Plant Cultivation in the Bronze Age

Stika, Hans‐Peter; Heiß, A.

doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199572861.013.0019

Cited by 48 publications

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“…However, caution is required given the possibility of movement of small grains through the soil column20. The archaeobotanical evidence suggests that millet became a widespread and important crop during the LBA/EIA of Eastern, South-eastern, Central and northern Central Europe141516.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence from charred millet grain and stable isotope analysis of bone collagen from human and faunal remains has shown that broomcorn millet was established at Begash in Kazakhstan by the late third millennium BC910, in Eastern and Central Europe by ca. 1,500 cal BC11121314 and in northern Central Europe not before 1,200 cal BC1516171819. Direct 14 C dating of millet grains in Europe, considered to be found in much earlier contexts, has shown that they date to the second millennium BC or later20.…”

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confidence: 99%

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First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels

Heron

Shoda

Breu

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Analysis of organic residues in pottery vessels has been successful in detecting a range of animal and plant products as indicators of food preparation and consumption in the past. However, the identification of plant remains, especially grain crops in pottery, has proved elusive. Extending the spectrum is highly desirable, not only to strengthen our understanding of the dispersal of crops from centres of domestication but also to determine modes of food processing, artefact function and the culinary significance of the crop. Here, we propose a new approach to identify millet in pottery vessels, a crop that spread throughout much of Eurasia during prehistory following its domestication, most likely in northern China. We report the successful identification of miliacin (olean-18-en-3β-ol methyl ether), a pentacyclic triterpene methyl ether that is enriched in grains of common/broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), in Bronze Age pottery vessels from the Korean Peninsula and northern Europe. The presence of millet is supported by enriched carbon stable isotope values of bulk charred organic matter sampled from pottery vessel surfaces and extracted n-alkanoic acids, consistent with a C4 plant origin. These data represent the first identification of millet in archaeological ceramic vessels, providing a means to track the introduction, spread and consumption of this important crop.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels

Heron

Shoda

Breu

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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“…Neolithic Britain, a systematic programme of directly radiocarbon dating bean macrofossils recovered from Neolithic contexts is needed. Evidence for Celtic bean increases in frequency across Europe throughout the Bronze Age (Stika and Heiss 2013). Recent excavations at Monkton Road, Kent, suggest that Celtic bean may have been introduced (or re-introduced) together with spelt wheat in the Early Bronze Age (Site 3: Martin et al 2012).…”

Section: Research Question 2: What Was the Nature Of Crop Husbandry Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can't find a pulse? Celtic bean (Vicia fabaL.) in British prehistory

Treasure

Church

2016

Environmental Archaeology

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Archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential importance of alternative crops, such as pulses, has often been overlooked. This paper reviews evidence for Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) in British prehistory, using a database of archaeobotanical assemblages from 75 sites. Celtic bean is rare in the Neolithic -Early Bronze Age and it only becomes frequent from the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1500 cal BC) onwards, particularly in southern England. Though there is a paucity of evidence at many sites, it is suggested that this reflects a preservation bias and in some areas at least, Celtic bean formed an important element of past agricultural systems.Keywords: Pulse, Celtic bean, Prehistoric Britain, Archaeobotany IntroductionWithin the last few decades, knowledge of crops in prehistoric Britain has significantly expanded and benefitted from extensive sampling programmes to recover plant remains. In particular, the expansion of developer-funded archaeology has resulted in the creation of large archaeobotanical datasets (Hall and Kenward 2006). Despite this, archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential role of alternative crops has received comparatively little study. There is considerable evidence to indicate that a wide range of crops were cultivated in prehistoric Britain, including oil crops, such as flax, opium poppy and brassicas, and also pulses, such as pea and Celtic bean (Pelling and Campbell 2013, 58). This paper draws upon a large and predominantly untapped archaeobotanical dataset for prehistoric Britain, focussing on evidence for an understudied crop, Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.).Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) (Figs. 1 and 2), also referred to as Horse bean, is a member of the Fabaceae family. Celtic bean seeds are small, suboval and rounded in shape, although significant morphological variability exists between seeds and it is possible that sub-varieties were present across prehistoric Europe (Renfrew 1973, 108; Zohary et al. 2012, 89-92).Written sources indicate that beans were an important component of Medieval diets in Europe, being particularly valued as a protein-rich food, often amongst poorer populations where it served as a substitute for meat (Hanawalt 1986;Dyer 1989;Pounds 1994;Rippon 2001;Moffett 2006). This is clearly reflected in an extract from a late-fourteenth century document which stated that 'labourers of old were not wont to eat of wheaten bread; their meat was of beans …' (Hanawalt 1986, 55). In addition to human consumption, beans also provided a high quality animal fodder alongside other pulse crops, such as peas (Hamilton and Thomas 2012, 52; Moffett 2006, 53;Rippon 2004). In crop husbandry regimes, beans were cultivated as both a garden and field crop and the benefits of cultivating beans to improve soil fertility was well-established and clearly recognised by the Medieval period (Gross and Butcher 1995, 109; Pounds 1994, 200;Rippon 2001;Tusser 1580). Moreover...

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“…were found on the Kalnik-Igrišče site. Otherwise these are the species that regularly occur in Europe in the (late) Bronze Age [22].…”

Section: Plant Macrofossils From the Kalnik-igrišče Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

The botanical macroremains from the prehistoric settlement Kalnik-Igrišče (NW Croatia) in the context of current knowledge about cultivation and plant consumption in Croatia and neighboring countries during the Bronze Age

et al. 2015

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This paper presents the results of the first extensive archaeobotanical research into a Bronze Age site in Croatia. The aim of the study was to reveal what plants were consumed (grown) at Kalnik-Igrišče (NW Croatia) in the Bronze Age and to realize if the plant diet of the local population differed from that of the inhabitants in neighboring countries.The results show that all plant macrofossils found at Kalnik-Igrišče can be classified into one of four functional groups: cereals, cultivated legumes, useful trees and weeds. As much as 98% of the findings are of cereals and legumes. The most abundant species found are Panicum miliaceum (millet), Hordeum vulgare (barley), Vicia faba (faba bean), Triticum aestivum ssp. aestivum (bread wheat), Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccon (emmer wheat) and Lens culinaris (lentils). The findings from Kalnik-Igrišče do not differ from the findings of neighboring countries, indicating that there were similar diets and agricultural/plant-collecting activities throughout the whole of the studied area

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Plant Cultivation in the Bronze Age

Cited by 48 publications

References 0 publications

First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels

First molecular and isotopic evidence of millet processing in prehistoric pottery vessels

Can't find a pulse? Celtic bean (Vicia fabaL.) in British prehistory

The botanical macroremains from the prehistoric settlement Kalnik-Igrišče (NW Croatia) in the context of current knowledge about cultivation and plant consumption in Croatia and neighboring countries during the Bronze Age

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