The First Pit Houses of the 3rd Millenium BCE in the Rhineland

Abstract

The article presents the first evidence of late to final Neolithic pit houses from the Rhineland. Until now, this period had mainly been documented by surface sites characterized by Lousberg flint axes and few burials, while evidence of settlements in the form of house remains was lacking. During rescue excavations in the 2000s at the site of Rheinbach-Taubenpfad, the remains of a Late to Final Neolithic settlement were discovered, yielding a total of eight pit houses and eight other features. Initial radiocarbon dating of two bone samples from the slit-shaped pit St. 48 already yielded an absolute date between 2870 and 2570 calBC. Archaeological analyses also indicated that the pit houses date from this period, which has now been confirmed by further radiocarbon dating of two pit houses. These latest findings provide an opportunity to present the pit houses from Rheinbach and discuss their classification in their chronological and cultural context.