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VI/2/2015
INTERDISCIPLINARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA
NATURAL SCIENCES IN ARCHAEOLOGY
homepage: http://www.iansa.eu
The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8
from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
Jaromír Beneš
a,b
, Václav Vondrovský
a
, Petr Šída
b,c
, Michaela Divišová
a,b
,
Lenka Kovačiková
a,b
, Jaromír Kovárník
b
, Petr Vavrečka
d
a
Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31a, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
b
Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 3, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
c
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia in Plzeň, Sedláčkova 15, 306 14 Plzeň, Czech Republic
d
Institute of Archaeology of the CAS, Letenská 4, 118 01 Praha 1, Czech Republic
1. Introduction
The Neolithic site of Hrdlovka was situated in northwest
Bohemia, Czech Republic, in the lowlands of Podkrušnohoří
basin, very close to the foothills of the Krušné Hory
mountains (Figure 1). The main industrial activity here is
open-cast coal mining, which has substantially affected the
larger part of this lowland landscape. A large proportion of
the prehistoric and medieval sites were destroyed, including
the Hrdlovka site itself (Beneš
et al.
1993). The expansion
of the open-cast mining during the 1960s was a stimulus for
a lot of archaeological rescue actions. Field identifcation of
the Neolithic site of Hrdlovka itself was connected with the
systematic control from the approaching huge open mine of
Maxim Gorkij in 1987 (Beneš 1991a; 1991b). The entire site
became no more than mine spoil and today does not exist.
Hrdlovka was a polycomponent site, but most attention
was paid to the Neolithic, namely the
Linienbandkeramik
–
Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) and
Stichbandkeramik
– Stroke
Ornamented Ware Culture (SBK) period. The area excavated
reached 8.35 hectares with 59 longhouses recognized. Due
to the salvage character of the excavation, some areas were
only sampled; however, the area SJ was investigated in detail
(Figure 2). From 2009 a team from the University of South
Bohemia started to process and investigate this site as the
topic of a research grant (Beneš
et al.
2014; Vondrovský
et al.
2015).
This contribution deals with an extraordinary deposition
of grinding stones in feature 838, their analysis and possible
relation of the feature to longhouse 8.
1.1 Deposition of grinding tools in feature 838
and longhouse 8
The feature 838 and longhouse 8 were situated in the
northern part of the excavated area SJ (Figure 3). This area
was characterized by particularly well-preserved traces of
longhouse constructions. The sunken feature 838 can be
described as a roughly oval settlement pit of maximum depth
50 cm with a prolonged extension towards the northwest.
Volume VI ● Issue 2/2015 ● Pages 161–179
*Corresponding author. E-mail: benes.jaromir@gmail.com
ARTICLE INFO
Article history:
Received: 23
rd
December 2015
Accepted: 31
st
December 2015
Key words:
Stroked Pottery Culture
longhouse
grinding stones
offering
starch analysis
virtual reconstruction
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the grinding stones deposit in feature 838 from the Neolithic site of Hrdlovka,
northwest Bohemia, which spatially interferes with the longhouse 8 ground plan. According to the
relative chronology, based on an analysis of the ceramics recovered from feature 838, the context
belongs to the Late SBK, the last phase of Neolithic occupation of this settlement. The grinding
tools were subjected to starch analysis, which proved that they were used prior to their deposition, as
evidenced also by macrolithic stone analysis that stated, that the grinding tools were used, broken and
one was even burnt. The paper discusses the possible relationship between feature 838 and longhouse 8.
The possibility of building offering, which represents a phenomenon known also from other Neolithic
settlement areas, is also discussed. The paper further presents hypothetical 3D images of longhouse 8
by presenting two versions of its virtual reconstruction that emphasise the presence of the grinding
stones deposit and its possible importance.
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
162
The character of feature 838’s infll could be described as
a mixture of coarse yellow and dark brown gobbets. This
observation contrasted with the infll of the majority of
the common Neolithic features at the Hrdlovka site, which
contained homogeneous fne-grained dark infll. The bottom
was straight and regular; it constituted a slightly banked
plane from southeast to northwest.
