Animal and plant management in prehistoric hunter-fisher-gatherer communities

28th EAA Annual Meeting Budapest, Hungary 31 August - 3 September 2022 Abstract book ORGANISERS PARTNERS SPONSORS HOW TO READ THE ABSTRACT BOOK The Abstract Book is ordered by session numbers which were allocated during the session submission (i.e., the number sequence is discontinuous). Author’s affiliation is stated in brackets following the author’s name; where authors share the same affiliation, it is only stated once. Index of Authors includes all session organisers and only the main authors of contributions. Please note that names, titles and affiliations are reproduced as submitted by the session organisers and/or authors. Language and wording of titles and abstracts are not revised. 28th EAA Annual Meeting (Budapest, Hungary, 2022) – Abstract Book Technical editing: Kateřina Kleinová (EAA) Design and layout: Kateřina Kleinová (EAA) Design cover page: Aliz Ertler ISBN: 978-80-88441-02-1 European Association of Archaeologists Prague, July 2022 © European Association of Archaeologists, 2022 28th EAA Annual Meeting (Budapest, Hungary, 2022) ABSTRACT BOOK fir and spruce woods. Furthermore, the inner alpine forest line reached an unprecedented maximum, with heights at the main alpine divide around 2,300 m asl. However, although several studies have been published concerning human life and adaption to the changing conditions during the Atlantic Biozone in the Western Alps and the southern half of the Eastern Alps, a comparative study of the northern half of the Eastern Alps is as jet lacking. This is unfortunate insofar, as the number of archaeological sites dating to the Atlantic increases profoundly, indicating a peak in occupational activities during the first half of this period. Furthermore, several of these sites seem to be stretching over the proposed Mesolithic/Neolithic divide of the region around 5,500 calBCE, whereas the available pollen records do not suggest any anthropogenic impact into the northern alpine landscapes well into the second half of the 5th millennium BCE. This paper proposes a first introduction into the northern Alpine region during the Atlantic period, introducing its main sites, adaptive processes, and problems, as well as a discussion of a possible persistence of a Mesolithic way of life in a time, when the Neolithic was already in full force to the south and north of the Alps. 4 POPULATION AND NUTRITION IN ATLANTIC SOUTHERN BAVARIA AND NORTHERN TYROL Abstract author(s): Pechtl, Joachim (Institute of Archaeology University of Innsbruck) Abstract format: Oral After a period of massive climatic and ecological change, most ecosystems in southern Bavaria and northern Tyrol settled into a relatively stable state during the Atlantic period. In sharp contrast, continued socio-cultural changes led to a profound transformation of people’s living conditions. Two interrelated key elements of this systemic change were population size and nutrition. The development of population size can be plausibly estimated during the 7th and 6th millennium BC. Therefore, especially for the time period of primary Neolithisation, an enormous increase in population can be demonstrated. For the more recent periods, on the other hand, only rough estimates are currently possible. Increasingly detailed information is available both for the type and quality of the diet and for the strategies of food production. The reconstruction of the development of nutrition during the Atlantic period is based on a survey of currently available archaeological, archaeometric and biological data. In some aspects, this also provides indications of anthropogenic environmental change. 5 TESTING HYPOTHESES OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONNECTIVITY IN FOSTERING DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS ACROSS LATE NEOLITHIC AND BRONZE AGE EUROPE Abstract author(s): Großmann, Ralph (Kiel University; Cluster of Excellence ROOTS) Abstract format: Oral It is evident that environmental hazards recurred throughout the Holocene. Episodes of heightened socio-environmental stress combined with resource narrows have probably fostered demographic busts and possibly triggering migrations. Here we test hypotheses of socio-environmental dynamics from a European perspective and presents the results regarding the impact of climate and environmental hazards to past societies. In concrete, this project aiming to calculate demography based on 14C summed probability distributions on three Central European regions and to compare the different demography developments. The project focuses on the time period between 3500 and 1500 B.C.E. In focus are several regions with high diachronic agglomerations of archaeological records and radiocarbon dates (Central Germany, Alpine foothill, and Czech Republic). In comparing these regions, enable to identify Late Neolithic to Bronze Age demography dynamics, which were probably accompanied by migration processes between those regions. Additionally, these results are correlated with regional climatic data to evaluate the impact of environmental hazards and especially of the 4.2 kyr climate event. 