(Research Master's Thesis) Fire under the lens: the Mesolithic magnified. A study into the use and function of Mesolithic hearth pits in the Netherlands through the use of soil micromorphology

The main aim of this study has been to gain insight into the use and function of Mesolithic hearth pits features that are found consistently around the Netherlands. While existing research shed light on the spatial configuration of these pits, their chronological distribution and general morphology, information on the exact function of these features remained unavailable. Moreover, an overview of inter- and intrasite variation between hearth pits was lacking. By using soil micromorphology in the form of a quantitative approach, the analysis in this study has demonstrated that the hearth pits might have been used for tar production, food preparation or the thermal preparation of lithics. All three functions require low temperatures in addition to an oxygen-starved environment. It is difficult to differentiate between these hypotheses on the basis of micromorphological observations, since the characteristics observed could theoretically be the result of either of the three activities. Moreover, a clear corpus of baseline observations specifically related to the various functions is currently not available. Still, there seems to be a certain degree of variation among the features, with tar-like substances and charred topsoil material only being present in a select few pits. Whether these differences are related to meaningful functional variation or to post-depositional influences remains unclear. Local geology or hydrology might also be partially responsible. Nevertheless, the large amounts of features on long revisited sites that required a certain amount of time investment and a temporal lack of mobility indicates the importance of the hearth pits in Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities. It is suggested that the pit clusters might be representative of prehistoric travel routes. In the light of future research it is recommended that a set of baseline micromorphological observations is collected through either experimental work or the sampling of features in the context of ethnographic study. Moreover, the scientific techniques already used on a small number of hearth pits should be implemented on more features, to facilitate comparison. Even though this study has not been successful in providing a conclusive answer to the question on the function and use of hearth pit features, it gives valuable insight into some possible interpretations that can be tested in a very targeted fashion. Mesolithic hearth pits should remain in our focus, under the lens.