Jørn Zeiler - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers on Corded Ware Culture by Jørn Zeiler
by Jørn Zeiler, Bjorn Smit, Roel Lauwerier, Sandra Beckerman, Inge van der Jagt, Lucy Kubiak-Martens, Virginia Garcia Diaz, Liesbeth Theunissen, Hans Peeters, Gary Nobles, and Jos Kleijne
THEUNISSEN, E.M., BRINKKEMPER, O., LAUWERIER, R.C.G.M., SMIT, B.I., & I.M.M.VAN.DER.JAGT (eds.) A Mosaic of habitation at Zeewijk (the Netherlands). Late Neolithic Behavioural Variability in a Dynamic Landscape.
Zeewijk is an important final building block in the better understanding of Neolithic and Corded ... more Zeewijk is an important final building block in the better understanding of Neolithic and Corded Ware Culture life in Noord-Holland that we set out to achieve in our project. Looking back at the analysis and publication of the fairly small sites at Keinsmerbrug and Mienakker, the new information added by the much larger site Zeewijk is fascinating. Because Zeewijk is very different in many respects – in terms of the backlog, size, quantity of finds and proportion excavated – its story is a valuable outcome of our Odyssey research project.
We can conclude that Zeewijk was a large domestic settlement, occupied all year round. In our view Zeewijk must be seen as a location where recurrent habitation took place, intensively, alternated with subsistence activities. It is a permanent mosaic of different assemblages: relocated dwellings, cultivated plots and the building and partial demolition of a remarkable ritual structure.
The habitants of Zeewijk carried out a broad spectrum of activities related to subsistence: mixed intensive farming (including small-scale crop cultivation, crop processing and
consumption, and animal herding and consumption), foraging, fishing, fowling and hunting all took place there. Furthermore there is ample evidence of craftsmanship.
This variety of local crafts, the construction and use of the large ceremonial building in Zeewijk-East and the large variation in ceramics are seen as indications that different groups of
Corded Ware people settled at Zeewijk. These groups were probably household groups, a community of several families, related by kinship both genetic and affinal.
Papers by Jørn Zeiler
Het betreft een definitief archeologisch onderzoek, d.m.v. het voorboren van de heipalen. Daarbij... more Het betreft een definitief archeologisch onderzoek, d.m.v. het voorboren van de heipalen. Daarbij zal het donkzand worden bemonsterd om op die manier de eventuele archeolgische resten die op basis van het vooronderzoek worden verwacht ex situ te behouden. Er zullen ca. 40 boringen worden uitgevoerd. RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau heeft in oktober 2008 een archeologische opgraving (voorboren van heipalen) uitgevoerd in verband met de voorgenomen aanleg van enkele gebouwen en bestrating op een terrein aan de Veerweg (N478) in de gemeente Bergambacht. Binnen het plangebied heeft een archeologische opgraving (voorboren van heipalen) plaatsgevonden. Daarbij zijn de archeologische waarden, die in de bodem aanwezig waren door middel van behoud ex situ veilig gesteld. In het kader van de nieuwbouw binnen het plangebied zullen geen andere bodemingrepen dieper dan 2 m -Mv plaatsvinden, dan het slaan van de uitgeboorde heipalen. De vindplaats binnen het plangebied zal niet verder meer worden verstoord en worden ‘beschermd’ tegen verdere verstoring door de te realiseren bebouwing. NB De begrenzing van het plangebied is globaal aangegeven.
A Bouquet of Archaeozoological Studies
Sidestone press, Oct 9, 2021
Open Quaternary, 2019
More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoologica... more More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoological study on Dutch faunal assemblages. Inspired by the anniversary of this landmark publication, this paper presents a status overview of Dutch archaeozoology organized in twelve themes (e.g. rituals, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, medieval period). The paper also discusses the common methods applied in Dutch archaeozoology, and includes extensive supplementary material that summarizes data from gray literature in Dutch. Our aim is to provide a guide to archaeozoological questions pertaining to the Netherlands and open a window for researchers working outside the Netherlands to the highly active world of Dutch archaeozoology.
Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes... more Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes be connected with falconry. This applies to bones of species such as sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and possibly also hobby (Falco subbuteo). Remains of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are more likely to come from local (breeding) birds, as it seems to be hardly used in falconry. Bones of common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and kite (Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species were never used in falconry nor lived in these places. The same applies to remains of shorteared owl (Asio fl ammeus), while the presence of other owl species can easily be explained in terms of birds breeding or foraging locally. In this paper the possibility is discussed that there might yet be a link with falconry, with buzzards, kites and short-eared owls being part of the falconers’ game bag. Indications for this are found in oral and written sour...