An extraordinary situation was noticed in its centre, where
an accumulation of 35 grinding stones, and particularly their
fragments, was located (Figure 4). The stones were arranged
as a circular structure in one layer starting ca. 10 cm
beneath the infll’s upper limit and ca, 10–15 cm above the
feature’s bottom. During the feld excavation only samples
of the grinding stones were collected. They were deposited
separately outside of the main artefactual assemblages,
without any processing or surface cleaning. Their current
identifcation was performed by matching individual stones
with feld excavation photography (Figure 4: C). Therefore,
the stones are numbered in non-consecutive order as 1, 2, 4,
6, 11, 17, 24 and 31.
The deposition of grinding stones divided the feature 838
infll vertically in two contexts. The upper part and the
deposition layer did not contain any fnds except for one rare
ceramic fragment, but the lower context differed: it contained
the vast majority of fnds such as ceramic fragments, animal
bones, daub and a small amount of charcoal. The only
structure visible in the grinding stones layer was an oval
posthole, indicating a half-post situated in the eastern part of
the accumulation. According to its spatial arrangement the
posthole could be said to be surrounded by particular grinding
stone fragments. The infll of the posthole was the typical
dark soil, which differed from the rest of the infll of feature
838. According to its spatial position the posthole could be
considered part of house 8’s eastern wall, but the mutual
relationship of both these structures will be discussed below.
House 8 was 30.5 m long with a slightly trapezoidal ground
plan and an area of 242 m
2
. The ground plan represented
a type of house with one-row walls, dense internal rows
of postholes, and exhibited signs of a three-part division
of its internal space. The orientation of the house’s long
axis was exceptional in being towards the west-northwest,
whereas its geographical inclination was 52º 37ʹ to the west.
The southern section was relatively small (43.3 m
2
) and
separated from the central section by three posts, which were
oriented askew to the main axes of the house. The central
section (173.3 m
2
) was shaped as a large robust space with
irregularly-distributed postholes, whose northern cluster was
aggregated within a “Y” shape. The northern section was
small (24.2 m
2
), and divided from the central section by three
robust postholes. This part, defned by the slightly trapezoid
foundation trench, was asymmetrically joined to rest of the
house. Cross-sections of the trench yielded traces of a wall
construction: the dark soil “shadows” of the original wooden
elements (Figure 5).
The eastern wall of longhouse 8 constituted one row of
postholes (931, 932, 933, 837, 836, 834, 833, 831, 1512, 1508,
1507, 1506, 1505, 1504, 1502 and 1501). Feature 838 is thus
the only structure interrupting the wall’s line. The standard
image of house 8’s ground plan is accompanied by postholes
forming regular line structures. A short row parallel to house
8’s eastern wall was defned by postholes 1513, 1514, 1515,
1516 and 841, 840, 839 plus 835. Other shorter structures
could be traced near the western wall created by postholes
922, 923, 924, 925 and 810, 811, 812, 813. Some posthole
rows could also be observed within the framework of house
8’s ground plan (
e.g.
803, 805, and 807), and therefore the
association of these postholes lying within the direct vicinity
of longhouse 8 and the house itself is questionable.
2. Material and methods
2.1 Artefactual analysis of ceramics
Ceramic fragments were assigned to ceramic individuals at
the level of their archaeological context (layers or features).
Stroked ornamented pottery was described according to
the system of M. Zápotocká (1978; 1998) in some general
categories and characteristics accompanied by the Bylany
site description system (Květina, Pavlů 2007; Pavlů,
Zápotocká 1978; Soudský 1967).
Figure 1.
The 3D reconstruction of initial
Podkrušnohoří basin landscape and position
of the Hrdlovka site (landscape reconstruction
K. Křováková).
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 2.
Area SJ ground plan. Position of house 8 is highlighted by arrow.
0 50 m
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
164
Figure 3.
House 8 ground plan. Red lines display possible tripartite division of house interior. Postholes with uncertain relationship to ground plan are
marked in grey.
0 10 m
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 4.
