Search

The settlement of Ust-Voikar is one of the unique multilayered archaeological sites of north-west Siberia. The settlement was inhabited in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period by the Ob Ugrian or northern Khanty ethnographic group. Due to the presence of a frozen cultural layer ruins of wooden residential buildings and other organic materials are well preserved. Plant macroremain, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) analyses were applied to samples of the cultural layer from different parts of buildings and from space between them to establish the vegetation cover, plants used by the population, and differences between functional zones in the buildings. For the first time, the NPP analysis combined with statistical methods were used to clarify the settlement planning and human economic activity. Plant communities around the Ust-Voikar settlement were typical for the northern taiga subzone, some settlement's areas were overgrown with weed vegetation. Residents did not engage in agriculture and used local plant resources for construction, medicinal and food purposes. According to macroremain and NPP data were reconstructed (i) the use of spruce branches and cereal bedding indoors and outdoors on wet sites; (ii) the careful use of fire indoors; (iii) the presence of animals indoors; and (iv) whipworm infection. The cluster analysis and principal component analysis of NPPs helped to clarify the planning affiliations of several samples with the unclear origin and to suggest ways in which archaeological objects were used by the inhabitants.

Abstract—: This work presents the history of study of the Neopleistocene Singil deposits, results of analysis the drilling data, and different points of view on the stratigraphy of reference sections of the Lower Volga Region. A large volume of drilling core data indicate that the Singil deposits lie between the Lower Khazar and Upper Khazar deposits, which contradicts a traditional point of view that they lie under the Khazar deposits. As an analysis of faunistical data shows a high level of similarity between the Singil and Khazar assemblages of mammals, it is proposed to consider the Singil mammal assemblage as an analog of the Khazar faunistical assemblage, probably its early phase. The main conclusion of our research is that the accumulation of the Singil deposits occurred at the terminal regressive stage of the Early Khazar basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nowadays Najas flexilis is believed to be extinct in Poland, Germany, and Switzerland, while in other European countries it is classified as endangered or vulnerable. During the Early and Middle Holocene the species occurred throughout much of Europe, but in the Late Holocene it underwent a significant decline and reduction in range following, as it is believed, the gradual cooling of the climate and/or the eutrophication and acidification of lakes caused by human activity. The article recognizes the existence and disappearance of slender naiad in the palaeolake at the Hieronimowo site, NE Poland, during the Eemian Interglacial and at the beginning of the last glaciation (Vistulian, Weichselian), when lake transformations were caused solely by natural factors without human impact. Results of palynological and macrofossil analyses reveal that the appearance of slander naiad in the studied water body was probably triggered by the change of its pH and trophic status, resulting from the start of spruce and pine expansion stimulated by climate worsening during the younger part of the hornbeam phase (E5 R PAZ) in the middle Eemian. The appearance of spruce and pine in the area of the lake led to its acidification and oligotrophication, and that caused the strong and rapid development of N. flexilis. The species existed in the palaeolake at the Hieronimowo site through the spruce (E6 R PAZ) and pine (E7 R PAZ) phases, until the end of the Eemian Interglacial. These observations suggest that regressive transformations of the environment typical for the late part of the interglacial cycle, 'unsupported' by human activity, do not lead the extinction of N. flexilis. Quite the opposite, these processes promote this species. Its disappearance started only at the beginning of the Early Vistulian (Weichselian), and it was probably caused by a drastic decrease in temperatures and/or by the development of green algae, which limited light availability on the bottom of the water body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the archaeobotanical investigation of the early medieval lake site near Nowy Dworek, in the west of Poland, focussing on the role of plants on and around the site. The construction of a small, artificial island in a lake similar to Irish crannogs, traces of a wooden bridge and archaeological artefacts all indicate that the site was a special place for the local Slav community in the 9th–10th centuries ad. Plant macroremains and pollen also demonstrate the uniqueness of the place. A large number of the cultivated and wild plant taxa are connected with the local environment and reveal an interest in plants as an element of beliefs. Pollen from dung pellets provides information about plants used as fodder and complements the picture of plant communities on the land around