The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association ... more The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association with humans. The dispersal history of this non-native commensal rodent across Europe, however, remains poorly understood, and different introductions may have occurred during the Roman and medieval periods. Here, in order to reconstruct the population history of European black rats, we generated a de novo genome assembly of the black rat, 67 ancient black rat mitogenomes and 36 ancient nuclear genomes from sites spanning the 1st-17th centuries CE in Europe and North Africa. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA confirm that black rats were introduced into the Mediterranean and Europe from Southwest Asia. Genomic analyses of the ancient rats reveal a population turnover in temperate Europe between the 6th and 10th centuries CE, coincident with an archaeologically attested decline in the black rat population. The near disappearance and re-emergence of black rats in Europe may have been the result ...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
In 2006, after centuries of absence, a pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) bred su... more In 2006, after centuries of absence, a pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) bred successfully in the Netherlands. Since then, the species has slowly spread across the country. The white-tailed eagle’s return is a consequence of its spectacular increase in Northern Europe and Germany, and the westward expansion of the breeding area. At least one bird of the first breeding pair hatched in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany.
Introduction In November 2011 archaeologists of City of Rotterdam Archaeological Service (BOOR) c... more Introduction In November 2011 archaeologists of City of Rotterdam Archaeological Service (BOOR) conducted underwater research in the Yangtze harbour, Rotterdam Maasvlakte, The Netherlands. The research was carried out by order of Port of Rotterdam Authority and supervised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. The results of geological, botanical, zoological and archaeological analyses of the retrieved material generated new information on the occupation of a relatively high river dune by prehistoric hunter-gatherers, and on the development history of the surrounding landscape ca. 9,000 years ago. Methods Rather than employing divers the underwater investigations were carried out on board a vessel using a wire-operated, horizontal closing grab. Three small trenches (total area ca. 375m²) were excavated in layers in a fairly controlled fashion. Underwater excavations cannot achieve the same level of precision as is possible on land, but the many soil core samples taken in the project’s preliminary phase allowed detailed descriptions of the geomorphological stratigraphy. The excavation resulted in 316 bulk bags of soil. All soil was sieved on land, using sieves with mesh sizes of 10 and 2mm, after which archaeologists and volunteers carefully sorted the residues, documenting a total of ca. 46,000 finds. Results Plenty of Mesolithic occupation remains were retrieved at all three grab locations, from depths ranging between 17 to 21m below modern MSL. The finds span the age range from ca. 8400 to 6500BC, when the site transformed from dryland (an inland dune) to wetland (drowned delta subsurface). At the foot of the inland dune, the depositional conditions allowed for excellent preservation of bone, charcoal and plant material as well as stone artefacts. The site provides an unusually rich and detailed body of evidence on environmental conditions and the Middle Mesolithic palaeo-economy. The landscape ecotones around the site yielded an abundance of food while gradually being transformed, due to rising sea levels, from a valley containing the rivers Rhine and Meuse into the mouth area of those rivers. At 6500 BC, the site was finally transgressed: drowned in an estuary and swallowed up by the sea. Conclusion The Rotterdam Yangtze Harbour research project demonstrates the preservation of Mesolithic sites along the river Rhine, at depths in nowadays coastal and offshore areas. Furthermore, it demonstrates the feasibility of archaeological investigation of such submerged sites, even at depths of 18 to 20 m beneath sea, lake and harbour floors. Never before had such a submerged site been excavated at such a great depth. The scientific report (in English) will appear in the autumn of 2014, providing a full description of all finds as well as their landscape context.
More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoologica... more More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoological study on Dutch faunal assemblages. Inspired by the anniversary of this landmark publication, this paper presents a status overview of Dutch archaeozoology organized in twelve themes (e.g. rituals, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, medieval period). The paper also discusses the common methods applied in Dutch archaeozoology, and includes extensive supplementary material that summarizes data from gray literature in Dutch. Our aim is to provide a guide to archaeozoological questions pertaining to the Netherlands and open a window for researchers working outside the Netherlands to the highly active world of Dutch archaeozoology.
by Jørn Zeiler, Bjorn Smit, Roel Lauwerier, Sandra Beckerman, Inge van der Jagt, Lucy Kubiak-Martens, Virginia Garcia Diaz, Liesbeth Theunissen, Hans Peeters, Gary Nobles, and Jos Kleijne
THEUNISSEN, E.M., BRINKKEMPER, O., LAUWERIER, R.C.G.M., SMIT, B.I., & I.M.M.VAN.DER.JAGT (eds.) A Mosaic of habitation at Zeewijk (the Netherlands). Late Neolithic Behavioural Variability in a Dynamic Landscape.
