Hidden dimensions: Aspects of Mesolithic hunter-gatherer landscape use and non-lithic technology

The modelling and representation of prehistoric hunter-gatherer behaviours are influenced by the investigation of sites with high archaeological visibility, which often survive the ravages of time. However, behaviours not associated with stone tools are underrepresented in archaeological narratives, leading to problems with regard to archaeological insights into the variability in landscape use, technological traditions, and sociocultural interaction. This book presents articles that address these problems from several angles, with an emphasis on the Mesolithic of NW Europe, and aims to increase awareness of the consequences of the issues addressed for our understanding of the past and boost research and heritage management initiatives in this field.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Sidestone Press

The modelling and representation of prehistoric hunter-gatherer behaviours is heavily influenced by the exploration of sites with high archaeological visibility, characterized by the presence of large amounts of knapped lithics that often survive the ravages of time. As a result, behaviours that were not, or to a limited extent, associated with stone tools are underrepresented in archaeological narratives about hunter-gatherer lifestyles, which have dominated much of the human past. Occasionally, at sites with good preservation conditions, archaeological finds suggest the importance of organic resources for tool manufacture and the production of a wide range of utilitarian items, including clothing, footwear, containers, tent covers, and mats. In fact, it is highly probable that organic materials such as wood, bark, bone, antler, and hide played a significant role in the creation of material culture and may have played a pivotal role in sociocultural communication. The lack of attention to sites and phenomena associated with limited or no lithics presents several challenges regarding archaeological insights into landscape use, technological traditions, and sociocultural interaction. This book presents a collection of articles that address these issues from various perspectives, with a particular focus on the Mesolithic of NW Europe. It explores dwellings and activities associated with limited or no lithics, variability in site location and landscape use, particularly in relation to hunting and the ethology of game species, and technological aspects of non-lithic material culture. The book aims to raise awareness of the consequences of these issues for our understanding of the past and to stimulate research and heritage management initiatives in this field.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789464261264