DOI Kapitel:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI Kapitel:Müller, Michael; Schirren, Michael: Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0145
144
Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
lenght (cm)
Fig. 6 Histogram showing the frequency of certain lengths of Middle Neolithic axe heads found in Mesolithic habitation layers or as
single finds in the Mesolithic occupation area. The black line represents the ideal curve of a normal distribution and the red line the
actual distribution curve.
were found in southwestern Germany, and for the
first time finds appear in southern and northern Po-
land as well as in southern Denmark.
Most common is now a number between two
and nine heavy stone tools in the hoards, although it
is worth mentioning that 50 °/o (n = 41) of the hoards
contain only two or three items. No certain single
deposition could be detected so far, but many single
finds are known, some of which are debatable (see
below). Only three hoards show between 10 and 17
items, and in the case of one hoard, it may be that
it contained up to 50 objects (site Cisteves [Czech
Republic]; see Vencl 1975, 13-18). 26 of the deposi-
tions consist only of axe heads with shaft-hole, in
seven more depositions axe heads with shaft-holes
were combined with axe heads without shaft-holes.
In 15 cases, axe heads with shaft-hole are only com-
bined with flat adze heads or shoe-last celts. Twelve
hoards contained only flat axe heads and shoe-last
celts, and could only be dated the Middle Neolithic
period based on their find circumstances. Hoards
with a mixture of all the tool types mentioned so far
occur also rarely. Like in the Early Neolithic period,
preforms were put into the hoards. Altogether 19
such cases are known, but only twice they were not
combined with any other items.
For 57 of these Middle Neolithic hoards with
heavy stone tools the nature of their find place was
recorded: 52 come from dry ground, and five were
found in connection with wet ground. These wet
grounds were in three cases bogs or swamp lands,
one time a river, and in the fifth case the items were
found in the direct vicinity of a river. Besides the cer-
tain depositions discussed here, several single finds
of axe heads with shaft-holes have been discovered in
connection to water, for instance from the Elbe River
(cf. Klassen 2004, 417). Out of the 52 hoards from
dry ground, 13 were found inside a contemporary
settlement, and two other hoards in the proximity of
a settlement. Each out of five depositions not in any
connection to contemporary settlements were found
under a big stone. Observations on the arrangement of
the objects are usually rare and, in most cases, they are
limited to mentioning that the objects were found lying
close together. In one particular case, it was noted that
the objects in the hoard were arranged in a star-like
shape (site Wollin [Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
Germany]; see Quitta 1955, 41-42 no. 31). Also no-
table is a hoard in which the artefacts were put into
the ground standing upright (site Mockern [Saxony-
Anhalt, Germany]; Quitta 1955, 34-35 no. 13).
We attempt here to illustrate also the particular
case study of the Middle Neolithic axe heads with
shaft-holes from the northern Mesolithic distribution
area. The data used for this examination included set-
tlement and single finds from southern Scandinavia
and northeastern Germany, as published by Klassen
(2004), as well as shaft-hole axe heads from hoards
from the same region and, additionally, from Bran-
denburg. Histograms, plotting the length of the items,
indicate that Middle Neolithic shaft-hole axe heads
from settlements as well as single finds show almost a
normal distribution. The length variety lies between
7 and 22 cm (Fig. 6). However, notable is a small peak
between a length of 22 to 28 cm, caused by one item
from the Mesolithic pit at Rosenhof (Hartz et al.
2011) and seven single finds. The longest item, of
38.5 cm, is a single find from Tutzpatz (Mecklenburg-
Early and Middle Neolithic hoards in the area of the northern Mesolithic
lenght (cm)
Fig. 6 Histogram showing the frequency of certain lengths of Middle Neolithic axe heads found in Mesolithic habitation layers or as
single finds in the Mesolithic occupation area. The black line represents the ideal curve of a normal distribution and the red line the
actual distribution curve.
were found in southwestern Germany, and for the
first time finds appear in southern and northern Po-
land as well as in southern Denmark.
Most common is now a number between two
and nine heavy stone tools in the hoards, although it
is worth mentioning that 50 °/o (n = 41) of the hoards
contain only two or three items. No certain single
deposition could be detected so far, but many single
finds are known, some of which are debatable (see
below). Only three hoards show between 10 and 17
items, and in the case of one hoard, it may be that
it contained up to 50 objects (site Cisteves [Czech
Republic]; see Vencl 1975, 13-18). 26 of the deposi-
tions consist only of axe heads with shaft-hole, in
seven more depositions axe heads with shaft-holes
were combined with axe heads without shaft-holes.
In 15 cases, axe heads with shaft-hole are only com-
bined with flat adze heads or shoe-last celts. Twelve
hoards contained only flat axe heads and shoe-last
celts, and could only be dated the Middle Neolithic
period based on their find circumstances. Hoards
with a mixture of all the tool types mentioned so far
occur also rarely. Like in the Early Neolithic period,
preforms were put into the hoards. Altogether 19
such cases are known, but only twice they were not
combined with any other items.
For 57 of these Middle Neolithic hoards with
heavy stone tools the nature of their find place was
recorded: 52 come from dry ground, and five were
found in connection with wet ground. These wet
grounds were in three cases bogs or swamp lands,
one time a river, and in the fifth case the items were
found in the direct vicinity of a river. Besides the cer-
tain depositions discussed here, several single finds
of axe heads with shaft-holes have been discovered in
connection to water, for instance from the Elbe River
(cf. Klassen 2004, 417). Out of the 52 hoards from
dry ground, 13 were found inside a contemporary
settlement, and two other hoards in the proximity of
a settlement. Each out of five depositions not in any
connection to contemporary settlements were found
under a big stone. Observations on the arrangement of
the objects are usually rare and, in most cases, they are
limited to mentioning that the objects were found lying
close together. In one particular case, it was noted that
the objects in the hoard were arranged in a star-like
shape (site Wollin [Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
Germany]; see Quitta 1955, 41-42 no. 31). Also no-
table is a hoard in which the artefacts were put into
the ground standing upright (site Mockern [Saxony-
Anhalt, Germany]; Quitta 1955, 34-35 no. 13).
We attempt here to illustrate also the particular
case study of the Middle Neolithic axe heads with
shaft-holes from the northern Mesolithic distribution
area. The data used for this examination included set-
tlement and single finds from southern Scandinavia
and northeastern Germany, as published by Klassen
(2004), as well as shaft-hole axe heads from hoards
from the same region and, additionally, from Bran-
denburg. Histograms, plotting the length of the items,
indicate that Middle Neolithic shaft-hole axe heads
from settlements as well as single finds show almost a
normal distribution. The length variety lies between
7 and 22 cm (Fig. 6). However, notable is a small peak
between a length of 22 to 28 cm, caused by one item
from the Mesolithic pit at Rosenhof (Hartz et al.
2011) and seven single finds. The longest item, of
38.5 cm, is a single find from Tutzpatz (Mecklenburg-