the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated sediment records from several maar lakes and dry maar lakes of the Eifel (Germany) reveal the history of climate, weather, environment, vegetation, and land use in central Europe during the last 60,000 years. The time series of the last 30,000 years is based on a continuous varve counted chronology, the MIS3 section is tuned to the Greenland ice — both with independent age control from 14 C dates. Total carbon, pollen and plant macrofossils are used to synthesize a vegetation-stack, which is used together with the stacks from seasonal varve formation, flood layers, eolian dust content and volcanic tephra layers to define Landscape Evolution Zones (LEZ). LEZ 1 encompasses the landscape dynamics of the last 6000 years with widespread human influence. The natural oak and hazel forests of the early Holocene back to 10,500 b2k define LEZ 2. LEZ 3, the late glacial between 10,500 and 14,700 b2k, shows the development of a boreal forest with abundant grass and shallow water biomass in the lakes. The maximum of the last glaciation (LEZ 4: 14,700–23,000 b2k) was characterized by sparse vegetation of moss and characeae. These sediments are generally devoid of clay and sand and reveal no indication of snow-meltwater events. Accordingly, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) must have been extremely arid in central Europe. The sediments of the subsequent LEZ 5 from 23,000–28,500 b2k preserve distinct layers of clay and coarse sand, which indicates running water with clay in suspension and ephemeral coarse-grained fluvial sediment discharge. Abundant Ranunculaceae macroremains (used for 14 C dating), insects, moss and fungi sclerotia reflect a tundra environment during a time of frequent strong snowmelt events. Total carbon content, Betula–Pinus pollen and diatoms reach increased concentrations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 interstadials that occurred between 28,500 and 36,500 b2k (LEZ 6). The entire MIS3 interstadials are well documented in the organic carbon record from the Auel dry maar. The main paleobotanical indicators of MIS3 are, however, grass pollen and heliophytes, which indicate a steppe environment with scattered/patchy trees during the interstadials. The stadial phases inferred during LEZ 6 reveal initiation of eolian dust deflation. The change of the early MIS 3 forested landscape to a steppe occurred with the LEZ 7–LEZ 6 transition. This is when modern man spread in central Europe. The principle vegetation change to a steppe at 36,500 b2k must have favoured the spread of horses, an important hunting prey of modern humans. We propose accordingly that the migration of the modern humans into central Europe might have been at least partly driven by climate and associated vegetation change. The LEZ 7 encompassed the time interval 36,500 to 49,000 b2k and was characterized by a boreal forest with high abundance of pine, birch, as well as spruce during the interstadial events. Abundant charcoal fragments indicate that this taiga was under frequent drought stress with regular burning. The most unexpected finding, but corroborated by all our maar records is the dominance of thermophilous tree taxa from 49,000 to 55,000 b2k (LEZ 8). Greenland interstadials 13 and 14 were apparently the warmest of MIS 3 according to the Eifel pollen records. The preceeding LEZ 9 from 55,000 to 60,000 b2k is also dominated by spruce, but thermophilous trees were sparse. A warm early MIS3 appears plausible, because summer insolation (at 60° N) was higher in the early MIS 3 than today, ice cover was low in Scandinavia and sea-surface temperatures of the North Atlantic were almost comparable to modern values during GI-14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is a review of the archaeobotanical analyses carried out in the last decade at the three ancient Roman port/dock system sites of Pisae , Portus , and Neapolis . Pollen, plant macrofossils (leaf, wood, seed/fruit macroremains) and wood constituting the shipwrecks were considered, and the results, partly unpublished, integrated and interpreted. Waterlogged sediments from these port areas turned out to be particularly suited for archaeobotanical analysis and opened new perspectives in ancient harbour studies. This is the first time that a synthesis of archaeobotanical data from Italian archaeological sites of the same typology is attempted for the Roman period. The disparate sampling strategies and available materials for macrofossil analysis in the various sites – cores in Portus , short sediment sequences in Pisae , and single visible hand-collected macroremains in Neapolis – conditioned the results obtained for these remains, making the comparison among sites a particularly difficult task. The urgency of establishing a common protocol between archaeologists and archaeobotanists is thus emphasized. The plant micro- and macrofossils highlight that in Roman times the landscape of the Italian coasts between Pisa and Naples was formed by deciduous oak plain forests (whose relicts are preserved in some protected areas, like in Parco Nazionale del Circeo, south of Rome and along the coast of the Pisan plain, in the Migliarino San Rossore Regional Park) with prevalence of mesophilous elements. The Mediterranean vegetation was