3 Linden, a Neolithic Activity Area in the Core Region Grave-Cuyk
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Times fade away. The neolithization of the southern Netherlands Verhart, L.B.M. Citation Verhart, L. B. M. (1999, June 2). Times fade away. The neolithization of the southern Netherlands. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/13346 Version: Corrected Publisher’s Version Licence agreement concerning inclusion of doctoral thesis in the Institutional License: Repository of the University of Leiden Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/13346 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). 3 Linden, a Neolithic activity area in the core region Grave-Cuyk. 3.1 Introduction This chapter deals with the core region Grave-Cuyk (fig. 3.1). It is a study of a regional distribution pattern of sites in relation to the investigation of a single site. The analysis of the settlement pattern using a.o. GIS is outside our scope. This analysis will be published elsewhere1. 3.2 The Middle Neolithic in the south of the Netherlands In 1973 the term ‘Middle Neolithic of Limburg’ was first introduced as a result of the Koningsbosch investigation2. This denoted chronologically the period between the Early Neolithic Bandkeramik and the Late Neolithic beaker- cultures. Culturally this Middle Neolithic encompasses the Michelsberg(MK)-culture (Middle Neolithic A) and the Wartberg/Stein/Vlaardingen(WSV)-complex3 (Middle Neolithic B). In this outline the emphasis will be on the MK-phase and less attention will be paid to the WSV-phase. The Middle Neolithic can in a material sense be recognized in the Meuse valley by the — rare — occurrence of mostly undecorated pottery with few typical features and large flint concentrations, both in number and in size. The sites usually palimpsests represent an accumulation of moments of use, not only from the Middle Neolithic, but often as early as the Macro region Mesolithic and as late as the Iron Age. The limited typological differences make it hard to distinguish pottery Core region and flint by period. Another remarkable phenomenon is the large number of sites dating from the Middle Neolithic. The origins of the MK-culture lie in the German Lower Rhine area. There a gradual typological development in the pottery can be discerned from Rössen to MK I and subse- quently MK II4. Lüning assumed that not until phase MK III an expansion towards the north and west occurred5. This idea has been superseded by the occurrence of MK II-pottery outside this supposed centre, even as far as the Paris Basin6. 0 20 km As a result of recent research in the Limburg Meuse valley itself, but particularly in the adjoining areas like the west of Fig. 3.1 The macroregion and location of the core region Grave-Cuyk the Netherlands, West Germany and Belgium, the early indicated with a black line. phase of the Middle Neolithic, the period of the MK-culture, can be described more accurately7. In the south of the Netherlands Maastricht-Vogelzang8 and the recently discovered causewayed enclosure in Heerlen9 141 Fig. 3.2 Guide artefacts for the Middle Neolithic: pottery, macrolithic pointed blades, triangular, leaflike and teardrop-like arrowheads with semi- surface retouch. are the sites where this early pottery occurs. In rough outline the presence of suitable local material. The most important the material culture of the northwestern group of the MK- sources were the flint mines of Rijckholt, but flint was also culture is characterized by the use of almost undecorated imported from Spiennes, the Haspengouw in Belgium and even pottery, of which pots with round bases and outward the north of France, from the vicinity of Romigny-Lhéry14. bending rims (tulip beakers) are most typical. In addition Little is known of the lay-out of the settlements. Until jars, bottles, spoons, storage jars and baking plates occur. recently the clearest example of a dwelling in the sandy area The composition of the range of pottery is often tied to a was a small rectangular building from Kruishoutem in particular region. Specific variations developed within the Belgium. However, this building turns out to have sprouted regions. A striking example is the Hazendonk-3 pottery from the excavator’s imagination and should therefore be decorated much more often and with a small range of removed as a source of knowledge of MK-culture shapes. In the flint industry macrolithic tools predominate, settlements15. Nevertheless, small rectangular buildings were usually made of imported mined flint. Characteristic tools in use during this period, as can be inferred from the are various types of quite thick arrowheads with semi- recently excavated settlement Wateringen IV. This is a small surface retouch, pointed blades, large blade and flake rectangular structure with dimensions of 11 by 4 metres. scrapers and axes, both of flint and stone. From Thieusies in Belgium a structure is known that