Grinding tools deposition in the
sunken feature 838 (A), the situation before
(B) and during (C) the excavation (photo
J. Beneš).
2.2 Artefactual analysis of lithics
Lithic industry was evaluated using the method published
in Šída (2007). Most attention was paid to techno-
typological descriptions and raw material determination.
A comprehensive description of the attributes of artefacts and
other lithics was ordered in a normalized database. The main
attributes of chipped industry recorded were: techno-type,
raw material description, and three main physical dimensions
of artefact. Other traits, such as reburning, patination and
other characteristics were also recorded. Such a formalisation
enables comparison with other lithics assemblages. Raw
material determination was based on Přichystal (2013)
and Šída, Kachlík (2009). Grinding stones were described
according to the system postulated by Hamon (2008a) and
Řídký and colleagues (2014), which was developed to record
the morphometric attributes of grinding stones, as well as
their ergonomic features and other intentional modifcations.
2.3 Animal bones
All animal remains were retrieved by hand. The
archaeozoological analysis was carried out at the Laboratory
of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology in České Budějovice.
The analysis of archaeological faunal remains included
in particular: representation of elements, taxonomic
identifcation, anatomical features of age, and taphonomic
analysis (
e.g.
evidence of weathering, gnawing, burning).
2.4 Starch analysis
Some fragments of the grinding stones, fortunately, remained
unwashed; they were therefore available for starch analysis
investigation. The stone surfaces were still covered by dried
slip of the original sediment from deposition. For analytical
treatment, only one half of an individual stone surface was
chosen, the other half of the artefact surface being preserved for
further possible analysis. The chosen half of the stone surface
was brushed over using a clean brush. The surface’s asperity,
such as rills and small gaps, could still be flled with original
microbiological material. These remains were then acquired
by washing the chosen part in distilled water and capturing the
result in a micro test tube (Fullagar
et al.
2006). Each particular
stone surface was sampled at 10 different spots. The micro test
tube was flled up by alcohol in order to conserve starch grains
(Therin
et al.
1997; Entfer 2009). Samples with starch grains
and small residues of soil were studied by a Nikon Eclipse
80i optical microscope under 400 x magnifcation (Piperno
2006; Hardy
et al.
2009; Bemiller, Whistler 2009) in polarised
and unpolarised light. The starch grains were photographed
and digital images stored in a computer. The objects in the
images were measured by SW NIS-Elements and identifed
by an atlas of starch grains (Reichert 1913) and a reference
collection of starch grains (Perry 2011).
2.5 Virtual reconstruction
A virtual reconstruction can be processed and subsequently
presented in several ways – depending on the required
analytical and visual properties of the 3D model. A multi-
image photogrammetrical and 3D-scanning method can
be useful in the virtualisation of parts or entire conserved
archaeological features or their negatives. 3D modelling,
that is the manual process of modelling created objects, was
especially useful for those parts that had not been preserved
and whose appearance was only presumed (Pavlů, Vavrečka
2013; Květina
et al.
2015). The subsequent presentation of
the virtual content would begin with static images, 360°
panoramas, animations and end with interactive 3D output;
for example, 3D PDF fles or new cloud 3D platforms such
as 3D Sketchfab
(https://sketchfab.com/)
.
Due to the fact that most of the above-ground structural
elements were not preserved, the Neolithic structures were
modelled manually. The ground plan, for example, processed
in GIS, was an essential resource for determining the size of
houses and placement of postholes for most of the Neolithic
houses. The position and density of postholes, occurrence
of organic and inorganic refuse, artefacts and features in
0 1 m
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the interior of houses, knowledge of the statics, current
archaeological fndings, and hypotheses and ethnographic
analogies, must also be taken into account. All these elements
infuence the appearance of the fnal model.
Virtual 3D reconstruction was built with help of the
georeferenced ground plan of longhouse 8. It was converted
into bitmap (raster) graphics, and therefore such visualisation
could be regarded as “realistic”.
Applied seamless textures on the individual kinds of
material came from our own photographic database and the
whole model was then exported into several formats such as
Collada, FBX, 3D PDF, and OBJ.
