Cene Prehistory in the Tyrolean Alps Has Been Started in the Early

The Mesolithic Project Ullafelsen in Tyrol (Austria) Dieter Schäfer, Working Group ‚High Mountain Archaeology and Quaternary Ecology‘, Institute for Geology and Paleontology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck; mail dieter. [email protected] Abstract Systematic field research about early Holo- Main starting point for further cooperations cene Prehistory in the Tyrolean Alps has been A: Apparently, several of the lithic raw-material started in the early 1990ies after the find of the groups had no native source in the region of late Neolithic mummy known as the ‘ Tyrolean North Tyrol. But where did these silex groups Iceman’. The central focus of the project is the came from – and how did they arrived here? It old Mesolithic site ‘Ullafelsen’. The prominent became clear that the answers to those questi- felsic bedrock is situated in the Fotscher valley ons could help to gain insights into the living around 25 km southwest of Innsbruck. A team environment and movements of the Mesolithic of geoscientists, botanists, archaeologists and people in Alpine regions. other contributed to the project which has been B: Some of the Preboreal and Boreal fireplaces supported by the Austrian Science Foundation featured well-preserved charcoal. This raised (FWF) in Vienna (Schäfer 2011). hopes of answering the question: Are there any correlations between the composition of plant Introduction species found in the charcoal of the fireplaces The “Mesolithic Project Ullafelsen” was set up to and the vegetation (treeline) in the Early Holo- investigate the man-environment relationship cene? from the late glacial period (called Würmian in C: Specific features were found in several soil the Alps) until the Early Holocene in the wes- profiles. A grey light layer (LL) next to the hu- tern Austrian Alps. In the course of a systematic mus layer of the Holocene was identified as the field work since the early 1990s several Meso- original living floor for the Mesolithic people of lithic sites have been found in the Central Alps the Ullafelsen. During the first years of the pro- and in the Northern Limestone Alps of Tyrol ject this layer was seen as the bleached horizon (Austria). The so called Ullafelsen has been of a podzolisation process. But further inspec- identified as the most promising site among our tions suggested that the LL could also be the old Holocene finds and will be the main focus of effect of an aeolian sedimentation process at the this presentation. very end of the Würmian period. Any answers The site is an isolated rock formation in the to this question would provide important in- Fotscher valley in the northern part of the sights, not only for the landscape history in the Stubai Alps at an altitude of 1,869 meter above Fotscher valley but also for the interpretation sea level. Between 1994 and 2004 excavations of of several soil profiles and the identification of 25 m2 have been executed but parts of the felsic possible manipulations by Mesolithic humans plateau were reserved for future examinations. on their living floor. Many finds and features were found the first D: The Fotscher valley shows glacial deposits of time in the Austrian Alps and became the sub- several Late-Würmian phases. Being able to date ject of intensive studies until recent times. It was these phases is important for questions related also the first time in Austria that several Mesoli- to the Late Würmian sedimentation processes, thic fireplaces were found at a high subalpine al- the availability of parent material for aeolian titude. They were accompanied by – sometimes processes, the growth of vegetation, faunal as- very high – concentrations of lithic artefacts semblages and the appearance of the first hu- belonging to several material groups. Very early mans in the valley. in the project it became clear that only broad Within the Ullafelsen project we used a broad interdisciplinary cooperation would be able to holistic approach, integrating meteorology, geo- cope with the specific features and finds. logy and geomorphology, soil science and sedi- mentology, glaciology, climate and vegetation on the chronological and spatial occurrences history, archaeology - including geoarchaeology, of the light layer in the valley. This is a difficult use-wear analysis and typology - as well as chert undertaking as aeolian processses did not stop and rock crystal analysis and others. abruptly at the beginning of the Holocene and In the course of the project, and independent of because aeolianaccumulated silty sediments individual interpretations of features discovered might have been redeposited. in the field, some of the working groups interac- 5) The current vegetation in the inner part of ted more closely and widened their perception. the valley shows an altitude zonation primarily Looking at the project as a whole, it can be said influenced by the climate but also by human that the