Zeewijk is an important final building block in the better understanding of Neolithic and Corded ... more Zeewijk is an important final building block in the better understanding of Neolithic and Corded Ware Culture life in Noord-Holland that we set out to achieve in our project. Looking back at the analysis and publication of the fairly small sites at Keinsmerbrug and Mienakker, the new information added by the much larger site Zeewijk is fascinating. Because Zeewijk is very different in many respects – in terms of the backlog, size, quantity of finds and proportion excavated – its story is a valuable outcome of our Odyssey research project.
We can conclude that Zeewijk was a large domestic settlement, occupied all year round. In our view Zeewijk must be seen as a location where recurrent habitation took place, intensively, alternated with subsistence activities. It is a permanent mosaic of different assemblages: relocated dwellings, cultivated plots and the building and partial demolition of a remarkable ritual structure.
The habitants of Zeewijk carried out a broad spectrum of activities related to subsistence: mixed intensive farming (including small-scale crop cultivation, crop processing and
consumption, and animal herding and consumption), foraging, fishing, fowling and hunting all took place there. Furthermore there is ample evidence of craftsmanship.
This variety of local crafts, the construction and use of the large ceremonial building in Zeewijk-East and the large variation in ceramics are seen as indications that different groups of
Corded Ware people settled at Zeewijk. These groups were probably household groups, a community of several families, related by kinship both genetic and affinal.
Het betreft een definitief archeologisch onderzoek, d.m.v. het voorboren van de heipalen. Daarbij... more Het betreft een definitief archeologisch onderzoek, d.m.v. het voorboren van de heipalen. Daarbij zal het donkzand worden bemonsterd om op die manier de eventuele archeolgische resten die op basis van het vooronderzoek worden verwacht ex situ te behouden. Er zullen ca. 40 boringen worden uitgevoerd. RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau heeft in oktober 2008 een archeologische opgraving (voorboren van heipalen) uitgevoerd in verband met de voorgenomen aanleg van enkele gebouwen en bestrating op een terrein aan de Veerweg (N478) in de gemeente Bergambacht. Binnen het plangebied heeft een archeologische opgraving (voorboren van heipalen) plaatsgevonden. Daarbij zijn de archeologische waarden, die in de bodem aanwezig waren door middel van behoud ex situ veilig gesteld. In het kader van de nieuwbouw binnen het plangebied zullen geen andere bodemingrepen dieper dan 2 m -Mv plaatsvinden, dan het slaan van de uitgeboorde heipalen. De vindplaats binnen het plangebied zal niet verder meer worden verstoord en worden ‘beschermd’ tegen verdere verstoring door de te realiseren bebouwing. NB De begrenzing van het plangebied is globaal aangegeven.
A Bouquet of Archaeozoological Studies
Sidestone press, Oct 9, 2021
Open Quaternary, 2019
More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoologica... more More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoological study on Dutch faunal assemblages. Inspired by the anniversary of this landmark publication, this paper presents a status overview of Dutch archaeozoology organized in twelve themes (e.g. rituals, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, medieval period). The paper also discusses the common methods applied in Dutch archaeozoology, and includes extensive supplementary material that summarizes data from gray literature in Dutch. Our aim is to provide a guide to archaeozoological questions pertaining to the Netherlands and open a window for researchers working outside the Netherlands to the highly active world of Dutch archaeozoology.
Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes... more Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes be connected with falconry. This applies to bones of species such as sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and possibly also hobby (Falco subbuteo). Remains of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are more likely to come from local (breeding) birds, as it seems to be hardly used in falconry. Bones of common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and kite (Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species were never used in falconry nor lived in these places. The same applies to remains of shorteared owl (Asio fl ammeus), while the presence of other owl species can easily be explained in terms of birds breeding or foraging locally. In this paper the possibility is discussed that there might yet be a link with falconry, with buzzards, kites and short-eared owls being part of the falconers’ game bag. Indications for this are found in oral and written sour...
The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association ... more The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association with humans. The dispersal history of this non-native commensal rodent across Europe, however, remains poorly understood, and different introductions may have occurred during the Roman and medieval periods. Here, in order to reconstruct the population history of European black rats, we generated a de novo genome assembly of the black rat, 67 ancient black rat mitogenomes and 36 ancient nuclear genomes from sites spanning the 1st-17th centuries CE in Europe and North Africa. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA confirm that black rats were introduced into the Mediterranean and Europe from Southwest Asia. Genomic analyses of the ancient rats reveal a population turnover in temperate Europe between the 6th and 10th centuries CE, coincident with an archaeologically attested decline in the black rat population. The near disappearance and re-emergence of black rats in Europe may have been the result ...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2018
In 2006, after centuries of absence, a pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) bred su... more In 2006, after centuries of absence, a pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) bred successfully in the Netherlands. Since then, the species has slowly spread across the country. The white-tailed eagle’s return is a consequence of its spectacular increase in Northern Europe and Germany, and the westward expansion of the breeding area. At least one bird of the first breeding pair hatched in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany.