not widespread as expected and maquis was limited to small areas by the coast. Surprisingly, mountain elements such as beech and silver fir were not so rare in pre-Roman times, suggesting that these trees could have occupied wider areas than at present. Besides food plant remains typical of the Roman age, the port sediments also preserved seeds, fruits and leaves of the wild vegetation. Comparing the results obtained by palynology with the shipwreck wood study showed that the boats were prevailingly built with local timber, often with conifers. The use of silver fir, though never very frequent, still confirms the preference of shipbuilders for this timber, which was not always available in the close surroundings of the three sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of climate change during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, human society gradually transitioned from a hunting/foraging economy to an agricultural economy. The role of climate change in the development of millet-based agriculture, which originated in northern China, is of major scientific interest. Millet agriculture is thought to have originated in areas of hilly terrain, because most of the early millet agricultural sites in northern China occur in such areas. Hence, understanding the ecological background of hilly terrain during the early Holocene is important for understanding the climatic and ecological mechanisms associated with the origin of millet agriculture. In this study, we reconstructed the ecological background of Ping'an Cave, an early Neolithic site in the hilly area of Beijing, based on analyses of pollen, fungal spores, and plant macrofossils recovered from the cave sediments. At ~ 11,000 cal kyr BP, deciduous broadleaved forest-grassland developed in the hilly areas of northern China, where the climate was warm and relatively dry. Nut shells of Juglans and Celtis were found, associated with an increase in Quercus pollen, indicating the development of a wetter climate at ~ 8000 cal kyr BP. Open deciduous broadleaved forest–grassland was the main vegetation type in the hilly areas of northern China during the early Holocene. The geographical characteristics of these areas were favorable for prehistoric humans, providing ecological resources from both forest and grassland. • We investigated plant remains from Ping'an Cave site in hilly areas, northern China. • Deciduous broadleaved forest-grassland developed during early Holocene. • The vegetation became closer around 8000 years than it in 11,000 years. • Hilly terrain provided both forest and grassland resources for prehistoric humans. • This study offered ecological background for understanding millet agriculture origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen was analysed from a sediment sequence collected in the close vicinity of the Mesolithic settlement Tågerup, southern Sweden. Macroremains were also retrieved from numerous samples taken at the site of the archaeological excavations of Kongemose and Ertebølle settlement phases, 6700-6000 b.c. and 5500-4900 b.c. respectively. Plants and other organic remains were well preserved in the refuse layers from the settlements embedded in the gyttja. The pollen record includes no clear indications of human impact on the vegetation during the Mesolithic. The occurrence of charcoal particles and pollen of grass and herbs associated with nutrient-rich soils are contemporaneous with the Kongemose settlement. The Ertebølle settlement phase, although characterised by considerable dwelling activities less than a hundred metres from the pollen sampling site, is scarcely seen in the pollen data. Numerous finds of crushed dogwood stones from the Kongemose phase, often partly carbonised, suggest that these stones were used for the extraction of oil. Other plants found in the Kongemose refuse layers that may have been used are apples, cherries, raspberries, acorns and rowan-berries. Based on the abundance of hazelnut shells found at the studied site and in other studies of Mesolithic sites in southern Scandinavia it is proposed that these remains may testify to an important food supply rather than just use as a supplement to animal protein. It is also hypothesised that a regional decrease in hazel populations and thus hazelnut availability at the end of the Mesolithic may have motivated the adoption of Neolithic subsistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comunicaçõe Geológicas is the property of Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The analysis of phytoliths, pollen, charcoal and other macroremains was carried out in the neolithic shelter of “La Grande Rivoire”, Vercors massif (French Alps). The results show the predominance of tree species, in the form of phytoliths, clustered pollen, stomata, small branches charcoal, needles, bark, buds… The practice of leaf fodder is already known in the alpine and circum-alpine area from archaeological and historical sources. The analyses of the neolithic dung levels of “La Grande Rivoire” illustrate the use of leafy and flowering tree branches as fodder. The results also suggest that some species were used for special purpose in relation with the tending of livestock (litter, dietary supplement, veterinary practices). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]