Mesolithic in Northwestern Germany: Investigations on landscape use and cultural interrelations

计划中的项目旨在调查德国西北部两个新发现的保存完好的中石器时代遗址。中石器时代位于冰川期结束和新石器时代开始引入农业之间。在中欧北部，对中石器时代的研究现状非常不平衡。计划项目的目的是显著改善德国西北部目前的研究状况。在2019年至2022年期间，在DFG项目“德国西北部的中石器时代”期间，约有23个地点进行了中石器时代发现层的良好保存条件测试。对淹水地点的调查”。在十个显示出普遍良好潜力的地点中，有两个发现了保存非常完好的中石器时代的浸水沉积物：Neuenwalde 135地点位于Weser河和易北河之间的Cuxhaven地区。该遗址提供了强烈而持久的中石器时代活动的证据，在有机物质保存完好的背景下，具有明确的时空分布。活动阶段可以追溯到公元前7400至8500 cal之间的中石器时代早期，以及公元前6000至4500 cal之间的中石器时代后半期。Osteel 2位于东弗里斯兰西部的Aurich地区，发现了几块桦树皮垫，可以追溯到第5磨坊。卡尔BC。它们被用作低地湿润地区边缘的地板。在德国北部和丹麦的几个中石器时代遗址也发现了类似的情况和发现。计划中的项目旨在调查Neuenwalde和Osteel地区的中石器时代景观及其居民的土地使用、物质文化和时间发展。对这两个地区的比较和互补研究将首次导致对埃姆斯河和易北河之间的中石器时代的不同见解。因此，计划对这两个地区的代表性部分进行进一步挖掘。这一发现的材料和景观考古结果将与基于放射性碳年代的可靠年表一起，为该地区中石器时代的结构提供关键。为了更好地理解纽恩瓦尔德和Osteel中石器时代占领期间的活动、发展和决策过程，我们考虑了民族学类比。改进调查策略以识别德国西北部的石器时代遗址是该项目的另一个方法论目标。

The planned project is designed to investigate two newly recovered and very well preserved Mesolithic sites in Northwestern Germany.The Mesolithic is situated chronologically between the end of the glacial period and the introduction of farming at the beginning of the Neolithic. In the northern part of central Europe the current state of research on the Mesolithic is very unbalanced. The aim of the planned project is to improve the state of current research in Northwestern Germany significantly.Between 2019 and 2022 about 23 sites were tested for good preservation conditions of Mesolithic find layers during the DFG project “Mesolithic in Northwestern Germany. A survey for water-logged sites”. Out of ten sites, which showed a generally good potential, two revealed very well preserved waterlogged Mesolithic sediments: The site of Neuenwalde 135 is situated in the district of Cuxhaven between the rivers Weser and Elbe. The site has provided evidence of intense and enduring Mesolithic activities with a clear spatial and temporal distribution in the context of an excellent preservation of organic material. The activity phases date to the early Mesolithic between 7400 to 8500 cal BC as well as to the second half of the Mesolithic between 6000 and 4500 cal BC.The site of Osteel 2 in the western East Frisian district of Aurich has revealed several birch bark mats, which date to the 5th mill. cal BC. They were used as flooring on the edge of the wetter parts of the lowlands. Similar situations and finds are known from several Mesolithic sites in Northern Germany and Denmark. The planned project aims to investigate the Mesolithic landscape and its inhabitants in the areas of Neuenwalde and Osteel in terms of land use, material culture and chronological development. The comparative and complementary study of both regions will lead for the first time to a differentiated insight into the Mesolithic between the rivers Ems and Elbe.Therefore, further excavations of representative parts of the two areas are planned. The find material and landscape-archaeological results will provide together with a robust chronology based on radiocarbon dates the key for a structuring of the Mesolithic in that area.For a better understanding of activities, developments and decision processes during the Mesolithic occupation in Neuenwalde and Osteel ethnological analogies are taken into account.The improvement of survey strategies for the recognition of Stone Age sites in Northwestern Germany is an additional methodological aim of the project.