Mesolithic Hunter-Gatherers of Namur

As the ice sheets retreated after the Last Glacial Maximum, the river valleys of what is now Namur became corridors of renewal. Between 9160 and 8294 BCE, small bands of hunter‑gatherers reoccupied sheltered abris and cave mouths along the Meuse and its tributaries. Archaeological data from Abri des Autours, Malonne Petit Ri and Waulsort Caverne X indicate episodic use of rock shelters and cave systems — places where human activity, hearths and discarded stone tools accumulated in stratified layers.

Limited evidence suggests these groups exploited a mosaic of habitats: riparian fisheries, wooded slopes and open wetlands created by a warming climate. Lithic scatters and tool types typically assigned to Mesolithic assemblages point to microlithic technologies optimized for composite weapons and versatile foraging. Faunal remains and site taphonomy (where preserved) further indicate seasonal occupation patterns tied to fish runs and migratory game.

Genetically, these early post‑glacial inhabitants fit into a broader story of Western European Mesolithic populations, but caution is essential: only four individuals are sampled. Archaeological and preliminary genetic signals together suggest continuity with wider hunter‑gatherer networks, yet local adaptations and mobility across riverine landscapes made each site a distinct chapter in a dynamic, postglacial landscape.

Four individuals, dated between 9160 and 8294 BCE from Abri des Autours, Malonne Petit Ri and Waulsort Caverne X, provide the genetic window we have for Belgium_Mesolithic. Two of the four carry mitochondrial haplogroup U — a lineage commonly found among European Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic hunter‑gatherers. Y‑chromosome information is currently undetermined in these samples or not reported, so paternal lineages remain unresolved.

Broader ancient‑DNA studies across Western Europe repeatedly recover a dominant Western Hunter‑Gatherer (WHG) ancestry component in Mesolithic populations; the Belgian samples are compatible with that pattern but cannot alone define it. With only four genomes, statistical power is limited: population structure, kinship within sites, and subtle admixture events cannot be robustly inferred. Any claims about continuity into later populations or precise affinities to neighboring groups must therefore be framed as provisional.

Despite these constraints, combining archaeology with DNA yields compelling narratives: mitochondrial haplogroup U connects these individuals to a deep maternal heritage that spans much of Mesolithic Europe. Future sequencing of additional individuals, higher coverage genomes, and targeted Y‑DNA assays will be necessary to build a fuller genetic portrait of early Holocene Belgium.