Introduction In November 2011 archaeologists of City of Rotterdam Archaeological Service (BOOR) c... more Introduction In November 2011 archaeologists of City of Rotterdam Archaeological Service (BOOR) conducted underwater research in the Yangtze harbour, Rotterdam Maasvlakte, The Netherlands. The research was carried out by order of Port of Rotterdam Authority and supervised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. The results of geological, botanical, zoological and archaeological analyses of the retrieved material generated new information on the occupation of a relatively high river dune by prehistoric hunter-gatherers, and on the development history of the surrounding landscape ca. 9,000 years ago. Methods Rather than employing divers the underwater investigations were carried out on board a vessel using a wire-operated, horizontal closing grab. Three small trenches (total area ca. 375m²) were excavated in layers in a fairly controlled fashion. Underwater excavations cannot achieve the same level of precision as is possible on land, but the many soil core samples taken in the project’s preliminary phase allowed detailed descriptions of the geomorphological stratigraphy. The excavation resulted in 316 bulk bags of soil. All soil was sieved on land, using sieves with mesh sizes of 10 and 2mm, after which archaeologists and volunteers carefully sorted the residues, documenting a total of ca. 46,000 finds. Results Plenty of Mesolithic occupation remains were retrieved at all three grab locations, from depths ranging between 17 to 21m below modern MSL. The finds span the age range from ca. 8400 to 6500BC, when the site transformed from dryland (an inland dune) to wetland (drowned delta subsurface). At the foot of the inland dune, the depositional conditions allowed for excellent preservation of bone, charcoal and plant material as well as stone artefacts. The site provides an unusually rich and detailed body of evidence on environmental conditions and the Middle Mesolithic palaeo-economy. The landscape ecotones around the site yielded an abundance of food while gradually being transformed, due to rising sea levels, from a valley containing the rivers Rhine and Meuse into the mouth area of those rivers. At 6500 BC, the site was finally transgressed: drowned in an estuary and swallowed up by the sea. Conclusion The Rotterdam Yangtze Harbour research project demonstrates the preservation of Mesolithic sites along the river Rhine, at depths in nowadays coastal and offshore areas. Furthermore, it demonstrates the feasibility of archaeological investigation of such submerged sites, even at depths of 18 to 20 m beneath sea, lake and harbour floors. Never before had such a submerged site been excavated at such a great depth. The scientific report (in English) will appear in the autumn of 2014, providing a full description of all finds as well as their landscape context.
More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoologica... more More than fifty years ago, Anneke T. Clason published the first English-language archaeozoological study on Dutch faunal assemblages. Inspired by the anniversary of this landmark publication, this paper presents a status overview of Dutch archaeozoology organized in twelve themes (e.g. rituals, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, medieval period). The paper also discusses the common methods applied in Dutch archaeozoology, and includes extensive supplementary material that summarizes data from gray literature in Dutch. Our aim is to provide a guide to archaeozoological questions pertaining to the Netherlands and open a window for researchers working outside the Netherlands to the highly active world of Dutch archaeozoology.
The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association ... more The distribution of the black rat (Rattus rattus) has been heavily influenced by its association with humans. The dispersal history of this non-native commensal rodent across Europe, however, remains poorly understood, and different introductions may have occurred during the Roman and medieval periods. Here, in order to reconstruct the population history of European black rats, we generated a de novo genome assembly of the black rat, 67 ancient black rat mitogenomes and 36 ancient nuclear genomes from sites spanning the 1 st-17 th centuries CE in Europe and North Africa. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA confirm that black rats were introduced into the Mediterranean and Europe from Southwest Asia. Genomic analyses of the ancient rats reveal a population turnover in temperate Europe between the 6 th and 10 th centuries CE, coincident with an archaeologically attested decline in the black rat population. The near disappearance and re-emergence of black rats in Europe may have been the result of the breakdown of the Roman Empire, the First Plague Pandemic, and/or post-Roman climatic cooling. .
A Taste of Honey Food from the Bronze Age coastal site of Velsen Waterland Jos Kleijne, Lucy Kubiak-Martens,, 2021
Verandering van spijs. Tienduizend jaar voedselbereiding en eetgewoonten. , 2021
Mesolithic burials - Rites, symbols and social organization of early postglacial communities / Mesolithische Bestattungen – Riten, Symbole und soziale Organisation früher postglazialer Gemeinschaften. Proceedings of the International Conference Halle (Saale), Germany, 18th-21st September 2013.
Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verz... more Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über https://portal.dnb.de abrufbar. issn 2194-9441 isbn 978-3-9445o7-43-9 Koordination Judith M. Grünberg • Halle (Saale) Wissenschaftliche Redaktion Judith M. Grünberg • Halle (Saale), Bernhard Gramsch • Potsdam Englisches Lektorat Alison Wilson • Cambridge, UK Deutsche Zusammenfassungen der Beiträge von Nicht-Muttersprachlern Judith M. Grünberg • Halle (Saale), Bernhard Gramsch • Potsdam Übersetzung englischer Texte (22,
In: D.C.M. Raemaekers, E. Esser, R.C.G.M. Lauwerier & J.T. Zeiler (eds.), A bouquet of archaeozoological studies. Essays in honour of Wietske Prummel (= Groningen Archaeological Studies 21). Barkhuis Publishing, Groningen: 61-76., 2012
9 789491 431159 is volume comprises papers presented to Wietske Prummel on the occasion of her re... more 9 789491 431159 is volume comprises papers presented to Wietske Prummel on the occasion of her retirement from the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (University of Groningen) in 2012. e contributions cover a wide range of topics from all realms of archaeozoology, such as animal husbandry and mobility, bird exploitation and fi shery. e papers are dedicated to Wietske in celebration of her scientifi c career.
Aangespoeld en opgeraapt. Archeozoölogisch onderzoek van bewerkt bot en gewei van Maasvlakte 1 en 2 en Hoek van Holland: een eerste inventarisatie , 2021
Een inventarisatie van opgespoten paleolithische en mesolithische artefacten van (vuur)steen, bot... more Een inventarisatie van opgespoten paleolithische en mesolithische artefacten van (vuur)steen, bot en gewei van Maasvlakte (1 en 2) en Hoek van Holland (gemeente Rotterdam): een aanzet voor vervolgonderzoek A. Carmiggelt en D.E.A. Schiltmans (red.) Met bijdragen van L.
A Taste of Honey Food from the Bronze Age coastal site of Velsen Waterland Jos Kleijne, Lucy Kubiak-Martens,, 2021
Between 2009 and 2014, a research project was carried out by several research institutes and comm... more Between 2009 and 2014, a research project
was carried out by several research institutes
and commercial companies in order to study
and publish three settlement sites of the Single
Grave Culture located in the Western Netherlands.
These sites were excavated more than
twenty years ago, but unfortunately the results
were only scarcely published, and mostly in
Dutch. This research project provided an excellent
opportunity to unlock the high quality
archaeological information. The presence of
organic remains and numerous artefacts in
cultural layers and the thorough excavation of
these layers have produced a wealth of data
regarding Late Neolithic behavioural variability
in a dynamic wetland landscape. In this
article, a summary of the results of this project
will be presented.
Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes... more Skeletal remains of birds of prey from (post-) medieval sites of high social status can sometimes be connected with falconry. This applies to bones of species such as sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and possibly also hobby (Falco subbuteo). Remains of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are more likely to come from local (breeding) birds, as it seems to be hardly used in falconry. Bones of common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and kite (Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species Milvus sp.) are harder to explain, as these species Milvus were never used in falconry nor lived in these places. The same applies to remains of shorteared owl (Asio fl ammeus), while the presence of other owl species can easily be explained in terms of birds breeding or foraging locally. In this paper the possibility is discussed that there might yet be a link with falconry, with buzzards, kites and short-eared owls being part of the falconers' game bag. Indications for this are found in oral and written sources, but also in paintings and drawings.
The luxurious lives of lords and ladies. Animal remains and their spatial distribution at Huis ter Kleef (c. 1250-1573 AD). NAR 082, Amersfoort., 2024
Today the castle of Huis ter Kleef, in the Dutch town of Haarlem, is a ruin. But once it was the ... more Today the castle of Huis ter Kleef, in the Dutch town of Haarlem, is a ruin. But once it was the scene of aristocratic pleasures. Game animals were hunted, falconry was indulged in, and some highly specific notions existed regarding the utilization of animals. At least 134 different species fed the lords of the castle and served their expensive pastimes. The waste, dumped at various locations throughout the complex, provides a peek into these aristocratic doings. Analysis of the site’s formation processes is key
to understanding how waste was being processed and what happened at the site after the castle had been abandoned. All of this and more has emerged from this study, for which nearly 65,000 animal remains were analysed.
