The Environment and Subsistence of the Early Neolithic Settlement Area at Těšetice-Kyjovice, Czech Republic. (3rd July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vostrovská, Ivana; Bíšková, Jarmila; Lukšíková, Hana; Kočár, Petr; Kočárová, Romana
• Is Part Of: Environmental archaeology. Volume 24:Number 3(2019)
• Page Start: 248
• Page End: 262
• Publication Date: 2019-07-03
• Subjects: Past environment -- forest history -- subsistence strategy -- Early Neolithic -- eastern Central Europe; Environmental archaeology -- Periodicals; Environmental archaeology -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Animal remains (Archaeology) -- Periodicals; Plant remains (Archaeology) -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1080/14614103.2018.1424981
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-4103

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a reconstruction of environmental conditions and subsistence strategies in the Early Neolithic (6th Millenium BC) settlement area at Těšetice-Kyjovice (Czech Republic). Our detailed reconstruction of the environment contributes to the unravelling of the genesis and spread of steppes and the formation of secondary anthropogenic forest-free areas in the Holocene in eastern-Central Europe. Mollusc shells, charcoals and plant macroremains were used as on-site evidence of a settlement environment. A relatively warm and dry anthropogenic forest-free area is reconstructed for the immediate vicinity of the Early Neolithic settlement. Communities of mixed deciduous forests are recorded in the surroundings of the settlement. Plant macroremains reflect the characteristic Neolithic range of cultivated plants (e.g. Triticum monococcum, Triticum dicoccon, Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum ). Papaver somniferum seeds were also found, possibly constituting the oldest evidence of its presence and cultivation in the territory of the Czech Republic.