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Long-term monitoring along the Irish Sea coast of Britain at Formby has identified hundreds of animal and human footprints in 31 discrete sediment beds. A new programme of radiocarbon dating shows that the Formby footprints span at least 8,000 years of the Holocene Epoch from the Mesolithic period to Medieval times. In a landscape largely devoid of conventional archaeology and faunal records, we show how species data from the footprint stratigraphy document long-term change in both large mammal diversity and human behaviour. The footprint beds record shifting community structure in the native fauna through an era of profound global change. As sea levels rose rapidly in the Early Holocene, men, women and children formed part of rich Mesolithic intertidal ecosystems from ~9,000 to 6,000 cal BP, with aurochs, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, beaver, wolf and lynx. Doggerland was reclaimed by the sea in this period. In the agriculture-based societies that followed, after 5,500 cal BP human footprints dominate the Neolithic period and later beds, alongside a striking fall in large mammal species richness. Stacked footprint beds can form multimillennial records of ecosystem change with precise geographical context that cannot be retrieved from site-based fossil bone assemblages.

We are all now aware of masks and their affects. In the last 18 months, they have proliferated and in doing so replicated most of the major tropes of material culture studies. In Europe and the US ...

The application of clay to the heads of deceased hunter-gatherers within the Middle Neolithic burials of Finland and Latvia was originally identified by researchers working in these regions during ...

The combined use of microscopy and organic residue analysis on stone tools from the Early Mesolithic site of Star Carr, England, has tentatively identified residues consistent with pine (Pinaceae family) tree compounds. Microscopic residues from nine stone tools, originating from several locations and dated between ca 9300–8500 cal BC, were found to contain traces of diterpene compounds, consistent with dehydroabietic acid (DHA), 7-oxo-dehydroabietic acid (7-oxo-DHA), and dehydro-7-dehydroabietic acid (dehydro-7-DHA) through analysis by GC–MS. Sediment samples taken directly underneath each tool did not contain any of the above compounds associated with Pinaceae. The results suggest the use of Pinaceae resin by Early Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in this region.

This volume, which marks the fiftieth anniversary of World Archaeology, is fittingly on the theme of celebrations and festivities. In keeping with the theme, this editorial has been co-authored by ...

This contribution directly relates to the paper published by Wheeler in 1978 entitled ‘Why were there no fish remains at Star Carr?’. Star Carr is arguably the richest, most studied and re-interpreted Mesolithic site in Europe but the lack of fish remains has continued to vex scholars. Judging from other materials, the preservation conditions at the site in the late 1940s/early 1950s should have been good enough to permit the survival of fish remains, and particularly dentaries of the northern pike ( Esox lucius L., 1758) as found on other European sites of this age. The lack of evidence has therefore been attributed to a paucity of fish in the lake. However, new research has provided multiple lines of evidence, which not only demonstrate the presence of fish, but also provide evidence for the species present, data on how and where fish were being processed on site, and interpretations for the fishing methods that might have been used. This study demonstrates that an integrated approach using a range of methods at landscape, site and microscopic scales of analysis can elucidate such questions. In addition, it demonstrates that in future studies, even in cases where physical remains are lacking, forensic techniques hold significant potential.

Since its publication in 1954 Star Carr has held an iconic status in British Mesolithic archaeology. The original excavations at the site recorded a large assemblage of bone and antler tools from a sequence of peat deposits at the edge of the Lake Flixton. Over 60 years later this remains the largest assemblage of bone and antler artefacts of its date in Britain and has been an invaluable source of information for life in the early Mesolithic. However, the interpretation of this material has been the subject of intense debate, and the assemblage has been variously described as the remains of an in situ settlement, a refuse dump, and the result of culturally prescribed acts of deposition. Fundamentally, these very different ideas of the nature of the site depend on differing interpretations of the environmental context into which the majority of the organic artefacts were deposited. This paper presents the results of recent work at Star Carr that helps to resolve the debate surrounding both the context of the assemblage and the motivations that lay behind its deposition.

