Analecta Praehistorica Leidensia
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Analecta Praehistorica Leidensia 42 / Eyserheide : a Magdalenian open-air site in the loess area of the Netherlands and its archaeological context Rensink, Eelco; Bakels, Corrie; Kamermans, Hans Citation Rensink, E. (2010). Analecta Praehistorica Leidensia 42 / Eyserheide : a Magdalenian open-air site in the loess area of the Netherlands and its archaeological context, 276. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/32956 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown) License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/32956 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). ANALECTA PRAEHISTORICA LEIDENSIA PUBLICATION OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY LEIDEN UNIVERSITY EELCO RENSINK EYSERHEIDE A MAGDALENIAN OPEN-AIR SITE IN THE LOESS AREA OF THE NETHERLANDS AND ITS ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT LEIDEN UNIVERSITY 2010 994869_APL_42_Voorwerk.indd4869_APL_42_Voorwerk.indd IIIIII 116/11/116/11/11 110:040:04 Series editors: Corrie Bakels / Hans Kamermans Editor of illustrations: Joanne Porck Translation: Kelly Fennema Copyright 2011 by the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden ISSN 0169-7447 ISBN 978-90-818109-0-6 Subscriptions to the series Analecta Praehistorica Leidensia and single volumes can be ordered exclusively at: P.J.R. Modderman Stichting Faculty of Archaeology P.O. Box 9515 NL-2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands This publication was made possible with a grant from Cultural Heritage Agency, Amersfoort 994869_APL_42_Voorwerk.indd4869_APL_42_Voorwerk.indd IVIV 116/11/116/11/11 110:040:04 4 The fi nds 4.1 INTRODUCTION of a certain type of fl int for the fabrication of a certain type The focus of this chapter is the fl int assemblage of the of tool, such as burins of Orsbach fl int (see 4.5.5). Magdalenian site of Eyserheide, and properties of the used raw materials and typological and technological characteristics 4.2.2 Description of the types of fl int of the worked fl int are extensively described. Apart from arte- The determination of the fl int used in Eyserheide was done facts of fl int, unworked and partially heated stones form part with the naked eye and in some cases with a small magni- of the fi nds. These stones are also described in this chapter. fying glass. The following characteristics were looked at: colour of fl int and cortex, properties of cortex (coarse, eluvial, 4.2 RAW MATERIALS fl uvially rolled), grain size (fi ne- or coarsely grained), 4.2.1 Introduction presence and colour of patina, and size, form and colour of Eyserheide is located in the Belgian-Dutch-German Chalk inclusions. The occurrence of patina on artefacts in most area that is roughly bounded in the west by the towns of cases did not hamper the recognition of the type of fl int. Liège, Maastricht, and Tongeren, and in the east by Heerlen An important characteristic of one of the used types and Aachen. East of Liège, the Land of Herve (in French: (Simpelveld fl int), namely a thin layering or lamination is Pays de Herve) forms the southern boundary, while the area even enhanced by patina. Patina has thus proved to be an aid extends in a westerly direction to close to Namen (see Felder in the determination of this type of fl int. In the sizeable and Felder 1998, fi g. 86). In particular through the activities group described as South-Limburg fl int, the large diversity of local archaeologists are numerous prehistoric sites known in the colour of the patina is striking, both of the cortex and in the area, among which more than 30 exploitation places of on the worked surfaces. This also enabled us to further fl int (Felder 1998). These locations mainly lie in the Dutch divide this group into a large number of Raw Material Units part of the Chalk area and date to the Neolithic. The famous (RMUs, see 4.6). fl int mines of Rijckholt-St.Geertruid lie 14 km as the crow With a view to the determination of the fl int, a small fl ies southwest of Eyserheide (Rademakers 1998). Locations expert meeting took place on 19th June 2009 between the of fl int extraction are known from the small river Geul author and Mrs M. de Grooth and Mr F. Brounen. During downstream and 7 km further northwest in and around this meeting an examination was made of some 30 artefacts Valkenburg aan de Geul. Here Valkenburg fl int was exploited of which the type of fl int could not be determined properly. in the Middle Neolithic (Brounen et al. 1993). For the purpose of determination, use