In 2010 a large scale rescue excavation of a waterlogged neolithic site in the center of Zurich t... more In 2010 a large scale rescue excavation of a waterlogged neolithic site in the center of Zurich took place. 3000 Square meters of aracheological deposits with organic preservation were documented. More than 20´000 wood samples were taken. The deposits of eight settlement phases between 3234 and 2727 BC werde dated dendrochronologically. This first of three volumes presents the archaeological deposits and their environment in an interdisciplinary approach. The disciplines involved are Archaeology, Sedimentology, Geology, Geotechnics, Dendroarchaeology and Micromorphology
A tube of lime bark (3176-3153 BC) discovered in the Late Neolithic wetland settlement under the ... more A tube of lime bark (3176-3153 BC) discovered in the Late Neolithic wetland settlement under the car park Opéra in Zurich/CH was suspected of representing the remains of a beehive. The resulting gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, confrmed this. A range of substances from hydrocarbons, alcohols and free fatty acids typical of beeswax could be proven beyond doubt. This is probably the earliest, direct evidence for a beehive. A hollowed out tree-trunk, dated to shortly after 3400 BC, from the wetland settlement of Arbon-Bleiche 3 (Ct. Thurgau/CH) has already been interpreted as such, but the analytical proof was not possible. The use of bee products in Neolithic Europe has already been shown several times. The precise operating processes, as well as the type of use for beeswax and honey are still unknown, however. The rich pool of fnds, including the organic ones, from the wetland sites north of the Alps, certainly offers the potential for discovering more in the future about the use of bee products.
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected i... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal–oral transmitted nematodes (<i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> and <i>Trichuris trichiura</i>) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes (<i>Diphyllobothrium latum</i> and <i>Taenia saginata</i>) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. <i>Trichuris tri...
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected i... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal–oral transmitted nematodes (<i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> and <i>Trichuris trichiura</i>) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes (<i>Diphyllobothrium latum</i> and <i>Taenia saginata</i>) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. <i>Trichuris tri...
Die neolithische Siedlungsstelle Stansstad-Kehrsiten liegt am Vierwaldstättersee, am Fuss des Bür... more Die neolithische Siedlungsstelle Stansstad-Kehrsiten liegt am Vierwaldstättersee, am Fuss des Bürgenstocks. Sie ist dank ihrer speziellen geographischen und topographischen Lage und der guten Erhaltung für verschiedene Wissenschaftszweige ein vielversprechendes Forschungsobjekt und gehört seit 2011 zum Unesco-Welterbe. Abb. 1 Kehrsiten heute. Die Pfahlbausied¬ lung wurde 2003 von einem aufmerk¬ samen Sporttaucher entdeckt.
Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und e... more Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und erlaubt dank der Reprasentativitat und hohen Datendichte Einblicke in die Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Umwelt der damaligen Bevolkerung. Der vorliegende Band prasentiert die Ergebnisse der naturwissenschaftlichen Analysen – erstmals in der Feuchtbodenarchaologie unter Einbezug der Chironomiden- und Cladocerenfossilien sowie ausfuhrlicherer Mykologie – und fuhrt die Erkenntnisse der gesamten Auswertung dieser vor allem horgenzeitlichen Fundstelle in einer Synthese zusammen. Die taphonomischen Resultate aller Disziplinen belegen, dass die Ablagerung der Kulturschichten auf dem grossten Teil der Grabungsflache ganzjahrig unter Wasser erfolgte. Die archaobiologischen Ergebnisse bestatigen die eminente wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Getreide und Rindern, zeigen aber auch, dass die Rolle von Erbsen und Sammelpflanzen bislang unterschatzt wurde. Pollenuntersuchungen, Dendrotypologie und Archaobot...
