A recently published study reveals the existence of ancient fishing techniques at the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany, dating back approximately 15,800 years. This discovery resulted from a re-evaluation of engraved shale plaquettes, facilitated by advanced imaging technologies such as Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), which enabled the identification of detailed representations of fish and fishing net patterns on these artifacts.

Previous research had focused on more naturalistic representations of terrestrial fauna, but this new technology has uncovered engravings that could indicate the use of fishing nets, a technique previously under-documented for the Upper Paleolithic.

The study, led by researcher Jérôme Robitaille and an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists and prehistoric art specialists, suggests that these grid-like geometric patterns, combined with fish figures, provide clear evidence of the use of fishing nets in the daily activities of Magdalenian populations in Europe. These representations imply a sophisticated adaptation and deep understanding of the environment, which included specific strategies for obtaining aquatic resources.

Prehistoric engravings fishing nets
Another of the Paleolithic engravings with fishing nets. Credit: Jérôme Robitaille et al.

Gönnersdorf is an iconic Magdalenian site, a late stage of the Upper Paleolithic dating from about 19,000 to 13,000 years before present. Located on the banks of the Rhine in Germany, this site is known for providing an abundant collection of engraved shale plaquettes depicting animals, human figures, and hunting scenes.

For decades, studies at Gönnersdorf focused on interpreting these representations, which included stylized human figures known for their schematic appearance and lack of facial details, as well as mammoths and horses, capturing a richly symbolic image of the life and imagination of Magdalenian groups.

The new imaging techniques used in this study have enabled a more detailed exploration of these engravings, revealing elements that had previously gone unnoticed. RTI allows for the manipulation of light and shadow in a digital environment, highlighting fine details and textures on engraved surfaces that are not visible with traditional methods.

Prehistoric engravings fishing nets
Another of the engravings analyzed by the researchers. Credit: Jérôme Robitaille et al.

This technology was crucial in discovering subtle engraved lines on the plaquettes, allowing researchers to identify eleven fish figures, seven of which were entirely new to them. Around the fish figures, grid-like geometric patterns suggest the representation of fishing nets, likely designed to capture the depicted fish.

The fish figures on the Gönnersdorf plaquettes are depicted in a schematic and minimalist way, with a clear simplification of anatomical details, which contrasts with the more naturalistic representations of other animals. According to the researchers, this stylized approach may reflect an intention to emphasize not only the fish as a resource but also fishing as a central activity. The arrangement of the fish within the grids appears to convey a capture scene, as if the fish were entangled in a net. This detail would indicate an understanding and deliberate representation of fishing technology, highlighting the skill and adaptability of these communities to their aquatic environments.

The researchers argue that this integration of geometric forms with animal figures could indicate that fishing nets were not only functional but may have also held cultural or symbolic value, possibly reflecting a worldview in which the aquatic environment and its resources held special significance.

Prehistoric engravings fishing nets
One more of the engravings analyzed. Credit: Jérôme Robitaille et al.

In addition to innovations in imaging techniques, the study compared these engravings with other representations of fish and fishing practices documented in European Paleolithic art. Examples of rock art in France and Spain depict fishing scenes or fish figures, but it is rare to find representations of fishing nets, making Gönnersdorf a unique site of its kind. In some of these sites, such as the Los Casares cave in Spain, fish are depicted with arrows or spears, while in others, like Altamira, linear patterns suggest traps or nets, though not with the same level of detail as Gönnersdorf.

The findings suggest that nets were a key tool for fish capture, and their presence in art indicates that fishing was a significant activity not only in terms of subsistence but also in the cultural imagination of Magdalenian communities. The researchers propose that these nets may have been used seasonally, taking advantage of fish migrations to maximize capture.

In a context where the hunting of large animals like mammoths and horses held a central place in artistic representations, the focus on fishing at Gönnersdorf offers a renewed perspective on the diversity and adaptability of Magdalenian subsistence practices. The researchers emphasize that these findings, along with evidence of textile production at contemporary sites like Dolní Věstonice in the Czech Republic, suggest that Paleolithic communities possessed the capability to produce nets and cords, demonstrating an advanced technical knowledge for the time.

SOURCES

Robitaille J, Meyering L-E, Gaudzinski-Windheuser S, Pettitt P, Jöris O, Kentridge R (2024) Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany. PLoS ONE 19(11): e0311302. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311302

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