3. Results
3.1 Ceramics and chronological position of longhouse 8
The chronological setting of the Hrdlovka settlement, which
represents a large extensive mosaic of non-contemporaneous
postholes and pits, is an issue extending beyond the
framework of this paper. There will therefore only follow
a brief overview with a focus on some particular features,
without the context of the whole settlement (for more details,
see Vondrovský 2015).
The feature 838 assemblage contains 74 ceramic
individuals (88 fragments, 930 g). Except for one, all of them
come from the stratigraphic context under the grinding stone
deposition, which is crucial for the issue of chronology. The
range of decorative techniques shows quite a clear image.
Double-strokes made by a narrow instrument appearing since
the Early SBK stage are present, but they are accompanied
by techniques emerging in the Late SBK phase: wide double-
strokes, multiple (three-pointed instrument) and tremolo
strokes (Table 1; Figure 6). The stroked ornamentation
motifs, which seem to cover the whole vessel surface, are
divided by double or triple bands and by variations of bands
below the vessel rim, sometimes accompanied by short
perpendicular strokes or triangles. A similar chronological
pattern can also be seen in the range of vessel shapes,
although the possibilities of determination are limited given
the fragmented assemblage. Two pear-shaped vessels with
a broad bulge and an everted rim were identifed. No lugs
or other projections appeared on the ceramics. The above-
mentioned criteria (Pavlů, Zápotocká 2013, 46–49) set the
0 1 m
Figure 5.
Cross-sections of the northern wall trench of house 8.
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dating of feature 838 with high certainty into the Late SBK
stage, more specifcally into the SBK IVa phase.
To address the chronological position of house 8, all
Neolithic pits in the close vicinity should be investigated
(Figure 3). First of them, the feature 1518, represents a
type of large, extended loam pit with possibly long-term
deposited infll and consequently a blurred chronological
image (Květina, Končelová 2011, 196–198). Furthermore,
due to its large extent, it was excavated only by small
linear trenches, which do not give a more comprehensive
overview about the artefactual content. The ceramic
assemblage comprises only one fragment bearing closely
indistinguishable stroked ornamentation and several rim
and bottom fragments. These are poor evidence for closer
chronological determination.
The next feature 907 was located ca. 7 m south of the
house 8 western wall. It contained 257 ceramic individuals
(314 fragments, 2522 g). No vertical contexts were
distinguished during the feld excavation, thus the fnds will
be dealt with as a homogeneous assemblage. The small,
as well as wide, double-strokes, multiple strokes made
by a three- or four-pointed instrument, narrow and wide
tremolo strokes, represent the stroked decoration (Table 1).
Apart from the stroked ornamentation, two individuals
occurring in the feature 907 assemblage also bear incised
line decoration. They are considered to be of an intrusive
material. Focusing on the vessel shapes, the everted rims
were quite common. The fully determinable vessels represent
a wide and hemispherical bowl, pear-shaped with straight or
everted rim and featuring lugs. The most chronologically
signifcant seems to be a kettle-shaped vessel with profled
bulge and small double lugs beneath the rim. Rounded, as
well as fat, vessel bases were distinguished. Based on this,
the feature 907 assemblage can be assigned to the SBK IVa
phase according to present chronological attributes (Pavlů,
Zápotocká 2013, 46–49).
To summarize, there are no typical large building pits
fanking the walls in the vicinity of house 8, which is typical
for Late SBK settlements, when the material was more likely
deposited in more remote pits (Burgert
et al.
2014). In this
respect feature 907 seems to be signifcant for the chronology
of house 8. Furthermore, it is obvious that features 907
and 838 reveal very similar ceramic assemblages and their
coexistence, more specifcally contemporaneous material
deposition, can be assumed. Very close patterns are observed
in the fragments’ metrical characteristics, suggesting that those
under the grinding stone in feature 838 and the whole context
of feature 907 were probably created by similar processes.