Anlass fur die Neuuntersuchung des bereits im spaten 19. Jahrhundert ergrabenen und fruh in die S... more Anlass fur die Neuuntersuchung des bereits im spaten 19. Jahrhundert ergrabenen und fruh in die Sammlung des RGZM gelangten Grabensembles war eine Anfrage zur Dauerleihgabe eines fast vollstandig erhaltenen Holms mit Steinklinge durch das Landesmuseum Halle. Das Ensemble stammt aus einem Grab der Kugelamphorenkultur, welches sich durch aufwandigen Grabbau, einen Kupferblechring und eben Holzerhaltung sowohl in der Grabarchitektur als auch bei den Beigaben auszeichnet; heute ist von den Holzartefakten allerdings nur noch jener Holm erhalten. Eine detaillierte Untersuchung ergab, dass es sich hierbei um einen Knieholm fur eine Querschaftung handelt, dazu gehort eine leicht asymmetrisch geformte Silexklinge. Die chemische Analyse zeigt, dass das Blechrollchen aus importiertem Kupfer aus dem Karpatenbecken hergestellt wurde. Unklar ist allerdings weiterhin die kulturelle Zuweisung des Grabbaus: Vermutlich sind die Beigaben zwar zusammengehorig, das Grab selbst ist aber wohl alter. Das E...
In the paper we consider representations of the second kind for solutions to the linear general u... more In the paper we consider representations of the second kind for solutions to the linear general uniform first order elliptic system in the unit circle = { : | | 1} written in terms of complex functions: ≡¯+ 1 () + 2 ()¯+ () + () = (), where = () = () + () is the sought complex function, 1 () and 2 () are given measurable complex functions satisfying the uniform ellipticity condition of the system:
Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und e... more Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und erlaubt dank der Reprasentativitat und hohen Datendichte Einblicke in die Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Umwelt der damaligen Bevolkerung. Der vorliegende Band prasentiert die Ergebnisse der naturwissenschaftlichen Analysen – erstmals in der Feuchtbodenarchaologie unter Einbezug der Chironomiden- und Cladocerenfossilien sowie ausfuhrlicherer Mykologie – und fuhrt die Erkenntnisse der gesamten Auswertung dieser vor allem horgenzeitlichen Fundstelle in einer Synthese zusammen. Die taphonomischen Resultate aller Disziplinen belegen, dass die Ablagerung der Kulturschichten auf dem grossten Teil der Grabungsflache ganzjahrig unter Wasser erfolgte. Die archaobiologischen Ergebnisse bestatigen die eminente wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Getreide und Rindern, zeigen aber auch, dass die Rolle von Erbsen und Sammelpflanzen bislang unterschatzt wurde. Pollenuntersuchungen, Dendrotypologie und Archaobot...
The detection of direct archaeological remains of alcoholic beverages and their production is sti... more The detection of direct archaeological remains of alcoholic beverages and their production is still a challenge to archaeological science, as most of the markers known up to now are either not durable or diagnostic enough to be used as secure proof. The current study addresses this question by experimental work reproducing the malting processes and subsequent charring of the resulting products under laboratory conditions in order to simulate their preservation (by charring) in archaeological contexts and to explore the preservation of microstructural alterations of the cereal grains. The experimentally germinated and charred grains showed clearly degraded (thinned) aleurone cell walls. The histological alterations of the cereal grains were observed and quantified using reflected light and scanning electron microscopy and supported using morphometric and statistical analyses. In order to verify the experimental observations of histological alterations, amorphous charred objects (ACO) containing cereal remains originating from five archaeological sites dating to the 4 th millennium BCE were considered: two sites were archaeologically recognisable brewing
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected ... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal-oral transmitted nematodes ( and ) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes ( and ) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300 CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. ITS-1 sequences grouped into two clades; one ubiquitous and one restricted to medieval Lübeck and Bristol. The high sequence diversity of ITS-1 detected in Lübeck is consis...
Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently va... more Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently validated at the global scale. Moreover, it is unknown if atmospheric radiocarbon enrichment events of cosmogenic origin leave spatiotemporally consistent fingerprints. Here we measure the C content in 484 individual tree rings formed in the periods 770-780 and 990-1000 CE. Distinct C excursions starting in the boreal summer of 774 and the boreal spring of 993 ensure the precise dating of 44 tree-ring records from five continents. We also identify a meridional decline of 11-year mean atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations across both hemispheres. Corroborated by historical eye-witness accounts of red auroras, our results suggest a global exposure to strong solar proton radiation. To improve understanding of the return frequency and intensity of past cosmic events, which is particularly important for assessing the potential threat of space weather on our society, further annually resolved C...
