Re: Food Culture:Mesolithic Britian


"Peter Alaca" <P.Alaca@xxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
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prd wrote:
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[...]
This suggests a transiting reliance on marine fauna that
eventually gives way to terrestrial fauna. There is not
particularly strong evidence for grass consumption, but very good
evidence for nut consumption, particularly hazelnuts.
In terms of selection one would argue that marine diet and nuts
selected dietary tolerances during the late pliestocene, and early
holocene in Briton.
[...]

In terms of selection one would argue that
hazelnuts were the only nuts available.

I'd be very cautious with that. Burned or dried hazelnut shells have a very
good chance of preservation, compared with other fruit that is. As have the
mussel shells from the Kjokkenmoddinger. That does not mean, that this must
have been the preferred food on the site.


btw:
"The synthesis of archaeobotanical finds
from Neolithic Britain by Moffet et al (1988)
pointed to the ubiquity of hazelnut shell in
contrast to the relative scarsity of cereal
remains. It has provided the major impetus
for the recent emphasis on the role of wild
plant food in Neolithic societies.
This scarsity of cereals contrasts with the
picture from continental Europe, where
cereal remains are relative common on
Neolithic settlements."

Glynis Jones, 2000
"Evaluating the importance of cultivating
and collecting in Neolitic Britain"


The big question is, wether you have enough wetland sites analysed, as on
the Continent, wether the research basis is comparable.

have fun

Uwe Mueller


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