The Upper Paleolithic ©F Germany2 a New Perspective
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The upper paleolithic of Germany; a new perspective Authors Barr, James Hubert, 1921- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 19:45:59 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/318044 THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC ©F GERMANY2 A NEW PERSPECTIVE by- James Hubert Barr A Thesis Submitted t© the Faemlty ©f the DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment ©f the Requirements For the Degree ©f MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 6 8 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has "been smhrnltted in partial fulfill ment ef requirements for an advanced degree at The Univer sity @f Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to he made available to borrowers under rules of the Library, Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without speeial permission, provided that accurate aoknowl- edgmemt of source is made * Requests for permission for ex tended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Bean ef the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use ef the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED? APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below? JELI1EK Bate Professor of Anthropology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly Indebted to the members ©f my com mittee for gmidanee and assistance in the preparation of this thesisc My thanks and appreciation are given to Professor Arthur J» Jellnek, the Chairman of the committeei Professor Raymond Ho Thompson, Chairman, Department of Anthropology5 and Doctor William A 0 Longacre, Assistant Professor of Anthropology» Further, I am gratefml to Doctor Laurence Mo Gonld, Professor of Geology, for his encouraging advice concerning the geological portion of the thesis„ Last, but far from least, a special note of grati tude is due to my wife, Hildegard, for the typing of this manuscript and for her patience with my grudging accept ance of her suggestions during its preparation. ill TABLE ©F CONTENTS Fage LIST OF ILLUSTMTIOHS , « . * . , , . » , . r ABSTRACT 0 o © © o o « © © © © © © © © © © © 1© © 1 © INTRODUCTION © © © © © © © © © © © © .© © © © © © 1 2© THE UFFER FLEISTOC1NE © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 3 The Weiehsel Glaeiation © © © © © © © © ©.© © 4 . The Wlrra Glaeiation © © © © © © © © © © © © © 12 3© THE DFP1S PALEOLITHIC © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 20 The Transitional Period © © © © © © © © © © © 21 Big Game Hunters © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 25 Specialized Hunters © © © © © © © © © © © © © 35 A 0 SUMMAHI 0009 0 000 0 000060000000 6© 5© LIST ©F R1FERENGES © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 65 It LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page lo Climati© Curve for the Weiehsel Slaeiation , » » 8 2<> Maximum Advance of the lee Sheets In Germany , 0 10 3, Climatic Curve for the Wiirm Glaciation o o o o o 15 A 0 Locations of Late Upper Paleolithic Groups In Germany 00000.000000000000000 5o Upper Paleolithic Cultural Sequence in Germany » v ABSTBAG'E A study of the most recent radiocarbon dates f©r the Wpper Pleistocene ©f northern Europe discloses that the Mlrm and Weiehsel Glaciations were neither entirely synehroaoms nor of the same duration0 The GSttweig Inter- stadial (Wlna I/II)p long accepted as the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic»’ is now considered to be a fluctuation within the liss/Elrm Interglaclalv In view of these facts a reevalmatiom of the Upper Paleolithic of Germany became necessary; lost archaeologists tend to equate the cultural setuemce of Germany with that of France <> A ©loser exami nation of site reports based on paleoclimatie and environ mental data, together with firm dates for geological events, suggests that such am equation is unrealistic» Technologi cal as well as cultural changes resulted from climatic shifts brought about by glacial fluctuations. During^ a large portion of the Upper Paleolithic, Germany remained uninhabited because of severe climatic conditions. After reoccupation, hunting groups represent independent special ised adaptations to local environments, vi INTRODUCTION The advances in radioearbon dating teohni<iue make the reappraisal of the Upper Paleolithic of Germany both possible and necessary0 The newer, more accurate dates re sulted in revision of glacial sequences belonging, .to the Upper Pleistocene and with it, the associated human cul tures, A thorough examination of site reports, long the basis for works on prehistory of the area, reveals the fact that early workers were heavily inlueneed in their findings by the then current classification of western European Upper Paleolithic cultures0 The sequence of climatic changes during the period of the last glaciation is examined in detail because of its great influence on the paleolithic populations