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the preservation status of pollen and other microfossils in the organic sediments at the wetland Mesolithic site of Star Carr. This study assesses the degradation of the pollen record in a profile at the edge of the archaeological site, adjacent to previous pollen work carried out from 1989 to 1991 and using it as a benchmark for comparison. There has been a severe degradation of pollen grains since the earlier work, with the upper peat devoid of pollen and the lower part of the organic profile badly affected. Only the very basal sediments retain well preserved pollen. Comparisons with hydrological and geo-chemical data obtained by other workers during the assessment of the Star Carr site suggest that oxidation caused by drainage and dessication of the organic sediments, perhaps originating in fissures in the drying peat, is a primary cause of the observed severe deterioration of the pollen record. Non-pollen palynomorphs (primarily fungal and algal spores) appear to be better preserved than pollen in the present bio-stratigraphic record, showing little surface degeneration, but are not recorded in the earlier work. The pollen archive in organic sediments at the Star Carr site is now badly damaged. Any further pollen work there should be undertaken urgently but is probably not justifiable.

Excavations at Les Varines were funded by Jersey Heritage through the States of Jersey Tourism Development Fund (https://www.gov.je/Leisure/Events/TourismDevelopmentFundTDF/pages/abouttdf.aspx) in 2013-15 and in 2017 (BS received the funding), by the British Museum research fund in 2016-18 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research) (Grant nos EC164/EC208) (BS received the funding), in 2016 by British Academy (https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk) small grant SG152868 (CC received the funding) and Society of Antiquaries (https://www.sal.org.uk/) Research Grants R121086 in 2017 and BH181355 in 2018 (CC received the funding). Funding from the Universities of Manchester, Southampton and UCL supported student training at the excavation. Silvia Bello’s work was part of the ‘Human Behaviour in 3D’ Project funded by the Calleva Foundation. Beccy Scott’s work was also supported by the Calleva foundation (Pathways to Ancient Britain project). The Upper Palaeolithic is characterised by the appearance of iconographic expressions most often depicting animals, including anthropomorphic forms, and geometric signs. The Late Upper Palaeolithic Magdalenian saw a flourishing of such depictions, encompassing cave art, engraving of stone, bone and antler blanks and decoration of tools and weapons. Though Magdalenian settlement exists as far northwest as Britain, there is a limited range of art known from this region, possibly associated with only fleeting occupation of Britain during this period. Stone plaquettes, flat fragments of stone engraved on at least one surface, have been found in large quantities at numerous sites spanning the temporal and geographical spread of the Magdalenian, but they have been absent so far from the archaeological record of the British Isles. Between 2015 and 2018, ten fragments of stone plaquettes extensively engraved with abstract designs were uncovered at the Magdalenian site of Les Varines, Jersey, Channel Islands. In this paper, we report detailed analyses of these finds, which provide new evidence for technologies of abstract mark-making, and their significance within the lives of people on the edge of the Magdalenian world. These engraved stone fragments represent important, rare evidence of artistic expression in what is the far northern and western range of the Magdalenian and add new insight to the wider significance of dynamic practices of artistic expression during the Upper Palaeolithic. Publisher PDF

The final full text is available open access at https://universitypress.whiterose.ac.uk/site/chapters/10.22599/book2.c/

Please note: due to the size and quality of these volumes, the ebook files are very large. Users downloading to mobile devices, or with an internet connection with limited bandwidth, should view and download chapters individually from the dropdown menu below. Star Carr is one of the most important Mesolithic sites in Europe. It was discovered in the late 1940s by John Moore and then excavated by Grahame Clark from 1949-1951, becoming famous in the archaeological world for the wealth of rare organic remains uncovered including barbed antler points and antler headdresses. However, since the original excavations there has been much debate about how the site was used: was it a residential base camp, a hunting camp or even a ritual site? From 2003-2015, excavations directed by Conneller, Milner and Taylor aimed to answer these questions. This work has demonstrated that the site is much larger and more complex than ever imagined and was in use for around 800 years. The excavations show that Mesolithic groups were highly invested in this place: there is evidence for a number of structures on the dryland (the oldest evidence for ‘houses’ in Britain), three large wooden platforms along the edge of the lake, and the deposition of rare artefacts into the lake edge, including more antler headdresses and a unique, engraved shale pendant. People continued to occupy the site despite changes in climate over this period. The main results of our work are contained in two volumes: the first provides an interpretation of the site, and the second provides detail on specific areas of research. The main results of our work are contained in two volumes: the first volume provides an interpretation of the site, and the second volume provides detail on specific areas of research. Further information on the order process

