Dealing with heteroconnections and short tree-ring series at different levels of dating in the dendrochronology of the Southwest German pile-dwellings

Within the field of pile-dwelling research in SW Germany, the application of a dendroarchacological approach to the study of young wood among large timber series has allowed a better understanding of the short-term development of settlement showing high variations of building activity coupled with varying strategies of timber supply and woodland use. This is illustrated by systematic tree-ring investigations at the Neolithic lake-shore site of Hornstaad-Hornle 1, which have demonstrated an occupation of 20 years around 3900 BC. On specific levels of dendrodating and on the basis of heteroconnections, short alternating building phases with specific choice of timber have been found, showing a wave-like development of the settlement. Repeated short-term repairs also give an estimation of the time spans during which the houses were in use. Furthermore, the timber supply seems to have been based principally on coppicing and the defoliation damages caused by the cyclic development of the cockchafer can be detected in the young oak series. Particularly interesting are the alternating building phases with ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) on one side, and oak (Quercus robur L./Quercus petraea [Matt] Liebl.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) on the other side. After an initial building phase with ash wood gained from the azonal vegetation, the strong development of the village was accompanied by the systematic use of timber from an oak and beech mixed stand located in the mesophile deciduous forest. In our interpretation, this alternance seems to be linked with a shifting cultivation system at the beginning of the Neolithic lake-shore site occupation at Lake Constance. Oak and beech building phases correspond to a short period of greater concentration of occupation, probably with increasing agricultural activities whereas the use of ash wood gained from the hydrophilous vegetation belt behind the village, occurred in the phases of installation or dissolution of the community. In comparison, later settlement development in the whole region shows a greater stability in the building activity as well as in the woodland use. (c) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.