Evidence for Mesolithic agriculture in and around central Europe?

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2007

Accumulating palaeobotanical evidence points to agricultural activity in Central Europe well before the onset of the Neolithic, commonly dated at ca 5500-5200 cal BC. We reinvestigated an existing pollen profile from Soppensee with refined taxonomical resolution by further subdividing the Cerealia pollen type into Triticum t. and Avena t. because the sediments at this site currently provide the highest temporal resolution and precision for the period of interest among all sites in Switzerland. Our new results are in agreement with previous high-resolution investigations from Switzerland showing scattered but consistent presence of pollen of Cerealia, Plantago lanceolata, and other cultural plants or weeds during the late Mesolithic period (6700-5500 cal BC). Chronologically, this palynological evidence for sporadic agricultural activities coincides with a major break in material culture at ca 6700 cal BC (i.e. the transition from early to late Mesolithic). Here, we review possible arguments against palaeobotanical evidences of Mesolithic agriculture (e.g. chronological uncertainties, misidentification, contamination, long-distance transport) and conclude that none of these can explain the consistent pollen pattern observed at several sites. The palynological evidence can, of course, not prove the existence of pre-ceramic agriculture in Central Europe. However, it is so coherent that this topic should be addressed by systematic archaeobotanical analyses in future archaeological studies. If our interpretation should turn out to be true, our conclusions would have fundamental implications for the Neolithic history of Europe. Currently, it is intensely debated whether Central European agriculture developed locally under the influence of incoming ideas from areas where Neolithic farming had already developed earlier (e.g. southeastern Europe) or whether it was introduced by immigrating farmers. On the basis of our results, we suggest that agriculture developed locally throughout the late Mesolithic and Neolithic. Mesolithic trading networks connecting Southern and Central Europe also support the hypothesis of a slow and gradual change towards sessile agriculture, probably as a result of incoming ideas and regional cultural transformation.

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2008

In the model proposed by Tinner et al. (2007) (see also Nielsen, 2003), farming was adopted spontaneously but locally throughout the Late Mesolithic. There was no continuity as such; rather there were short intervals of farming in various places that invariably involved abandonment of fields and settlements after some years. It is difficult to understand why people adopted a completely new economy that involved permanent settlements and many other consequences, only to give this up and return to being nomadic hunters, fishers and gatherers for several generations. The model seems to serve no useful purpose other than support the interpretation of scattered records of single Cerealia-type pollen as evidence for arable farming. In general, the composition of the material culture, such as tools and other artefacts, does not characterise the change from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic. Even the production of pottery is not significant as there is an aceramic Neolithic (in the Near East) as well as a ceramic late Mesolithic (e.g. the late Ertebö lle culture in northern Central Europe). Tools, such as ploughs and grinding stones, that are used in farming, are, however, the exception in this regard. While the early ploughs were wooden and hence seldom survive to appear in archaeological records, grinding stones can be expected if cereal growing was practised. No records of these durable artefacts, however, are available to date. Linguistic improvement by Michael O'Connell is gratefully acknowledged.

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2023

Pelagonia is a mountain valley in North Macedonia that was densely occupied by early farming communities in the second half of the 7th and early 6th millennium bce. Archaeobotanical analysis is being done on material from three sites there, Vrbjanska Čuka, Veluška Tumba and Vlaho. This paper presents the results of archaeobotanical analyses of remains from Pelagonia, which represent some of the oldest directly dated remains of cereals and pulses in Europe, and discusses the results on crop diversity among Early Neolithic communities within the region. The crop spectrum was broad, with five cereal species and several varieties, two pulses and potentially two oil crops. The diversity is slightly narrower than the one found in southwestern Asia, Greece and Bulgaria as Cicer arietinum (chickpea), Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) and Vicia ervilia (bitter vetch) were not present or very rare, and Triticum Aestivum/durum (naked wheat) was only found in small amounts, probably because the early farmers were adapting their choices of crops to the different climatic conditions in Pelagonia. On the micro-regional level we have observed that the diversity and importance of certain crops may vary in relation to the 8.2 ka bp climate cooling event, as well as due to local environmental or cultural factors, showing the need for finer scale analyses beyond the level of site or phase.

The use of molecular genetics to explore problems in prehistory has brought into sharp relief the role that archaeological data can play in testing hypotheses about population dispersals and expansions. This has been the case particularly for the spread of farming into Europe. This paper uses a quantified data base of the distribution of archaeological sites from the Late Palaeolithic, the Mesolithic and the Neolithic in relation to radiocarbon dates to gain independent insights into the pattern of human occupation of Europe during the Early Holocene. Although the archaeological data cannot directly address the question of genetic continuity or replacement, it does provide a detailed context for testing hypotheses. The results of this study show that there is clear evidence for a spread, by whatever means, of Neolithic farming practices, but that this occurs in the context of an equally dynamic and geographically variable pattern of Mesolithic occupation. The patterns of these population distributions are discussed, and it is suggested that the complexities of the archaeological record can be used to generate testable hypotheses of relevance to molecular genetics.

The use of molecular genetics to explore problems in prehistory has brought into sharp relief the role that archaeological data can play in testing hypotheses about population dispersals and expansions. This has been the case particularly for the spread of farming into Europe. This paper uses a quantified data base of the distribution of archaeological sites from the Late Palneolithic, the Mesolithic and the Neolithic in relation to radiocarbon dates to gain independent insights into the pattern of human occupation of Europe during the Early Holocene. Although the archaeological data cannot directly address the question of genetic continuity or replacement, it does proaide a detailed context for testinghypotheses. The results of this study show that there is clear eoidence for a spread, by whateaer means, of Neolithic farming practices, but that this occurs in the context of an equally dynamic and geographically aariable pattern of Mesolithic occupation. The patterns of these population distributions are discussed, and it is suggested that the complexities of the archaeological record can be used to generate testable hypotheses of releoance to molecular Renetics.

Journal of Quaternary Science

During the Early Holocene, climate was the major factor causing fires, but whether during the Mesolithic (~11.5-7.4 cal ka BP) people co-shaped their environment by means of fire remains of debate. Few studies have tackled this question by linking high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological studies from near Mesolithic occupation sites. An Early Holocene sediment record from the Ammer Valley palaeo-wetland in southwest Germany was studied using pollen, microand macrocharcoal, and plant macroremains. Archaeological evidence from Early and Late Mesolithic sites of Rottenburg-Siebenlinden allowed us to link this palaeoecological record with Mesolithic land use in the same catchment. Between 11.6 and 10.6 cal kaBP,intensive wildfires reinforced the persistence of open and pioneer vegetation. A transition from a riverdominated landscape towards a wetland with open stagnant waters at 10.6-9.5 cal kaBPmade the region attractive to huntergatherers, providing various plant resources (incl. hazel). From 10.1 cal kaBPonwards, Mesolithic communities may have shaped their environment by using fire as a tool to expand open areas, which were important for the implementation of their subsistence strategies. After 9.5 cal kaBP, human control over fires cannot be excluded as Mesolithic occupation phases chronologically coincide with frequent low-intensity fires and vegetation disturbance.

Wild Things, 2014

Environmental Archaeology

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2009