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The Stone Age site Riņņukalns, Latvia, is the only well-stratified shell midden in the Eastern Baltic. In this paper, we present new interdisciplinary results concerning its dating, stratigraphy, features, and finds to shed light on the daily life of a fisher population prior to the introduction of domesticated animals. The undisturbed part of the midden consists of alternating layers of unburnt mussel shell, burnt mussel shell and fish bone, containing artefacts, some mammal and bird bones, and human burials. Two of them, an adult man and a baby, are discovered recently and date to the calibration plateau between 3350 and 3100 cal BC, and to the later 4th millennium, respectively. Stable isotopes suggest a diet based heavily on freshwater fish, and this is supported not only by ten thousands of identified fish remains, but also by a fish bone concentration nearby the skull of the man, which is interpreted as remain of a grave gift (possible fish soup). Of special interest are the baby’s stable isotope values. It shows that the mother’s diet was atypical (perhaps because she was non-local), and/or that dietary stress during pregnancy increased fractionation between the mother’s diet and her bloodstream.

Exploitation of aquatic resources, especially fishing, was a fundamental part of human subsistence during the Late Mesolithic Ertebolle culture (5400–4000/3900 cal BC) in Southern Scandinavia. In this pilot study we examine three cod otoliths from two Late Mesolithic locations in eastern Denmark to see whether local environmental conditions are reflected in the strontium ratios of the fish, to source the fish to either the Atlantic or the Baltic Sea and finally, to explore how fishing was conducted in relation to the settlements. We used laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for sequential sampling of the otoliths for strontium isotope analysis. All three otoliths yielded 87Sr/86Sr values that fall within the range of Baltic Sea water, thus indicating that cod caught by Mesolithic fishers in the Danish straits belonged to the Baltic Sea stock. Our results suggest that cod were not caught in waters immediately adjacent to the archaeological sites but rather came from the Kattegat. We could not detect any substantial change in habitat between juvenile and mature stages of the fishs lives. Our study shows the potential of isotopic analysis to address issues regarding the individual ecological history of fish and human fishing strategies.

Archaeological material was initially discovered in 1993, eroding from a small cliff on the north side of the peninsula of Asnaes near the town of Kalundborg in western Sjaelland, Denmark. Ertebolle Excavations in 2007 exposed the Ertebollwe cultural layer and obtained materials to describe the site and its contents before it was destroyed by the sea. The 22 m2 of careful excavations exposed a terrestrial midden deposit and the late Mesolithic cultural layer which had been partially preserved under a raised beach ridge. The flint tools consist primarily of projectile points, flake axes, some distally concave truncated blade knives, and a very few scrapers. There were large numbers of well-preserved faunal remains including bone fishhooks and preforms, seal bones, large bird bones, and an extraordinary amount of fish bone. A quantity of pottery was recovered in the excavations as well, including both pointed-bottom vessels and oval lamps in different sizes from the late Mesolithic and several examples of what are probably Early Neolithic ceramics. The rich occupation layer with its diverse artifactual content, including a fragment of a human jaw, documents a sizable residential settlement on the north coast of the Asnaes peninsula.

The spread of the Neolithic way of life from its centers of origins remains one of the central topics of archaeological research, with ongoing debates about the importance of economic, demographic, and cultural changes in the transition. The Southern Caucasus, while close to one area where agriculture emerged, has remained understudied regarding this spread. Here, information about the role of fish, a topic that has been almost completely neglected until now is presented. Fish remains are scarce in this region. Moreover, isotope analyses seem to indicate that freshwater fish were not an important food source. For the first time, fishbones have been found in larger quantities at the site of Aruchlo I from some layers in ditches. It is the largest assemblage of fish bones safely dated to the sixth millennium BC in the South Caucasus. The interpretation of these finds is not straightforward due to the lack of other comparable finds and the absence of fishing gear. Fishing appears to have been conducted in the waters close to the settlement. It is unclear if fishing was a year-round activity, although the way these bones were concentrated in different layers in the ditches suggests that this was not the case. We think that the bounteous catch of spawning fishes at certain times of the year can be linked to special social events like feasting, showing the importance of a food resource that is usually greatly underrepresented archaeologically. Introducing more precise recovery methods for animal remains at other excavations will hopefully refine our understanding.