Nederlandse Archeologische Rapporten, 2013
A matter of life and death at Mienakker The second excavation analysed in further detail as part ... more A matter of life and death at Mienakker The second excavation analysed in further detail as part of the Odyssey ‘Unlocking Noord- Holland's Late Neolithic Treasure Chest’ project was that performed at the Mienakker site in 1990. Mienakker had an advantage over other as yet unpublished Neolithic sites in the sense that many of the material categories had already been studied. The area excavated was small, at 840 m2, but there were many post traces on the basis of which the excavators had identified two house plans. The clearest is approx. 5.7 metres long and 3 metres wide. This is a simple, light, two-aisled structure that was recorded as a ‘small hut’ or auxiliary building. The other house plan was not published. It is slightly bigger, at 9 to 14 metres long and 3 to 4 metres wide, and appeared to be the remnants of a light structure that was rebuilt and altered several times on the same spot. The Mienakker settlement was interpreted at the time as a temporary hunters’ camp, as ...
A bouquet of archaeozoological studies. Essays in honour of Wietske Prummel, 2012
This volume comprises papares presented to Wietske Prummel on the occasion of her retirement from... more This volume comprises papares presented to Wietske Prummel on the occasion of her retirement from the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (University of Groningen) in 2012 and celebrates her scientific career. The contriutions cover the field of archaeozoology with studies on the history of the discipline, methodlogical issues and papers on prehistory, the Roman period, the Middle Ages and beyond. The contributions cover the entire European continent.
- 2012d: D.C.M. Raemaekers, E. Esser, R.C.G.M. Lauwerier & J.T. Zeiler (eds), A bouquet of archaeozoological studies. Essays in honour of Wietske Prummel, Groningen: Barkhuis & University of Groningen Library (Groningen Archaeological Studies 21).
How people produced or acquired their food in the past is one of the main questions in archaeolog... more How people produced or acquired their food in the past is one of the main questions in archaeology. Everyone needs food to survive, so the ways in which people managed to acquire it forms the very basis of human existence. Farming was key to the rise of human sedentarism. Once farming moved beyond subsistence, and regularly produced a surplus, it supported the development of specialisation, speeded up the development of socio-economic as well as social complexity, the rise of towns and the development of city states. In short, studying food production is of critical importance in understanding how societies developed.
Environmental archaeology often studies the direct remains of food or food processing, and is therefore well-suited to address this topic. What is more, a wealth of new data has become available in this field of research in recent years. This allows synthesising research with a regional and diachronic approach.
Indeed, most of the papers in this volume offer studies on subsistence and surplus production with a wide geographical perspective. The research areas vary considerably, ranging from the American Mid-South to Turkey. The range in time periods is just as wide, from c. 7000 BC to the 16th century AD. Topics covered include foraging strategies, the combination of domestic and wild food resources in the Neolithic, water supply, crop specialisation, the effect of the Roman occupation on animal husbandry, town-country relationships and the monastic economy. With this collection of papers and the theoretical framework presented in the introductory chapter, we wish to demonstrate that the topic of subsistence and surplus production remains of interest, and promises to generate more exciting research in the future.
Nederlandse Archeologische rapporten, 2014
Subject of this monograph is the Late Neolothic site Zeewijk, that was located in a tidal environ... more Subject of this monograph is the Late Neolothic site Zeewijk, that was located in a tidal environment in the northwest of the Netherlands. The analyses show that Zeewijk was a location where recurrent habitation took place, year-round and intensive, alternating with subsistence activities. It is a permanent mosaic of different assemblages: relocated dwellings, cultivated plots, a large variety of local crafts and the building and partial demolition of a remarkable ritual structure in Zeewijk-East. This points to a community of several families, with ties of kinship both genetic and affinal.
Nederlandse Archeologische Rapporten, 2012
The analysis of the Late Neolithic Keinsmerbrug site, excavated in 1986, is part of our research ... more The analysis of the Late Neolithic Keinsmerbrug site, excavated in 1986, is part of our research on several sites of the Single Grave Culture in Noord Holland (the Netherlands).
Keinsmerbrug was a temporarily occupied settlement, used within the timespan of 2580-2450 cal BC (special activity site). The main period of use - probably consisting of several episodes of short-term use - occurred from spring to autumn. At the site people from different households or groups gathered for special reasons like feasting, besides the hunting of fowl, fishing and/or herding cattle. Mainly one type of food was cooked: a starch-rich porridge of emmer grain, or ache and water mixed with some fat from either mammals or fish. An astonishing aspect is the huge quantity of ducks (mallard, teal/garganey and wigeon) that were caught. Estimates range from 5000 to 10,000.
- 2012f: B.I. Smit, O. Brinkkemper, J.P. Kleijne, R.C.G.M. Lauwerier & E.M. Theunissen (eds), A Kaleidoscope of Gathering at Keinsmerbrug (the Netherlands). Late Neolithic Behavioural Variability in a Dynamic Landscape, Amersfoort (Nederlandse Archeologische Rapporten 43).