109 ANIMAL AND PLANT MANAGEMENT IN PREHISTORIC HUNTER-FISHER-GATHERER COMMUNITIES [PAM] Theme: 5. Climate Change and Socioenvironmental Perspectives Organisers: Mjaerum, Axel (Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo) - Boethius, Adam (Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University) - Groß, Daniel (Museum Lolland-Falster) - Živaljević, Ivana (BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad) - Mansrud, Anja (Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger) Format: Regular session The aim of this session is to challenge the conceptual dichotomy between the “Mesolithic” and “Neolithic”, by focusing on animal and plant management in prehistoric hunter-fisher-gatherer communities. The shift from foraging to farming and animal husbandry is often narrated as a turning point where humanity’s relationship with the environ105 ment was profoundly altered. Resource management is fundamental to concept of the Neolithic and further linked to aspects such as storage, surplus accumulation, and social complexity. Recent findings however show that human involvement with the environment was biologically, socially and economically complex long before the transition to agriculture. Multiple archaeological records point towards the existence of various resource management practices among hunter-fisher-gatherers long before, and independent of, the Neolithization process. Rather than being just “ecologically adapted” Mesolithic foragers actively engaged with, intervened, transformed, and cultivated the flora and fauna in their local landscapes. Examples include introducing novel plants to their environments, transferring fish fry between rivers and lakes, altering habitats attract grazing animals by burning and weeding, and constructing permanent trapping systems for various fish species and deer species. We invite papers addressing this topic independent of geographical scope and spatial scale. Contributions may focus on specific methods, models, case studies or theoretical frameworks such as niche construction theory and multispecies archaeology. ABSTRACTS 1 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONCEPT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SOUTHERN NORWAY Abstract author(s): Mjaerum, Axel (Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo) Abstract format: Oral Archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century considered the Mesolithic period in the southern part of Norway as “raw”; originating in the most primitive of all civilizations. Based in new empirical and theoretical perspectives, this view has been modified and challenged during later research. Considering the comprehensive archaeological record, it is now commonly argued for the existence of semi-sedimentary complex hunter-fisher-gatherer societies as far back as the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8000 BCE). It is also believed that the Mesolithic inhabitants of Southern Norway were, to some extent, capable and willing to control and regulate their ambient ecosystems. The changing perspectives on past resource management capture the quintessence of archaeologists’ views on Mesolithic societies and how they look at the dichotomy between the “Mesolithic” and the “Neolithic”. This paper presents an overview of the last 150 years of research on foragers’ ability to actively intervene, transform, and cultivate flora and fauna in Southern Norway, and recapitulates overall trends in the perspectives on the early past. Besides offering this general review of existing data on the topic of resource management, this paper will present a summary of previous positions and arguments concerning early management of nature and place them in the proper research context. Finally, these previous studies will be used to point out questions for further research. 2 MESOLITHIC AND EARLY NEOLITHIC OF SOUTHWESTERN ROMANIA. A VIEW FROM ARCHAEOZOOLOGY Abstract author(s): Balasescu, Adrian - Boroneant, Adina (“Vasile Parvan” Institute of Archaeology, Bucharest) Bonsall, Clive (University of Edinburgh) - Radu, Valentin (Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Division of ArchaeoSciences, University of Bucharest) Abstract format: Oral The Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites in southwestern Romania were investigated over 50 years ago by field surveys and excavations carried out on the occasion of the construction of the Iron Gates I -II dams and hydro-power stations. For several Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites (Icoana, Cuina Turcului and Ostrovul Corbului) faunal studies were undertaken soon after the excavation. Given the new archaeozoological methodologies these faunal collections have been re-visited recently, alongside previously unstudied collections (Cuina Turcului, Schela Cladovei, Răzvrata and Ostrovul Banului). New approaches such as slaughtering curves, ageing and sexing, biometry, cut marks, butchery patterns and palaeogenetics where employed aiming to obtain a more accurate image of the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic period in the area. This has resulted in a new interpretation of the local fauna and the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic activities. All the faunal remains represent food waste, with high fragmentation ratios. The list of taxa identified includes molluscs, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Dog (Canis familiaris) is the only domestic mammal present at the Romanian Mesolithic sites. Cut marks on certain bones at Icoana show that dog was occasionally part of the food supply, a fact also observed at Lepenski Vir, Vlasac and Padina in Serbia during the Mesolithic period. Fishing is another economic activity discussed here. During the Early Neolithic period, the appearance of new domestic animals with origins in the Middle East (cattle, ovicaprids and pig) is observed. Hunting still plays an important role and at the dawn of the Early Neolithic in the area, so does fishing. This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS/CCCDI – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID- PCE-2020-2369, within PNCDI III. 106