The Neolithic site Riņņukalns in the Lake Burtnieks/River Salaca area in northern Latvia is the only freshwater shell midden in the eastern Baltic Sea area. An excavation carried out in 2011 revealed an intact stratigraphy with alternating layers of unburnt and burnt mussel shells and yielded various kinds of archaeological finds, among them several thousand fish remains. To gain an understanding of the fish species and specimens caught by the Neolithic settlers, and to discern any temporal development in the fish species composition, we analysed fish remains from different sections and layers. Results from both the archaeozoological and stable isotope data, give evidence for a change in the relevance of fish species during the period of use, and they also provide information for reconstructing the former river and lake hydrology in the vicinity of the midden. The Stone Age landscape seems to have been very similar to the present situation, so that the study area has been an extraordinarily stable ecosyst...

The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from eight Mesolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites in this region. Thirty-six (50%) of the specimens analysed produced results with acceptable carbon to nitrogen atomic ratios (2·9–3·6). The fish remains encompassed a wide spectrum of freshwater, brackish and marine taxa (n = 12), which were reflected in the δ13C values (−24·5 to −7·8‰). The freshwater/brackish fish (pike, Esox lucius; perch, Perca fluviatilis; zander, Sander lucioperca) had δ13C values that ranged from −24·2 to −19·3‰, whereas the brackish/marine fish (spurdog, Squalus acanthias; flatfish, Pleuron...

Recent excavations at two rockshelters (Olsteinhelleren and Saevarhelleren) on the Hardanger fjord in Western Norway have provided an unparalleled opportunity to examine the Mesolithic subsistence economy of this region. Thousands of fish remains (as well as numerous mammal and bird bones) have been analysed from these assemblages. Results show that the fishery was dominated by gadids, but labrids and salmonids were also important. Many other fish were present in small quantities, including the first specimen of sturgeon from the Stone Age of Norway. The transition to a more specialised fishery at the younger site, Olsteinhelleren, may be a reflection of a switch to the use of this locality as a logistic camp for the targeting of gadid fish.

The papers in this special issue of the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (IJO) were presented at the 19th biennial meeting of the Fish Remains Working Group (FRWG) of the International Council of Archaeozoology (ICAZ), which was held in Alghero and Stintino, Sardinia, Italy, from October 1–7, 2017. Entitled Fish and Fishing Communities: Understanding Ancient and Modern Fisheries through Archaeological Fish Remains, this conference brought together a diverse group of 120 scholars from 29 countries with specializations in archaeology, zoology, history, and anthropology. These fish specialists ranged from undergraduate students to emeritus professors.

The c. 9m high tell-settlement of Pietrele-Magura Gorgana, situated close to the Danube river, is one of the westernmost sites of the Kodadermen-Gumelnita-Karanovo VI cultural complex that spread over the whole Westpontic region during the 5th millennium BC. Until recently tells were equated with the site when, in fact, they represent only the outstanding part of a far more complex settlement system as we now know from Pietrele thanks to geomagnetic prospections and subsequent excavations. People living on the tell, together with the inhabitants from the flat area around it, formed a vast community that must have had a strong impact on its habitat and, vice-versa, was strongly affected by the immediate surroundings. During the settlement period a lake covered huge parts of the floodplain. It provided not only a considerable part of the diet, but ensured, through the direct access to the main river, continuous and extensive over-regional exchange. Okoli 9 metrov visoka naselbina tipa tell Pietrele-Magura Gorgana se nahaja blizu reke Donave in je ena najbolj zahodnih naselbin kulturnega kompleksa Kodadermen-Gumelnita-Kara-novo VI, ki se je širil čez celotno zahodno pontsko regijo v času 5. tisočletja BC. V preteklosti so tell enačili z naseljem, danes pa zahvaljujoč geomagnetskim preiskavam in kasnejim izkopavanjem na najdišču Pietrele vemo, da sama naselbina tell predstavlja le najbolj izjemen del veliko bolj kompleksnega naselja. Tisti ljudje, ki so živeli na tellu, in tisti, ki so živeli v ravnici okrog tella, so bili skupaj del velike skupnosti, ki je morala imeti močan vpliv na okolje, in na katero je tudi neposredna okolica morala imeti pomemben učinek. V času obstoja te naselbine se je v tej ravnici nahajalo veliko jezero. Le-to je predstavljajo pomemben vir za prehrano takratnih ljudi, prek neposrednega dostopa do glavne reke pa je omogoalo tudi stalno in obsežno menjavo na nadregionalni ravni.

