New integrated molecular approaches for investigating lake settlements in north-western Europe

Abstract

Lake settlements, particularly crannogs, pose several contradictions—visible yet inaccessible, widespread yet geographically restricted, persistent yet vulnerable. To further our understanding, we have developed the integrated use of palaeolimnological (scanning XRF, pollen, spores, diatoms, chironomids, Cladocera, microcharcoal, biogenic silica, SEM-EDS, stable-isotopes) and biomolecular (faecal stanols, bile acids, sedaDNA) analyses of proximal and through-crannog cores in south-west Scotland and Ireland. Both can be effective methods sets for revealing occupation chronologies and identifying on-crannog activities and practices. Strong results from sedaDNA and lipid biomarker analyses demonstrate probable on-site animal slaughter, food storage and possible feasting, suggesting multi-period, elite site associations, and the storage and protection of valuable resources.

Lateglacial and Early Holocene palaeoenvironmental change and human activity at Killerby Quarry, North Yorkshire, UK

“…The environmental data help explain why there were prolonged periods of archaeological activity on site, as the small ponds/lakes at Killerby provided water bodies where wildfowl and other animals and plants could be taken. Together with other recent seda DNA‐based research (Brown et al 2021; 2022; Hudson et al 2022), this study shows that seda DNA can be applied effectively to wetland archaeological sites to create a more complete and reliable picture of the vegetation sequence and the use of the wetlands by human groups, at a time when very little is known about these early human groups in Britain, and especially in the north and on ‘open' sites away from the caves of the limestone areas. This study shows seda DNA to be a powerful and informative technique that can complement and extend other analyses, particularly pollen analysis and plant macrofossil analysis, and is potentially applicable to a wide range of Quaternary studies.…”

“…To understand the complex nature and variation of vegetation during the Lateglacial, multi‐proxy analyses of environmental sequences are often applied (Jones et al 2002; Whittington et al 2003; 2015; Walker et al 2012; Bos et al 2017). Recently, sedimentary ancient DNA ( seda DNA) has been added to the toolbox of palaeoecological techniques and is becoming an increasingly powerful proxy for the study of paleoenvironments, particularly when applied complementarily with palynological analyses (Clarke et al 2020; Edwards, 2020; Rijal et al 2021; Brown et al 2022). The predominantly open‐ground conditions of the Lateglacial can lead to pollen signals being swamped by grass and sedge taxa (Walker et al 1994; Birks and Birks 2000).…”

Using ancient sedimentary DNA to forecast ecosystem trajectories under climate change

“…R. Soc. B 379: 20230017 the Tibetan Plateau [34,48] that generally cover long time spans (up to about 50 kyr), and many shorter records from the British Isles [49,50] (figure 2, electronic supplementary material, table S1). By using quality measures and standardization [41], the dataset may be combined into even larger datasets.…”

Biomarker proxies for reconstructing Quaternary climate and environmental change

“…Lipid biomarker analyses of sedimentary archives are increasingly used to characterize the presence, activities and impacts of humans and animals in the landscape, either as independent reconstructions or as complementary evidence in support of archaeological and palaeoecological anthropogenic reconstructions. Biomarkers also offer an alternative approach when levels of preservation are low or where archaeological excavation is not possible due to time, financial or logistical constraints (discussed in Brown et al ., 2022). Biomarkers in archaeological remains contain a wealth of information about the origin of artefacts and deposits and their associated use (reviewed by Evershed, 2008); however, here we focus on sedimentary biomarker proxies that provide both direct and indirect evidence for the presence and environmental impacts of human and animals.…”

“…D'Anjou et al ., 2012; Battistel et al ., 2016; Section 8.2) and/or domesticated mammal sedaDNA (e.g. Brown et al ., 2022), and are integrated with the existing historical and/or archaeologyical context. Current uncertainties associated with within‐species variability of steroid distributions, contributions from environmentally transformed 5β‐stanols, and steroid transportation, storage, secondary deposition and degradation processes (e.g.…”