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2 Co-occurrence of White beak sedge (Rhynchospora alba) and Brown beak sedge (Rhynchospora fusca). Although the white-fruiting species clearly clusters on the left and the brown-fruiting one on the right, individuals of both species occur within the cluster of the other. The spatial distribution of the two species cannot be directly calculated from the number of remains when an accumulation deriving from these two vegetation zones ended up in one sample, but should be deduced from their present-day ecology (Langaarveen near Norg, The Netherlands, July 2013)
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The objective of this study is to determine differences between design wave heights determined on the basis of short- and long-term wave trains. Wave parameters measured over a period of 7.47 years in the vicinity of Coastal Research Station Lubiatowo were used as short-term wave data, while wave parameters determined through the so-called wave rec...
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... Forthcoming). These findings align with the archeobotanical identification of grassland plant communities, which is indicative of grazing activities (Schepers 2014). Taken together, the combination of these results provides compelling evidence of early animal management in the Dutch wetlands (Brusgaard et al. forthcoming). ...
Short-duration archeological sites situated entirely within plateaus in the radiocarbon calibration curve pose unique challenges for our understanding of past processes at regional and global scales. This paper aims to overcome these limitations by leveraging the specific characteristics of two depositional contexts, the Early Neolithic Swifterbant Culture sites S3 and S4, located in the Dutch wetlands. These sites are of exceptional significance as they provide the earliest conclusive evidence of crop cultivation and animal husbandry outside the expansion of Linearbandkeramik (LBK) farmers in north-western Europe. Here, we present a customized approach that combines radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modeling, predicated on vertical sequences of short-lived plant remains. Our innovative approach enables us to determine, at a fine scale, the temporal position and duration of the prominent archeological contexts at S3 and S4, and explore the chronological relationship between the two sites. Through our analysis, we propose a new chronology for the onset of Neolithization in the Dutch wetlands.
... De combinatie van micro-en macro-onderzoek op het niveau van cel tot en met organisme biedt de mogelijkheid om gedetailleerde reconstructies te maken van de vegetatie en van het totale spectrum waarop mensen planten gebruiken (Hondelink & Schepers, 2020;Schepers, 2014). Het paleobotanisch laboratorium van het GIA beschikt over vergelijkingscollecties voor pollen, hout, en zaden en vruchten die dit onderzoek mogelijk maken. ...
From traditional archaeology to ecological archaeology: looking back and looking ahead in a jubilee year. The start of archaeological research at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen dates back to 1920. From the 1930s, research on subfossil plant remains became integrated into the archaeological research. Three research disciplines became established: palynology, research on wood, and research on non-woody macro remains (in particular seeds and fruits). Because this research deals with cells, tissues and organisms, identifications are possible to a low taxonomic level, which facilitates a detailed reconstruction of former vegetation and food economies. Future research would benefit from a further integration of these distinct disciplines within biological archaeology, as well as a further integration of biological archaeology within the study of archaeology. Such an approach could be designated as ecological archaeology.
... The individual species data for environmental variables (indicator values) relate to climate and soils, and of these nitrogen and reaction/pH values (classified on scales of one to nine) provide the most useful means of evaluating the relative quality of the soils on which Neolithic crops were grown (Ellenberg, 1988). Although Ellenberg's data were based on the central European flora they have been used successfully in other regions of Europe in both modern (e.g., see list of references in Schaffers and Sýkora, 2000) and ancient ecological studies (e.g., in NW Europe: Kirleis, 2002;Karg, 2008;McClatchie et al., 2014;Schepers, 2014). ...
... Out, 2008b). For example, the small-scale, semi-agrarian farming of the middle/late Swifterbant (middle Swifterbant, 6550-5850 cal yr BP; late Swifterbant, 5850-5350 cal yr BP; Hazendonk group, 5750-5350 cal yr BP; Fig. 6) registers only minimally in the SPDs for the NW European Lowlands (including the Netherlands) and there is no evidence of the dramatic increase in population densities that typifies the introduction of farming in Britain/Ireland and S Scandinavia/N Germany (Raemaekers, 2003;Cappers and Raemakers, 2008;Out, 2008aOut, , 2008bSchepers, 2014;Timpson et al., 2014;Out and Dörfler, 2017). At ∼4650 cal yr BP, coincidental with the end of the phase of settlement of Vlaardingen group and beginning of the Single Grave Culture (Vlaardingen group, 5250-4600 cal yr BP; Single Grave Culture, 4750-4300 cal yr BP), there is a more pronounced, longlasting increase in inferred population levels that persisted for approximately 300 years ( fig. 3 in Timpson et al., 2014). ...
The focus of this paper is the Neolithic of northwest Europe, where a rapid growth in population between ~5950 and ~5550 cal yr BP is followed by a decline that lasted until ~4950 cal yr BP. The timing of the increase in population density correlates with the local appearance of farming and is attributed to the advantageous effects of agriculture. However, the subsequent population decline has yet to be satisfactorily explained. One possible explanation is the reduction in yields in Neolithic cereal-based agriculture due to worsening climatic conditions. The suggestion of a correlation between Neolithic climate deterioration, agricultural productivity, and a decrease in population requires testing for northwestern Europe. Data for our analyses were collected during the Cultural Evolution of Neolithic Europe project. We assess the correlation between agricultural productivity and population densities in the Neolithic of northwest Europe by examining the changing frequencies of crop and weed taxa before, during and after the population “boom and bust.” We show that the period of population decline is coincidental with a decrease in cereal production linked to a shift towards less fertile soils.
