Youngsters knapping flint near the campfire: An alternative view of site k at Maastricht-Belvédère (the Netherlands)

Inspired by De Loecker's recent book (2006) about the main Saalian find level in the Maastricht-Belvedere Quarry, several aspects of the Early Middle Palaeolithic Site K are being discussed.

First, it is argued that apprentices in the art of flint working were active here: most probably children. The reason is the presence of relatively many cores showing phenomena such as stacked steps and face battering, which are characteristic of apprentices (Shelley 1990). The absence of the classic Levallois technology, and the use of the simpler discoidal cores instead, is interpreted as an adaptation to children who are learning to knap flint, rather than as a result of poor-quality raw material.

Secondly, the spatial distribution of the relatively high number of burnt flint artefacts (5.7%) is analysed. A proportion map, illustrating the percentages of burnt artefacts in all square metres with at least ten artefacts shows two clusters with locally high percentages in the southern part of the excavated area. A statistical analysis, including chi-square or binomial tests for each square metre, reveals that these clusters can hardly be the result of chance, and may therefore be interpreted as hearth locations.