La estimación de la estación de captura es clave en el estudio de los patrones de movilidad y explotación de recursos de las poblaciones pretéritas que dependían de recursos piscícolas. En este estudio examinamos la aportación de un nuevo método isotópico para incrementar nuestra capacidad de inferencia de la estacionalidad en las antiguas pesquerías. Siete sagitas de bacalao (Gadus morhua) fueron seleccionados en dos yacimientos del mesolítico tardío (cultura Ertebølle) en Dinamarca (Asnæs Havnemark y Fårevejle) con el fin de examinar patrones cíclicos de la temperatura del agua estimados a través de la relación de los isótopos estables de oxígeno. Nuestro estudio demuestra que los análisis isotópicos de las sagitas poseen un alto potencial para evidenciar estos patrones y mostrar cuándo fueron capturados los peces. Los resultados indican que la actividad pesquera se produjo durante más periodos del año de los que habían sido previamente postulados a partir de la presencia de peces migradores en las muestras. En conjunto, nuestro estudio apunta a que la pesca desempeñó un papel más importante en el ciclo anual de subsistencia de los grupos Ertebølle de lo que ha sido hasta el momento postulado.

Havnø es un conchero danés bien estratificado que discurre desde la cultura Ertebølle del Mesolítico tardío y la cultura de los vasos de embudo del Neolítico inicial (5.000- 3.500 cal a.C.). Este trabajo presenta los resultados de un estudio llevado a cabo con los huesos de peces recuperados en una columna completa de muestreo que incorpora todos los niveles del conchero estratificado. El material fue cuantificado y se proporcionaron estimaciones sobre las longitudes totales de los especímenes. La interpretación se centra sobre la tafonomía y la importancia relativa de los peces aparecidos. Entre éstos, destaca la anguila (Anguilla anguilla), la relevancia del espinoso (Gasterosteus aculeatus) así como la distribución de los restos de peces, los posibles métodos de pesca utilizados y la(s) estación(es) de captura.

In 2007, excavations at the late Mesolithic (Ertebolle) coastal site of Asnaes Havnemark recovered a wealth of flint, bone, and ceramic artefacts. A comprehensive analysis of the faunal remains resulted in over 50,000 identified specimens. Roe deer and gadids predominate, but there are a wide variety of other species represented. Stable isotope analyses of dog bones point to the importance of marine resources. Oxygen isotope analyses of otoliths indicate that fishing was conducted in multiple seasons of the year. Comparison with other late Mesolithic sites demonstrates that while generally the same species of animals were exploited everywhere, there are major differences in the relative abundances of species. The broad subsistence base available and flexibility in how it was exploited weaken arguments for a subsistence crisis brought on by environmental stresses as the causal mechanism for the adoption of domesticated plants and animals at the onset of the Neolithic.

