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Deep-Sea Fishing in the European Mesolithic: Fact or Fantasy?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Catriona Pickard  and
Clive Bonsall
Catriona Pickard*
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh, UK
Clive Bonsall*
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh, UK
*
[email: [email protected]]
[email: [email protected]]
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Abstract

Some previous authors have argued for the practice of offshore, deep-water fishing in the European Mesolithic. In this article, various lines of evidence are brought to bear on this question: the kinds of fishing gear employed, the evidence relating to the use of boats and navigation, site location, ethnographic data, and fish biology and behaviour. It is concluded that the existence of deep-sea fisheries cannot be demonstrated on the basis of the available data. However, around much of Europe Mesolithic shorelines now lie below sea level and the study highlights the need for underwater archaeological investigation of submerged landscapes.

Certains auteurs ont parlé en faveur d'une pêche côtière et hauturière durant le Mésolithique européen. Dans cet article, différents arguments se rapportent à cette question: quel était le genre d'équipement de pêche employé, quelles preuves existent quant à l'emploi de bateaux et de navigation, quel était l'emplacement des sites, quelles sont les données ethnographiques, et que savons-nous de la biologie et du comportement des poissons. En conclusion, nous ne pouvons démontrer une pêche hauturière sur la base des données disponibles. Toutefois, comme une grande partie des côtes de l'Europe mésolithique se trouve en dessous du niveau actuel de la mer, cette étude souligne la nécessité d'entamer des investigations archéologiques sous-marines dans les régions submergées.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Einige frühere Autoren haben für das europäische Mesolithikum die Praxis der küstenfernen Tiefseefischerei angenommen. In diesem Aufsatz werden verschiedene Argumentationslinien zu einer Aussage gebracht: die Arten der Entwicklung der Fischerei-Ausrüstung, Belege für die Nutzung von Booten und Navigation, die Lage von Fundplätzen, ethnographische Angaben sowie Verhaltensweisen und Biologie von Fischen. Es lässt sich zusammenfassen, dass anhand der vorliegenden Daten die Existenz von Tiefseefischereien nicht nachweisbar ist. Allerdings liegt ein Großteil der mesolithischen Küstenlinie in Europa unterhalb des heutigen Meeresspiegels, so dass der vorliegende Beitrag besonders die Notwendigkeit von Untersuchungen mittlerweile überfluteter Landschaften mittels Unterwasserarchäologie hervorhebt.

Keywords

deep-sea fishingEuropefishingMesolithichaute merpêcheMésolithiqueEuropeTiefseeFischereiMesolithikumEuropa
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , 2004 , pp. 273 - 290
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Sage Publications 

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