Getting to the root of the problem: new evidence for the use of plant root foods in Mesolithic Khunter-gatherer subsistence in Europe

This paper presents new evidence for the harvesting of edible plant roots and tubers at Northton, a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site on Harris, in the Western Isles of Scotland, in the north-west corner of Europe. The excavations uncovered abundant root tuber remains of Ficaria verna Huds. (lesser celandine), an excellent high energy and carbohydrate-rich food source, and produced the first evidence for the use of tubers of Lathyrus linifolius (Reichard) Bässler (bitter-vetch) at a hunter-gatherer site in Europe. Here we report on the analysis of the charred root and tuber remains and other charred plant macrofossils from the site and consider the significance of these results within the wider context of European hunter-gatherer subsistence. The wide range of root and tuber taxa recovered from European hunter-gatherer sites and the importance of appropriate sampling on hunter-gatherer sites are highlighted.publishedVersio

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Introduction In November 2011 archaeologists of City of Rotterdam Archaeological Service (BOOR) conducted underwater research in the Yangtze harbour, Rotterdam Maasvlakte, The Netherlands. The research was carried out by order of Port of Rotterdam Authority and supervised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. The results of geological, botanical, zoological and archaeological analyses of the retrieved material generated new information on the occupation of a relatively high river dune by prehistoric hunter-gatherers, and on the development history of the surrounding landscape ca. 9,000 years ago. Methods Rather than employing divers the underwater investigations were carried out on board a vessel using a wire-operated, horizontal closing grab. Three small trenches (total area ca. 375m²) were excavated in layers in a fairly controlled fashion. Underwater excavations cannot achieve the same level of precision as is possible on land, but the many soil core samples taken in the project’s preliminary phase allowed detailed descriptions of the geomorphological stratigraphy. The excavation resulted in 316 bulk bags of soil. All soil was sieved on land, using sieves with mesh sizes of 10 and 2mm, after which archaeologists and volunteers carefully sorted the residues, documenting a total of ca. 46,000 finds. Results Plenty of Mesolithic occupation remains were retrieved at all three grab locations, from depths ranging between 17 to 21m below modern MSL. The finds span the age range from ca. 8400 to 6500BC, when the site transformed from dryland (an inland dune) to wetland (drowned delta subsurface). At the foot of the inland dune, the depositional conditions allowed for excellent preservation of bone, charcoal and plant material as well as stone artefacts. The site provides an unusually rich and detailed body of evidence on environmental conditions and the Middle Mesolithic palaeo-economy. The landscape ecotones around the site yielded an abundance of food while gradually being transformed, due to rising sea levels, from a valley containing the rivers Rhine and Meuse into the mouth area of those rivers. At 6500 BC, the site was finally transgressed: drowned in an estuary and swallowed up by the sea. Conclusion The Rotterdam Yangtze Harbour research project demonstrates the preservation of Mesolithic sites along the river Rhine, at depths in nowadays coastal and offshore areas. Furthermore, it demonstrates the feasibility of archaeological investigation of such submerged sites, even at depths of 18 to 20 m beneath sea, lake and harbour floors. Never before had such a submerged site been excavated at such a great depth. The scientific report (in English) will appear in the autumn of 2014, providing a full description of all finds as well as their landscape context

Human consumption of seaweed and freshwater aquatic plants in ancient Europe

During the Mesolithic in Europe, there is widespread evidence for an increase in exploitation of aquatic resources. In contrast, the subsequent Neolithic is characterised by the spread of farming, land ownership, and full sedentism, which lead to the perception of marine resources subsequently representing marginal or famine food or being abandoned altogether even at the furthermost coastal limits of Europe. Here, we examine biomarkers extracted from human dental calculus, using sequential thermal desorption- and pyrolysis-GCMS, to report direct evidence for widespread consumption of seaweed and submerged aquatic and freshwater plants across Europe. Notably, evidence of consumption of these resources extends through the Neolithic transition to farming and into the Early Middle Ages, suggesting that these resources, now rarely eaten in Europe, only became marginal much more recently. Understanding ancient foodstuffs is crucial to reconstructing the past, while a better knowledge of local, forgotten resources is likewise important today

Holocene resource exploitation along the Nile:diet and subsistence strategies of Mesolithic and Neolithic societies at Khor Shambat 1, Sudan

The subsistence practices of Holocene communities living in the Nile Valley of Central Sudan are comparatively little known. Recent excavations at Khor Shambat, Sudan, have yielded well-defined Mesolithic and Neolithic stratigraphy. Here, for the first time, archaeozoological, palaeobotanical, phytolith and dental calculus studies are combined with lipid residue analysis of around 100 pottery fragments and comparative analysis of faunal remains and organic residues. This holistic approach provides valuable information on changes in adaptation strategies, from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic herders exploiting domesticates. A unique picture is revealed of the natural environment and human subsistence, demonstrating the potential wider value of combining multiple methods