The aim of this research is to examine the isotopic characterisation of archaeological fish species as it relates to freshwater, brackish and marine environments, trophic level and migration patterns, and to determine intraspecies variation within and between fish populations in different locations within central and northern Europe. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on collagen extracted from 72 fish bone samples from eight Mesolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites in this region. Thirty-six (50%) of the specimens analysed produced results with acceptable carbon to nitrogen atomic ratios (2·9–3·6). The fish remains encompassed a wide spectrum of freshwater, brackish and marine taxa (n = 12), which were reflected in the δ13C values (−24·5 to −7·8‰). The freshwater/brackish fish (pike, Esox lucius; perch, Perca fluviatilis; zander, Sander lucioperca) had δ13C values that ranged from −24·2 to −19·3‰, whereas the brackish/marine fish (spurdog, Squalus acanthias; flatfish, Pleuronectidae; codfish, Gadidae; garfish, Belone belone; mackerel, Scomber scombrus) ranged from −14·9 to −9·4‰. Salmonidae, an anadromous taxon, and eel (Anguilla anguilla), a catadromous species, had carbon isotope values consistent with marine origin, and no evidence of freshwater residency (−12·7 to −11·7‰). The δ15N values had a range of 6·2‰ (6·5–12·7‰) indicating that these fish were on average feeding at 1·7 trophic levels higher than their producers in these diverse aquatic environments. These results serve as an important ecological baseline for the future isotopic reconstruction of the diet of human populations dating to the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic of the region.

A new method to reconstruct aquatic palaeoenvironments is presented. It is based on a non-metrical ‘fish environment reconstruction index’ (FERI), calculated for the total fish community recorded at an archaeological site. As an example, a FERI is generated for the Baltic Sea using the ecological requirements of northern European fish species. The present study evaluates the proposed method by using fish bone assemblages from a region (the middle Holocene Baltic Sea coast) with well-studied hydrographic history. The bones originate from consecutive human riparian and coastal settlements of hunter-gatherers. The results obtained for the parameters salinity and sediment structure correlate well with geological knowledge. The new method shows a successive change from freshwater to brackish and finally to nearly marine conditions before, during, and towards the end of the marine transgression that created the present Baltic Sea. Additionally, a shift in the sediment structure from muddy to sandy/rocky conditions is recognisable.

© 2011 Dr. Kenneth Ritchie Woodman, Pedagogical approaches in education are currently moving from teacher-directed, didactic, and instructionalist towards student-centred, personalised, and constructivist. As a result, classrooms are changing from enclosed, rectangular, repetitive cells to open, connected, flexible learning spaces. The term flexibility has become inseparable from learning spaces. It is employed extensively by those involved in school design and use. While learning spaces have recently been the subject of research, little is known about the impact of flexibility on learning. This study explores this phenomenon by asking: “How does flexibility in learning spaces affect learning?” Constructivist educators focus on students constructing their own understandings within learning situations supported by social interactions. In the constructivist approach, the learning environment has significant influence through a transaction with the learner. Within the learning environment purposeful learner movement is considered by constructivists as an essential requirement for learning. Learning spaces can be usefully examined using theories of space, place, and human-environment transactions. Flexibility is often promoted in the design of learning spaces, but currently in the literature the term is confused and contested. This study suggests a new categorisation of flexibility into time, space, use, and movement. This provides a framework for initial analysis of the term and supports empirical research in the study. The qualitative research focused on the single case of a secondary school in regional Victoria, Australia. This school was in the process of changing from teacher-directed pedagogy to student-centred constructivist learning. Over a period of one year, I studied six different learning spaces with a range of year groups and associated pedagogies. Facilities providers, architects, teachers, and students were all part of the research process. Multi-method data collection was employed including spatial mapping, semi-structured interviews, and participatory action research. The findings provide an understanding of the diverse meanings of flexibility held by participants. Also, they reveal the impact of flexibility on traditional pedagogical, progressive pedagogical, and heutagogical learning spaces. This leads to a discussion about flexibility in relation to meanings, transformability, fluidity, de-territorialisation, place-making, practice, and freedom. Through this research, flexibility is re-placed, not as a product of building, but as a process of learning.