Diet of the fortified settlement communities in Lithuania from 1000 cal. BC to 200 cal. AD

Abstract

The fortified settlements in Lithuania attest to a long-term phenomenon representing the behaviour of early farmers after the adoption of crop cultivation ca. 1300–1250 cal. BC. Hitherto, the subsistence economy and diet of this population were primarily understood via zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical analyses, however, understudied are the food residues in pottery. In this paper, we present the first results of stable isotope analysis on 209 charred organic residues sampled in pottery from nine sites. The food remains in pottery consisted of δ13C and δ15N values inherent for terrestrial sources with indications of millet consumption during the Late Bronze Age (1100–500 cal. BC). By comparison to the data from earlier periods, a significant dietary change in the local population ca. 1000 cal. BC was distinguished. Furthermore, 34 new AMS 14C dates acquired during this research allowed to better understand the chronology of fortified settlements. Our results provide the earliest evidence for the spread of this type of site in Lithuania and demonstrate the significance of the Daugava River basin during the early stages of this process.