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New radiocarbon dates point to the early evolution of resilient agriculture among Central Europe’s first farmers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2024

Michaela Ptáková Open the ORCID record for Michaela Ptáková [Opens in a new window] ,
Mária Hajnalová ,
Veronika Komárková Open the ORCID record for Veronika Komárková [Opens in a new window] ,
Tereza Šálková Open the ORCID record for Tereza Šálková [Opens in a new window] ,
Jindřich Prach Open the ORCID record for Jindřich Prach [Opens in a new window] ,
Adéla Pokorná Open the ORCID record for Adéla Pokorná [Opens in a new window] ,
Martin Pták Open the ORCID record for Martin Pták [Opens in a new window] ,
Jiří Bumerl ,
Petr Kuneš Open the ORCID record for Petr Kuneš [Opens in a new window]  and
Václav Vondrovský Open the ORCID record for Václav Vondrovský [Opens in a new window]
Michaela Ptáková*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia; Na Zlaté stoce 3, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
Mária Hajnalová
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University; Hodžova 1, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
Veronika Komárková
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia; Na Zlaté stoce 3, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
Tereza Šálková
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31a, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
Jindřich Prach
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University; Benátská 433/2, 128 43 Prague, Czechia Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences; Jilská 1, 110 00 Prague, Czechia
Adéla Pokorná
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Letenská 123/4, 118 00 Prague, Czechia
Martin Pták
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31a, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
Jiří Bumerl
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia; Na Zlaté stoce 3, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
Petr Kuneš
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University; Benátská 433/2, 128 43 Prague, Czechia
Václav Vondrovský
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Letenská 123/4, 118 00 Prague, Czechia
*
Corresponding author: Michaela Ptáková; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The shift towards cultivating domesticated crops was a pivotal development in ecological, economic, and human behavioural systems. As agriculture expanded beyond its origins, it faced diverse environments, often unsuitable for the originally cultivated domesticates. Farmers in Central Europe had to adjust and transform their farming systems, typically cultivating only five domesticated crop species. Here, we present new archaeobotanical data comprising 7955 determined charred remains and 22 radiocarbon dates from South Bohemia. This region, with higher altitudes, colder climates, and less fertile soils, lies on the periphery of Early Neolithic settlement. Our results reveal increased crop diversity as a form of adaptation to the harsher environment that bolstered resilience against crop failure. The earliest 14C-based evidence of deliberate cultivation of barley and Timopheev’s wheat in the region also provides new insights into the interplay between crop diffusion, landscapes, and food choices in the Neolithic Central Europe.

Keywords

agricultureNeolithicplant remainsradiocarbon AMS datingresilience
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 66 , Issue 4 , August 2024 , pp. 750 - 760
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of University of Arizona

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