Sisterhood in archaeology: Berit Valentin Eriksen as mentorSonja B. Grimm, Helene Agerskov Rose, Katrine Balsgaard Juul, Charlotte Damm and Inger Marie Berg-HansenTechnical Practices and Social Dynamics: A Comparative Study of Havelte Group and Federmesser-Gruppen in Late Glacial Northern EuropeTobias ReuterQuestioning the linear evolution of the Federmesser-Gruppen /Late Azilian lithic assemblages. Insights from Northern Germany and the Paris BasinTobias Reuter, Sofiane Bouziane, Mara-Julia Weber and Ludovic MevelTaphonomy, stratigraphy, chronology, and settlement choice at the Blätterhöhle – new results and open questionsFlorian Gumboldt, Tom Noack, Michael Baales, Jörg Orschiedt, Wolfgang Heuschen and Andreas MaierSwiderian sites on the shores of Kalviai Lake, southern LithuaniaTomas RimkusFrom Ice Age to Insight: The study of the Ahrensburg Tunnel Valley through timeMoiken Hinrichs and Katja WinklerNot just red. Identification of red Heligoland Flint by macroscopic and microscopic characteristicsHauke Jürgens, Sönke Hartz and Joachim SchönfeldThe colour of magic: exotic raw materials, prospecting, and the Late Palaeolithic of northern EuropeFelix Riede‘Lyngby axes’ from Ahrensburg (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) – Supplementary materialÉva DavidActive and passive seismic measurements for mapping and investigating kettle holes: an example from Tyrsted (Jutland, Denmark)Erica Corradini, Stine Detjens, Manuel Zolchow, Martin Thorwart, Nina Kallinich and Wolfgang RabbelGreen shadows beneath the waves – a speculative vegetation survey of Doggerland during the GS-1Sascha Krüger and Benjamin R. GeareyIsotopic niche partitioning between reindeer and horse in Northwest Europe during the Final Upper PalaeolithicDorothée G. DruckerLooking for diachronic patterns in Danish Mesolithic dietsJohn Meadows and Anders FischerBecoming Mesolithic. Reflections on the mesolithisation in southern Scandinavia and northern GermanyMikkel SørensenSticks, Stones and Bones. Recent Early Mesolithic finds from Lolland, DenmarkDaniel Groß, Peter Deichmann, Sandra Söderlind, Ulrich Schmölcke and Bente PhilippsenThe Northwest-German Mesolithic gap and how to fill it – A survey for water-logged Mesolithic sitesSvea Mahlstedt, Annette Siegmüller, Martina Karle and Steffen WoltersHunter-Gatherers in the Sorge River Valley (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district) – A Mesolithic Settlement Hotspot in the 7th millennium BCE in northern Schleswig-HolsteinSönke Hartz, Ingo Clausen and Fynn RohwederEngravings, decorations and feathers. Aesthetics at two sites in a Late Mesolithic perspectiveLars LarssonThe fire between life and death: Mesolithic cremation at Hammelev as a ritual transformationMari TõrvTwo lithic sickle blades from the neolithic wooden structure of Bad Buchau-MöwenwegJulia GoldhammerThis volume brings together twenty peer-reviewed studies honouring the scholarly career of Berit V. Eriksen, whose research has been highly influential in the study of Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in central Europe and southern Scandinavia. The contributions focus on the Late Glacial and Early Holocene, a time marked by profound environmental, social, and technological transformations that reshaped hunter-gatherer lifeways.Reflecting both Eriksen’s research interests and current debates in the field, the contributions address a broad range of themes in hunter-gatherer research. These include lithic technology and raw material procurement, long-distance connections and exotic materials, subsistence strategies, burial practices, and aesthetic expression. Several contributions emphasise methodological and theoretical innovation, employing approaches such as geophysical survey, palynology, isotopic analyses, and taphonomic studies to refine chronologies, reconstruct past environments and human-environmental interactions.Geographically, the volume spans across northern Germany, Denmark, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic region, and adjacent areas, offering case studies that illuminate both regional variability and wider patterns of transition. Particular attention is given to processes of change and continuity, including the emergence of Mesolithic lifeways, shifting relationships between humans, animals, and environments, and the complex responses of hunter-gatherer societies to climatic and ecological challenges. Together, the contributions question linear narratives of cultural development and highlight the diversity and dynamism of Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic worlds.Aimed at researchers, students, and readers with an interest in early prehistory, this volume presents new data, innovative interpretations, and critical reflections that advance our understanding of hunter-gatherer societies at the end of the Ice Age and the beginning of the Holocene, while celebrating Berit V. Eriksen’s lasting impact on the discipline.