6th
millennium BC, i.e. the Early Neolithic period. Clus-
ters of depositions are visible in Moravia, Bohemia
and in central Germany, while in their surroundings
the distribution is rather loose. In northern Germany,
only two hoards are known, and none in Poland.
The number of objects in the Early Neolithic
depositions is usually between three and nine. Only
two hoards from central Germany contained 15 and
16 items, respectively. In Hesse one probable single
deposition has been identified until now. It contained
an adze head (shoe-last celt), which was found under
a stone (site Rockenberg; see Quitta 1955,45 no. 41).
Flat adze heads and different variants of shoe-last
celts are the most common items in these deposi-
tions. Rarely are flint blades connected with heavy
stone tools. A particular exception is one hoard
from Saxony-Anhalt, containing one club head and
twelve flint blades, unique in its composition (site
Naumburg-Kleinjena [Saale]; see Quitta 1955, 33 no.
12). Preforms of heavy stone tools were found in ten
depositions, and half of these were accompanied also
by finished items. Blanks were found in four deposi-
tions, out of which only one contained additionally
finished stone tools.
Concerning the nature of the ground into which
the hoards were put, this information is available for
25 out of the 28 depositions, and in all the 25 cases,
it appears to have been dry ground. Out of these, ten
depositions were found inside and six other nearby a
Linear Pottery culture settlement. It was mentioned
that hoards, amongst other things, are defined by not
being settlement finds. But the term ‘settlement find’
refers only to ordinary left-behinds from settlements,
such as house debris, garbage, production waste, and
lost or forgotten objects. Hoards on the other hand
represent a recurring specific selection and combi-
nation of items which were left behind on purpose.
Inside settlements they can be identified due to their
separation from usual garbage, their special arrange-
ment or unusual placement. Inside the settlements,
the depositions were found in pits and, once, in a
ditch. Two of the remaining twelve depositions with
no connection to any settlement were each found
under a big stone. In another case the items lay in a
semicircle on a ceramic bed. One example is known
where the stone objects were placed crosswise one
above the other. Finally, for one hoard deposited in
a settlement a covering with red paint (ochre?) was
reported (Kaufmann 2012, 401).
This distribution picture of depositions changes
in the Middle Neolithic Period, during the 5th mil-
lennium BC (Fig. 5). The 82 depositions known for
this period show, besides three concentrations in
Moravia, Bohemia and central Germany, as in the
Early Neolithic period, also a dense cluster in north-
eastern Germany. Additionally, some more hoards