3.2 Grinding stones and chipped industry
3.2.1 Macrolithic stone industry
The collection of macrolithic artefacts from feature 838
is a specifc assemblage. Most of them were fragments of
used querns and grinders combined with other macrolithic
artefacts (Table 2, Figure 7). There are three grinders
(Figure 8; artefacts 6, 11 and 17), of which one is made from
a fragment of quern. All are made from cretaceous pebble
sandstone coming from the edge of a cretaceous basin (about
20 km from the site). There are four querns in the assemblage
(Figure 9; artefacts 1, 2, 4 and 31). Two of them are also
made from sandstone, while the remaining two are from
quartz porphyry from Žernoseky (20 km from the site). All
of them were used and broken and one had been burnt.
Table 1.
Ceramics assemblage attributes of features 838 and 907.
Attribute838907
individuals74257
weight (g)9302522
decorated2724
stroked ornamentation
small double-strokes48
wide double-strokes73
multiple strokes94
tremolo strokes77
linear ornamentationincised line02
vessel shapes
wide bowl03
hemispherical bowl01
pear-shaped vessel with broad bulge and everted rim21
kettle with profled bulge and lugs
01
maximum size categories
<2 cm330
2–4 cm38123
4–6 cm2175
6–8 cm1023
8–10 cm26
fragment mean weight (g)12.69.8
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 6.
Selection from ceramics assemblage of feature 838 (drawing M. Divišová).
0 3 cm
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 7.
Sunken feature 838 macrolithic assemblage (drawing J. Beneš and P. Šída).
0 20 cm
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 8.
Quern 2 with one half of sampled
surface (photo J. Beneš).
Figure 9.
Grinder 11 with one half of
sampled surface (photo J. Beneš).
Table 2.
Feature 838. Querns and grinders.
No.
Type
Artefact
Work surface
length
Work surface
width
Height 1
Height 2
Long profle
type
Width profle
type
Weight kg
Material
1LA1quern290220120 95LC3LB2 9.3quartz porphyry
2LA3quern340240 and 180150 95LD3LB210.9sandstone
4LA1quern160160 80 65LC3LB2 3.3sandstone
6BA2grinder135170 45 40BB3BC3 1.9sandstone
11BA2grinder225170 55 50BB3BC1 2.7sandstone
17BA2grinder120145 58 58BB1BC3? 1.4sandstone
31LA1quern120270110100LC3LD3 6.1quartz porphyry
0 5 cm
0 5 cm
One remaining artefact is a fragment of gneiss pebble
broken by thermal shock. This piece was used in some kind
of pyro-technological process.
3.2.2 Chipped industry
The collection of chipped stone industry relating to house 8
is not extraordinarily large, only consisting of 24 artefacts
(Figure 10). All of them were deposited in sunken feature 907,
situated in the area south of house 8.
In the area of house 8 local raw materials dominate.
The total of 21 pieces (87.5%) were produced from local
quarzites of northwest Bohemia. A type of Skršín quartzite,
coming from a distance 15 km away, dominated with
20 pieces (83.3% of assemblage). Only one piece of industry
is made of a Tušimice quartzite type (4.2% of assemblage)
that comes from 35 km away. Only two pieces (8.3%) of
chipped industry were produced from erratic fint coming
from northern moraine region some 90 km away. One of
them has an original raw material surface and comes from
the decortifcation of a core. The remaining piece of chipped
industry, a blade made of quartz, is probably of local origin.
The use of quartz is not typical for producing blades in the
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Bohemian Neolithic (Šída 2007) and looks to be atypical.
Local raw materials absolutely dominate, constituting 91.7%
of the raw material, which is not typical for the Bohemian
Neolithic.
Three quarters of the collection belong to debitage; the
remaining quarter are tools. This is a common proportionality
between these two groups of industry and the small
assemblage of feature 907 belongs to a common pattern of
a non-productive character.
