The German Mesolithic/Neolithic Transition

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With support from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Michael Jochim will conduct archaeological excavations at the site of Henauhof Northwest 2 (HNW-2) located in south-central Germany. Preliminary work by Dr. Jochim indicates that the site was occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers approximately 6500 years ago. It lies on the shoreline of a former lake and is rich in both lithic and faunal remains. During one season of fieldwork Dr. Jochim and his colleagues will excavate an area of 80-100 square meters. All finds will be measured in three dimensions and all sediments screened. In addition, soil samples will be studied to recover small lithic debitage and faunal remains. Soil samples will be taken for palynological and botanical analysis and charcoal samples collected for radiocarbon dating. Botanical floral and lithic analysis will be conducted. The period around 6500 years ago marks a time of marked change in this region. The local Mesolithic inhabitants, who for thousands of years hunted and gathered, were exposed to intrusive "Linear Band Ceramic" (LBK) cultures which were intrusive to the region and which followed a Neolithic way of life. The LBK peoples planted crops, kept domestic animals and used ceramic vessels. Because archaeologists are interested in questions of culture change and contact, the interaction between Mesolithic foragers and LBK immigrants is a subject of great interest. Several models, ranging from avoidance to open warfare to cooperation have been proposed yet data is not available to select among them. Because the HNW-2 contains rich well stratified remains from the appropriate time period, it has the potential to shed light on this issue. The small scale work proposed for this one season project should establish a basis for a larger project. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to a large number of Europeanist archaeologists. It will, hopefully, provide new insight into how cultures interact and change Finally it will aid in the training of students.