The Use of Wood at the Zamostje 2 Site

Prehistoric sites preserved in the waterlogged environments of northern Europe, the Baltic region, and Russia possess a number of common features related to the specifics of their locations in prehistoric times and the later conditions of their preservation. The lake settlements of the forest zone of European Russia did not undergo any drastic changes in their economy based on hunting and fishing during most of the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. The importance of fishing can be understood by studying the remains of wooden items from such sites, which include utensils like paddles, floats, and nets, as well as fish traps and other fishing constructions. The comprehensive analysis of wooden artefacts enables not only a detailed reconstruction of woodworking traditions and techniques at the sites, but also the reconstruction of the surrounding landscape, as exemplified by recent studies made at the Zamostje 2 site (Sergiev Posad district, Moscow region, Russia). This article presents the results of these studies. The assemblage of wooden artefacts – with more than 300 items – and fishing structures (fish traps, weirs, and fish screens) found at the Zamostje 2 site currently represents a unique opportunity to assess not only the role of wood in hunter-fisher societies during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in the forest zone of eastern Europe, but also the scientific potential of this fragile find material category

New Evidence of the Fishing Economy of Stone Age Waterlogged Sites in Central and North-Western Russia: The Example of Zamostje 2

Investigations of Stone Age waterlogged sites in eastern Europe pose a great scientific interest due to the excellent preservation of organic materials. Excavations of settlements like Sārnate, Zvidze (Latvia), Šventoji (Lithuania), Purkajasuo (Finland), and Okhta 1 (Russia) are among the best examples of such research. New investigations in 2010–2013 at the peat-bog site of Zamostje 2 (Sergiev Posad district, Moscow region, Russia) were of special interest thanks to the discovery of a specific fishery zone dated to the Late Mesolithic–Early Neolithic periods. Several constructions made of wood were found in this particular part of the settlement: among them two fish traps made of wooden splinters and bound by common reed tapes, mobile fish screens, and 150 wooden piles. These finds, along with wooden, bone, antler, and pine bark artefacts (fish hooks, harpoons, floats, fishnet knots, paddles, etc.) allow us to state that fishery was a basic economic activity at this site. This statement is further supported by a large number of finds, including fish bones and fish scales, found in relevant cultural layers. Similar fishing constructions have been found recently at other sites in European Russia, too. In this article, we present main elements of the fishing economy at Zamostje 2 and some newly-found materials from other sites in central and north-western Russia. We also propose a typology for wooden fishing structures and outline some patterns of fishing strategies for this territory in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods

Análisis de instrumentos en costilla de alce, mandíbulas de castor y caparazón de tortuga de Zamostje 2 (Rusia)

10 páginas, 13 figuras.-- Comunicación presentada en el 1er Congreso de Análisis Funcional de España y Portugal celebrado en Barcelona a finales de Noviembre 2001.The Zamostje 2 site is situated on the left bank of Dubna River, one of the numerous sources of the Volga River. The site is located in wet boggy conditions, which are favourable for pit formation. This environment is also favourable for good preservation of prehistoric bone, wooden and other organic remains. This fact explains the richness of the organic material collections, and their good preservation. The site is situated 110 km to the north of Moscow and 50 km to the north of Sergiev Possad. We had to use a large experimental collection from the laboratory of use-wear analysis of the Institute of Material Culture History (St.-Petersburg, director G.F. Korobkova) with the aim of correlating the traces, which had formed on the surface of bone implements. So at our disposal we had experimental tools made from bone, which were linked with processing different materials: skins (needles, awls, scrapers, planes/spatula), wood (planes, burins, chisels), plants (sickles), pottery (planes and tools for decoration) and antlers (borers and perforators). Besides this we completed the experimental collection with tools made from cow ribs, which were used for fish scale processing and fish preparation. In this paper we describe the use-wear traces, found on the experimental tools and also two types of tools made from elk ribs, which were defined in the archaeological material. We analysed implements made from elk ribs found in the second Mesolithic layer (7400-7300 BP). Traditionally and accordingly to ethnographic materials these tools were known as “knives for fish processing”. Our investigation aimed to check on this functional statement made without any use-wear analysis. Also we analysed tool made from turtle shell (Emys orbicularis), which had been found in lower Mesolithic layer (7900-7800 BP), and a series of tools made from beaver mandible, which had been transformed in order to use the sharp points as burins.Peer reviewe