might As yet, little is known of the economy of the Dutch MK10. be a building16. Within a causewayed enclosure a Information on the food supply is mainly provided by sites configuration of poles has been observed that are assumed to in the west of the Netherlands, like Brandwijk, Hazendonk, be housing constructions, but might also be part of the Rijswijk and Wateringen that date from this period, but may defense system. In France at Mairy in the Meuse valley a not be considered as typically Michelsberg11. In this large number of floor plans have been found with particular wetland area, not highly suited for agriculture, it is dimensions as large as 60 by 10 metres17. These floor plans not amazing that hunting and fishing were important are considered to be houses, but there is an alternative activities. Besides livestock, agriculture too contributed to explanation that this is an equivalent of the ‘causewayed the diet, as grain is known to occur on these sites. It is enclosures’, where various social and ritual acts were however doubtful whether grain was cultivated at the site performed. On the Aldenhovener Platte, on site Koslar 10, a itself. This would imply that elsewhere — probably in the large number of pits and post holes have been excavated, drier coversand area — agriculture contributed to a high allowing the inference of a rectangular structure of 6 by degree to the food supply12. The MK-sites containing grain 12 metres18. From some settlements in the eastern river are mainly located in the löss area. It is striking that on those district post traces are known, indicating the presence of sites mainly wheat was cultivated, whereas on the sites in houses there. Examples are Kraaienberg near Linden19 and the west of the Netherlands emmer and einkorn wheat were Pater Berthierstraat in Grave20. In the latter settlement still used13. Apparently the use of emmer and einkorn wheat, fragments of clay used for huts have been found as well. that already played such an important part in the food supply Besides permanent or semi-permanent settlements other in the Bandkeramik, continued in the coversand area. types of settlements are known as well. A small temporary It is remarkable that the production of tools was completely encampment is e.g. the site excavated in 1981 in Gassel21. In focused on good quality imported flint from the south, despite a quite different category are the large defenced areas known 142 as ‘causewayed enclosures’. These are mainly known from first specimen was recently discovered in Heerlen22. It is not the adjoining countries, Belgium and Germany, and impossible that there has been and partly still is one on the dominate settlement research there. In the Netherlands the Caberg near Maastricht23. abc def Fig. 3.3 Distribution of Middle Neolithic sites in the macroregion. a: triangular point; b: leaflike point; c: teardrop-like point; d: macrolites; e: pottery; f: settlements. 143 Almost nothing is known of burial procedures. In the sandy interred in a collective grave, like Stein40. Cremation of the area nothing has been found up to now, whereas in the west dead occurs with remarkable frequency in this period. of the Netherlands two cemeteries are known, a smaller one at Zoelen24 and a larger one at Rijswijk-Ypenburg25. In 3.3 The macroregion Belgium burials in caves are known26 In the macroregion there is a large number of sites from the The second phase of the Middle Neolithic is distinguished by Middle Neolithic, but it is hard to define the exact nature of the appearance of groups that are characterized archaeologically these sites. Therefore no statements can be made about as Wartberg/Stein/Vlaardingen27. After the discovery of the function and economy either. A relatively large number of Stein vault28, it became clear that much of the undecorated, guide artefacts can be distinguished for the Middle Neolithic quartz-grit tempered pottery belonged to this phase29. (fig. 3.2). For the Middle Neolithic A (MK-culture) these Subsequently it became apparent that there were strong are: three types of arrowhead, macrolithic flakes and blades, similarities in a material sense between the Vlaardingen- and pottery. Due to its fragility the last category is severely culture in the west of the Netherlands and the Wartberg under-represented. group from Hessen in Germany, and that all three could be Finds occur all over the Meuse valley, from Maastricht to considered a single cultural unit: the WSV-complex30. ‘s-Hertogenbosch, but with a distinct concentration in the Morphologically speaking, the range of pottery may be called middle of Limburg, southeast of Roermond (fig. 3.3a-f). poor. Simple cooking pots predominate, with occasional Individual objects like arrowheads and axes may indicate the appearances of small trays, bowls and collared flasks. Few occurrence of occasional activities like hunting, gathering diagnostic features are apparent in the flint industry as well.