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Oras E, Tõrv M, Johanson K, Rannamäe E, Poska A, Lõugas L, Lucquin A, Lundy J, Brown S, Chen S, Varul L, Haferberga V, Legzdiņa D, Zariņa G, Cramp L, Heyd V, Reay M, Pospieszny Ł, Robson HK, Nordqvist K, Heron C, Craig OE, Kriiska A. Parallel worlds and mixed economies: multi-proxy analysis reveals complex subsistence systems at the dawn of early farming in the northeast Baltic. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:230880. [PMID: 37800159 PMCID: PMC10548101 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Oras
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14 a, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Linneanum, Thunbergsvägen 2, 75238 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mari Tõrv
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14 a, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kristiina Johanson
- Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Eve Rannamäe
- Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anneli Poska
- Department of Geology, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate Tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Lembi Lõugas
- Archaeological Research Collection, Tallinn University, Rüütli 10, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD York, UK
| | - Jasmine Lundy
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD York, UK
| | - Samantha Brown
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shidong Chen
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14 a, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liivi Varul
- School of Humanities, Division of History, Tallinn University, Narva rd 25, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Vanda Haferberga
- Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Kalpaka blvd 4, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia
| | - Dardega Legzdiņa
- Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Kalpaka blvd 4, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia
| | - Gunita Zariņa
- Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Kalpaka blvd 4, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia
| | - Lucy Cramp
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, BS8 1UU Bristol, UK
| | - Volker Heyd
- Department of Cultures, University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 38, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michaela Reay
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, BS8 1TS Bristol, UK
| | - Łukasz Pospieszny
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, BS8 1UU Bristol, UK
- Institute of Archaeology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Bielańska 5, 80-851 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Harry K. Robson
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD York, UK
| | - Kerkko Nordqvist
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 24, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carl Heron
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, WC1B 3DG London, UK
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way, YO10 5DD York, UK
| | - Aivar Kriiska
- Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
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