Spatial Analysis of Charcoal and Wood: The Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Hekelingen III, the Netherlands (2900–2500 BCE)

ABSTRACT This paper concerns the spatial distribution of charcoal and uncarbonized wood at the Dutch Late Neolithic wetland site of Hekelingen III, dating to c. 2900–2500 BCE, where a rescue excavation in 1980 revealed occupation units that were intermittently in use during three phases. While earlier published archaeobotanical data from Hekelingen III included only a list of charcoal identifications, rediscovered documentation from the 1980s now allows contextualization of the charcoal data. In addition, the spatial distribution of both the charcoal and uncarbonized wood data is presented for the first time. With few exceptions, the charcoal and wood spatial data indicate continuity of wood use and site function through space and time.