Cereal Cultivation at Swifterbant?

Lateglacial and Holocene fluvial dynamics in the Lower Scheldt basin (N-Belgium) and their impact on the presence, detection and preservation potential of the archaeological record

“…Berglund, 2003). The dated charred cereals at the site of Bazel Sluis similarly indicate limited agricultural practices in the vicinity of this site, which echoes evidence of the start of agricultural practices in this period further downstream in the Scheldt estuary (Deforce et al, 2013), the Dutch river area (Louwe Kooijmans, 2007;Cappers and Raemaekers, 2008;Out, 2009) and the Drenthe plateau (Bakker, 2003) in this period. It is however unlikely that the limited nature of agricultural practices in this period would have had a significant impact on the fluvial behaviour.…”

Landscape potential for the adoption of crop cultivation: Role of local soil properties and groundwater table rise during 6000–5400 BP in Flevoland (central Netherlands)

“…In contrast to the Swifterbant occupation in the Dutch wetlands, no clear traces of local cereal cultivation have so far been found in the area (Van Neer et al, 2013). Although Cromb e et al (2009) argue that local cultivation is not to be expected in the area due to the small size of the ridges and the wet conditions of the surroundings, Cappers and Raemaekers (2008) have shown the agricultural potential of wetlands. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate the high natural soil fertility of clayey deposits, suggesting the landscape potential for local cultivation in the surrounding areas of the Swifterbant sites in northwest Belgium.…”

“…At the site S3 for example, crop cultivation was practised on a very modest scale (Cappers and Raemaekers, 2008), indicating that evidence for crop cultivation is difficult to trace. The limited role of crop cultivation in the subsistence economy of the people in the IJssel/Vecht valley is probably characteristic for the Swifterbant Culture in the Dutch wetland area, as indicated by the importance of hunting, gathering and fishing in the Swifterbant area (see Amkreutz, 2013).…”

“…Crop cultivation was eventually adopted in the Dutch wetlands~5400e4900 BP (e.g. Casparie et al, 1977;Bakels, 1981;Van Zeist and Palfenier-Vegter, 1981;Bakels, 1986;Louwe Kooijmans, 1993;Gehasse, 1995;Raemaekers et al, 1997;Brinkkemper et al, 1999;Raemaekers, 2003;Louwe Kooijmans, 2007;Cappers and Raemaekers, 2008;Out, 2008a,b;Amkreutz, 2013).…”

Middle-Holocene alluvial forests and associated fluvial environments: A multi-proxy reconstruction from the lower Scheldt, N Belgium

“…These cultures correspond with the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition period in the region (Crombé and Vanmontfort, 2007;Louwe Kooijmans, 2007, 2009). In general, there is only limited evidence for (small scale) agricultural activities in the Swifterbant and Hazendonk economies, while hunting, fishing and gathering continued to play a major role (Cappers and Raemaekers, 2008;Deforce et al, 2013;Out, 2008;Rowley-Conwy, 2013;Van Neer et al, 2013). Except for two outliers, all dated archaeological remains fall in the range between c. 6950 and 5800 cal.…”