Debitage consists of 7 fragments (29.2% of collection,
38.9% of debitage), 5 fakes (20.8% of collection, 27.8% of
debitage), 4 blades (16.7% of collection, 22.2% of debitage)
and 2 cores (8.3% of collection, 11.1% of debitage). Cores
are in residual form, one of them was the fnal fake form
of a core. Special butt-type preparations were not present,
only simple ones being used (one fat surface and simple-
fake negative was used, two double-fake negatives, and
one was a type of unrecognisable preparation). All blades
are fragmentary, no unbroken blades being present. We were
able to distinguish one basal fragment of blade with a fne
retouched butt remaining, and twice central fragments are
present and once a terminal fragment.
Figure 10.
Selection from chipped stone industry assemblage from the sunken feature 907 (drawing P. Šída).
Figure 11.
Radiocarbon data calibration of
sample from sunken feature 838 (Poznań
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Poz-57471).
0 3 cm
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Tools make 25% of the assemblage and consist of
6 pieces. Twice we found truncated blades in the collection
(both are the basal fragments of blades, 8.3% of collection,
33.3% of tools). This type was commonly used to be a sickle
blade, but we cannot fnd traces of sickle gloss on these two
pieces. There are also two notches on fragments (8.3% of
collection, 33.3% of tools) and one notch combined with an
oblique retouching on the terminal part of the blade (4.2%
of collection, 16.7% of tools). The remaining piece of this
group is a borer made of the terminal fragment of a blade
(4.2% of collection, 16.7% of tools) (Table 3).
There are only two burnt pieces in the assemblage (8.3 %).
One of them is a fragment of Skršín-type quartzite and the
other is a truncated blade made of the same raw material.
3.3. Animal bones
All animal remains (n=12) were deposited in the context
lying under the grinding stones deposition in feature 838. An
incomplete left astragalus of adult cattle (
Bos taurus
) and
a fragment of molar crown of pig (
Sus
sp.) were registered
among them. Apart from these, a small fragment of
caput
femoris
of an immature large-mammal-sized animal was
found. The remaining animal bones (9;
i.e.
75%) remained
without determination because they were greatly damaged
by weathering. Of the mentioned anatomy, the modifcation
of two bone specimens by burning and gnawing of one bone
fragment by carnivores could indicate food processing and
food waste. One of the unidentifed long bone fragments
belonging to the adult large-mammal-sized animals from the
sunken feature (inv. number 171) was used for radiocarbon
analysis to obtain absolute chronological data. The
advantage of animal bones are the smaller time discrepancies
in comparison with charcoal pieces found, for example, in
postholes, where the so-called “old wood problem” can be
expected (
e.g.
Schiffer 1986; Geib 2008). The life cycle
of a full-grown tree is much longer than the life cycle of
Table 3.
Feature 907. Technological and typological composition with the raw material composition of the assemblage.
Technotype
Skršín quartzite
Tušimice quarzite
Flint
Quartz
Total
%
Fragment 61
7 29.2
Blade 211
4 16.7
Core 2
2
8.3
Flake 41
5
20.8
Debitage14
121
18
75.0
Truncated blades 2
2
8.3
Borer 1
1
4.2
Notch 2
2
8.3
Notch on blade combined with oblique retouching 1
1
4.2
Tools 6 6
25.0
Total2012124100.0
%
83.34.28.34.2
100
Table 4.
Characteristics of detected starch grains.
Grinding stone no.Shape
Mean size (
m
m)
N
1oval26.36 1
1oval12.73 1
1polygon23.64 1
1polygon22.73 1
1circular12.09 3
1circular10.00 1
1circular10.00 8
2circular 5.7310
2circular 4.0922
6oval30.00 1
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
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Figure 12.
Starch grains of Poaceae from
grinding stone 1. A and B: different flters of
polarized light (photo J. Kovárník).
Figure 13.
Starch grain of Fabaceae from
grinding stone 6. A and B: different flters of
polarized light (photo J. Kovárník).
domestic animals. The resulting dating is 4620–4458 cal BC
(Figure 11), which corresponds with the ceramic relative
chronology and dates feature 838 to the Late SBK period.
3.4 Starch analysis
Starch grains were presented only on the surface of querns
1, 2 and grinder 6 (Table 4). Altogether 49 starch grains
were found during the microscopic investigation. The
surface of grinding stone 1 provided 16 positive fndings.
