Plant macrofossils and pollen in goat/sheep faeces from the Neolithic lake-shore settlement Arbon Bleiche 3, Switzerland

Abstract

Over 300 goat/sheep faeces from the Neolithic lake-shore settlement of Arbon Bleiche 3 (3384–3370 bc) were analysed for macrofossils and 22 of them for pollen. Two main types of fodder could be detected, which were both consumed in winter. The more frequent type is characterized by remains of blackberry ( Rubus fruticosus s. l.) probably showing the use of pasture in the near surroundings of the settlement. The second type is dominated by leaf fragments of silver fir ( Abies alba) and by pollen and anthers of early-flowering shrubs such as hazel ( Corylus avellana) and alder ( Alnus sp.), pointing in the latter cases to additional foddering of twigs to livestock inside the settlement in times of shortage. Comparison with other Neolithic sites of Switzerland reveals differences that may indicate local adaptations in the keeping of goats or sheep.

General patterns of niche construction and the management of ‘wild’ plant and animal resources by small-scale pre-industrial societies

“…were not passive in their environment but actively altered it. Groube [1, p. 289] Humans have a long history of niche construction-of modifying their environments in a wide range of different ways, large and small, through behaviour patterns that are both deliberate and inadvertent [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Although the consequences of human niche construction are not always anticipated, one of the primary goals of environmental engineering by human societies has been to increase their share of the annual productivity of the ecosystems they occupy by increasing both the abundance and reliability of the plant and animal resources they rely on for food and raw materials.…”

Environment and Economy of the Early Medieval Settlement in Žatec

“…pollen grains of crops and trees (namely hazel and beech) indicate that animals were also given straw and branches with leaves (branch and twig foddering). This type of fodder supplementation is known to have occured since the Neolithic period (Rasmussen 1993;Akeret et al 1999). In the case of Žatec the amount of arboreal pollen is relatively low since the landscape in the vicinity was extensively deforested, and branches with leaves were probably scarce commodities.…”

Environmental context and the role of plants at the early medieval artificial island in the lake Paklicko Wielkie, Nowy Dworek, western Poland

“…The greatest abundance in those materials was found in November (2.4%), but not in July (0-0.4%) when lime was flowering heavily. An abundant presence of lime pollen would be possible if livestock were fed with the dry leaves (Akeret et al 1999). In Biskupin, therefore, the lime pollen is likely to have been accidentally brought in with fodder from the area when lime was in flower.…”

“…This may be assumed to result from the feeding of livestock with dry fodder in periods when fresh food was scarce or unavailable, such as at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. But we must remember that catkins containing pollen occur as early as autumn (Akeret et al 1999).…”

“…Hazel and alder start flowering very early in the year, even in February, and as they produce large amounts of pollen, this may be accidentally consumed by animals. However, their catkins are used as a direct source of food during periods when the overall amount of fresh food is scarce (Akeret et al 1999). Therefore, they may have been part of animal fodder, especially as the presence of alder in the vicinity of the island has been confirmed by analysis of macroscopic remains.…”