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Ruimtelijke configuraties van mesolithische haardkuilen in Noord-Nederland

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Spatial arrangements of Mesolithic hearth-pits in the northern Netherlands. The Mesolithic in the Netherlands, especially the northern half of the country, is characterized by the presence of hearth-pits. These features are sometimes found in association with flint artefacts, but sites dominated by hearth-pits – without significant numbers of flint artefacts or indeed any artefacts at all, – occur as well. These sites show considerable variation, not only in terms of the number of features, but also in the spatial distribution of the pits. Analysis of excavation plans in combination with radiocarbon dating has led to the identification of recurring spatial arrangements (‘configurations’) of hearth-pits, ranging from a single, isolated pit to clusters of dozens of contemporaneous hearth-pits. Radiocarbon dating suggests that a temporal dimension is present; in the study area some types of configuration occur throughout the Mesolithic (c. 9600-5600 BP) while other types, extensive clusters of pits especially, occur in the archaeological record only after c. 8100 BP, the beginning of the Late Mesolithic. The possible function(s) or meaning of the different types of configuration will be discussed in detail in a forthcoming publication.

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2011-12-16

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