The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and... more The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and was documented during a rescue excavation in 2010 and 2011 by the Office for Urbanism, City of Zürich. Two charred bread-like objects were found in late Neolithic Layer 13 of the pile-dwelling, and are investigated using a novel set of analyses for cereal-based foodstuffs. Tissue remains of barley and wheat were identified, as well as a schizocarp of celery (cf. Apium graveolens), providing the first evidence for the use of bread condiments in the Neolithic. Cereal particle sizes were recorded and used to draw conclusions regarding milling and sieving of the raw material. Gas bubbles in the charred objects were measured in order to evaluate possible leavening of the dough. The outcomes of this research significantly advance the understanding of the production traits of cereal-based food during the Neolithic. The analytical techniques proposed by this study open up new possibilities for ...
In 2010 a large scale rescue excavation of a waterlogged neolithic site in the center of Zurich t... more In 2010 a large scale rescue excavation of a waterlogged neolithic site in the center of Zurich took place. 3000 Square meters of aracheological deposits with organic preservation were documented. More than 20´000 wood samples were taken. The deposits of eight settlement phases between 3234 and 2727 BC werde dated dendrochronologically. This first of three volumes presents the archaeological deposits and their environment in an interdisciplinary approach. The disciplines involved are Archaeology, Sedimentology, Geology, Geotechnics, Dendroarchaeology and Micromorphology
A tube of lime bark (3176-3153 BC) discovered in the Late Neolithic wetland settlement under the ... more A tube of lime bark (3176-3153 BC) discovered in the Late Neolithic wetland settlement under the car park Opéra in Zurich/CH was suspected of representing the remains of a beehive. The resulting gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, confrmed this. A range of substances from hydrocarbons, alcohols and free fatty acids typical of beeswax could be proven beyond doubt. This is probably the earliest, direct evidence for a beehive. A hollowed out tree-trunk, dated to shortly after 3400 BC, from the wetland settlement of Arbon-Bleiche 3 (Ct. Thurgau/CH) has already been interpreted as such, but the analytical proof was not possible. The use of bee products in Neolithic Europe has already been shown several times. The precise operating processes, as well as the type of use for beeswax and honey are still unknown, however. The rich pool of fnds, including the organic ones, from the wetland sites north of the Alps, certainly offers the potential for discovering more in the future about the use of bee products.
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected i... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal–oral transmitted nematodes (<i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> and <i>Trichuris trichiura</i>) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes (<i>Diphyllobothrium latum</i> and <i>Taenia saginata</i>) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. <i>Trichuris tri...
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected i... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal–oral transmitted nematodes (<i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> and <i>Trichuris trichiura</i>) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes (<i>Diphyllobothrium latum</i> and <i>Taenia saginata</i>) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. <i>Trichuris tri...
Die neolithische Siedlungsstelle Stansstad-Kehrsiten liegt am Vierwaldstättersee, am Fuss des Bür... more Die neolithische Siedlungsstelle Stansstad-Kehrsiten liegt am Vierwaldstättersee, am Fuss des Bürgenstocks. Sie ist dank ihrer speziellen geographischen und topographischen Lage und der guten Erhaltung für verschiedene Wissenschaftszweige ein vielversprechendes Forschungsobjekt und gehört seit 2011 zum Unesco-Welterbe. Abb. 1 Kehrsiten heute. Die Pfahlbausied¬ lung wurde 2003 von einem aufmerk¬ samen Sporttaucher entdeckt.
Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und e... more Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und erlaubt dank der Reprasentativitat und hohen Datendichte Einblicke in die Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Umwelt der damaligen Bevolkerung. Der vorliegende Band prasentiert die Ergebnisse der naturwissenschaftlichen Analysen – erstmals in der Feuchtbodenarchaologie unter Einbezug der Chironomiden- und Cladocerenfossilien sowie ausfuhrlicherer Mykologie – und fuhrt die Erkenntnisse der gesamten Auswertung dieser vor allem horgenzeitlichen Fundstelle in einer Synthese zusammen. Die taphonomischen Resultate aller Disziplinen belegen, dass die Ablagerung der Kulturschichten auf dem grossten Teil der Grabungsflache ganzjahrig unter Wasser erfolgte. Die archaobiologischen Ergebnisse bestatigen die eminente wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Getreide und Rindern, zeigen aber auch, dass die Rolle von Erbsen und Sammelpflanzen bislang unterschatzt wurde. Pollenuntersuchungen, Dendrotypologie und Archaobot...
Anlass fur die Neuuntersuchung des bereits im spaten 19. Jahrhundert ergrabenen und fruh in die S... more Anlass fur die Neuuntersuchung des bereits im spaten 19. Jahrhundert ergrabenen und fruh in die Sammlung des RGZM gelangten Grabensembles war eine Anfrage zur Dauerleihgabe eines fast vollstandig erhaltenen Holms mit Steinklinge durch das Landesmuseum Halle. Das Ensemble stammt aus einem Grab der Kugelamphorenkultur, welches sich durch aufwandigen Grabbau, einen Kupferblechring und eben Holzerhaltung sowohl in der Grabarchitektur als auch bei den Beigaben auszeichnet; heute ist von den Holzartefakten allerdings nur noch jener Holm erhalten. Eine detaillierte Untersuchung ergab, dass es sich hierbei um einen Knieholm fur eine Querschaftung handelt, dazu gehort eine leicht asymmetrisch geformte Silexklinge. Die chemische Analyse zeigt, dass das Blechrollchen aus importiertem Kupfer aus dem Karpatenbecken hergestellt wurde. Unklar ist allerdings weiterhin die kulturelle Zuweisung des Grabbaus: Vermutlich sind die Beigaben zwar zusammengehorig, das Grab selbst ist aber wohl alter. Das E...
In the paper we consider representations of the second kind for solutions to the linear general u... more In the paper we consider representations of the second kind for solutions to the linear general uniform first order elliptic system in the unit circle = { : | | 1} written in terms of complex functions: ≡¯+ 1 () + 2 ()¯+ () + () = (), where = () = () + () is the sought complex function, 1 () and 2 () are given measurable complex functions satisfying the uniform ellipticity condition of the system:
Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und e... more Zurich-Parkhaus Opera ubertrifft vergleichbare Fundstellen deutlich an Flache und Fundmenge und erlaubt dank der Reprasentativitat und hohen Datendichte Einblicke in die Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Umwelt der damaligen Bevolkerung. Der vorliegende Band prasentiert die Ergebnisse der naturwissenschaftlichen Analysen – erstmals in der Feuchtbodenarchaologie unter Einbezug der Chironomiden- und Cladocerenfossilien sowie ausfuhrlicherer Mykologie – und fuhrt die Erkenntnisse der gesamten Auswertung dieser vor allem horgenzeitlichen Fundstelle in einer Synthese zusammen. Die taphonomischen Resultate aller Disziplinen belegen, dass die Ablagerung der Kulturschichten auf dem grossten Teil der Grabungsflache ganzjahrig unter Wasser erfolgte. Die archaobiologischen Ergebnisse bestatigen die eminente wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Getreide und Rindern, zeigen aber auch, dass die Rolle von Erbsen und Sammelpflanzen bislang unterschatzt wurde. Pollenuntersuchungen, Dendrotypologie und Archaobot...
