AMS ¹⁴C Chronology and Ceramic Sequences of Early Farmers in the Eastern Adriatic

Abstract

The eastern Adriatic is a key area for understanding the mechanisms and effects of the spread of agriculture. This article presents an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon chronology for the introduction and subsequent development of farming villages on the eastern shore of the Adriatic (~6000-4700 cal BC) and evaluates this in comparison with the established pottery chronology based on stylistic data from Pokrovnik (Drniš) on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Models for the spread of agriculture rely heavily on changing pottery styles to define cultural groups and trace geographic relationships. Based on AMS 14 C dates presented here, Impressed Wares first appear in central Dalmatia by 6000 cal BC and persist until 5300 cal BC, well into what is generally termed the Middle Neolithic. Similarly, a typical Middle Neolithic ware, figulina, appeared earlier than anticipated. These findings stand in contrast to cave and rockshelter assemblages in the eastern Adriatic, but mirror assemblages from farming villages on the Italian Adriatic coast. This study argues that the similarities in ceramic assemblage composition and change through time may have less to do with direct contacts between areas, but more with the nature of ceramic production and consumption at village sites in general. These data shed light on the limitations of regional ceramic chronologies in the eastern Adriatic and highlight the necessity for systematic expansion of 14 C chronologies to address the social, economic, and ecological relevance of early farming in the Adriatic for the spread of agriculture in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Stable Isotope Palaeodietary and Radiocarbon Evidence from the Early Neolithic Site of Zemunica, Dalmatia, Croatia

“…Impressed Ware pottery and domestic structures) and farming elements (domestic animals and plant cultivars) elsewhere along the eastern Adriatic coast and its hinterland. With other new radiocarbon evidence (McClure et al, 2014), these data suggest that the full transition to an agricultural way of life took place at a striking pace along the central eastern Adriatic region (i.e. in a single stage) and are in line with more recent models that have hypothesized a patchy but rapid appearance of farming (Forenbaher et al, 2013;Forenbaher & Miracle, 2014a, 2014b aided by maritime transportation (Forenbaher & Perhoc, 2015;Kaiser & Forenbaher, 2015).…”

Fatty acid specific δ13C values reveal earliest Mediterranean cheese production 7,200 years ago

“…Ongoing research on the earliest farmers of this region has resulted in a high-resolution chronology and detailed analyses of cultural and environmental proxies [3,12,14–26]. …”

“…All samples were collected during recent excavations [14–16]. The Impressed ware, Danilo, and figulina samples were selected from the unwashed portion of the pottery assemblage from each site.…”

Modelling the earliest north-western dispersal of Mediterranean Impressed Wares: new dates and Bayesian chronological model

“…As a comparison, Dalmatia also provided nine ICC sites with reliable SLS-dates (Forenbaher et al 2013;McClure et al 2014;Produg et al 2014).…”