DOI chapter:
Grenzgänger, traders and the last hunter-gatherers of the North European Plain
DOI chapter:Thielen, Laura: The Late Mesolithic in Hamburg-Boberg: inter-cultural interactions and impacts
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66745#0206
Laura Thielen
205
Fig. 6 Boberg. Interaction network. No scale.
Mesolithic. Keeping in mind that the early Neolithic
Funnel Beaker culture starts around 4,100/4,000 BC,
especially the Rhinow 30 dates also support a posi-
tion in the transition horizon between final Mesolithic
and early Neolithic (cf. Kotula etal. 2015, 500-503;
Wetzel 2015,519). Concerning the chronological set-
ting of the pottery, the radiocarbon dates of completely
decorated vessels from Boberg 15 also seem to support
a dating in the final Mesolithic as well as in the transi-
tion horizon (Table 1; LuS 11578,11658, LuS 1157718).
Regarding a possible reservoir-effect, the settlements
are situated near water and thus the use of aquatic
resources might have adversely affected the radiocar-
bon dating results. In this context, the missing carbon
values of the Boberg pottery as well as the low carbon
values of the Friesack and Rhinow dates urge caution
(cf. Kotula et al. 2015, 500-502; Wetzel 2015, 523),
and further radiocarbon dates are necessary to confirm
the dating in the transition from final Mesolithic to
early Neolithic.
In sum, the geographical distribution of flat-bot-
tomed pottery with fingernail impressions and the
restricted settlement region in northern Germany
18 The analysis was conducted by Anders Lindahl, The Labo-
ratory of ceramic research, Lund University, Schweden.
alongside the river Elbe are conspicuous, as is the
dating. Both seem to support the term ‘Friesack-Bo-
berg group’, defined after Wetzel (2015). However, it
should be emphasised that inter-cultural interaction
and impacts, which can be connected to the Swifter-
bant culture as well as the Gatersleben culture, played
a significant part for the establishment of the overall
decorated pottery at the Boberg sites. In addition,
regarding the adaptation of flat bottoms, influence
by the Brzesc Kujawski-/Lengyel culture can be dis-
cussed for the sites Friesack 4 and Rhinow 30 (Wetzel
2015, 528 fig. 17), which might indicate that different
Neolithic cultures influenced the development of the
flat-bottomed pottery in the north.
Furthermore, the pottery with overall fingernail
impressions stands out due to its distribution at the
Boberg sites. Final Mesolithic pottery and early Neo-
lithic vessels decorated with arcades and punctures
from the outside, resulting in a bossel on the inside
(‘Lochbuckel’), occur at Boberg 15, 15 East, and 20,
and indicate that all sites were settled by groups of the
Ertebolle and early Funnel Beaker culture. In con-
trast, the pottery with overall fingernail impressions
is only present at Boberg 15. As mentioned above, a
social relationship between the sites is presumed, and
the limited incidence of vessels might indicate that
the Friesack-Boberg pottery had a special function as
205
Fig. 6 Boberg. Interaction network. No scale.
Mesolithic. Keeping in mind that the early Neolithic
Funnel Beaker culture starts around 4,100/4,000 BC,
especially the Rhinow 30 dates also support a posi-
tion in the transition horizon between final Mesolithic
and early Neolithic (cf. Kotula etal. 2015, 500-503;
Wetzel 2015,519). Concerning the chronological set-
ting of the pottery, the radiocarbon dates of completely
decorated vessels from Boberg 15 also seem to support
a dating in the final Mesolithic as well as in the transi-
tion horizon (Table 1; LuS 11578,11658, LuS 1157718).
Regarding a possible reservoir-effect, the settlements
are situated near water and thus the use of aquatic
resources might have adversely affected the radiocar-
bon dating results. In this context, the missing carbon
values of the Boberg pottery as well as the low carbon
values of the Friesack and Rhinow dates urge caution
(cf. Kotula et al. 2015, 500-502; Wetzel 2015, 523),
and further radiocarbon dates are necessary to confirm
the dating in the transition from final Mesolithic to
early Neolithic.
In sum, the geographical distribution of flat-bot-
tomed pottery with fingernail impressions and the
restricted settlement region in northern Germany
18 The analysis was conducted by Anders Lindahl, The Labo-
ratory of ceramic research, Lund University, Schweden.
alongside the river Elbe are conspicuous, as is the
dating. Both seem to support the term ‘Friesack-Bo-
berg group’, defined after Wetzel (2015). However, it
should be emphasised that inter-cultural interaction
and impacts, which can be connected to the Swifter-
bant culture as well as the Gatersleben culture, played
a significant part for the establishment of the overall
decorated pottery at the Boberg sites. In addition,
regarding the adaptation of flat bottoms, influence
by the Brzesc Kujawski-/Lengyel culture can be dis-
cussed for the sites Friesack 4 and Rhinow 30 (Wetzel
2015, 528 fig. 17), which might indicate that different
Neolithic cultures influenced the development of the
flat-bottomed pottery in the north.
Furthermore, the pottery with overall fingernail
impressions stands out due to its distribution at the
Boberg sites. Final Mesolithic pottery and early Neo-
lithic vessels decorated with arcades and punctures
from the outside, resulting in a bossel on the inside
(‘Lochbuckel’), occur at Boberg 15, 15 East, and 20,
and indicate that all sites were settled by groups of the
Ertebolle and early Funnel Beaker culture. In con-
trast, the pottery with overall fingernail impressions
is only present at Boberg 15. As mentioned above, a
social relationship between the sites is presumed, and
the limited incidence of vessels might indicate that
the Friesack-Boberg pottery had a special function as