The oldest cereals in the coversand area along the North Sea coast of NW Europe, between ca. 4800 and 3500 cal BC, at the wetland site of ‘Bazel-Sluis’ (Belgium)

Meylemans, Erwin; Bastiaens, Jan; Boudin, Mathieu; Deforce, Koen; Ervynck, Anton; Perdaen, Yves; Sergant, Joris; Storme, Annelies; Crombé, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2017.11.003

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This confirms previous assumptions about early domesticates on the site, based on the presence of a possible, though not confirmed, mandible from a domesticated pig, dated 5830 ± 35 14 C BP or 4790–4590 cal BC (2 sigma) 25 . Furthermore, the timing of the earliest domesticated animals is perfectly synchronous with the first appearance of cereal grains on the site, mainly belonging to bread wheat 24 . All this implies that domesticates were introduced into the lowlands of Atlantic NW Europe, at least in the Lower Scheldt basin situated ca.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Earlier it has been suggested that it is very unlikely that the cereal grains dated prior to ca. 4000 cal BC indicate local agriculture, given the total lack of complementary evidence, such as cereal pollen and chaff, stone sickles and querns, and tillage marks 10,24 . The oldest cereals probably were part of a socio-economic exchange system that went beyond 'acquiring the exotic' .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The oldest is firmly radiocarbon dated to ca. 4800 cal BC 24 . The same site also yielded animal bones, both wild and domesticated, the latter mainly belonging to cattle (Bos primigenius f. taurus) and to a lesser degree to sheep/goat (Ovis ammon f. aries) 25 .…”

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confidence: 99%

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New evidence on the earliest domesticated animals and possible small-scale husbandry in Atlantic NW Europe

Crombé

Aluwé

Boudin

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The distribution of the first domesticated animals and crops along the coastal area of Atlantic NW Europe, which triggered the transition from a hunter-gatherer-fisher to a farmer-herder economy, has been debated for many decades among archaeologists. While some advocate a gradual transition in which indigenous hunter-gatherers from the very beginning of the 5th millennium cal BC progressively adopted Neolithic commodities, others are more in favor of a rapid transition near the end of the 5th millennium caused by a further northwest migration of farmers-herders colonizing the lowlands. Here, radiocarbon dated bones from sheep/goat and possibly also cattle are presented which provide the first hard evidence of an early introduction of domesticated animals within a hunter-gatherer context in NW Belgium, situated ca. 80 km north of the agro-pastoral frontier. Based on their isotope signal it is suggested that these first domesticates were probably not merely obtained through exchange with contemporaneous farmers but were kept locally, providing evidence of small-scale local stockbreeding in the lowlands maybe as early as ca. 4800/4600 cal BC. If confirmed by future in-depth isotope analyses, the latter testifies of intense contact and transmission of knowledge in this early contact period, which is also visible in the material culture, such as the lithic and pottery technology. It also implies direct and prolonged involvement of farmer-herders, either through visiting specialists or intermarriage, which follows recent genetic evidence demonstrating much more hunter-gatherer ancestry in early farmer’s genes in western Europe compared to central and SE Europe.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New evidence on the earliest domesticated animals and possible small-scale husbandry in Atlantic NW Europe

Crombé

Aluwé

Boudin

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…The movement THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY and/or exchange of cereals is a factor which requires further attention (Deforce et al 2013;cf. Bishop 2015;Meylemans et al 2018).…”

Section: Early Neolithic: the Introduction Of Cerealsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, the presence of cereals at a site does not necessarily indicate local cultivation and, in some instances, this may instead reflect the exchange of cereals (cf. Hillman 1982;Deforce et al 2013;Meylemans et al 2018). It is also evident that wild plant exploitation remained a significant component of subsistence practices (eg, Pelling & Campbell 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

Neolithic Farming and Wild Plant Exploitation in Western Britain: Archaeobotanical and Crop Stable Isotope Evidence from Wales (c. 4000–2200 calbc)

Treasure

Gröcke

Caseldine

et al. 2019

Proc. Prehist. Soc.

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The introduction of agriculture is a key defining element of the Neolithic, yet considerable debate persists concerning the nature and significance of early farming practices in north-west Europe. This paper reviews archaeobotanical evidence from 95 Neolithic sites (c. 4000-2200 cal BC) in Wales, focusing on wild plant exploitation, the range of crops present, and the significance of cereals in subsistence practices. Cereal cultivation practices in Early Neolithic Wales are also examined using cereal grain stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analysis. The Early Neolithic period witnessed the widespread uptake of cereals alongside considerable evidence for continued wild plant exploitation, notably hazelnuts and wild fruits. The possibility that wild plants and woodlands were deliberately managed or altered to promote the growth of certain plants is outlined. Small cereal grain assemblages, with little evidence for chaff and weed seeds, are common in the Early Neolithic, whereas cereal-rich sites are rare. Emmer wheat was the dominant crop in the Early Neolithic, while other cereal types were recorded in small quantities. Cereal nitrogen isotope (δ 15 N) values from Early Neolithic sites provided little evidence for intensive manuring. We suggest that cultivation conditions may have been less intensive when compared to other areas of Britain and Europe. In the later Neolithic period, there is evidence for a decline in the importance of cereals. Finally, the archaeobotanical and crop isotope data from this study are considered within a wider European context.

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Pottery use across the Neolithic transition in northern Belgium: evidence from isotopic, molecular and microscopic analysis

Teetaert,

Vannoorenberghe,

Van de Velde

et al. 2024

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This study represents the first extensive residue analysis of prehistoric pottery from northern Belgium. It examines pottery use and culinary practices across the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, from the late 6th to the early 4th millennium cal BC. Residue analyses were performed on more than 200 samples from nine archaeological sites, representing different cultural groups from this transitional phase. This includes the analysis of charred food residues encrusted on the vessel surfaces by elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), stereomicroscopic analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), as well as the analysis of absorbed lipids by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). This study provides the first evidence of ruminant dairy fats in Early Neolithic Limburg pottery, supporting the hypothesis that this pottery was produced and used by LBK farmers rather than hunter-gatherer populations. The first indigenous pottery of the Swifterbant culture was frequently used to process freshwater fish (often together with plant foods) and ruminant meat, although several of the studied vessels likely contained mixtures of resources which could also include porcine products. Ruminant dairy is nearly absent from this pottery. Similar results were obtained for pottery of the subsequent Michelsberg culture/Group of Spiere of the late 5th and early 4th millennium cal BC. The limited presence of ruminant dairy fats in this pottery contrasts with the findings for Middle Neolithic pottery from neighbouring regions, providing further evidence for the existence of regional variations in pottery use or culinary practices throughout prehistoric NW Europe. However, our current view of pottery use during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in northern Belgium might be biased by the difficulties in distinguishing between wild and domesticated ruminant adipose fats as well as in detecting plant foods through lipid residue analysis.

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The oldest cereals in the coversand area along the North Sea coast of NW Europe, between ca. 4800 and 3500 cal BC, at the wetland site of ‘Bazel-Sluis’ (Belgium)

Cited by 12 publications

References 24 publications

New evidence on the earliest domesticated animals and possible small-scale husbandry in Atlantic NW Europe

New evidence on the earliest domesticated animals and possible small-scale husbandry in Atlantic NW Europe

Neolithic Farming and Wild Plant Exploitation in Western Britain: Archaeobotanical and Crop Stable Isotope Evidence from Wales (c. 4000–2200 calbc)

Pottery use across the Neolithic transition in northern Belgium: evidence from isotopic, molecular and microscopic analysis

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