Two starch grains are oval in shape, 2 grains are polygonal
and 12 are circular. Quern 2 offered only 32 circular starch
grains. The surface of grinder 6 provided only 1 oval-shaped
starch grain. Altogether 12 circular starch grains, according
to current knowledge (Reichert 1913; Piperno
et al.
2004;
Henry
et al.
2008; 2009; 2011; Hart 2014) and after
comparison with a reference collection, can be determined
as belonging to plants of the family
Poaceae
(Figure 12;
circular grains; n=12). Starch grains of an oval shape with a
characteristic extinction cross belong to the family
Fabaceae
(Figure 13).
3.5 Virtual reconstruction of the longhouse 8:
variable augmented reality
In the virtual reconstruction, the postholes were processed
according to their placement and function in the house. Each
of them was cut off and lowered into a space to place the 3D
models of post construction. In the case of feature 838 with
its grinding stones, the specifc position of the half-post was
taken in account. 3D models of posts which had not been
captured during feld excavation are distinguished by colours
and their presence and placing are based on the logic of the
construction. The posts are complete with the exception of
the northern ditch in which the posts are halved with the
straight wall from the inside part of the trench. The 3D model
of the house was divided into three separate parts: northern
part (927, 929, 930), central part (1485, 1496, 1497), and
the further second storey was modelled in the front southern
part due to the thickened occurrence of the posts in the
interior. The smaller second storey has been reconstructed in
the places of the posts (926, 824, 823) for the same reason,
but its presence is rather hypothetical. It might have only
been the strengthening of the construction in these places.
The northern rear part was constructed asymmetrically
and differently and is reconstructed with elements of some
“loghouse” signs of carpentry work.
A saddle roof with a slightly sloping roof ridge in the
southern part was chosen. For the 3D model of the roofng,
the neutral shape representing thatch from oak bark, reed,
straw (Sklenářová 2003) or their various combinations were
chosen. The wall is made of a wattle and daub construction
due to the line of postholes at regular spacing. The height of
the house wall is 1.6 m so the front wall with an expected
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
174
roof pitch of 45° reaches a height of about 5 m (Pavlů 2000).
The foor is made of hard-packed earth.
Here we suggest only two virtual hypothetical variations
of house reconstruction, although several other possibilities
remain (see Discussion). Both of the suggested versions take
into account the entrance position from the long eastern wall
and the same mode of material use. They also consider the
internal tripartite division of the house, which in the case of
longhouse 8 is obvious.
4. Discussion
The phenomenon of the hoard deposition is not exceptional
in the context of the European Bandkeramik ecumene and its
roots can be followed through the LBK back to the Balkan
Early Neolithic (Nikolov 1989; Makkay 2002). Deposition
of hoards within house interiors and their near vicinity
is known from the LBK as well as the post-LBK period
(Soudský 1969; Lička 1981). Focusing specifcally on the
grinding stones deposition, this phenomenon is particularly
observed in the western zone of Bandkeramik distribution.
A grinding stone hoard and a hoard of polished stone tools
was connected with the ground plan of a longhouse in
Goseck, Germany (Bertemes, Northe 2010, 22, Figures 17
and 22). Seven settlements of the Paris Basin and Hainaut
region in Belgium have yielded grinding stone hoards of the
LBK and Villeneuve-Saint-Germain-Blicquy culture dated
between 5200 and 4600 BC. These hoards are always linked
with domestic areas and discussed in terms of their symbolic
value. The grinding stone hoards are frequently situated in
lateral building pits, twice in isolated pits associated with
the house and fnally, in two cases, have been located inside
the house. Nevertheless, the number of grinding stones in
individual deposits does not exceed more than ten (Hamon
2008b). From the Czech Republic, apart from Hrdlovka,
there is recorded the hoard of semi-fnished grinding stones
only from Holubice, Prague-west district and grinding stones
with traces of use from Praha-Liboc. In contrast to Hrdlovka,
no spatial relation to the house ground plan was observed
(Kovačiková, Daněček 2008; Turek 2005, 171, 230).