The detection of direct archaeological remains of alcoholic beverages and their production is sti... more The detection of direct archaeological remains of alcoholic beverages and their production is still a challenge to archaeological science, as most of the markers known up to now are either not durable or diagnostic enough to be used as secure proof. The current study addresses this question by experimental work reproducing the malting processes and subsequent charring of the resulting products under laboratory conditions in order to simulate their preservation (by charring) in archaeological contexts and to explore the preservation of microstructural alterations of the cereal grains. The experimentally germinated and charred grains showed clearly degraded (thinned) aleurone cell walls. The histological alterations of the cereal grains were observed and quantified using reflected light and scanning electron microscopy and supported using morphometric and statistical analyses. In order to verify the experimental observations of histological alterations, amorphous charred objects (ACO) containing cereal remains originating from five archaeological sites dating to the 4 th millennium BCE were considered: two sites were archaeologically recognisable brewing
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected ... more Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal-oral transmitted nematodes ( and ) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes ( and ) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300 CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. ITS-1 sequences grouped into two clades; one ubiquitous and one restricted to medieval Lübeck and Bristol. The high sequence diversity of ITS-1 detected in Lübeck is consis...
Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently va... more Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently validated at the global scale. Moreover, it is unknown if atmospheric radiocarbon enrichment events of cosmogenic origin leave spatiotemporally consistent fingerprints. Here we measure the C content in 484 individual tree rings formed in the periods 770-780 and 990-1000 CE. Distinct C excursions starting in the boreal summer of 774 and the boreal spring of 993 ensure the precise dating of 44 tree-ring records from five continents. We also identify a meridional decline of 11-year mean atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations across both hemispheres. Corroborated by historical eye-witness accounts of red auroras, our results suggest a global exposure to strong solar proton radiation. To improve understanding of the return frequency and intensity of past cosmic events, which is particularly important for assessing the potential threat of space weather on our society, further annually resolved C...
The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and... more The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and was documented during a rescue excavation in 2010 and 2011 by the Office for Urbanism, City of Zürich. Two charred bread-like objects were found in late Neolithic Layer 13 of the pile-dwelling, and are investigated using a novel set of analyses for cereal-based foodstuffs. Tissue remains of barley and wheat were identified, as well as a schizocarp of celery (cf. Apium graveolens), providing the first evidence for the use of bread condiments in the Neolithic. Cereal particle sizes were recorded and used to draw conclusions regarding milling and sieving of the raw material. Gas bubbles in the charred objects were measured in order to evaluate possible leavening of the dough. The outcomes of this research significantly advance the understanding of the production traits of cereal-based food during the Neolithic. The analytical techniques proposed by this study open up new possibilities for ...
Climate model projections suggest widespread drying in the Mediterranean Basin and wetting in Fen... more Climate model projections suggest widespread drying in the Mediterranean Basin and wetting in Fennoscandia in the coming decades largely as a consequence of greenhouse gas forcing of climate. To place these and other "Old…
Abstract A well-preserved bow, dated by dendrochronology to 3176–3153 BC, was found at the waterl... more Abstract A well-preserved bow, dated by dendrochronology to 3176–3153 BC, was found at the waterlogged Neolithic site “Parkhaus Opera” in Zurich (Switzerland). The surface of the bow, made of yew (Taxus baccata), was decorated with bark strips from a different, broad-leaved, tree species. In order to investigate whether the bark decoration was fixed to the bow with hide or fish glue, mass spectrometry (MS)-based ancient protein sequencing was attempted to detect possible traces of collagen residues. The sequences retrieved, in particular collagen type 3 (COL3A1), indicate that most probably skin, and possibly other slaughtering by-products, were used as the initial materials to produce hide glue. Amongst the candidate animal species that the glue could have originated from, cattle and domestic ovicaprids were confidently identified. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the oldest evidence of the use of animal-based glue in Europe. It demonstrates that in the late 4th millennium BC human communities, aside from benefitting from more commonplace primary and secondary products, also exploited domestic animals to extract a high value-added biochemical.
Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums 53, 2006
Im Jahre 1866 wurde dem Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum ein Grabensemble zugeeignet, das
1864... more Im Jahre 1866 wurde dem Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum ein Grabensemble zugeeignet, das
1864 bei Geländeruntersuchungen in der Nähe von Langeneichstädt, damals Kreis Querfurt, zutage kam. Anhand der Funde wird die Funktion und Rolle der so auwändig Bestatteten Individuen innerhalb der agropastoralen Gemeinschaften diskutiert.
