Early Neolithic Water Wells Reveal the World's Oldest Wood Architecture

Abstract

The European Neolithization ∼6000−4000 BC represents a pivotal change in human history when farming spread and the mobile style of life of the hunter-foragers was superseded by the agrarian culture. Permanent settlement structures and agricultural production systems required fundamental innovations in technology, subsistence, and resource utilization. Motivation, course, and timing of this transformation, however, remain debatable. Here we present annually resolved and absolutely dated dendroarchaeological information from four wooden water wells of the early Neolithic period that were excavated in Eastern Germany. A total of 151 oak timbers preserved in a waterlogged environment were dated between 5469 and 5098 BC and reveal unexpectedly refined carpentry skills. The recently discovered water wells enable for the first time a detailed insight into the earliest wood architecture and display the technological capabilities of humans ∼7000 years ago. The timbered well constructions made of old oak trees feature an unopened tree-ring archive from which annually resolved and absolutely dated environmental data can be culled. Our results question the principle of continuous evolutionary development in prehistoric technology, and contradict the common belief that metal was necessary for complex timber constructions. Early Neolithic craftsmanship now suggests that the first farmers were also the first carpenters.

Discrepancies between archaeological and 14C-based chronologies: problems and possible solutions

“…The second well at Kückhoven, built about 5057 den BC, is dated by decorated ceramics from the destruction horizon of the first well (built in 5089 den BC) and from the construction pit, which date both very close together between HG XII and XIII. The well at Altscherbitz, built in 5099 den BC and probably filled in after a relatively short time span -along with other ceramic of the regional late LBK style -contained two pots with a pasted decoration known from πarka contexts (Tegel et al 2012). Together, the two wells show an age of about 5080-5030 den BC for πarka.…”

Potential for a New Multimillennial Tree-Ring Chronology from Subfossil Balkan River Oaks

“…Ferguson 1969;Pilcher et al 1984;Brown et al 1986;Eronen et al 2002;Grudd et al 2002;Fowler et al 2004;Cook et al 2006;Salzer et al 2009), it offers an invaluable data set for dating wood from archaeological sites and historical artifacts (e.g. Becker 1983;Tegel et al 2012). It also offers a high-resolution paleoenvironmental resource (Spurk et al 1998;Leuschner et al 2000) and, critically, has provided a backbone for calibration of the 14 C record (Linick et al 1985;Spurk et al 1998;Friedrich et al 2004).…”

Recovering prehistoric woodworking skills using spatial analysis techniques

“…On the other hand, a spectacular Neolithic archaeological find, an around 7000-yearold wooden water well has unveiled the earliest known timbering techniques. These woodworking capabilities supported the foundation of settlement infrastructures that has also resulted the significant improvement of agricultural activities (Tegel et al, 2012). The relevance of prehistoric woodworking skills in the socio-cultural evolution has been stated by other archaeological studies as well.…”