Two 'Epi-Ahrensburgian' sites in the northem Netherlands: Oudehaske (Friesland) and Gramsbergen (Overijssel)

Abstract

Two open-air sites in the northern half of the Netherlands are described: Oudehaske in the valley of the Boome (Friesland) and Gramsbergen in the valley of the Vecht (Overijssel). The sites are ascribed to the 'Epi-Ahrensburgian' (after Gob, 1988), a transitional group between the Ahrensburgian and the Mesolithic, which can be dated to the first half of the Preboreal. Sites of this group are characterized by a predominance of simple microliths among the points while tanged points are scarce ar absent, and by a 'Late Palaeolithic' blade technology aiming at the production of quite large blades. At both sites, several blades longer than 10 cm are present (but no 'bruised blades'). A refitting analysis of the flint material from both sites was performed by the first author, the results ofwhich are discussed extensively.