Archäologische forschung im Augstumaller Moor – fundplätze der endpaläolithischen jäger- und sammlerkulturen im Memeldelta an der litauischen küste

Abstract

The Aukštumala bog (German: Augstumaller Moor) lies in the southern part of the Lithuanian coastal zone, a few kilometres east of the Curonian Lagoon. Stone artefacts from the Late Palaeolithic were first found here in 2004, but the exploration of the natural landscape of the bog and its archaeological remains had begun as early as the late 19th century. The first to survey the area were German scientists, among them Adalbert Bezzenberger. More substantial research was to follow in the 21st century. While this contribution discusses the research history and the significance of the raised bog of Aukštumala as an archaeological site, its main focus is on the technological and typological aspects of the flint artefacts. These can be attributed to the Swiderian Culture, whose characteristic fabrication traces were identified during the excavations of 2018 and 2019. It appears that the Late Palaeolithic groups of Aukštumala used smaller and narrower flint blades to compensate for the scarcity of raw material, or employed other metamorphic rocks which were available locally.