This contribution describes the production methods and characteristics of wine, beer and other ty... more This contribution describes the production methods and characteristics of wine, beer and other types of alcoholic drinks. Before this background the economic importance of alcoholic drinks for prehistoric societies is discussed. Archaeological indicators for alcoholic drinks with particular attention on the pre-Roman Iron Age were presented and discussed. For this period sure and direct proof given by pollen evidence exists only for mead. Indication for beer is only based on indirect evidence of by-products as germinated cereal grains and possible places of production. In contrast, wine is clearly indicated by biochemical markers. If this wine was imported from the Mediterranean or could already be produced locally north of the Alps using wild vine from the forest is still an open question.
Three mires in the Hinterland of the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen at Lake Constance were investi... more Three mires in the Hinterland of the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen at Lake Constance were investigated by pollen Analysis to get data about the history of Environment and land use.
Ch. Bockisch-Bräuer, B. Mühldorfer, M. Schönfelder (Hg.), Die frühe Eisenzeit in Mitteleuropa, Beitr. Vorgesch. Nordostbayern 9 (Nürnberg 2019), 2019
The Hallstatt period land use in Southwest was evaluated according to archaeobotanical onsite- an... more The Hallstatt period land use in Southwest was evaluated according to archaeobotanical onsite- and offsite data, plant macrofossils as well as pollen. The crop diversity is high, with cereals, pulses, as well as oil- and fiber plants. The export to consumer sites was restricted to few mainstream crops, hulled barley and spelt among the cereals. Agriculture was practiced as extensive ard cultivation with short fallow phases, the fallows used as pasture. Manuring is not proofed, but probable. In densely populated regions the land use caused considerable deforestation. The remaining woodland were used as pasture and were managed as forest with two layers, an upper layer of old oaks for construction wood and a lower layer of hazel, hornbeam and others used in short intervals to get firewood. There were already gardens with a small assemble of vegetables, spices and fruits.
The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher,
... more The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher, Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum, documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they obviously had Piper nigrum.
Forest vegetation plays a key role in the cycling of mercury (Hg) and organic matter (OM) in terr... more Forest vegetation plays a key role in the cycling of mercury (Hg) and organic matter (OM) in terrestrial ecosystems. Litterfall has been indicated as the major transport vector of atmospheric Hg to forest soils, which is eventually transported and stored in the sediments of forest lakes. Hence, it is important to understand how changes in forest vegetation affect Hg in soil and its biogeochemical cycling in lake systems. We investigated the pollen records and the geochemical compositions of sediments from two lakes (Schurmsee and Glaswaldsee) in the Black Forest (Germany) to evaluate whether long-term shifts in forest vegetation induced by climate or land use influenced Hg accumulation in the lakes. We were particularly interested to determine whether coniferous forests were associated with a larger export of Hg to aquatic systems than deciduous forests. Principal components analysis followed by principal component regression enabled us to describe the evolution of the weight of the latent processes determining the accumulation of Hg over time. Our results emphasize that the in-lake uptake of Hg during warm climate periods, soil erosion after deforestation and emissions from mining and other human activities triggered changes in Hg accumulation during the Holocene stronger than the changes caused by forest vegetation alone.
The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher,
... more The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher, Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum, documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they obviously had Piper nigrum.
The Shahrizor Plain is a mountain valley bottom at ca. 800–900 m above sea level located in the f... more The Shahrizor Plain is a mountain valley bottom at ca. 800–900 m above sea level located in the foothills of the western Zagros Range in the southern part of Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Today the plain has a semi-arid climate and lies within the limits of rain-fed agriculture, where annual precipitation can vary significantly. Due to increased water consumption caused by fast urban growth, intensifying agriculture and river impoundments by dams, years with below average annual precipitation have great effects on agriculture and ecosystems in the region. These effects are intensified by machine dug wells and motor pumped water from deeper ground levels. In prehistoric and historical periods regional settlers developed different strategies to stabilize and optimize the availability of water for agriculture. Irrigation with surface and near-surface water is one of them. The present paper will compile available information that sheds light on the role irrigation may have played in the Shahrizor Plain over time and will discuss to which extent irrigation in (pre-)historical times could be traced further with data from sediment cores retrieved from Ganau Lake in the nearby Ranya Plain, data from excavations, site surveys as well as geoarchaeological investigations.
Mosses from three wells of the linear pottery culture in Saxonia were studied and their ecologica... more Mosses from three wells of the linear pottery culture in Saxonia were studied and their ecological and economical importance were discussed.