was made of an The location of Eyserheide in the distribution area of extensive reference collection of fl int types from the Chalk chalk from the Upper Cretaceous (Gulpen Formation and area in Dutch Limburg. This collection was put together and Maastricht Formation) and the variety of types of fl int is managed by Mrs De Grooth (De Grooth 1994). occurring in this chalk are refl ected in the characteristics of the worked fl int. For the manufacture of stone tools, the fl int The fi nds of the site of Eyserheide comprises 3416 artefacts knappers of the Magdalenian used four types of fl int. As from the Magdalenian (table 4.1). On the basis of external regards the processing and analysis of the stone artefacts, this features observable with the naked eye, four types of fl int variation offers many benefi ts. Thus metric and technological can be distinguished: features of artefacts can be described per type of fl int and they can be compared with each other. It also offers the The fi rst type of fl int is known by the name of Simpelveld possibility of determining differences and similarities in fl int (Arora and Franzen 1987). The lithostratigraphical the method of working in relation to properties of the fl int. origin is not fully known. According to Felder (1998, 190), Moreover, an investigation can be carried out into the the fl int originates from the eastern facies of the Lanaye relationship between fl int types on the one hand and tool Chalk in the upper part of the Gulpen Formation. The fl int is types on the other. Such a relationship can point to selection somewhat coarse grained, light to dark grey in colour, tabular 994869_APL42_04.indd4869_APL42_04.indd 1717 116/11/116/11/11 110:250:25 18 EYSERHEIDE South-Limburg fl int Simpelveld Valkenburg Eluvial Terrace Indet Orsbach Flint indet N fl int fl int fl int Complete cores 3 1 . 10 . 2 . 16 Core fragments 5 2 5 7 . 81 . 100 Complete fl akes 98 5 15 127 28 141 1 415 Flake fragments 91 8 46 174 62 183 4 568 Complete blades 15 1 3 12 7 29 . 67 Proximal fragments of blades 39 4 5 36 32 54 . 170 Medial fragments of blades 27 4 15 58 38 65 . 207 Distal fragments of blades 36 3 4 33 24 64 . 164 Blades with non-patinated breaks 29 2 8 30 14 43 1 127 Crested blades 3 . 2 . 1 . 6 Crested blade fragments 18 1 5 16 5 26 . 71 Rejuvenation fl akes 7 1 3 11 2 10 . 34 Retouched tools 9 4 14 19 8 41 . 95 Blades and fl akes with edge damage 7 1 4 8 3 13 36 Burin spalls 2 . 1 6 13 . 22 Indet 1 . 3 . 4 Chips 127 3 4 70 626 447 37 1314 Total 517 40 131 614 858 1213 43 3416 Table 4.1 Eyserheide. Number of Magdalenian artefacts per fl int type and artefact type (all dimensions). Counts before refi tting of broken pieces. and not translucent (fi g. 4.1). Small light fl ecks are common. colour and coarser grained than Simpelveld fl int (fi g. 4.2). An important characteristic of the fl int is the laminated As does the latter fl int, Valkenburg fl int occurs in the form structure. This layering or lamination runs parallel to the of slabs and the cortex is neither coarse (Bergfrisch) nor narrow sides of the fl int slabs in the form of alternating light fl uvially rolled. As place of origin, zones qualify with fl int and dark bands, varying in thickness from 1 to 5 mm. eluvium at the top of the weathered chalk, as well as slope Especially when the surface of the fl int is patinated, the deposits. Usually the artefacts are off-white and have a matt layering is clearly visible macroscopically. The cortex on patina. There are also artefacts with brown-grey dots in the the fl int is neither coarse (Bergfrisch) nor smooth (fl uvially patina which can merge into continuous thin bands or rolled). These characteristics indicate an origin from fl int lamination. An attribution of these artefacts to the group of eluvia, that is places where fl int slabs outcrop due to Valkenburg fl int is less certain. We could also be dealing here mechanical weathering and dissolving of the top of the chalk. with a variation of Simpelveld fl int in which the layering, as Slope deposits also qualify as raw material source. On the visible in the patina, is less pronounced than in artefacts that narrow sides of the fl int slabs, natural, blunt break surfaces have been described as Simpelveld fl int. The fact that there can be present in places where the cortex is absent. The is an overlap in the characteristics of both types of fl int is tabular and homogeneous structure makes this fl int eminently underlined by compositions of refi tted artefacts of suitable for the manufacture of blades, whereby the narrow ‘unequivocal’ Simpelveld fl int.