Oras, Ester, Tõrv, Mari, Johanson, Kristiina et al. (20 more authors) (2023) Parallel worlds and mixed economies:multi-proxy analysis reveals complex subsistence systems at the dawn of early farming in the northeast Baltic. Royal Society Open Science. 230880. ISSN 2054-5703
Abstract
The transition from foraging to farming was a key turning point in ancient socio-economies. Yet, the complexities and regional variations of this transformation are still poorly understood. This multi-proxy study provides a new understanding of the introduction and spread of early farming, challenging the notions of hierarchical economies. The most extensive biological and biomolecular dietary overview, combining zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, dietary stable isotope and pottery lipid residue analyses is presented, to unravel the nature and extent of early farming in the 3rd millennium cal BCE in the northeast Baltic. Farming was introduced by incoming Corded Ware cultural groups (CWC), but some dietary segregation existed within these communities, with some having more access to domesticates, others incorporating more wild resources into their diet. The CWC groups coexisted in parallel with local hunter–fisher–gatherers (HFG) without any indication of the adoption of domesticates. There was no transition from foraging to farming in the 3rd millennium cal BCE in the NE Baltic. Instead, we see a complex system of parallel worlds with local HFGs continuing forager lifeways, and incoming farmers practising mixed economies, with the continuation of these subsistence strategies for at least a millennium after the first encounter with domesticated animals.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Archaeology (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 04 Oct 2023 10:30 |
Last Modified: | 05 Jan 2025 00:38 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230880 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rsos.230880 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:203936 |