Prehistoric fish traps and fishing structures from Zamostje 2, Russian European Plain: archaeological and ethnographical contexts

Abstract

Fish traps and nets documented ethnographically on the Russian European Plain and in Siberia are described and compared with similar archaeological finds from the north and north-west of Russia and the Baltic States of Latvia and Lithuania. We analyse the features they have in common in arder to interpret the fishing structures from Zamostje 2. The site has yielded occupation levels covering the transition from the Mesolithic to the Early and Middle Neolithic. A comparative study of the fish remains from Zamostje 2 and modern species in the Valga and Oka river basins suggests that the greatest diversity of species (11) is found in the earliest Mesolithic level, with only six species recorded far the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. The number of individuals caught also varíes over time, with a steady increase in the capture of cyprinids, which is particularly striking in the last phases of the occupation. Wooden artefacts connected with fishing demonstrate a high level of technological expertise while the finds of several possible paddle fragments and one wlwle paddle confirm the use of boats.