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Tracing the Origin and Spread of Agriculture in Europe

Authors :
Albert J. Ammerman
Ron Pinhasi
Joaquim Fort
Source :
PLoS Biology, PLoS Biology, Vol 3, Iss 12, p e410 (2005), PLoS Biology, 2005, vol. 3, núm.12, p. e410, Articles publicats (D-F), DUGiDocs – Universitat de Girona, instname, Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya, Scopus-Elsevier
Publication Year :
2005
Publisher :
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2005.

Abstract

The origins of early farming and its spread to Europe have been the subject of major interest for some time. The main controversy today is over the nature of the Neolithic transition in Europe: the extent to which the spread was, for the most part, indigenous and animated by imitation (cultural diffusion) or else was driven by an influx of dispersing populations (demic diffusion). We analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of the transition using radiocarbon dates from 735 early Neolithic sites in Europe, the Near East, and Anatolia. We compute great-circle and shortest-path distances from each site to 35 possible agricultural centers of origin—ten are based on early sites in the Middle East and 25 are hypothetical locations set at 5° latitude/longitude intervals. We perform a linear fit of distance versus age (and vice versa) for each center. For certain centers, high correlation coefficients (R > 0.8) are obtained. This implies that a steady rate or speed is a good overall approximation for this historical development. The average rate of the Neolithic spread over Europe is 0.6–1.3 km/y (95% confidence interval). This is consistent with the prediction of demic diffusion (0.6–1.1 km/y). An interpolative map of correlation coefficients, obtained by using shortest-path distances, shows that the origins of agriculture were most likely to have occurred in the northern Levantine/Mesopotamian area.<br />An analysis of radiocarbon dates from early Neolithic sites reveals that agriculture in Europe most likely originated in the northern Levant and Mesopotamia and spread by population growth and migration, rather than by cultural diffusion.

Details

ISSN :
15457885
Volume :
3
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
PLoS Biology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....c693e0f9a77d7923ae9de71aa7238606
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030410