Please note: these ebook files are very large. Users downloading to mobile devices, or with an internet connection with limited bandwidth, should view and download chapters individually using the dropdown menu below. This first volume of Star Carr provides an interpretation of the Star Carr site, one of the most important Mesolithic sites in Europe. Discovered in the late 1940s by John Moore and then excavated by Grahame Clark from 1949-1951, the site is famous in the archaeological world for its wealth of rare organic remains, including significant wooden artefacts. However, since the original excavations there has been much debate about how the site was used: was it a residential base camp, a hunting camp or even a ritual site? The 2003-2015 excavations directed by Conneller, Milner and Taylor aimed to answer these questions. In use for around 800 years, the Star Carr site is much larger and more complex than ever imagined. The excavations show that Mesolithic groups were highly invested in this place and continued to occupy the site despite changes in climate. The findings include the oldest evidence for ‘houses’ in Britain, large wooden platforms along the edge of the lake, antler headdresses and a unique, engraved shale pendant which represents the earliest form of Mesolithic art in Britain. There is evidence for activity areas, such as crafts and tool repair associated with structures, an axe factory, as well as a number of caches. New finds of antler frontlets have increased our understanding of the diversity of human interactions with animals. “If these do not get a gong, something will have to be done about archaeology book awards.” Mike Pitts, British Archaeology Despite the degradation, these excavations have provided a new understanding of life in the Early Mesolithic, particularly enhancing our understanding of how important wood (a material rarely recovered) was for Mesolithic people. The findings challenge many of the preconceived views of this period in terms of the character and scale of activity and the degree of investment in a particular place in the landscape. Volume 1 focuses on an interpretation of the site, while volume 2 of Star Carr provides detail on specific areas of research. Readers may prefer to download and cite from the PDF version of this book. This has a specific DOI and has a fixed structure with page numbers. Guidance on citing from other ebook versions without stable page numbers (Kindle, EPUB etc.) is now usually offered within style guidance (e.g. by the MLA style guide, The Chicago Manual of Style etc.) so please check the information offered on this by the referencing style you use. Further information on the order process

Understanding the resilience of early societies to climate change is an essential part of exploring the environmental sensitivity of human populations. There is significant interest in the role of abrupt climate events as a driver of early Holocene human activity, but there are very few well-dated records directly compared with local climate archives. Here, we present evidence from the internationally important Mesolithic site of Star Carr showing occupation during the early Holocene, which is directly compared with a high-resolution palaeoclimate record from neighbouring lake beds. We show that—once established—there was intensive human activity at the site for several hundred years when the community was subject to multiple, severe, abrupt climate events that impacted air temperatures, the landscape and the ecosystem of the region. However, these results show that occupation and activity at the site persisted regardless of the environmental stresses experienced by this society. The Star Carr population displayed a high level of resilience to climate change, suggesting that postglacial populations were not necessarily held hostage to the flickering switch of climate change. Instead, we show that local, intrinsic changes in the wetland environment were more significant in determining human activity than the large-scale abrupt early Holocene climate events. A high-resolution local palaeoclimatic archive is correlated to the early Holocene human behavioural record at the British Mesolithic site of Star Carr. Despite environmental stresses at this time, intensive human activity persisted over centuries, suggesting resilience to climate change.

Ochre is an important mineral pigment used by prehistoric hunter-gatherers across the globe, and its use in the Mesolithic is no exception. Using optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy with micrometre spatial resolution (micro-Raman), we present evidence that confirms unambiguously the use of ochre by hunter-gatherers at Mesolithic sites surrounding Palaeo-Lake Flixton, Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK. Our results suggest that people collected ochre and processed it in different ways, likely for diverse purposes. The quality and specificity of chemical characterisation possible with micro-Raman facilitates new avenues for further research on ochreous materials in Britain, including provenancing through chemical ‘fingerprinting’.

