Rebooting the Study of Forager Plant Economies: The Potential of Submerged Archaeological Sites

Signe Sangill Termansen; Peter Moe Astrup; Welmoed Out; Niels Nørkjær Johannsen

doi:10.1080/14614103.2024.2393015

Rebooting the Study of Forager Plant Economies: The Potential of Submerged Archaeological Sites

Signe Sangill Termansen^*, Peter Moe Astrup, Welmoed Out, Niels Nørkjær Johannsen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The contribution of plants to the diets and wider economies of most prehistoric foragers is inadequately studied and poorly understood, also in comparison with other aspects of their economies and with prehistoric plant economies from the Neolithic onwards. This situation even applies to the Mesolithic of southern Scandinavia, which is a particularly intensely studied prehistoric forager sequence. In this paper we consider taphonomic, methodological and ideological reasons for the relative lack of research focus, after which we discuss the potential of strategic bulk sampling for plant macroremains at submerged sites. We then briefly present a pilot study of such macroremains obtained from the submerged site Hjarnø Sund, Denmark, and discuss next steps, including methodological initiatives to improve the distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic material. We conclude that the potential of this type of site in the effort to understand the dietary and wider economic roles of plants in the Mesolithic far exceeds the general level of attention that they have received so far. Accordingly, we argue for increased focus, strategic sampling and a sustained, longer-term research effort in order to improve our understanding of this central aspect of prehistoric forager life and culture.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Archaeology
ISSN	1461-4103
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/14614103.2024.2393015
Publication status	Published - 24 Aug 2024

Keywords

Plant economy
botanical macroremains
southern scandinavia
stone age
wetland sites

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10.1080/14614103.2024.2393015Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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title = "Rebooting the Study of Forager Plant Economies: The Potential of Submerged Archaeological Sites",

abstract = "The contribution of plants to the diets and wider economies of most prehistoric foragers is inadequately studied and poorly understood, also in comparison with other aspects of their economies and with prehistoric plant economies from the Neolithic onwards. This situation even applies to the Mesolithic of southern Scandinavia, which is a particularly intensely studied prehistoric forager sequence. In this paper we consider taphonomic, methodological and ideological reasons for the relative lack of research focus, after which we discuss the potential of strategic bulk sampling for plant macroremains at submerged sites. We then briefly present a pilot study of such macroremains obtained from the submerged site Hjarn{\o} Sund, Denmark, and discuss next steps, including methodological initiatives to improve the distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic material. We conclude that the potential of this type of site in the effort to understand the dietary and wider economic roles of plants in the Mesolithic far exceeds the general level of attention that they have received so far. Accordingly, we argue for increased focus, strategic sampling and a sustained, longer-term research effort in order to improve our understanding of this central aspect of prehistoric forager life and culture.",

keywords = "Plant economy, botanical macroremains, southern scandinavia, stone age, wetland sites",

author = "Termansen, {Signe Sangill} and Astrup, {Peter Moe} and Welmoed Out and Johannsen, {Niels N{\o}rkj{\ae}r}",

year = "2024",

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AU - Termansen, Signe Sangill

AU - Astrup, Peter Moe

AU - Out, Welmoed

AU - Johannsen, Niels Nørkjær

PY - 2024/8/24

Y1 - 2024/8/24

N2 - The contribution of plants to the diets and wider economies of most prehistoric foragers is inadequately studied and poorly understood, also in comparison with other aspects of their economies and with prehistoric plant economies from the Neolithic onwards. This situation even applies to the Mesolithic of southern Scandinavia, which is a particularly intensely studied prehistoric forager sequence. In this paper we consider taphonomic, methodological and ideological reasons for the relative lack of research focus, after which we discuss the potential of strategic bulk sampling for plant macroremains at submerged sites. We then briefly present a pilot study of such macroremains obtained from the submerged site Hjarnø Sund, Denmark, and discuss next steps, including methodological initiatives to improve the distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic material. We conclude that the potential of this type of site in the effort to understand the dietary and wider economic roles of plants in the Mesolithic far exceeds the general level of attention that they have received so far. Accordingly, we argue for increased focus, strategic sampling and a sustained, longer-term research effort in order to improve our understanding of this central aspect of prehistoric forager life and culture.

AB - The contribution of plants to the diets and wider economies of most prehistoric foragers is inadequately studied and poorly understood, also in comparison with other aspects of their economies and with prehistoric plant economies from the Neolithic onwards. This situation even applies to the Mesolithic of southern Scandinavia, which is a particularly intensely studied prehistoric forager sequence. In this paper we consider taphonomic, methodological and ideological reasons for the relative lack of research focus, after which we discuss the potential of strategic bulk sampling for plant macroremains at submerged sites. We then briefly present a pilot study of such macroremains obtained from the submerged site Hjarnø Sund, Denmark, and discuss next steps, including methodological initiatives to improve the distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic material. We conclude that the potential of this type of site in the effort to understand the dietary and wider economic roles of plants in the Mesolithic far exceeds the general level of attention that they have received so far. Accordingly, we argue for increased focus, strategic sampling and a sustained, longer-term research effort in order to improve our understanding of this central aspect of prehistoric forager life and culture.

KW - Plant economy

KW - botanical macroremains

KW - southern scandinavia

KW - stone age

KW - wetland sites

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DO - 10.1080/14614103.2024.2393015

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SN - 1461-4103

JO - Environmental Archaeology

JF - Environmental Archaeology

ER -

Rebooting the Study of Forager Plant Economies: The Potential of Submerged Archaeological Sites

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Keywords

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