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"Mesolithic"
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The Mesolithic period
This title paints a vivid picture of the Mesolithic, a key period of human history.
Book
Illuminating the Late Mesolithic: residue analysis of ‘blubber’ lamps from Northern Europe
Shallow oval bowls used on the Baltic coast in the Mesolithic have been suggested as oil lamps, burning animal fat. Here researchers confirm the use of four coastal examples as lamps burning blubber—the fat of marine animals, while an inland example burned fat from terrestrial mammals or freshwater aquatics—perhaps eels. The authors use a combination of lipid biomarker and bulk and single-compound carbon isotope analysis to indicate the origin of the residues in these vessels.
Journal Article
New insights into the Mesolithic and Neolithic layers of the Darkveti rock shelter in the Imereti Region, Western Georgia
The Darkveti multi-layered site in the Imereti region of Georgia offers valuable insights into prehistoric human activity. Despite extensive research conducted in the 1960s and 1970s by Lamara Nebieridze, certain aspects of the site's chronology and inhabitants' mobility remained unclear. This study aims to address these gaps through collaborative, interdisciplinary research involving Georgian and foreign scientists. The primary objective is to precisely date the cultural layers belonging to the Mesolithic and Neolithic epochs using absolute dating methods. By combining archaeological evidence with palaeontological, geoarchaeological, and palaeobotanical data, this study aims to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and subsistence strategies of the Darkveti inhabitants. Additionally, the analysis of stone tools and lithic raw materials will shed light on technological developments and possible connections with neighbouring regions. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the cultural dynamics, mobility patterns, and adaptations of prehistoric communities in the Imereti region and the wider Caucasus. Večslojno najdišče Darkveti v regiji Imereti v Gruziji ponuja dragocen vpogled v človekove dejavnosti v prazgodovini. Kljub obsežnim raziskavam, ki jih je v šestdesetih in sedemdesetih letih 20. stoletja opravila Lamara Nebieridze, sta kronologija naselbine in poselitvena mobilnost ostali nejasni. Namen naše študije je odpraviti te vrzeli z interdisciplinarnimi raziskavami, v katere so vključeni znanstveniki iz Gruzije in tujine. Osnovni cilj je natančno datiranje mezolitskih in neolitskih kulturnih plasti s pomočjo absolutnih metod. S povezanimi arheološkimi, paleontološkimi, geoarheološkimi in paleobotaničnimi podatki želimo rekonstruirati paleookolje in strategije preživetja prebivalcev Darkvetija. Poleg tega analiza kamnitih orodij in litičnih surovin osvetljuje tehnološki razvoj in povezave s sosednjimi regijami. Ugotovitve prispevajo k boljšemu razumevanju kulturne dinamike, vzorcev mobilnosti in prilagoditev prazgodovinskih skupnosti v regiji Imereti in na širšem Kavkazu.
Journal Article
Thoughtful foragers : a study of prehistoric decision making
Focusing on hunter-gatherer decision making, Mithen explores the implications of the human mind as a product of biological evolution for the way in which humans solve foraging problems. He draws on studies from ethology, psychology and ethnography prior to turning his attention to prehistoric hunter-gatherers.
Book
Substantial settlement in the European Early Mesolithic: new research at Star Carr
The authors rewrite the character of Early Mesolithic settlement in Europe with their new research at one of its most famous sites. The picture of small mobile pioneering groups colonising new land is thrown into contention: far from being a small hunter-gatherer camp, Star Carr in 9000 cal BC extended for nearly 2ha and involved the construction of an estimated 30m of lakeside waterfront and at least one post-built house. With some justice, they suspect that the ‘small groups’ of Early Mesolithic Europe may have their rationale in the small excavations of archaeologists.
Journal Article
Expedient and efficient: an Early Mesolithic composite implement from Krzyż Wielkopolski
The Northern European Mesolithic is well known for the manufacture of composite tools and weapons for specialised purposes. A composite implement recovered from the Early Holocene site of Krzyż Wielkopolski 7 in Poland, dated to the Preboreal/Boreal transition, raises questions about expediency versus efficiency in the fabrication of these artefacts. Here, the authors characterise its materials and production: a bone splinter mounted on a shaft of pine wood, secured with bast ligatures coated in birch bark tar. While the manufacture of the implement's individual components can be characterised as ‘expedient’, the finished implement is, however, complex, efficient and durable.
Journal Article
Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia: Investigating early postglacial migration routes and high-latitude adaptation
Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data display an east-west genetic gradient that opposes the pattern seen in other parts of Mesolithic Europe. Our results suggest two different early postglacial migrations into Scandinavia: initially from the south, and later, from the northeast. The latter followed the ice-free Norwegian north Atlantic coast, along which novel and advanced pressure-blade stone-tool techniques may have spread. These two groups met and mixed in Scandinavia, creating a genetically diverse population, which shows patterns of genetic adaptation to high latitude environments. These potential adaptations include high frequencies of low pigmentation variants and a gene region associated with physical performance, which shows strong continuity into modern-day northern Europeans.
Journal Article