BRANCH WOOD FROM THE LAKE SHORE SETTLEMENTS OF HORGEN-SCHELLER, SWITZERLAND - EVIDENCE FOR ECONOMIC SPECIALIZATION IN THE LATE NEOLITHIC PERIOD

596 waterlogged, uncarbonized branch wood specimens from four cultural layers of the late Neolithic lake shore site of Horgen Scheller (betw een 3080 and 3030 B.C.) on Lake Zurich, Switzerland, were examined. Th e following parameters were analysed: taxonomy, diameter and age of th e twigs, cutting season, and distribution of the branches over the are a as well as their distribution in the different cultural layers. The twigs were divided into the following three groups, based on differenc es observed in these analyses: conifers, deciduous trees with catkins, and deciduous trees without catkins. Branch diameter examinations rev ealed that branches of deciduous trees were thicker on average than th ose of conifers. While branches from deciduous trees without catkins w ere gathered at the age of seven years on average, those of conifers a nd deciduous trees with catkins were older. Waney edge analyses showed that the majority of the twigs were cut within the winter months. Amo ng the deciduous trees without catkins there is, however, a markedly h igher proportion of branches cut in summer than in the other two group s. The taxonomic examinations demonstrated that 70% of the specimens c onsisted of twigs of either Corylus avellana L. (hazel), Taxus baccata L. (yew), or Abies alba Mill. (silver fir), thus implying the great e conomic importance of these species in the settlements of Horgen Schel ler. To our knowledge this is the first report that a remarkably high proportion of yew twigs (26.8%) has been found in an analysis of subfo ssil twigs. The possibility is discussed that the inhabitants had spec ialized in obtaining yew from the region. Concentrations of wood finds , possible remains of buildings, became evident from the analyses of t he distribution of the branch wood over the excavated area. A very sim ilar spatial distribution pattern of the taxa was found through the di fferent cultural layers. Therefore it seems likely that existing struc tures were reused when a new settlement was built. The data also show that the building outlines slowly moved towards land over time. A risi ng lake water level could have led to gradual dislocation of the settl ements.