... This process continued until well into the early Middle Ages. On the basis of vegetation data Schepers (2014) convincingly argued that large sections of the terp landscape were flooded far less often than is often assumed and that the human impact on the landscape in those areas was considerable. seosonol visit s obcndonment perm. ...
Large, artificial habitation platforms are widely distributed along the southern North Sea coasts. In this article, we will focus on the less known, small medieval platforms situated further inland, on the edge of the extensive peat bogs which until medieval times covered much of the lowlands of the Netherlands. We have confronted data from the area Eelder- and Peizermaden with existing models on the dynamics of human colonization and exploitation of North Sea coastal wetlands. The evidence from ‘peat terps’ seems to reflect distinct and successive land-use types or strategies that are associated with at least two colonization phases. Changes in land use are related to environmental changes that are largely human-induced. This is typical for coastal peat landscapes. Land-use patterns display spatio-temporal similarities as well as differences. The observed succession of land-use types and the associated material culture bear a strong resemblance to developments in the Assendelver polder a millennium before.
... Dijkstra and Nieuwhof and Schepers | Nicolay 2008;Hielkema 2015). Geological and palaeobotanical research, aimed at reconstructing the past landscape, has always been part of excavation programmes in this region (Cappers 1994;Schepers 2014;2015b;Van Zeist 1974;Vos 2015), and for Germany (Behre 2008: 58-86). This close association between geology and archaeology has led to a set of palaeo-geographical maps that represent various stages in the development of this dynamic landscape, in relation to habitation ( fig. ...
In this contribution, we will concentrate on the landscape of the northern Netherlands coastal area itself in relation to human habitation, especially in the first habitation phases, from the early pre-Roman Iron Age until the early Middle Ages. We propose the term synanthropic salt marsh for the human influenced marshes surrounding the terps. The term synanthropic is used in palaeobiology to denote animals and plants that thrive in human environments. Below, we provide a brief overview of the archaeological value of terps, and discuss the various ways in which natural and cultural factors combine to create this unique human-occupied salt marsh landscape.
The earlier version of PALAEOASSOCIA involved a considerable input of manual labour in sorting species tables with association data to identify plant communities that could have been present. A large archaeobotanical dataset from the site of Best (The Netherlands) was used to judge whether this manual sorting results in subjective results. As these were found, we developed a fully automatic version of PALAEOASSOCIA, including this sorting process. Likelihood clustering with prior probability yielded the highest number of associations recovered from four samples, and was therefore chosen as the optimal clustering method. The sorted tables are automatically converted to syntaxonomical groups. The hierarchical level of these groups can be pre-defined by the user of the program. Syntaxa that are highly improbable geographically cannot be ruled out a priori, but need to be removed manually. PALAEOASSOCIA is not meant to replace other methods of ecological interpretations of archaeobotanical data, but instead as a tool to obtain a more detailed result.
Samples from ditches as a reflection of the landscape. Ditch-fill samples were taken from modern ditches in three different landscapes – the sandy heathland of Balloërveld, the peatland of Fochteloërveen and the woodland of Norg. This contribution focuses on the botanical macroremains collected from the ditch fills and how these remains may improve landscape-historical research. Microscopic research of the macroremains shows a difference between the habitats, albeit not a distinct one. Botanical remains of woodland vegetation were strongly represented in virtually all samples, overshadowing indicative species per landscape type. Given the limits of this pilot study, further research is strongly recommended to assess how ditch fills can be of value to reconstructing past and present landscapes.
On the shoulders of giants: the archaeology of northwestern Europe. From its founding in 1918, the Biologisch-Archaeologisch Instituut has carried out research on stone-age hunter-gatherers, the start and the development of prehistoric farming communities, burial mounds and settlements on the sandy soils, and the occupation of the terp-mound district. This article presents the highlights of a century-long research history and identifies current developments.
The present study concerns the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya, a small island set in Western Sicily (Italy), in the Marsala Lagoon (Stagnone di Marsala), between Trapani and Marsala. A big disposal pit, datable to between the first half of the 8th and the mid-6th century bc, was identified in Area D. This context was sampled for plant macro-remains through bucket flotation. Palynological treatment and analysis were also performed on soil samples collected from each of the identified filling layers. The combination of the study of macro- and micro-remains has shown to be effective in answering questions concerning introduced food plants and agricultural practices, and native plants, including timber use. Here we investigate if a waste context can provide information about Phoenicians at Motya and their impact on the local plant communities. We found that human diet included cereals (mostly naked wheat), pulses and fruits. A focus was placed on weeds (including Lolium temulentum and Phalaris spp.) referable to different stages of crop processing. This aspect was enriched by the finding of cereal pollen, which suggests that threshing (if not even cultivation) was carried out on site. Palynology also indicates an open environment, with little to no forest cover, characterized by complex anthropogenic activities. Anthracology suggests the presence of typical Mediterranean plant taxa, including not only the shrubs Pistacia lentiscus and Erica multiflora, but also evergreen oaks. The presence of a stone pine nut and of Pinus pinea/pinaster in the pollen rain is noteworthy, suggesting the local occurrence of these Mediterranean pines outside their native distribution range. This represents the first such find in the central Mediterranean. Finally, the present study allows us to compare Motya’s past environment with the present one. The disappearance of Juniperus sp. and Erica arborea from the present-day surroundings of the Marsala lagoon appears to be related to land-overexploitation, aridification or a combination of both processes.
