Een vuistbijl en andere nieuwe middenpaleolithische vondsten rond het glaciale bekken van Steenwijk (Dr. en Ov.)

Samenvatting

A handaxe and other new Middle Palaeolithic finds from around the glacial basin near Steenwijk. In an earlier paper in this journal (Paleo-aktueel 19, 2008), we described several Middle Palaeolithic finds from this area: a Levallois-flake from Eeserveld ‘A’, a Mauern-type leaf-point from Eeserveld ‘B’, a preform of a leafpoint from the Woldberg, two blades from Basse, a Mousterian point from the Havelterberg and a fragment of a bifacial tool (possibly another leafpoint) from Onna. Since then, new finds have come to light, briefly described in this article. A cordiform handaxe and a probable flake were found in a field at Steenwijkerkamp. The site at Basse produced no less than 7 new finds: a fragment of either a Levallois core (or large flake) or a handaxe, a Levallois core, a core fragment and 4 flakes. In total, 9 artefacts are now known from this site, and more finds are to be expected. The blade core from Baars is of particular interest; it has two opposing platforms, a well-known feature of cores from the Upper Palaeolithic. Such cores are also known from sites of the Leafpoint Group, such as at Beedings in southern England. We may conclude that the Steenwijk Basin was an attractive living area for Late Neanderthals around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago.