The German Late Mesolithic and Forager-Farmer Contact

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A research team, lead by Dr. Michael Jochim, will conduct a survey and archaeological excavation in the Federsee region of Germany. Prior work by Dr. Jochim has revealed the presence of a Late/Terminal Mesolithic site, Henauhof West, which is located near an extinct shoreline of Lake Federsee. The site holds great potential because materials lie in a layer of waterlogged peat and this has resulted in the excellent preservation of cultural remains. Not only faunal remains but also fragile plant specimens can be recovered. The materials recovered from these excavations will be analyzed to show changing patterns of subsistence and material culture during the transition from Late to Terminal Mesolithic. Dr. Jochim will also conduct a regional survey to locate other sites. This period of Central European prehistory is of interest because it marks the first appearance of agriculturalists in an area which until then had been occupied solely by hunting and gathering societies. During the Late Mesolithic the Federsee region was inhabited solely by such foraging peoples. In the Terminal period the first agriculturalists most likely appeared from the Southeast. Archaeologists have speculated on the effect of this contact and have proposed a number of models for the interaction which resulted. Some have suggested that hostility was the norm while other believe that rapid assimilation took place. Very little data however are available to address this issue and, for this reason, Dr. Jochim's work is of great interest. From a broader perspective, this research is important for several reasons. First, it examines the interactions between more and less technologically advanced societies, and the general principles which emerge may be applicable to many situations, including contemporary ones. Secondly, because of the close cooperation between the German and American teams, scientific ties between the two countries will be strengthened.