Part I: An Introduction to Vlaardingen Flint Biographies1 Living with flint in the Neolithic wetlands1.1 The project: Putting Life into Late Neolithic houses1.2 Research questions and case studies1.3 Roadmap through the book1.4 Data availability2 The Vlaardingen Culture2.1 Research history2.2 Chronology of the Vlaardingen Culture2.3 The Neighbours2.

4 Landscape and subsistence2.5 Flint in the Vlaardingen Culture3 Object biographies and communities3.1 A biographical approach3.2 Direct procurement or down-the-line exchange3.3 Cultural appropriation of material culture3.4 Taskscapes3.5 Communities of practice3.6 Craft specialisation4 Sources, techniques and use-wear analysis4.

1 Sourcing flint and ED-XRF analysis4.2 Technological analysis of lithics4.3 Use-wear analysis4.4 Experimental archaeology4.5 Computer programsPart II: Biographies of Vlaardingen Culture flint5 Experiments5.1 How to finish your Neolithic axe?5.2 Making leather from seal skin5.3 Scraping salmon skins5.

4 The unusual suspects: hide working with axes5.5 Experiments with horn5.6 Recycling Neolithic axes5.7 Concluding remarks6 The coastal dune site of Den Haag Steynhof6.1 Excavation and landscape setting6.2 Features, finds, and material selection6.3 Flint preservation6.4 Flint procurement6.

5 Flint technology6.6 Results of the use-wear analysis6.7 Discussion and conclusion7 Pioneers and hide-workers on the coastal dunes7.1 The site of Den Haag Wateringse Binnentuinen7.2 An axe from the site of Den Haag Gavi Kavel7.3 The site of Den Haag Noordweg 768 The site of Hekelingen III: Life on the levees8.1 Excavation and landscape setting8.2 Material selection8.

3 Flint procurement8.4 Flint technology8.5 Results of the use-wear analysis8.6 Discussion and conclusion9 The site of Vlaardingen Arij Koplaan9.1 Excavation and landscape setting9.2 Features at the site and material selection9.3 Flint preservation9.4 Flint procurement9.

5 Flint technology9.6 Flint typology9.7 Results of the use-wear analysis of flint from trench 11 and 169.8 Results of the use-wear analysis of trench 159.9 Results of the use-wear analysis of trench 179.10 Discussion10 Zandwerven10.1 Excavation and landscape setting10.2 Settlement type10.

3 Features at the site and material selection10.4 Sieved shell sample10.5 Preservation10.6 Procurement10.7 Technology10.8 Typology10.9 Results of the use-wear analyses10.10 Discussion and conclusionPart III: Living with flint in the Rhine-Meuse delta11 Networking and sourcing during the Vlaardingen Culture period11.

1 Diversity in sources11.2 Down the line exchange or direct procurement11.3 Collecting flint nodules or importing finished products?11.4 Appropriation of exotic flint11.5 Taskscapes11.6 Looking ahead12 The technological system12.1 Lithic technologies12.2 Domestic life in the wetlands12.

3 A complex network of specialised communities13 Communities of practice during the Vlaardingen Culture period13.1 The Vlaardingen Culture, life in the wetlands13.2 Social boundaries and interactions with the Funnel Beaker Culture13.3 Openness and interactions with the Corded Ware Culture13.4 Pluriform Vlaardingen Culture sites14 Synthesis14.1 Lessons from the experiments14.2 Sourcing flint14.3 Living with flint in the Rhine-Meuse delta14.

4 A lithic perspective on the Vlaardingen Culture14.5 Methodological reflectionsAppendicesBibliographyAcknowledgements.