DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.63701#0121
THE FAUNAL REMAINS
Since 1965 the “Instituut voor Prehistorie” of the
State University in Leiden, Netherlands, has been
excavating a Bandceramic site in Southern Germany,
in the vicinity of the village Hienheim, Ldkr. Kel-
heim, Bavaria, under the direction of Prof. Dr.
P. J. R. Modderman.
The site is situated on the left bank of the Danube
at the eastern edge of a loessic plain (Tab. 1). North-
west orientated gulleys, running towards the
Danube, have cut into the Jura limestone and
cristaline schist that underlies the loess. The edge of
the Danube valley is steep and the valley fioor lies
ca. 12 m. below the loessic plain. The floor of the
valley consists of loam, sand and marel. At the
opposite bank of the Danube no loess has been de-
posited. The settlement is bordered on the east by
the Danube valley and on the Southwest by a short,
aborted gulley. Ca. 200 m. to the northeast a wider
gulley runs further to the west. The site was first
inhabited by farmers of the Linear Bandceramic
culture, succeeded by the Stroke-ornamented wäre,
Rössen, Münchshöfener, Altheimer and the Late
Eneolithic Chamer Group. The site was used again
in the Early Bronze Age and finally in the Hallstatt
period (Modderman 1969).
In prehistory the greater part of the region was
most likely covered by deciduous forests. The Band-
ceramic farmers would have been the first who
cleared away part of the trees to get space for plant
cultivation and for herding domestic stock.
Although the loess has been deposited in a chalk
region, the loess itself is decalcified to a depth of
80 cm. and therefore unfavourable for the pre-
servation of organic material, especially bone. Most
of the animal remains recovered are badly preserv-
ed, but there are also a small number that are in
excellent condition. A number of the bones had
been in contact with fire or were completely cal-
cinated. The first habitation belongs to the middle
phase of the younger Linear Bandceramic culture.
A number of North-West South-East orientated
house plans belong to this phase. Between the
houses large pits had been dug, probably to obtain
loam for plastering walls and floors. Similar prac-
tices can still be observed in the Near East where
the quarry pit for the raw material for mud-bricks
lies in the direct vicinity of the house to be built.
These pits are later used as rubbish pits. There are
three C14 dates known 4205 ±45 B. C. (GrN-7156),
4175 ±35 B.C. (GrN-5870) and 3960 ±50 B. C.
(GrN-4830), which indicates that the village may
have been inhabitated for ca. 250 years. The next
habitation phase belongs to the Stroke-ornamented
wäre and Rössener culture, which are difficult to
separate. The bones of both cultures can therefore
be considered to form one group. The houses that
belong to this phase have the same Orientation as
those of the Linear Bandceramic. According to the
excavators, some large pits belong to this period,
although the relation to the houses is less evident
as was the relation of pits to houses in the first
phase. Two C14 dates are known: 3955 ± 40 B.C.
(GrN-7157) and 3830 ± 50 B.C. (GrN-4832). No
bones belong to the Münchshöfener and Altheimer
occupation period. The site was reoccupied 700 years
later by people of the Chamer Group who enclosed
the southeastern part of the terrain by digging two
half concentric moats. Three C14 dates are known
of this phase: 2390 ± 40 B. C. (GrN-6425), 2270 ±
55 B.C. (GrN-5732) and 1935±40 B.C. (GrN-7159).
A single hüt belongs to the Eearly Bronze Age and
finally there were traces found from the Hallstatt
period.
The culture can be established for the pottery and
lithic material found in the pits, but not for the
bones. The faunal remains belong for the larger part
to the limited number of mammal species, that have
lived in Southern Germany since the area was
covered again by deciduous forests after the end of
the Ice-Age. After the introduction of domestic
animals in the Neolithic we can expect to find sheep
and goat, species that are not indigenous in the area;
domestic fowl, since the Iron Age; peacocks,
elephants, one-humped camels and donkeys, since
the Roman period; while rabbits were probably first
introduced in the Middle Ages (Clason 1976). The
wild parent species of cattle, pig, horse, dog and cat
were indigenous in Europe.
From the foregoing, it will be evident that in some
cases it is impossible to detect if bone samples
belong only to one period or if they are mixed. This
and the bad state of preservation make it difficult
to formulate conclusive Statements about hunting,
stock-breeding and the daily diet of the formet
inhabitants of Hienheim, and to register changes if
there were any.
