Changing plant subsistence in Prehistoric Southwest Britain : archaeobotanical and anthracological evidence from the South Cadbury Environs Project
The thesis investigates changing agricultural practices and wood use across a landscape from the Neolithic to Romano-British period, through charred archaeobotanical remains: crops, weeds, wild herbaceous plants and wood charcoal, recovered during survey test-pitting and excavation as part of the multi-site, South Cadbury Environs Project (SCEP), South Somerset, England. Alongside abundant barley grain, the major wheat crop shifts from emmer to spelt in the Late Bronze Age, with the appearance of free threshing wheat towards the end of the Romano-British period. The quantity of crop remains increase in the Middle Iron Age contexts accompanied by new crop types including pulses. The crop composition is investigated through consideration of both the crops themselves and the physical and ecological characteristics of the accompanying weeds and wild taxa. The majority of crop-rich SCEP samples represent waste from the later stages of crop processing. Ecological assessment of the crop weeds from the fine sieving by-products of glume wheats points to differences between localities which are suggested to indicate a shift from Bronze Age spring sowing of glume wheat to autumn sowing in the Middle Iron Age, particularly
de Carle, Danielle E.
Changing plant subsistence in Prehistoric Southwest Britain : archaeobotanical and anthracological evidence from the South Cadbury Environs Project. The thesis investigates changing agricultural practices and wood use across a landscape from the Neolithic to Romano-British period, through charred archaeobotanical remains: crops, weeds, wild herbaceous plants and wood charcoal, recovered during survey test-pitting and excavation as part of the multi-site, South Cadbury Environs Project (SCEP), South Somerset, England. Alongside abundant barley grain, the major wheat crop shifts from emmer to spelt in the Late Bronze Age, with the appearance of free threshing wheat towards the end of the Romano-British period. The quantity of crop remains increase in the Middle Iron Age contexts accompanied by new crop types including pulses. The crop composition is investigated through consideration of both the crops themselves and the physical and ecological characteristics of the accompanying weeds and wild taxa. The majority of crop-rich SCEP samples represent waste from the later stages of crop processing. Ecological assessment of the crop weeds from the fine sieving by-products of glume wheats points to differences between localities which are suggested to indicate a shift from Bronze Age spring sowing of glume wheat to autumn sowing in the Middle Iron Age, particularly
changing plant subsistence prehistoric southwest britain archaeobotanical evidence south environs project investigate change agricultural_practice wood use across_landscape neolithic romano british period char archaeobotanical remains crop weed wild plant wood charcoal recover survey test excavation part multi site south environs project south somerset england alongside abundant barley grain major wheat crop shift late_bronze_age appearance free wheat towards_end romano_british_period quantity crop remain increase middle_iron_age context accompany new_crop type include pulse crop composition investigate consideration crop physical ecological characteristic accompany weed wild taxon majority crop rich sample represent waste later stag crop_processing ecological assessment crop weed fine product wheat point difference locality suggest indicate shift bronze wheat middle_iron_age particularly