This article brings together in a comprehensive way, and for the first time, on-and off-site pala... more This article brings together in a comprehensive way, and for the first time, on-and off-site palaeoenvironmental data from the area of the Central European lake dwellings (a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 2011). The types of data considered are as follows: high-resolution off-site pollen cores, including micro-charcoal counts, and on-site data, including botanical macro-and micro-remains, hand-collected animal bones, remains of microfauna, and data on woodland management (dendrotypology). The period considered is the late Neolithic (c. 4300-2400 cal. BC). For this period, especially for its earlier phases, discussions of land-use patterns are contradictory. Based on off-site data, slash-and-burn -as known from tropical regions -is thought to be the only possible way to cultivate the land. On-site data however show a completely different picture: all indications point to the permanent cultivation of cereals (Triticum spp., Hordeum vulgare), pea (Pisum sativum), flax (Linum usitatissimum) and opium-poppy (Papaver somniferum). Cycles of landscape use are traceable, including coppicing and moving around the landscape with animal herds. Archaeobiological studies further indicate also that hunting and gathering were an important component and that the landscape was manipulated accordingly. Late Neolithic land-use systems also included the use of fire as a tool for opening up the landscape. Here we argue that bringing together all the types of palaeoenvironmental proxies in an integrative way allows us to draw a more comprehensive and reliable picture of the land-use systems in the late Neolithic than had been reconstructed previously largely on the basis of off-site data.
Layer taphonomy is one of the major questions in the archaeological research of lakeshore settlem... more Layer taphonomy is one of the major questions in the archaeological research of lakeshore settlements. How fast did these deposits develop? Were they exposed to periodic droughts and decay? Which amount of the originally deposited remains survived until present? Plant macroremains have a great potential as indicators of preservation quality, since they are short-lived and particularly sensible to changes in preservation conditions. This paper reviews previous attempts to use similar proxies to understand layer taphonomy and provides a compilation of almost 50 variables (that include plant macroremains and other remains found in sediment samples) as indicators for preservation quality. Two late Neolithic lakeshore sites located in Central Switzerland were used as tests and more than 100 samples per site were investigated. Samples were grouped into meaningful groups (according to sediment type or their location in the stratigraphy, etc.) and ubiquities were calculated for each variable in each group of samples. Correspondence Analysis was applied in order to establish connections between groups of variables and groups of samples. GIS was used in one of the cases to look at preservation at a site scale. The method proved to be useful and differences in preservation conditions were observed in both sites, not only regarding the location of the samples in the stratigraphy and in relation to their proximity to the lake, but also in connection to sediment type. It is suggested that such studies are necessary before any palaeoeconomic analysis is undertaken.
The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and... more The site of Parkhaus Opéra is located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Zürich (Switzerland) and was documented during a rescue excavation in 2010 and 2011 by the Office for Urbanism, City of Zürich. Two charred bread-like objects were found in late Neolithic Layer 13 of the pile-dwelling, and are investigated using a novel set of analyses for cereal-based foodstuffs. Tissue remains of barley and wheat were identified, as well as a schizocarp of celery (cf. Apium graveolens), providing the first evidence for the use of bread condiments in the Neolithic. Cereal particle sizes were recorded and used to draw conclusions regarding milling and sieving of the raw material. Gas bubbles in the charred objects were measured in order to evaluate possible leavening of the dough. The outcomes of this research significantly advance the understanding of the production traits of cereal-based food during the Neolithic. The analytical techniques proposed by this study open up new possibilities for systematic and consistent investigations of cereal-based archaeological foodstuffs.
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1864 bei Geländeruntersuchungen in der Nähe von Langeneichstädt, damals Kreis Querfurt, zutage kam. Anhand der Funde wird die Funktion und Rolle der so auwändig Bestatteten Individuen innerhalb der agropastoralen Gemeinschaften diskutiert.