G. Freund & J. Richter (eds), Sesselfelsgrotte VII. Naturwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen. Wirbeltierfauna 1 – Mollusken – Vegetation, 2017
![Research paper thumbnail of 2006a Archeozoölogie en fysische antropologie (versie 1.0) [In Dutch: National research agenda archaeozoology and physical anthropology of the Netherlands]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/53978635/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Nationale Onderzoeksagenda Archeologie, 2006
National research agenda archaeozoology and physical anthropology of the Netherlands. - 2006... more National research agenda archaeozoology and physical anthropology of the Netherlands.
- 2006a: C. Cavallo, K. Esser, R. Lauwerier, W. Prummel, L. Smits & J. Zeiler: Archeozoölogie en fysische antropologie (versie 1.0), Nationale Onderzoeksagenda Archeologie. Amersfoort, Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek.
A Kaleidoscope of Gathering at Keinsmerbrug (the Netherlands): Synthesis, 2012
Full publication avaliable for free download on the cultureelerfgoed website. Keinsmerbrug: a ... more Full publication avaliable for free download on the cultureelerfgoed website.
Keinsmerbrug: a kaleidoscope of gathering
The analysis of the Keinsmerbrug site, excavated in 1986, was the first step in our research as part of the Odyssey project entitled ‘Unlocking Noord-Holland’s Late Neolithic Treasure Chest: Single Grave Culture behavioural variability in a tidal environment’. The unpublished data available suggested Keinsmerbrug was a small site lacking clear structures. The limited scale of the excavation (area approx. 300 m2, excavated in a single campaign) made this site the obvious choice as a test case for the approach to be adopted in the Single Grave Culture project. A group of specialists worked together to unlock and integrate cultural/ecological information and research data. The project team consists of 16 people tackling different subjects and working in various institutional settings (commercial agencies, universities and the Cultural Heritage Agency). The good preservation of the archaeological remains at Keinsmerbrug allowed us to gain an insight into the exploitation of animal and plant resources there. Based on the archaeozoological evidence it is clear that subsistence was based on a combination of cattle breeding, fishing and fowling. Besides cattle, some sheep or goats and young pigs were consumed. The few wild mammals present like wolf, polecat and marten were probably hunted for their furs. Fish from both saline and brackish waters was an important part of the diet. Flatfish – particularly flounder – and sturgeon were caught. By far the most astonishing aspect is the huge quantity of bird bones discovered. Different kinds of birds, especially ducks (mallard, teal/garganey and wigeon), were caught in huge numbers. Estimates of the total number of birds caught range from 5000 to 10,000. Naked barley and emmer wheat were brought to the site as cleaned or semi-cleaned grains. Besides cereals, seeds of various orache species were gathered for food. It is remarkable that no other wild plant foods such as crab apple, berries, hazelnuts and acorns were consumed. Evidence for the gathering of roots and tubers for food is also lacking. Chemical evidence has shown that grain was cooked in liquid and that starch-rich foods were mixed with a small amount of animal fat or fish oil. Meat and fish were probably prepared for consumption using fire (open or otherwise), in the form of smoking, grilling or preparation in ashpits. Similar cooking strategies and drying on racks were used to conserve the large number of ducks and fish which must have been prepared for storage and transport to other settlements. Although the number of finds is not very high the study of the material culture revealed some important results. One intriguing aspect of the ceramics is their variation. Although the ceramics are low in number the variation in thickness, tempering and decoration is high. It is likely that this variation is caused by differences in the origins of the vessels or the origins or preferences of the individual potters. People from different local SGC traditions probably visited this specific location at different times, Summary 5 — each bringing their own vessels which they used for the preparation of one specific type of food. The absence of imported material suggests that the flint, hard stone and amber were probably collected in nearby areas, at the coastal beach barrier or on the glacial till deposits at Wieringen. The flint was carried to the site in small nodules and the knapping process was performed at the site to obtain the tools needed. During the excavation of the site in 1986 no patterns or configurations were observed in the stake- and postholes. Using a set of fresh eyes and applying currently available spatial analysis programmes to a multitude of datasets, five structures or dwellings have been identified. The spatial analysis of all the data shows the presence of at least seven identifiable activity areas. Three of the five structures have been identified as dwellings (house plans) based on their more or less regular outline. The dwellings are all two-aisled, similar to known dwellings at other Neolithic settlements. The structures are likely to have been relatively light constructions. The presence of burnt reed fragments in the cultural layer could be indicative of the deliberate burning of reed shoots when the settlement was revisited, to create an open surface. The analyses have shown that Keinsmerbrug was a temporarily occupied settlement, used occasionally or perhaps even only seasonally within the time span of 2580-2450 cal BC. The limited range of other activities combined with the characteristics of the material culture (low numbers of flints and ceramics, variation in the tempering of the ceramics, small range of different flint and stone tools) is indicative of such short-term use. The main period of use – probably consisting of several episodes of short-term use – occurred from spring to autumn. In conclusion, the site at Keinsmerbrug has been interpreted as a non-residential settlement: a gathering settlement in the broadest sense of the word, for the gathering of people and resources (special activity site). It seems that mainly one type of food was cooked in the vessels at Keinsmerbrug: a starch-rich porridge of emmer grain, orache and water mixed with some fat from either animals or fish. Keinsmerbrug was a settlement where people from different households or groups gathered for special reasons like feasting, besides the hunting of fowl, fishing and/or herding of cattle. These people gathered on occasion to hunt huge numbers of ducks and fish and simultaneously used this period to share information and eat specific foods. During their stay dwellings, pits/unlined wells and specific activity areas structured the settlement area. Since this was a non-residential settlement, the question of where the contemporaneous seasonal and residential settlements might be naturally arises. Future analysis of the sites at Mienakker and Zeewijk might show that these locations are the counterparts of the settlement at Keinsmerbrug.