Shell platforms and dwelling structures: spatial structure of the archaeological layer of the early Neolithic Rakushechnii Yar site

International audienceThe Rakushechny Yar site is one of the key Early Neolithic sites of southern Eastern Europe. The lithological strata, which preserved the cultural layers of Neolithic- Eneolithic, reach a thickness of more than 6 m. Remains of various structures attributed to Early Neolithic were identified – platforms with Unio shells surrounded by stake pits, shell piles with numerous kitchen remains and artefacts, pits with Unio shells deposited within several horizons. Another type includes the remains of structures marked by rows of post and stake pits, some of which may relate to fishing gear. Dwelling structures are represented by the remains of buildings with clay floors. Analysis of the distribution of artifacts and ecofacts and plans of individual layers on the basis of analysis of archival materials made it possible to identify different types of household and residential structures, outline the boundaries of artifact accumulations, describe the location of objects in the cultural layer, reconstruct functional zones, identify stable complexes of different categories and material groups. Spatial analysis of the archival material, taking into account the results of recent years of field research, shows a change in the development pattern of the coastal zone from small-scale household areas, sometimes paved with shells, with pits to residential complexes

Analyse fonctionnelle des outils biseautés à 45° de Zamostje 2

[EN] Zamostje 2 is a river bank site located in the region of Serguev Possad (Russia). This site is constituted by occupations from the late Mesolithic to the middle Neolithic. If no habitat was discovered, structures and many artefacts dealing with ishing practices have been found there. Our attention was drawn by a particular typological set of bone artefacts from Zamostje: narrow transverso-lateral bevel ended tools of which sides compose invariably an angle of 45°. he functional study of around forty pieces had allowed to match them with wood working (Лозов- ская, 1997). However, the variability in the breaks and in the distribution of use-wear patterns makes that kinematics could not be apparently cleared. From these irst results and with the help of target experiments, we carried out the use wear analysis of all the collection that counts more than one hundred of “45° bevelled bone tools”. We expected to specify their function and their connexions with structures dealing with ishing at Zamostje.[RU] Стоянка Замостье 2 расположена на берегу реки Дубны в Сергиево-Посадском р-не Московской области (Россия). Стоянка содержит несколько культурных слоев, датируе- мых в интервале от позднего мезолита до среднего неоли- та. В ходе исследований памятника были найдены рыболо- вецкие конструкции и большое количество артефактов, связанных с рыболовством. В данном случае мы обратили внимание на особую типологическую группу костяных изделий стоянки Замостье 2 — скошенные орудия с рабо- чей кромкой, заостренной под углом 45°. Функциональный анализ сорока орудий позволил соотнести их с обработ- кой дерева (Лозовская, 1997). Тем не менее, вариабельность сломов и характер распространения зон со следами износа не позволяли отчетливо прояснить вопрос о кинематике работы этим орудием. Беря за основу первые результаты и применив целенаправленные эксперименты, мы провели трасологический анализ всей коллекции изделий, которая сейчас насчитывает более сотни орудий с рабочей кромкой под углом 45°. Мы надеемся прояснить их функцию в связи с рыболовными структурами, найденными на стоянке За- мостье 2.Peer reviewe

трасология костяных рыболовных крючков стоянки замостье 2 (мезолит и неолит центральной части русской равнины)асти Русской равнины)

[EN] Fishing played a fundamental role in the subsistence economy of the Mesolithic and Neolithic inhabitants of Zamostje 2, a site located on the Russian plain (Sergiev Possad, Moscow). Te abundant ichtiofaunal remains and the tools found at the site (harpoons, needle nets, fishhooks and scaling knives) corroborate this importance. In this article, we focus on the consumption of fishhooks through an analysis of the usewear observed on their surfaces. We compare the usewear observed on the archaeological fishhooks with that seen on experimental fishhooks used to capture fish species. We show how some attributes (disposition, quantity and hardness of the fish teeth) influence the nature of the usewear, especially the striations, formed on the surfaces of the fishhooks.[RU] Рыболовство играло важную роль в экономике древних оби-тателей стоянки Замостье 2 в период мезолита и нео лита. Многочисленные остатки рыб и орудия, найденные на сто- янке (гарпуны, иглы для плетения сетей, крючки и ножи для чистки рыбы) — все это свидетельствует в пользу такого предположения. В данной работе основной целью нашего ис-следования является анализ группы рыболовных крючков с точки зрения изучения сохранившихся на поверхности следов использования. Сравниваются следы на эксперимен-тальных крючках с теми, которые наблюдаются на по-верхности археологических предметов. Мы показываем, как определенные характеристики влияют на природу воз-никновения следов использования, в особенности линейных следов, которые образуются на поверхности рыболовных крючков.Peer reviewe