The basal topography and sediments recording the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT) from Palaeolake Flixton, North Yorkshire have been reinvestigated by a detailed auger and borehole survey. The data presented here, from the area to the north of Flixton Island and the River Hertford, suggests the basal topography of Palaeolake Flixton is irregular with deep and areally small basins interspersed within a gravel surface ca. 21 m OD. At its shallowest the gravel surface is ca. 2 m below current land surface and the deeper, steep-sided basins are up to 9 m in depth. Examination of the sediment sequences indicates the deeper basins accumulate sediments from the Dimlington Stadial (DS), Windermere Interstadial (WI), Loch Lomond Stadial (LLS) and the Holocene, whilst the shallower sequences only record the Holocene. The configuration of the deposits in the basins suggest that lake levels declined during the WI from 24 to 23 m OD and then fell further during the LLS to ca. 20.90 m OD. The lake water levels then rose slowly during the Holocene to a height of between 23 and 24 m OD. These fluctuations in lake water level at the transition from the LLS to Holocene perhaps indicate that the configuration of the water body during the resettlement of the area in the Mesolithic was different to previous reconstructions, with lower water levels and a greater area of land exposed for habitation. This highlights the potential for additional preservation of archaeological assemblages in the area of the former lake. Moreover the complex basal stratigraphy suggests that a systematic analyses of the Palaeolake Flixton sedimentary archive is required to resolve high-resolution palaeoclimate data from this lake sequence.

This paper presents δ 18 O and δ 13 C values from three early Holocene lacustrine carbonate sequences from Palaeolake Flixton in northeastern England. The δ 13 C values are typical of carbonates precipitating in an open lake system with the exception of samples from the very uppermost parts of these sequences which have values more typical of palustrine or tufaceous carbonates and, therefore, indicate the progressive contraction and shrinkage of the lake system overtime. The δ 18 O values record an initial increase to an early peak at the onset of the Holocene but a subsequent decline in values of such a magnitude that by ca 8000 yrs B.P. the δ 18 O value of the precipitated carbonate is consistent with carbonates that precipitated at the end of the Loch Lomond Stadial. The early increase and peak in δ 18 O values is suggested to reflect the climatic amelioration at the onset of the Holocene, as temperatures progressively rose. The decline cannot be explained by any known temperature shifts, however, this “depletion trend” is seen in several other early Holocene lacustrine records from across the British Isles. This decline is suggested to reflect a shift in the seasonality of precipitation from a more seasonal precipitation regime typical of a “continental” climate, with strong seasonal contrasts in rainfall, to a more “maritime” climate which was characterised by consistent levels of rainfall occurring across the year. The relative timing of human activity at Star Carr suggests human occupation occurred after this isotopic decline under “maritime” rather than “continental” climates.

This contribution contrasts ‘Assemblage theory’ with more traditional archaeological understandings of the term ‘assemblage’. It is argued that the flat ontology of assemblage theory is productive, particularly in relation to scale, enabling archaeologists to describe their own materials more precisely. However, more traditional ‘assemblages’, perhaps as a result of the more restrictive view they provide, should not be neglected, as they generate particularly archaeological perspectives and effects.

This work provides new insights into human responses to and perceptions of sea-level rise at a time when the landscapes of north-west Europe were radically changing. These issues are investigated through a case study focused on the Channel Islands. We report on the excavation of two sites, Canal du Squez in Jersey and Lihou (GU582) in Guernsey, and the study of museum collections across the Channel Islands. We argue that people were drawn to this area as a result of the dynamic environmental processes occurring and the opportunities these created. The evidence suggests that the area was a particular focus during the Middle Mesolithic, when Guernsey and Alderney were already islands and while Jersey was a peninsula of northern France. Insularisation does not appear to have created a barrier to occupation during either the Middle or Final Mesolithic, indicating the appearance of lifeways increasingly focused on maritime voyaging and marine resources from the second half of the 9th millenniumBConwards.

The authors rewrite the character of Early Mesolithic settlement in Europe with their new research at one of its most famous sites. The picture of small mobile pioneering groups colonising new land is thrown into contention: far from being a small hunter-gatherer camp, Star Carr in 9000 cal BC extended for nearly 2ha and involved the construction of an estimated 30m of lakeside waterfront and at least one post-built house. With some justice, they suspect that the ‘small groups’ of Early Mesolithic Europe may have their rationale in the small excavations of archaeologists.

Star Carr has an international reputation in archaeology but it was just a small part of a former lakescape which has been systematically investigated at various periods over the last 60 years. The palaeo-lake and associated sites were first investigated by John W. Moore, a local amateur archaeologist and his findings led to the better known excavations of Grahame Clark. After a hiatus in research, survey and excavation resumed in the 1970s and has been ongoing ever since. The support over the last 25 years of the Vale of Pickering Research Trust has enabled the palaeo-Lake Flixton to be mapped prompting the discovery of new Early Mesolithic sites, resulting in an unparalleled understanding of an Early Mesolithic lakescape. In addition, Star Carr has been revisited at various times revealing new insights and further questions that remain to be answered. This paper presents a history of the investigations from the initial discoveries of Moore to the present day, and considers a range of issues incl...