The relationship between feature 838 and house 8 is
therefore crucial in looking for further interpretation. We can
outline several possibilities:
A) Feature 838 with the posthole enclosed by grinding
stones is an integral part of longhouse 8, forming part
of its eastern wall. In this sense, the deposition of the
grinding stones is a single action made during the
house’s construction.
B) Feature 838 is older than house 8.
C) Feature 838 is younger than house 8.
When considering these three scenarios, one must bear in
mind the following data and evidence:
•
The sample of animal bone from the context under
the grinding stones deposition has been radiocarbon
dated to 4620–4458 cal BC, which corresponds to the
relative ceramic chronology. Both these sources point
to the Late SBK period.
•
The ceramic assemblage recovered from the context
under the grinding tools chronologically corresponds
with that from feature 907, which is also in the close
vicinity of longhouse 8.
•
The above mentioned facts could also indicate the
chronological classifcation of house 8. However, the
house was constructed as a one-row wall structure with
relatively-thick inner rows, which means in a manner
rather characteristic for developed LBK architecture in
the Bohemian region (
cf.
Pavlů
et al.
1986, 383–394).
On the other hand, the trapezoidal shape of the short
northern rear section, which is asymmetric to the main
house axis, and particularly the absence of classic larger
building pits fanking the longitudinal house walls,
bears witness to the Late SBK dating (Končelová,
Květina 2015). In addition, Hrdlovka’s longhouse 8
is not wholly exceptional. The untypical construction
similarly evinces the Late SBK house 2 at the Vchynice
site (Řídký
et al.
2013, 239, Figure 1). Also, the posthole
in feature 838 (despite the fact of a small asymmetry)
may have its position in the eastern wall.
•
Focusing on feature 838, its longitudinal axis with the
northwest extension is in accordance with the eastern
house-wall orientation.
•
The feature’s infll was different in its character from
other settlement pits. The layer’s mixed colouring of
yellow and dark soil may be evidence of a short-term
inflling process, when the material was deliberately
deposited in the pit in contrast to some long-term
organic waste deposition that would produce a dark
homogeneous infll. On the other hand, the range of
artefacts and ecofacts and their amount found under
the grinding stone deposition would probably represent
common settlement waste.
•
Some postholes structures can be observed within
the area of longhouse 8. These can be either possible
outbuildings functionally connected with house 8 (most
probably its entrances), or diachronic structures that
are not possible to conclusively interpret. It cannot be
excluded that feature 838 belongs to these structures.
To sum up, various and slightly contradictory data has
been observed.
Scenario B (feature 838 older than house 8) does not
seem probable. Firstly, the spatial setting does not support
this notion. Moreover, feature 838 and house 8 appear to be
dated contemporaneously to the Late SBK period. However,
the time-span between the grinding stones deposition and
house erecting could be shorter than currently recognizable
chronological levels. Unfortunately, such chronological
nuances are undetectable by the available chronological
methods.
Scenario C (feature 838 younger than house 8) can be
supported by the existence of posthole structures, which
could be younger than the house and simultaneously
associated with feature 838. This can be supported by a
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The Rare Deposition of Neolithic (SBK) Grinding Tools and Longhouse 8 from Hrdlovka (Czech Republic): Analysis and 3D Virtual Reconstruction
175
few architectural, but not so signifcant, attributes shifting
the longhouse 8 dating to the older period. Although this
possibility cannot be excluded, there is no direct evidence
for such a scenario.
The remaining scenario A (feature 838 an integral part
of longhouse 8) can be supported by the vast majority of
the aforementioned evidence. In this case, feature 838
is supposed to be used for common settlement waste
accompanied by the unique grinding stones deposition
and rather quick intentional flling. This lends itself into
the idea of it being a building offering connected with the
house construction event. On the other hand, the structure
of the infll and its similarity with feature 907 infll does not
support the uniqueness of feature 838.
With respect to the hoard itself, the number of grinding
stones in feature 838 highly exceeds the amount of these
Figure 14.
3D reconstruction of house 8, version 1 (visualisation P. Vavrečka).