occupying the area between the Rhine and the Bohemian Forest sepa rating Germany from Czechoslovakia and the eastern steppe region= To the south the Alps formed a barrier to movement, while northern limits were imposed by the continental ice sheet. During periods of maximum expansion of the glaciers, local glaciers further restricted movements between Germany and northern France. Discussion of the cultural sequence is confined to the present accepted range of accurate radiocarbon dating, 1 ioe0(, about B«Pe to 10,000 BoP. Instead of attempt ing to fit the emltmres into a fixed framework established for western Europe, they are eonsidered in their relation ship to a particular environment, and individually, as specialised adaptations to ecological niches within that environment» THE UPPER PLEISTOCENE Most studies of the seq.ueaee of events associated with the last glaclatlom attempt to correlate stages of the Welehsel and Wlrm glaciations "based on the assumption that these were,; necessarily^■ synchronous0 Here recent radiocarbon dating (Vogel and Zagwijn If6?) has clearly demonstrated that this view is no longer tenable» Flm©= tuations of the large continental ice sheet that covered the northern part of Europe and the oscillations of the Alpine Glacier did not occur at the same time and were not of equal intensity* In fact & the view presented in this paper is that these oscillations of the Alpine Glaciation followed upon, and were caused by, those occurring in the larger more climatically dominant Welehsel Glaciation« This explanation of glacial events will assist in a better understanding of the shifts of fauna and movements of human populations that were dependent upon the animals for sub- distanceo The changing environment may reflect many of the technological changes that resulted in the so-called "cultural stages” of the Upper Paleolithic hunting groups* 3 4 The Weiehsel Glaeiation In m©rfchwes tern Emrepe the Eemian Interglaeial (Saale/Weiehsel) ended ahomt 7@'»'@©© years ago. The onset of eooler temperatures caused a change from a warm interglaeial climate» warmer than that of the Postglacial maximum »• to a sub-arctic tundrao Estimates of July temperatures based on paleobotanieal evidence show a drop from an average of 18° C to 8® G (Wright 19SI)» The extensive deciduous forests that had covered Europe disappeared, and with this change the warmth-loving mammals departed for more southerly regions» many never to return0 Ham, who had enjoyed a fairly easy life, was now forced to adapt his hunting methods to tundra and steppe animals that increased in response to the climat ic changeo While previously he"was able to utilize plant foods, such as roots, nuts and fruits, as well as meat, he was now completely dependent upon a meat diet. Hunting, rather than hunting and gathering, became all important to survival, The first stadial of the Weiehsel ended about 64,©0© years ago. At Amersf©ert, Netherlands, an inter-.• stadial soil has been dated at 63,000 B eP. ± 900 years (GrH 1397)o This date only marks the period of climatic optimum and tells us little about the durationo The Amersf©ort Interstadial was short and with a rather cool climate 0 En vironmentally , the only change was from an arctic tundra to 5 local snk-arefcie forests (Gross 19i^)o M© fatmal ©Manges have "been observed in Germany dmring this brief phaseo The stadia! that followed brought slightly cooler temperatures than the first one'o' This phenomenon occurred thromghomt the Weichsels each colder phase exceeded the intensity of its predecessor* The second interstadia!„ the Brorup„ began about 55*000 years ag© and lasted for about 5/000 years * A date # ^o&00 from Loopstedtp nerthem Germany, of 53?OO0 = 2,50© years (Grl = 13S5 ) in association with paleobotaniea.1 data indicates that birch/pine forests returned at least as far north as this region* Evidence also shows that man, too, was able to inhabit these northern areas* With the close of the BrSrup Interstadial a more severe ©old phase set in* This period is known as the Lower Pleniglaeiai, lasting until about 40,000 B*P* A polar de sert covered most of northern Germany and the low countries* July temperatures fell to an average of 3° C (Vogel and Eagwijn 1967)= During the first part of this phase man was still able to exist in north central Germany* The site of Lebenstedt was occupied by Eomsterians as late as 48,000 B *P* (GrW - 1219)* However, shortly after this the climate dete riorated t® such an extent that man was forced to move south along with the animals he hunted* It was to be the last 6 ©eeupati©*!. ©f merthern Germamy imtil shortly before lost- glaeial times 0 The effect of the growing mass of lee began to be felt in all parts of northern Europe for by this time the lee sheet had attained.the magnitude that enabled it to create its own @limat@ 0 Periglaeial regions were extremely ©oldo The initial effeet was a damp maritime elimate in western Europe and in regions ©lose to the northern Alps„ .