The Last Hunters and Gatherers

From 12.10. to 15.10. I participated in a revision survey of the rock overhang, unprofessionally explored in the early 90s. The aim was to document the stratigraphy in detail, collect samples for dating and pollen analysis.

History of the area

The first scant evidence of settlement in the Kokořín region dates back to the Old and Middle Palaeolithic, i.e. the period 100-500 thousand years ago. It is evidenced by a quartzite chisel from Kraví hora near Srní, and the hill Pigeon Stone near Doksy withwith the discovery of a massive retouched flint spear and a flint chisel from Mlýnský vrch near Heřmaničky. Unfortunately, the rugged and dry landscape did not provide favourable conditions for settlement, and so the following Young Palaeolithic is more sparsely represented. The most important site is Sedlec-Hradsko, where a settlement of about 40,000 years old, culturally classified as Aurignacian, was found on a large spur on the surface of an early medieval hillfort. The situation changes fundamentally in the Mesolithic (9 700-5 500 BC), the period of the last hunters and gatherers. As in our other sandstone cities, there is an increase in settlement, of which numerous remains can be found under the rock overhangs in the form of small stone fragments and tools, bone fragments or just the remains of hearths. The subsequent settlement, with its agricultural nature of subsistence, cumulated more in the lowland areas of the Mělník and Mladá Boleslav regions. Kokořínsko did not remain empty, however. The few finds of pottery shards and sharpened tools attest to the presence of a culture withand Eneolithic pottery, but the Younger Bronze Age is relatively widespread. In these periods, however, we probably cannot speak of a continuous and dense settlement, but rather of pastoral or prospecting activities.

Site description

The excavation took place under a large overhang, situated at the junction of two rock valleys. Relatively destructive amateur excavations with inadequate documentation carried out in the early 1990s. The excavations, dating from the early and late medieval period, through the Early Bronze Age, the Early Iron Age, theEneolithic culture represented by a woman's grave, a younger phase of Neolithic pierced pottery, to the Younger and Boreal Mesolithic. Given the massiveness of the whole fill, I expect there is also a Late Palaeolithic feature, which is likely to lie at the very base of the overhang, where the probe did not reach. The sounding reached a depth of 170 cm, where the exploration was terminated for the time being.

Methodology

The aim of our research was the detailed documentation of the old probes and grave, the documentation of the sedimentary profile and the actual finds within them, and finally the collection of samples for dating, pollen and DNA analyses.

After excavating the old probes, polygons of 100x50cm were marked out in their longer sides, in which we gradually removed mechanical layers of 5cm thickness from above. The excavated material was then sieved on a sieve and pulverized. Detailed analysis of the sieving and washing was carried out in the laboratory. This allows for the recovery of seeds, small bones or other organic debris and small artefacts that cannot be captured directly in the field. Only larger or otherwise interesting finds captured in situ during layer removal have been documented in the field. For example, as large stone fragments, bone or stone tools, or ceramic sherds. The removal of each layer was followed by its cleaning, drawing and photographing, including recording its profile on a cross-section.

The bone itself was used to date the grave, which according to earlier analyses provided a date of 3000 BC. Burnt hazelnut shells are crucial for dating the lower layers, especially the Mesolithic ones.

Probably a Mesolithic flint dart

jasper splinter in sowing

a fragment of an axe-hammer found near the shard

sherd of culture with pierced pottery

detail of the oldest stratigraphy

view of the entire exposed stratum. medieval above, millennial series of Mesolithic hearths below. depth 170 cm

view of the site

sample of drawing documentation

sherds of Early Bronze Age pottery, small bones and chipped industry from the seeding of an old probe

Finally, a demonstration of rock art...