Volumes 37 and 38 of this annual published since 1951 include excavational reports and analytical studies on archaeology, palaeobotany and archaezoology.

The annual journal Palaeohistoria is edited by the staff of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, and carries detailed articles on material culture, analysis of radiocarbon data and the results of excavations, surveys and coring campaigns.

This annual covers excavation reports and analytical studies on archaeology, palaeobotany and archaeozoology. Topics covered include the Allerod vegetation of southeastern Friesland, Bronze Age metal and amber in the Netherlands, the origins of plums and much more.

This volume comprises papers presented to Dick Stapert on the occasion of his retirement from the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (University of Groningen) in 2011 and celebrates his scientific career. The contributions cover nearly 300,000 years of Human History and were written by colleagues, former students and friends. Topics include the making and use of fire, children in the Stone Age, spatial analysis, and other themes related to the study of the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and beyond.

The annual journal Palaeohistoria is edited by the staff of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, and carries detailed articles on material culture, analysis of radiocarbon data and the results of excavations, surveys and coring campaigns.

In this research the stone and flint artefacts of the site Swifterbant are analysed. Attention is focussed on the Neolithic occupation phase of the prehistoric creek system (c. 4300 - 4000 cal BC) where archaeological traces were found on several levee and river dune sites. This study shows that there is a larger variability in site types than originally presumed. It is established that these sites are all part of one settlement system in which they all had a different function. This thesis comprises a monograph on the research history of the site and the different aspects of the lithic research such as typological analysis, technological attribute analysis, raw material analysis and use-wear analysis, in combination with a detailed inventory (catalogue). All this leads to new insights into the use of lithic artefacts. The importance of stone tool morphology, the selective gathering of stone tool blanks or the use of two different fl­int production sequences are but a few of these interesting aspects. Other topics concern tool function, mobility, raw material access and use, cultural markers and social identity. In combining the results from this research with that of other Swifterbant sites a better understanding of the different aspects of prehistoric stone and fl­int industries is gained.

The well-preserved archaeological site at Oldeholtwolde in the Netherlands was inhabited by a small group of people during the last Ice Age, some 13,000 years ago. This book focuses on the examination of the ca. 10.000 flint artefacts discovered at this ancient site, which have been subjected to modern approaches such as refitting and spatial analysis. As a result, this extensively documented and illustrated book provides unique insights into the daily lives of the Stone Age hunters.

The adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse. This book presents a study into the archaeology of the communities involved in the process of Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area (5500-2500 cal BC). It elucidates the role played by the indigenous communities in relation to their environmental context and in view of the changes that becoming Neolithic brought about. This work brings together a comprehensive array of excavated archaeological sites in the Lower Rhine Area. Their analysis shows that the succession of Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant culture, Hazendonk group and Vlaardingen culture societies represents a continuous long-term tradition of inhabitation of the wetlands and wetland margins of this area, forming a culturally continuous record of communities in the transition to agriculture. After demonstrating the diversity of the Mesolithic, the subsequent developments regarding Neolithisation are studied from an indigenous perspective. Foregrounding the relationship between local communities and the dynamic wetland landscape, the study shows that the archaeological evidence of regional inhabitation points to long-term flexible behaviour and pragmatic decisions being made concerning livelihood, food economy and mobility. This disposition also influenced how the novel elements of Neolithisation were incorporated. Animal husbandry, crop cultivation and sedentism were an addition to the existing broad spectrum economy but were incorporated within a set of integrative strategies. For the interpretation of Neolithisation this study offers a complementary approach to existing research. Instead of arguing for a short transition based on the economic importance of domesticates and cultigens at sites, this study emphasises the persistent traditions of the communities involved. New elements, instead of bringing about radical changes, are shown to be attuned to existing hunter-gatherer practices. By documenting indications of the mentalité of the inhabitants of the wetlands, it is demonstrated that their mindset remained essentially ‘Mesolithic’ for millennia. This book is accompanied by a separate 422 page volume containing the appendices. These constitute a comprehensive inventory of 159, mostly excavated archaeological sites in the Lower Rhine Area.

This volume comprises papers presented to Wietske Prummel on the occasion of her retirement from the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (University of Groningen) in 2012. The contributions cover a wide range of topics from all realms of archaeozoology, such as animal husbandry and mobility, bird exploitation and fishery. The papers are dedicated to Wietske in celebration of her scientific career.

The annual journal Palaeohistoria is edited by the staff of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, and carries detailed articles on material culture, analysis of radiocarbon data and the results of excavations, surveys and coring campaigns.