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Pioneers in the hills: Early Mesolithic foragers at Šebrn Abri (Istria, Croatia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Preston Miracle ,
Nena Galanidou  and
Stašo Forenbaher
Preston Miracle
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Nena Galanidou
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Stašo Forenbaher
Affiliation:
Institute for Anthropological Research, Ilica, Zagreb, Croatia
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Abstract

In this paper, we examine the strategies used by early Mesolithic people as they moved into the karstic uplands of north-eastern Istria, Croatia. These strategies are inferred from detailed analyses of the lithic and faunal assemblages from Šebrn, a small upland rock-shelter occupied for a relatively short period of time in the early Holocene. We conclude that Šebrn's lithic assemblages are in technology and typology relatively homogeneous and can be treated as a single unit (related to the Sauveterrian and Epigravettian, sensu lato). The faunal remains, in contrast, reveal a dynamic situation of temporal changes in the scope and focus of activities on site. Drawing on several lines of evidence from the lithic and faunal assemblages, we suggest that the initial use of the site was intermittent and people who pursued a generalized subsistence strategy visited it. With the passage of time and as people learned about upland environments, they turned to a specialized procurement of red deer. Šebrn became part of a settlement system that related lowlands to uplands and the site gained significance in the cultural landscape as people brought to it expectations about what they would do and how long they would stay.

Les stratégies utilisées par les populations du Mésolithique ancien lors de leurs explorations des régions karstiques de l'Istrie du nord-est (Croatie), sont examinées dans cet article. Ces stratégies sont déduites de l'analyse détaillée des assemblages lithiques et de la faune de Šebrn, un petit abri sous roche des hautes terres, occupé pour une période relativement courte de l'Holocène ancien. Les assemblages lithiques de Šebrn apparaissent relativement homogènes du point de vue de leur technologie et de leur typologie et peuvent être traités comme une unité, apparantée au Sauveterrien et à l' Epigravettien sensu lato. Au contraire, la faune met en évidence l'évolution dynamique au cours du temps, de l'étendue et du type d'activités entreprises sur ce site. Les résultats fournis par l'étude des assemblages lithiques et de la faune nous permettent de suggérer que l'utilisation de ce site fut au début intermittente - des visites par des groupes avec une stratégie généraliste de survie. Mais, petit à petit, ces groupes apprirent l'environnement des hautes terres et se spécialisèrent dans la chasse au cerf. Šebrn faisait partie d'un système de peuplement qui reliait les basses terres aux hautes terres, et la signification du site dans le paysage culturel s'accrut avec les groupes apportant leurs espèrances de ce qu'ils pourraient y faire et le temps qu'ils pourraient y passer.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir die Strategien, die frühmesolithische Menschen anwandten, als sie ins karstige Hochland Nordostistriens, Kroatien, einwanderten. Diese Strategien werden aus detaillierten Analysen der lithischen und pflanzlichen Inventare von Šebrn erschlossen, eines kleinen Hochland-Abris, das während einer relativ kurzen Zeit im Frühholozän benutzt wurde. Wir könnten feststellen, dass die lithischen Inventare aus Šebrn in Technologie und Typologie relativ homogen sind und als geschlossene Einheit betrachtet werden können (in Beziehung zum Sauvettien und Epigravettien, sensu lato). Die pflanzlichen Reste dagegen zeigen eine dynamische Situation von zeitweiligen Wechseln in Umfang und Fokus der Aktivitäten am Ort. Auf der Grundlage verschiedener Beobachtungen am lithischen und pflanzlichen Material erschließen wir, dass der Ort anfänglich periodisch genutzt und von Menschen aufgesucht wurde, die eine generalisierte Subsistenzstrategie verfolgten. Im Laufe der Zeit und durch das Kennenlernen der Umwelt des Hochlandes wandten sich die Menschen speziell der Rotwildjagd zu. Šebrn wurde Teil eines Siedlungssystems, das Tiefland und Hochland miteinander verband, und der Ort gewann an Bedeutung für die Kulturlandschaft, da die Menschen Erwartungen mit ihm verbanden über das, was sie dort tun würden und wie lange sie bleiben würden.

Keywords

CroatialandscapeMesolithicrock-sheltertechnologyuplandszooarchaeology
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , 2000 , pp. 293 - 329
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 Sage Publications 

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