One of the last wild brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Netherlands (Noordwijk)

Early in 2016, bones of a left front leg of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) were found in the dunes between Noordwijk and Zandvoort (Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen - Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes). The stratigraphical composition of the find horizon was identified as the old surface (palaeosoil) of the so-called ‘Oude Duinen’ (Old Dunes). The find horizon has yielded many shells and malacological research has indicated the former presence of a centuries-old, undisturbed, moist, deciduous forest. This forest was located at the border of Rijnland and Kennemerland, and remained unaffected by man for a long time. Shifting sand has since formed younger dunes on top of older ones. This process started around the year 1000 AD. The skeletal remains were 14C dated to 1140 ± 30 BP, which calibrates to 880-970 calAD. This means that the remains are from the late Holocene age and belong to one of the last wild brown bears in the Netherlands, which was one of the largest mammals living in the Netherlands at this time. Zoological data and historical sources indicate that the last brown bear occurred in the Netherlands around the year 1000 AD. To contextualise the finding we also present an overview of all finds of the brown bear known from the Dutch Holocen

Fires at Neumark-Nord 2, Germany: An analysis of fire proxies from a Last Interglacial Middle Palaeolithic basin site

Few sites with evidence for fire use are known from the Last Interglacial in Europe. Hearth features are rarely preserved, probably as a result of post-depositional processes. The small postglacial basins (<300 m in diameter) that dominate the sedimentary context of the Eemian record in Europe are high-resolution environmental archives often containing charcoal particles. This case study presents the macroscopic charcoal record of the Neumark-Nord 2 basin, Germany, and the correlation of this record with the distinct find levels of the basin margin that also contain thermally altered archaeological material. Increased charcoal quantities are shown to correspond to phases of hominin presence-a pattern that fits best with recurrent anthropogenic fires within the watershed. This research shows the potential of small basin localities in the reconstruction of local fire histories, where clear archaeological features like hearths are missing

Utilisation de mousse comme dégraissant dans des céramiques néolithiques de France et de Belgique

A plant temper commonly used in France and Belgium in the Epi-Rössen and Michelsberg cultures has been identified. This is a mixture of moss mainly composed of Neckera crispa Hedw. Its experimental use has confirmed observations made on archaeological finds. The sequence of successive cultures using this temper, often in association with another temper consisting of fire-splintered flint, is discussed. The article provides an opportunity to underline the cultural significance of tempering materials in general.Un dégraissant végétal très utilisé en France et en Belgique principalement dans les cultures d'épi-Roessen et de Michelsberg a été identifié. Il s'agit d'un mélange de mousses constitué principalement de Neckera crispa Hedw. Son emploi expérimental a permis de confirmer les observations faites sur le matériel archéologique. La mise en place d'une séquence de cultures successives utilisant ce matériau, souvent en association avec un autre dégraissant constitué de silex éclaté au feu, est discutée. Ceci est l'occasion de souligner la signification culturelle des dégraissants en général.Constantin Claude, Kuijper Wim J. Utilisation de mousse comme dégraissant dans des céramiques néolithiques de France et de Belgique. In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 99, n°4, 2002. pp. 775-783

Vlaardings verleden verkend : archeobotanisch en malacologisch onderzoek aan monsters uit het centrum van Vlaardingen

Opdrachtgever: gemeente Vlaardingen, Bureau Archeologie en Monumentenzorg

Plantenresten in de magen van noordse stormvogels: graadmeter voor vervuiling

Afval in de zee is een bekend probleem. Vanuit Wageningen Marine Research wordt sinds 1982 onderzoek gedaan naar het kleine drijvende materiaal in en rond de Noordzee door middel van onderzoek van maaginhouden van noordse stormvogels (van Franeker, 2009). dit dier pikt namelijk als 'voedsel' allerlei kleine voorwerpen, waaronder plastic, van het zeeoppervlak op en is daarmee een graadmeter voor de vervuiling. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op een klein onderdeel van het onderzoek: de botanische component