Between 2009 and 2014, a research project was carried out by several research institutes and comm... more Between 2009 and 2014, a research project was carried out by several research institutes and commercial companies in order to study and publish three settlement sites of the Single Grave Culture located in the Western Netherlands. These sites were excavated more than twenty years ago, but unfortunately the results were only scarcely published, and mostly in
Dutch. This research project provided an excellent
opportunity to unlock the high quality archaeological information. The presence of organic remains and numerous artefacts in cultural layers and the thorough excavation of these layers have produced a wealth of data regarding Late Neolithic behavioural variability in a dynamic wetland landscape. In this article, a summary of the results of this project will be presented.
The wetland environment in which the settlement at Keinsmerbrug was established around 2500 BC pr... more The wetland environment in which the settlement at Keinsmerbrug was established around 2500 BC provided a wealth of different
resources for SGC communities. Small groups used the settlement in a variety of ways, probably at different times, guided by a combination of seasonal availability of desired resources and social motives.
It appears that Keinsmerbrug was a settlement where people from different households or groups gathered for feasting and the consumption of specific food, besides the hunting of ducks, fishing and/or herding of cattle. During their stay the settlement area was structured with dwellings, pits/unlined wells and specific activity areas. The dwellings were made from locally available materials like wood from nearby trees and plants, however the use of driftwood and non-local wood (from areas like Wieringen)cannot be excluded.
by Otto Brinkkemper, Jos Kleijne, Esther Plomp, Gary Nobles, Liesbeth Theunissen, Roel Lauwerier, Jørn Zeiler, Sandra Beckerman, Bjorn Smit, Virginia Garcia Diaz, and Marit van den Hof
The analysis of the Keinsmerbrug site, excavated in 1986, was the first step in our research with... more The analysis of the Keinsmerbrug site, excavated in 1986, was the first step in our research within the framework of the Odyssey project ‘Unlocking Noord-Holland’s Late Neolithic Treasure Chest: Single Grave Culture behavioural variability in a tidal environment’. The limited scale of the excavation made Keinsmerbrug an excellent choice, serving as a test case for the approach within the project Single Grave Project. In order to unlock and integrate cultural/ecological information and research data, a group of specialists worked together. In
this volume the new results and interpretations are presented. The analyses show that Keinsmerbrug was a temporarily occupied settlement, used occasionally or perhaps even only
seasonally within the time span of 2580-2450 cal BC. The main period of use – probably consisting of several episodes of short-term use – occurred from spring to autumn. The site
of Keinsmerbrug is interpreted as a non-residential settlement: a gathering settlement in the broadest sense of the word, for the gathering of people and resources (special activity site).
This scientific report is intended for archaeologists, as well as for other professionals and amateur enthusiasts involved in archaeology.
The Cultural Heritage Agency provides knowledge and advice to give the future a past.
In 2004 a part of creek bank settlement Swifterbant was excavated. The remains indicate that the... more In 2004 a part of creek bank settlement Swifterbant was excavated. The remains indicate that the area excavated was not an activity area but the fringe zone of the settlement proper.
SLACHTVEE UIT MIDDELEEUWS BRUGGE. Archeozoölogisch onderzoek van dierlijke resten uit Sint-Pieters, gem. Brugge (Volle en Late Middeleeuwen). , 2017
Natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek bij de opgravingen van woonsteden uit de (volle) middeleeuwen te Koksijde-Golf ter Hille (ca. 875-1150). BIAXiaal 997., 2018
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Metaaltijden 8. Bijdragen in de studie van de metaaltijden, 2021