Prehistoric fish traps and fishing structures from Zamostje 2, Russian European Plain: archaeological and ethnographical contexts

Fish traps and nets documented ethnographically on the Russian European Plain and in Siberia are described and compared with similar archaeological finds from the north and north-west of Russia and the Baltic States of Latvia and Lithuania. We analyse the features they have in common in arder to interpret the fishing structures from Zamostje 2. The site has yielded occupation levels covering the transition from the Mesolithic to the Early and Middle Neolithic. A comparative study of the fish remains from Zamostje 2 and modern species in the Valga and Oka river basins suggests that the greatest diversity of species (11) is found in the earliest Mesolithic level, with only six species recorded far the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. The number of individuals caught also varíes over time, with a steady increase in the capture of cyprinids, which is particularly striking in the last phases of the occupation. Wooden artefacts connected with fishing demonstrate a high level of technological expertise while the finds of several possible paddle fragments and one wlwle paddle confirm the use of boats.This Project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, I+D+I funding scheme (Project number HAR2008-04461/HIST) "Recursos olvidados en el estudio de grupos prehistóricos: el caso de la pesca en sociedades meso-neolíticas de la llanura rusa. (Forgotten Resources in Prehistory: Fishing in the Mesolithic-Neolithic of the Russian Plain)".Peer Reviewe

Деревянные рыболовные конструкции на стоянке каменного века Замостье 2

[EN] Several ishery constructions were found during investigations on the site Zamostje 2. hree ish-traps made from pine and spruce splinters were discovered during surface excavations. hey dated to the early Neolithic period. Another two constructions made from long pine, spruce and willow splinters were found during underwater prospection in river Dubna bed. hese objects are dated to the late Mesolithic period; their preliminary attribution is a mobile ish-screen. Besides the structures made from wood splinters around 230 vertical piles found during underwater and surface investigations. hey belong to the diferent chronological periods. Some of the piles are linked with ishery constructions; other ones represent remains of separate buildings.[RU] В ходе многолетних исследований на стоянке Замостье 2 были открыты сложные рыболовные конструкции. Три верши из лучин сосны и ели были найдены в ходе наземных раскопок и датируются эпохой раннего неолита. Еще две конструкции из длинных лучин сосны и ивы были обнаружены во время подводных работ в русле реки Дубны и предварительно интерпретируются в качестве переносных заграждений для ловли рыбы. Помимо объектов из расщепленных лучин, в южной части стоянки выявлено 230 вертикальных колов, которые также относятся к разным хронологическим периодам. Несомненно, некоторая их часть была связана с изученными сооружениями, другие представляют собой остатки самостоятельных построек.This study was supported by research project HAR2008–04461/HIST by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain “Forgotten resources in prehistory: the case of ishing among the meso-neolithic communities in the Russian plain” and by RFBR (Russia), research project №11–06–00090а, №11–06–100030к, №12–06–00013к, № 13–06–10007к, 13–06–12057 ofi_м. Authors also would like to thank A.A. Kostyleva for the help with drawings.Peer reviewe

Aperos para pesca e instrumentos para el procesado de pescado en Zamostje 2 (Rusia): una experimentación para reconocer los rastros de uso

[EN] Experimentation was carried out with bone tools and equipment connected with fishing and processing fish. Experiments with four fish species showed that the specific characteristics of their teeth leave different marks on the fishing hooks. The marks identified on harpoons and knives made from elk ribs and used to scale and gut fish are also described.[ES] En este trabajo presentamos la experimentación llevada a cabo con aperos e instrumentos óseos relacionados con la pesca y el procesado de pescado. La experimentación con cuatro especies de pescado nos ha mostrado que las características específicas de los dientes dejan huellas distintas en los anzuelos. Por otro lado, también se describen las huellas observadas en arpones y cuchillos elaborados en costilla de alce utilizados para descamar y eviscerar pescado.Peer reviewe

All the same, all different! Mesolithic and Neolithic "45º beveled bone tools" from Zamostje 2 (Moscow, Russia)

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