Abstract
The article provides a survey of carbonised seed finds in south and central Sweden which can be attributed to the Swedish Bronze Age, 1800—500 B.C. This period must be considered one of the most dynamic with regard to prehistoric agriculture. The material has been collected at prehistoric dwelling sites and largely consists of household refuse. During the Early Bronze Age agriculture was based on speltoid wheat's and naked barley. Around 1000 B.C. the speltoid wheats and the naked barley decline strongly, while hulled barley takes over as the most important crop. This shift in the choice of crop indicates the introduction of agricultural fertilization and systems with permanent, manured fields.
Highlights
The aim of the article is to summarise the archaeobotanical research results of recent years concerning the Bronze Age, 1800—500B.C. in south and central Sweden
A system of agriculture developed during the Bronze Age which remained substantially unaltered for almost 1000 years and which may be viewed as the basi» of modern agriculture
Seeds from the various types of cereal have an equal chance ofbeing carbonised, and secondly, this type of material has often been deposited for a lengthy period of time and may consist of a large number of harvests (Engelmark 1992; Engelmark k Viklund 1990).As the deposit occurs over a number of years and harvests, the variations in cultivation between the different years are reflected in the carbonised material
Summary
The article provides a survey of carbonised seed finds in south and central Sweden which can be attributed to the Swedish Bronze Age, 1800—500. This period must be considered one of the most dynamic with regard to prehistoric agriculture. The material has been collected at prehistoric dwelling sites and largely consists of household refuse. During the Early Bronze Age agriculture was based on speltoid wheat's and naked barley. Around 1000 B.C. the speltoid wheats and the naked barley decline strongly, while hulled barley takes over as the most important crop. This shift in the choice of crop indicates the introduction of agricultural fertilization and systems with permanent, manured fields. Stefan Gttstafsso», The Laboratoty of Ettvironmental Arcltaeologi:, Departtnent ojA rchaeology, Umeå Ut ti versi ty, SE-901 87 Umeå, Svveden
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
