15,800-Year-Old Ice Age Engravings: Early Evidence of Fishing Nets Found in Germany!
On the banks of the Rhine in Germany, the Gönnersdorf archaeological site has yielded an exciting find that sheds light on the fishing practices of Ice Age communities. A team of researchers from Durham University and Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre at the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie have discovered intricate engravings on stone slabs that appear to depict fish caught within nets or traps. This remarkable discovery, detailed in PLOS ONE, suggests that the origins of net fishing might go back as far as 15,800 years.
Photo Credit: Robitaille et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
Ancient Art at Gönnersdorf: A New Perspective on Fishing
The Gönnersdorf site, already celebrated for its vast array of prehistoric art, contains an impressive 406 decorated stone slabs, or plaquettes, that have been examined for decades. Many of these slabs are engraved with images of animals that were vital to the diets and culture of Ice Age hunter-gatherers, such as reindeer, wild horses, woolly rhinos, and mammoths. There are also numerous stylised female figures, which have brought global recognition to the site. However, until now, these engravings hadn’t depicted scenes related to fishing practices.
With the help of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), a technique that enhances fine details on surfaces, researchers were able to reveal hidden images of fish within grid-like patterns on eight of the schist slabs. Dr Monica Spicker, lead author of the study and a researcher at Monrepos, noted that the arrangement of fish inside these grids strongly suggests they represent a form of container, such as a net or trap. This deliberate overlaying of grid lines over fish motifs indicates a purposeful artistic choice, likely intended to depict the process of fishing rather than merely individual fish.
Photo Credit: Robitaille et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
Early Evidence of Net or Trap Fishing in Europe
These discoveries are not only visually impressive but also represent the earliest known evidence of net or trap fishing in European prehistory. This suggests that Ice Age communities may have used nets—probably crafted from plant fibres like milkweed or nettle—to catch fish in larger quantities, particularly during seasonal migrations. Supporting this theory, evidence of fish remains has been found at the Gönnersdorf site, confirming that fish formed part of the inhabitants’ diet.
The engravings at Gönnersdorf do more than document early fishing techniques; they hint at a deeper cultural or symbolic significance of fishing for the Magdalenian people, who occupied the site between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago. Interestingly, these fish depictions are more abstract and geometric than the naturalistic portrayals of other animals like reindeer or mammoths. This contrast in artistic style suggests that fishing may have held a unique cultural importance for this Ice Age community.
Photo Credit: Robitaille et al., 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0
Textile Technology in the Ice Age
The study also highlights that the Magdalenian people were likely skilled in textile technology. Other carvings from Gönnersdorf show figurines wearing what appear to be clothing, suggesting that textile weaving was part of their skills. This further supports the idea that they had the capability to produce nets for fishing.
The Significance of this Discovery
The discovery of these engravings at Gönnersdorf is significant for what it reveals about early human creativity, technology, and lifestyle. It offers a glimpse into the lives of Ice Age hunter-gatherers and their use of nets or traps to fish—a technique that may have been crucial for survival and deeply embedded in their culture. As research continues, it’s fascinating to consider what more might be revealed about this early chapter in human history.