Complex Fish Traps Over 7,500 Years Old Found in Russia

The discovery sheds new light on the industry of Mesolithic and Neolithic settlers.
One might argue that the stone age technology among people living in Russia during the Mesolithic and Neolithic ages was relatively unimpressive. But the fishing equipment of a certain group living near present-day Moscow more than 7,500 years ago would be something to shout about, according to archaeologists.

An international team of archeologists, led by Ignacio Clemente, a researcher with the Spanish National Research Council, has discovered and documented an assemblage of fish seines and traps in the Dubna Basin near Moscow that are dated to be more than 7,500 years old. They say that the equipment, among the oldest found in Europe, displays a surprisingly advanced technical complexity. The finds illuminate the role of fishing among European settlements of the early Holocene (about 10,000 years ago), particularly where people did not practice agriculture until just before the advent of the Iron Age.

Says Clemente: "Until now, it was thought that the Mesolithic groups had seasonal as opposed to permanent settlements. According to the results obtained during the excavations, in both Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, the human group that lived in the Dubna river basin, near Moscow, carried out productive activities during the entire year".

According to the research team, the Neolithic and Mesolithic inhabitants of the region, known as Zamostje 2, hunted during summer and winter, fished during spring and early summer, and harvested wild berries near the end of the summer and throughout the fall. But Clemente and colleagues suggest that the fishing commanded a salient place in their survival and prosperity. Says Clemente: "We think that the fishing played a vital role in the economy of these societies, because it was a versatile product, easy to preserve, dry and smoke, as well as store for later consumption."

Three years of work have uncovered a variety of artifacts at the site, including everyday objects such as spoons, plates, working tools, hunting weapons, all made from flint and other stones, bones and shafts. Finds included well-preserved organic items of wood, tree leaves, fossil feces and fish remains. Said Clemente, "it is really unusual to find sites with so much preserved organic remains. The ichthyological remains that we have found give us an idea of the protein percentage provided by fish in the diet of the prehistoric population. Furthermore, these remains will help us to conduct a survey from the point of view of species classification, catch amount and size, and fishing season among others. These details are essential to be able to asses the role played by fishing in the economy of these human groups".

But the stars of the show were the fishing implements. As one researcher added: "The documented fishing equipment shows a highly developed technology, aimed for the practice of several fishing techniques. We can highlight the finding of two large wooden fishing traps (a kind of interwoven basket with pine rods used for fishing), very well-preserved, dating back from 7,500 years ago. This represents one of the oldest dates in this area and, no doubt, among the best-preserved since they still maintain some joining ropes, manufactured with vegetable fibers".

The Zamostje 2 site was first discovered during the 1980s, when workers were constructing a channel through the Dubna river (Oka-Volga basin). The site features four different horizons, two representing the Mesolithic period (between 7,900 and 7,100 years ago) and two representing the Neolithic period (between 6,800 and 5,500 years ago). Explains one researcher: "These levels are found under a subsoil layer with groundwaters and a subsequent peat bog level, which has allowed an excellent preservation of the archeological materials, even those of organic origin".

The project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Also participating were the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Sergiev Posad State History and Art Museum-Reserve, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and the French National Center for Scientific Research
http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/december-2011/article/complex-fish-traps-over-7-500-years-old-found-in-russia