The 11,000-year old lake edge archaeological site of Star Carr in the Vale of Pickering of North Yorkshire is one of the most famous Mesolithic sites in Europe, and one of the earliest, dated to the period of climatic warming that immediately followed the final termination of the last ice age. One of the main reasons for this international importance is the richness of its organic artefacts, faunal assemblage and environmental data. However, recent investigations have demonstrated that these organic remains have severely deteriorated over the last 60 years due to the decay and acidification of the surrounding peat. This paper presents research into the effects on the bone (histological analysis using light and polarising microscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy, bulk collagen analysis, and amino acid analysis), antler (visual and metrical analysis, loss on ignition and Scanning Electron Microscopy) and wood (visual analysis, decay assessment tests and Scanning Electron Microscopy).

This paper presents the results of a project aimed at investigating the deterioration of organic remains at the Mesolithic site of Star Carr. Analyses of pH, Electrical Conductivity and Redox Potential are reported from borehole transects across the unexcavated part of the site. A comparison of field and laboratory measurements is made, leading to the characterisation of different preservation zones and identification of ‘vulnerable’ sediments at the site. These data are augmented by geochemical analyses of contemporary borehole sequences and adjacent historic monoliths. Analysis of surface water and groundwater has also been undertaken to assist in the interpretation of the site hydrology and geochemistry. The relationship between ‘natural’ geology and preservation potential, and the evidence for a ‘halo’ preservation effect in virgin sediments adjacent to previous archaeology trenches is investigated. The results indicate a restricted ‘halo’ effect from adjacent backfilled archaeological excavations and the importance of the underlying glacial sediments in determining hydrology and preservation status. The disconnection of circum-neutral groundwater from the Mesolithic peats appears to be a crucial factor in their acidification. Most organic horizons appear to have suffered almost complete chemical oxidation of sulphide to sulphate. The hydrological isolation of Star Carr is shown by the large disparities in water chemistry in different local groundwater sources and strongly suggests an internal source for the elevated sulphur levels at the site.

Cette etude presente les resultats d'excavations d'un site du paleolithique superieur qui avait ete decouvert a Rookery Farm, Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire en 2002. Un materiel lithique diagnostique - trois pointes de canif - indique que le site etait probablement occupe entre 12 000 et 11 000 avant le present, epoque ou les conditions climatiques se deterioraient. Les excavations ont decouvert un petit site artisanal, etabli la pour tirer avantage de l'eau et d'une source de matiere premiere lithique. Cette etude examine Rookery Farm par rapport aux autres sites de cette date et aux schemas de mobilite et d'occupation a travers le nord-ouest de l'Europe.

Shamanic belief systems represent the first form of religious practice visible within the global archaeological record. Here we report on the earliest known evidence of shamanic costume: modified red deer crania headdresses from the Early Holocene site of Star Carr (c. 11 kya). More than 90% of the examples from prehistoric Europe come from this one site, establishing it as a place of outstanding shamanistic/cosmological significance. Our work, involving a programme of experimental replication, analysis of macroscopic traces, organic residue analysis and 3D image acquisition, metrology and visualisation, represents the first attempt to understand the manufacturing processes used to create these artefacts. The results produced were unexpected-rather than being carefully crafted objects, elements of their production can only be described as expedient.

During the Upper Palaeolithic Britain was visited intermittently, perhaps only on a seasonal basis, by groups often operating at the margins of their range. The Early Mesolithic, by contrast, witnessed the start of the permanent occupation of the British landscape, with certain key sites showing evidence for long-lasting occupation from the very start of the period. However, currently our understanding of the timing and tempo of the Mesolithic colonisation and infilling of the landscape is limited because of the paucity of precise radiocarbon measurements. In this article we assess and model existing radiocarbon measurements to refine current typochronological models for the first two millennia of the Holocene. This is a necessary first step towards understanding the Mesolithic resettlement of the British Isles. Our results throw new light on the relationship between the last Upper Palaeolithic 'Long Blade' industries and early Mesolithic assemblages, as well as refining our understanding of the chronology of early Mesolithic assemblage types. Our data also suggest regional patterning to the timing of Mesolithic settlement and throw new light on issues of population movement and adoption of new technologies.