overall knowledge of the man-environ- and animal activities. Today’s treeline is largely ment relationship in our working region today is defined by a long-standing mountain pasture certainly much more than the sum of the indivi- economy. dual approaches. During the second half of the Preboreal period, the closed treeline did not reach the Ullafelsen Important findings but came close. At that time, the plateau of our 1) The Fotscher valley including the Ullafelsen is site was mostly used by Early Mesolithic hunters located between the high precipitation Northern and gatherers. It seems that in the middle of the Limestone Alps and the dry Central Alps (fig. Boreal period the Ullafelsen was covered by a 1). There are some indications of an especifially closed forest which ended the hunting-strategic favoured position for the Ullafelsen compared to interests of the Mesolithic people. other sites in the region. We have no evidence to date from the Late Me- 2) The Ullafelsen (fig. 2) became ice-free befo- solithic at our site. re the Bölling/Alleröd oscillation. There might 6) Altogether, 14 fireplaces (F) could be iden- have been a Late Palaeolithic settlement here but tified within the excavation area (fig 5 with this has not been proved so far. fireplace F2). One of the fireplaces (F5) was used 3) Geological, hydrogeological and geomor- later to deposit waste chert material while F3 phological features of the Fotscher valley (fig. 3) (and possibly others) can be correlated with the provide the framework for many key aspects , production of tar. Therefore a central part of this such as possible routes through the valley, cave fireplace was covered intentionally with a mix- and rock shelter formations, availability of water ture of LL material and sediments containing and plant resources, sedimentation and erosion charcoal from the surrounding area to produce processes, rock characteristics and their spatial oxygen-reduced conditions for this special fire. distribution as an important basis for pedologi- Before was done a kind of levelling the surface. cal sequencing, etc. The physical properties of Many tar particles were found as single find the surface soils in the valley did not allow the spots (fig 6) but also detected on the surface of preservation of any kind of bones. The only one several artefacts. It was the first time in the Alps exception is a rib from an unknown game ani- that such adhesive material could be identified. mal within our excavations at the Ullafelsen site. 7) From the C14 data of the fireplaces one can 4) Most observations and laboratory data obtai- establish a chronological breakdown for the Ull- ned so far confirm that the light layer (LL) was afelsen area. The fireplaces in the central nort- the living floor of the Lower Mesolithic occup- hern part were used only during the first half of ation of the site (=middle part of fig. 4). Below the Boreal period in contrast with fireplaces in this layer, a fossil humus horizon could be iden- the central southern and southwestern parts of tified which can only belong to the Bölling/Al- the excavation area which were only used in the leröd complex. Based on these findings, a local second half of the Preboreal period. Neverthel- stratigraphy between the Late-Würmian period ess, we have to wait for more detailed intra-site and the Early Holocene could be identified interpretations before finalizing the database of which had hitherto been completely unknown the refitted artefacts. in our region. Current fieldwork concentrates 8) Altogether nearly 7900 three-dimensionally documented stone artefacts were found at the site. They are dominated by microlithic chips 2 pes are not very common in the Beuronian, one and 3 mm in length. Only 14% of the artefacts can see them as a Sauveterrian element in the reach more than 10 mm in length. This wealth Ullafelsen inventory. On the other hand a single of small artefacts highlights not only the efforts long and narrow trapeze in our inventory does of the excavation participants but also an impor- not exist as a type within the Sauveterrian but is tant feature of the Ullafelsen site, i.e. repeated a special form in the south German Beuronian. retouching und re-using processses. Combined This piece is made from hornstone from the with quantitative analyses of those chips which Franconian Jura in Bavaria. From what we know were the results of water-screening (in sub-units to date, one can see our site as a transitional area of ¼ m²), these finds underline the dominance with influences from both traditions. of extremely small artefacts in the vicinity of 12) The inventory of the Ullafelsen shows most fireplaces F9/F10 and F4/F5. classic features of an Early Mesolithic site: 9) The Fotscher valley itself offers only rough mainly microlithic tool fragments, plus edge-re- quartz of very low quality which was used very touched micropoints, backed bladelets as men- rarely (fig 7).

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