ISSN:
1617-6278
Keywords:
Archaeobotany
;
Early Neolithic
;
Cultivated plants
;
Early farming history
;
Site fitnction
;
The Netherlands
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Archaeology
,
Biology
Notes:
Abstract The construction of a new motorway necessitated the excavation of an Early Neolithic site in the Dutch Flevopolder near the Hoge Vaart canal. In 1994-1996, an area of ca. 1700 m2 was excavated in 0.5x0.5-m squares. The excavation revealed 150 surface hearths and more than a hundred deep hearth pits. The finds, mainly flint and pottery, as well as14C dates from charcoal demonstrated that the area had been used mainly during the Early Neolithic (ca. 4900–4500 cal. B.C.). The investigation of the Early Neolithic remains included detailed botanical analyses of 182 samples and hand-sorting by the excavation team, which included archaeobotanists, of tens of thousands of samples sieved over 2-mm-mesh sieves. No remains of cultivated plants were recognised among the 87 taxa (40 identified to species level) that were preserved, mainly in carbonised form. These results are compared with other Early Neolithic sites studied in the Netherlands, such as Swifterbant S3 and Schokland P14. The possible significance of site function and sample location as important factors influencing presence/absence of cultivated plant remains at a particular site is discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02042845
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