EAA2021: Abstract

There are many modes of archaeological prospection, and scrutinizing the character of how spatial data is produced is critical to understanding how past communities disposed themselves on past landscapes. This is particulary the case for higly mobile hunter-gatherers whose lifeways include movement accross environments that have variability in terms of preservation conditons. In this paper we present preliminary results of a structured survey project that we conducted in the region of Kokořínsko in order to better understand human-environment relationships during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition of Central Bohemia. An objective was to locate both surface scatters and well-stratified contexts with large assemblages that might offer clear insight on lifeways during the radical environmental changes that took place during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Kokořínsko is comprised of deeply incised sandstone valleys that break up high plateaus; this creates a rich and variageted environment with a dense distribution of ecological niches and localized contexts where geomorphological conditions support archaeological preservation. Our sampling strategy included a combination of field walking, sub surface boring, and test pits, adapted to local context. We outline the distributions of sites located during this work, and reflect critically on the extent to which these reflect real landuse patterns through the Final Paleolithic and Mesolithic communities can be assessed, or if these are products of the sampling strategy.

Late Palaeolithics, Mesolithics, Rockshelters, open air sites, spatial reflexivity

 Abstract (PDF)

Katarína Kapustka¹

Matthew Walls²
Karolína Pauknerová³