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History Forum / General / Archaeology / December 2006Mesolithic agriculture in and around central Europe?
Karl-Ernst Behre "Evidence for Mesolithic agriculture in and around central Europe?" Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 16(2-3) January 2007 Abstract "A critical assessment of the data recently put forward in favour of a 'Mesolithic agriculture' for Central and Northern Europe is presented. The archaeobotanical record is quite clear: hundreds of excavations of early Neolithic sites, whether from Linearbandkeramik or Trichterbecher (funnel beaker) settlements have produced remains of cultivated plants in large numbers. In contrast to this, all Mesolithic sites excavated so far have not revealed even one macroscopic find of crop plants. The 'Mesolithic agriculture' as assumed by several authors, is based solely on single pre-Neolithic pollen grains of the Cerealia-type that occur in pollen diagrams. It is shown that absolute distinction of pollen from wild grasses and cereals is impossible. There is a certain overlapping of both types that must not be neglected. Because of the large pollen sums in modern pollen diagrams, even very scarce grains of Cerealia-type pollen are encountered. Most of these single pre- Neolithic grains must derive from native wild grasses, while others come by long-distance transport etc. Another important feature is the scattered occurrence of Cerealia-type pollen grains from the early Holocene (or even Pleistocene) to the start of the Neolithic. They do not occur in synchronous phases and even in neighbouring sites they do not agree in age. As long as there are no well-dated macro-remains of crop plants of pre-Neolithic age, there is no evidence of Mesolithic agriculture." Keywords: Pollen analysis - Mesolithic agriculture - Cereals - Neolithic - Europe  Signaturep.a. > Karl-Ernst Behre > "Evidence for Mesolithic agriculture in and around central Europe?" [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > pre-Neolithic age, there is no evidence of Mesolithic > agriculture." The bigger question is whether there was pastoralism in the Western European Mesolithic. > "Peter Alaca" . . . : >> Karl-Ernst Behre >> "Evidence for Mesolithic agriculture in and around central Europe?" [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> pre-Neolithic age, there is no evidence of Mesolithic >> agriculture." > The bigger question is whether there was pastoralism in > the Western European Mesolithic. Yes, of course. The problem is to find evidence for it. I was a bit surprised by that "Because of the large pollen sums in modern pollen diagrams" in the abstract. That implies that in the past much smaller samples were used. Afaik preparing, identifying and counting of pollen is not automated. This means that much more 'manpower' is used today. Signaturep.a. >> "Peter Alaca" . . . : > [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > identifying and counting of pollen is not automated. This means > that much more 'manpower' is used today. Yes, but think of all the retired baby boomers they can call on. >> "Peter Alaca" . . . : > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >>> grasses and cereals is impossible. There is a certain >>> overlapping of both types that must not be neglected. This is an important paper IMO, hence the more recent, independent studies around NW europe, while few sites in number, fail to show any signs of agriculture during the late mesolithic, this sort of dots the i's and crosses the t's. Like the New World and DQ8 there were only one limited instance were Triticeae was cultivated and it was well away from the centers of prolific domestication. In NW Europe the high level of DQ2.5 suggest both positive selection and the relative absence of negative selection during the initial growth of the European population after the LGM, the principle edible seed grasses in the region were largely Triticeae species. Along the Western edge of europe either pastoral like caprids moved in or domesticated animals were introduced, although the evidence is somewhat scetchy as to whether pastoralism actually occurred. Therefore it seems like the technology was on the doorstep of the NW mesolithic, and only compatible activities were introduced early possibly as a result of regional preferences and selection in food culture. What is missing however is an accurate of inland culture along the western edge, most sites are relatively proximal to lowlands, marshlands or the coast itself. Since much of the mesolithic from france is missing we assume that these pollens spread widely enough to be detected in the sites that do exist. Also missing is an appropriate definition of the term: "Cerealia-type" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerealia = "festival of ceres" > [...] > Also missing is an appropriate definition of the term: > "Cerealia-type" > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerealia = "festival of ceres" Cerealia (cereals) in general are cereals, the for food cultivated grasses (but also e.g. buckweed). I think the problem is that in pollendiagrams the composition of cerealia(-type) is not always the same. And maybe cerealia- type reflects uncertainty about the status (wild or cultivated) But that is my understanding. Signaturep.a. |
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