The poor preservation and the possibility that the
remains are mixed, make weighing of the bones
— 117 —
Since 1965 the “Instituut voor Prehistorie” of the
State University in Leiden, Netherlands, has been
excavating a Bandceramic site in Southern Germany,
in the vicinity of the village Hienheim, Ldkr. Kel-
heim, Bavaria, under the direction of Prof. Dr.
P. J. R. Modderman.
The site is situated on the left bank of the Danube
at the eastern edge of a loessic plain (Tab. 1). North-
west orientated gulleys, running towards the
Danube, have cut into the Jura limestone and
cristaline schist that underlies the loess. The edge of
the Danube valley is steep and the valley fioor lies
ca. 12 m. below the loessic plain. The floor of the
valley consists of loam, sand and marel. At the
opposite bank of the Danube no loess has been de-
posited. The settlement is bordered on the east by
the Danube valley and on the Southwest by a short,
aborted gulley. Ca. 200 m. to the northeast a wider
gulley runs further to the west. The site was first
inhabited by farmers of the Linear Bandceramic
culture, succeeded by the Stroke-ornamented wäre,
Rössen, Münchshöfener, Altheimer and the Late
Eneolithic Chamer Group. The site was used again
in the Early Bronze Age and finally in the Hallstatt
period (Modderman 1969).
In prehistory the greater part of the region was
most likely covered by deciduous forests. The Band-
ceramic farmers would have been the first who
cleared away part of the trees to get space for plant
cultivation and for herding domestic stock.
Although the loess has been deposited in a chalk
region, the loess itself is decalcified to a depth of
80 cm. and therefore unfavourable for the pre-
servation of organic material, especially bone. Most
of the animal remains recovered are badly preserv-
ed, but there are also a small number that are in
excellent condition. A number of the bones had
been in contact with fire or were completely cal-
cinated. The first habitation belongs to the middle
phase of the younger Linear Bandceramic culture.
A number of North-West South-East orientated
house plans belong to this phase. Between the
houses large pits had been dug, probably to obtain
loam for plastering walls and floors. Similar prac-
tices can still be observed in the Near East where
the quarry pit for the raw material for mud-bricks
lies in the direct vicinity of the house to be built.
These pits are later used as rubbish pits. There are
three C14 dates known 4205 ±45 B. C. (GrN-7156),
4175 ±35 B.C. (GrN-5870) and 3960 ±50 B. C.
(GrN-4830), which indicates that the village may
have been inhabitated for ca. 250 years. The next
habitation phase belongs to the Stroke-ornamented
wäre and Rössener culture, which are difficult to
separate. The bones of both cultures can therefore
be considered to form one group. The houses that
belong to this phase have the same Orientation as
those of the Linear Bandceramic. According to the
excavators, some large pits belong to this period,
although the relation to the houses is less evident
as was the relation of pits to houses in the first
phase. Two C14 dates are known: 3955 ± 40 B.C.
(GrN-7157) and 3830 ± 50 B.C. (GrN-4832). No
bones belong to the Münchshöfener and Altheimer
occupation period. The site was reoccupied 700 years
later by people of the Chamer Group who enclosed
the southeastern part of the terrain by digging two
half concentric moats. Three C14 dates are known
of this phase: 2390 ± 40 B. C. (GrN-6425), 2270 ±
55 B.C. (GrN-5732) and 1935±40 B.C. (GrN-7159).
A single hüt belongs to the Eearly Bronze Age and
finally there were traces found from the Hallstatt
period.
The culture can be established for the pottery and
lithic material found in the pits, but not for the
bones. The faunal remains belong for the larger part
to the limited number of mammal species, that have
lived in Southern Germany since the area was
covered again by deciduous forests after the end of
the Ice-Age. After the introduction of domestic
animals in the Neolithic we can expect to find sheep
and goat, species that are not indigenous in the area;
domestic fowl, since the Iron Age; peacocks,
elephants, one-humped camels and donkeys, since
the Roman period; while rabbits were probably first
introduced in the Middle Ages (Clason 1976). The
wild parent species of cattle, pig, horse, dog and cat
were indigenous in Europe.
From the foregoing, it will be evident that in some
cases it is impossible to detect if bone samples
belong only to one period or if they are mixed. This
and the bad state of preservation make it difficult
to formulate conclusive Statements about hunting,
stock-breeding and the daily diet of the formet
inhabitants of Hienheim, and to register changes if
there were any.
The poor preservation and the possibility that the
remains are mixed, make weighing of the bones
— 117 —