Farming Beginning in Southwestern Transylvania (Romania). Subsistence Strategies in Mureş Valley during the Early Neolithic

Abstract

Early Neolithic communities penetrated in southwestern Transylvania and were established in the Mureș Valley where they found suitable territories for domestic animal herds and probably plant cultivation. The present study tries to answer questions related to the beginnings of the neolithisation in this area, from an interdisciplinary perspective, valuing archeozoologically and archeobotanically the Starčevo-Criș site of Soimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County), dating to the 7th–6th millennium BC. Animal skeletal remains and phytoliths are the proxies analysed in this paper, offering data about the palaeoeconomy and palaeoenvironment of the Early Neolithic settlement. In the archaeozoological samples, the remains coming from domestic mammals are the most frequent, being identified as cattle (Bos taurus), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus), pig (Sus domesticus), and dog (Canis familiaris). The fact that pig remains are almost absent in the samples is significant, suggesting a mobility of the evaluated communities. The skeletal remains of wild mammal species are rare, belonging to red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), aurochs (Bos primigenius), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and polecat (Mustela putorius). The strong dominance of grasses is attested through the phytoliths’ assemblages. Elongate dendritic phytoliths are well represented. This morphotype, which originates from the inflorescence or the husk of Poaceae, is most likely derived from cultivated plants (cereals such as wheat, barley, etc.). Archaeozoological and archaeobotanical data resulting from this study suggest an open environment around the Early Neolithic settlement, where communities of the Starčevo-Criș culture mainly raised herds of cattle and sheep/goat. Sporadically, hunting and gathering molluscs were practised by the inhabitants, as indicated by archaeozoological results.

The Neglected Plant Resources in Chinese Archaeobotany: Revealing Animals’ Feed during the Pre-Qin Period Using the Flotation Results in Northern China

“…The combined results of soil chemistry, pollen, and animal archaeology analyses at the Hoisesti site suggest that compared to the contemporary sites, the surrounding area was not suitable for agriculture, as there were fewer crop pollen remains. The number of domestic pigs and wild boars was higher than that of other domesticated animals and wild animals, indicating that the inhabitants of this site were small-scale agriculturalists, with equal importance given to animal husbandry and hunting [124]. Since agriculture was not fully developed at this site, the source of feed for domestic pigs becomes crucial.…”

“…Animal husbandry and cultivation were vital production activities for ancient Chinese societies, and feed played a crucial role in maintaining artificially reared animals. In Europe, at some archaeological sites in Romania, scholars have also speculated about the animal feed used during the early Neolithic period (Soimus-Tilighi site) and the Chalcolithic Age (Cucuteni A3a sub-phase, Hoisesti site) [123,124]. At the Soimus-Tilighi site, there was a larger number of cattle and sheep, but very few pigs, suggesting a mobility of the evaluated communities which may have relied on livestock (cattle and sheep/goat) for their subsistence.…”

Animal Resources in the Economy of Medieval Moldova: Archaeozoological Case Study of the Urban Settlement from Târgu Neamț (NE Romania)

“…The reconstruction of lifestyles and subsistence practices for past communities increasingly uses information provided by the study of biological remains discovered in archaeological sites, such as animal and plant remains [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Archaeozoological studies in medieval Europe have provided valuable information on various aspects of humananimal interactions, subsistence strategies, economic activities, and cultural practices [9][10][11][12][13][14], contributing to the understanding of medieval societies and their relationship with the animal world.…”