This volume presents a detailed spatial analysis of the sites of Keinsmerbrug, Mienakker, and Zeewijk. These Late Neolithic settlement sites define the westernmost edge of the Corded Ware Culture (c. 2900-2300 cal BC). The people took part in a broad spectrum of activities: hunting, gathering, fishing, agriculture, animal husbandry, and artisan crafts. They maintained their regional traditions while dwelling on the edge of this Neolithic cultural group. The study depicts Neolithic households as highly mobile with sedentary and seasonal settlements. The patterns that emerge from the in-depth spatial analysis of material distributions indicate the presence of spatially bound locations for specific activities. This structuring of space further supports the identification of various dwelling structures. Neolithic monumentality is, for the first time, identified within the Dutch coastal wetlands. The biographical perspective underlines the ephemeral nature of the divide between the place of the living and the place of the ancestors.

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Contents (shortened)

1 Introduction   15

2 Theoretical background and methodology of Spatial Analysis   23

3 Keinsmerbrug   53

4 Mienakker   133

5 Zeewijk   205

6 Evaluation of the methodology   273

7 Towards an interpretation of Corded Ware Culture settlement dynamics   287

8 Conclusion   301

Literature   311

List of figures  332

List of tables   347

Dutch Summary - Samenvatting  347

Acknowledgements  351