Plant gatherers, plant managers or agriculturalists? : the importance of wild and domestic plants in Mesolithic and Neolithic Scotland
The breakdown of the traditional rigid distinction between âhunter-gatherersâ and âfarmersâ has lead to increased interest into the different types of human-plant relationships that existed in hunter-gatherer and early farming societies during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. This thesis assesses the scale and nature of human-plant exploitation in Mesolithic and Neolithic Scotland. Following Zvelebil (1994), several plant exploitation models are tested using palaeobotanical evidence: 1) opportunistic and incidental wild plant use; 2) systematic and intensive wild plant use; 3) wild plant food management, husbandry or cultivation; 4) the cultivation of domestic plants. It is concluded that wild plant exploitation was most probably systematic and intensive in Mesolithic Scotland, but there is no clear-cut evidence to substantiate the suggestion that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers managed wild plants. The relative importance of wild and domestic plants in the Neolithic economy is difficult to establish due to differences in the deposition, preservation, recovery and recording of cereals and wild plants. However, the importance of agriculture in the economy appears to have varied considerably between
Bishop, Rosemary Rhiannon
Plant gatherers, plant managers or agriculturalists? : the importance of wild and domestic plants in Mesolithic and Neolithic Scotland. The breakdown of the traditional rigid distinction between âhunter-gatherersâ and âfarmersâ has lead to increased interest into the different types of human-plant relationships that existed in hunter-gatherer and early farming societies during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. This thesis assesses the scale and nature of human-plant exploitation in Mesolithic and Neolithic Scotland. Following Zvelebil (1994), several plant exploitation models are tested using palaeobotanical evidence: 1) opportunistic and incidental wild plant use; 2) systematic and intensive wild plant use; 3) wild plant food management, husbandry or cultivation; 4) the cultivation of domestic plants. It is concluded that wild plant exploitation was most probably systematic and intensive in Mesolithic Scotland, but there is no clear-cut evidence to substantiate the suggestion that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers managed wild plants. The relative importance of wild and domestic plants in the Neolithic economy is difficult to establish due to differences in the deposition, preservation, recovery and recording of cereals and wild plants. However, the importance of agriculture in the economy appears to have varied considerably between
plant gatherer plant manager agriculturalist importance wild_domestic plant scotland breakdown traditional rigid distinction hunter_gatherer farmer lead increased interest different_type human plant relationship_exist hunter_gatherer early_farming society mesolithic_neolithic_transition ass scale nature human plant exploitation scotland following several plant exploitation model test use evidence incidental wild plant use systematic intensive wild plant use wild plant food management husbandry cultivation cultivation domestic plant conclude wild plant exploitation probably systematic intensive mesolithic scotland clear_cut evidence substantiate suggestion mesolithic_hunter gatherer manage wild plant relative_importance wild_domestic plant neolithic economy difficult_establish due difference deposition preservation recovery recording cereal wild plant however importance agriculture economy appear varied considerably