Living by the lake: Plant food diversity in a prehistoric lake‐dwelling community in the Republic of North Macedonia

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between wetland ecosystems and prehistoric lakeshore settlements within the Lake Ohrid basin (a biodiversity hotspot) by considering plant food systems at Ploča Mičov Grad, North Macedonia. The mid‐fifth millennium (c.4555–4373 to 4437–4241 cal BCE) waterlogged assemblage contained a diverse spectrum of crops and ‘wild’ resources, providing resilience against crop failure. Comparisons to earlier (c.5787–5722 to 5753–5715 cal BCE) and later (c.1878–1688 cal BCE) phases show recurrent patterns of plant use alongside shifts in preferred crops. The range of taxa and intraspecies diversity attests to the ecosystemic and population diversity of the prehistoric landscape.