Long-term slash-and-burn experiments, when compared with intensive tillage without manuring, resu... more Long-term slash-and-burn experiments, when compared with intensive tillage without manuring, resulted in a huge data set relating to potential crop yields, depending on soil quality, crop type, and agricultural measures. Cultivation without manuring or fallow phases did not produce satisfying yields, and mono-season cropping on freshly cleared and burned plots resulted in rather high yields, comparable to those produced during modern industrial agriculture-at least tenfold the ones estimated for the medieval period. Continuous cultivation on the same plot, using imported wood from adjacent areas as fuel, causes decreasing yields over several years. The high yield of the first harvest of a slash-and-burn agriculture is caused by nutrient input through the ash produced and mobilization from the organic matter of the topsoil, due to high soil temperatures during the burning process and higher topsoil temperatures due to the soil's black surface. The harvested crops are pure, without contamination of any weeds. Considering the amount of work required to fight weeds without burning, the slash-and-burn technique yields much better results than any other tested agricultural approach. Therefore, in dense woodland, without optimal soils and climate, slash-and-burn agriculture seems to be the best, if not the only, feasible method to start agriculture, for example, during the Late Neolithic, when agriculture expanded from the loess belt into landscapes less suitable for agriculture. Extensive and cultivation with manuring is more practical in an already-open landscape and with a denser population, but its efficiency in terms of the ratio of the manpower input to food output, is worse. Slash-and-burn agriculture is not only a phenomenon of temperate European agriculture during the Neolithic, but played a major role in land-use in forested regions worldwide, creating anthromes on a huge spatial scale.
This study uses two novel archaeobotanical techniques – crop carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis... more This study uses two novel archaeobotanical techniques – crop carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and functional weed ecology – to determine directly how the intensity of agricultural practice changed from the Neolithic to the Early Iron Age in southwest Germany, with the emergence of fortified hilltop settlements (Fürstensitze or chiefly seats) regarded as the first urban centres in central Europe. The crop isotope and functional weed ecological evidence suggest that surplus cereal production in the Early Iron Age was achieved through sustained use of manure combined with expansion in arable cultivation, both developments that are connected with more widespread use of animal traction. The increased scale of cultivation is broadly apparent across rural as well as fortified hilltop centres in the Early Iron Age, and considerable variability in manuring intensity is consistent with agricultural decision-making at a local level rather than centralised control. Additionally, the more intensive manuring of hulled six-row barley, used in beer production, demonstrates that the political importance of drinking and feasting in Early Iron Age society was reflected in crop husbandry practices. In terms of animal husbandry, faunal isotope data reveal a radical decrease in forest cover, potentially reflecting an expansion in the scale of herding accompanying that of arable cultivation. Site-specific patterning points to a range of herding strategies, from specialised herding of cattle at the Heuneburg to generalised patterns of livestock management at rural sites.
This contribution describes the production methods and characteristics of wine, beer and other ty... more This contribution describes the production methods and characteristics of wine, beer and other types of alcoholic drinks. Before this background the economic importance of alcoholic drinks for prehistoric societies is discussed. Archaeological indicators for alcoholic drinks with particular attention on the pre-Roman Iron Age were presented and discussed. For this period sure and direct proof given by pollen evidence exists only for mead. Indication for beer is only based on indirect evidence of by-products as germinated cereal grains and possible places of production. In contrast, wine is clearly indicated by biochemical markers. If this wine was imported from the Mediterranean or could already be produced locally north of the Alps using wild vine from the forest is still an open question.
Three mires in the Hinterland of the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen at Lake Constance were investi... more Three mires in the Hinterland of the Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen at Lake Constance were investigated by pollen Analysis to get data about the history of Environment and land use.
Ch. Bockisch-Bräuer, B. Mühldorfer, M. Schönfelder (Hg.), Die frühe Eisenzeit in Mitteleuropa, Beitr. Vorgesch. Nordostbayern 9 (Nürnberg 2019), 2019
The Hallstatt period land use in Southwest was evaluated according to archaeobotanical onsite- an... more The Hallstatt period land use in Southwest was evaluated according to archaeobotanical onsite- and offsite data, plant macrofossils as well as pollen. The crop diversity is high, with cereals, pulses, as well as oil- and fiber plants. The export to consumer sites was restricted to few mainstream crops, hulled barley and spelt among the cereals. Agriculture was practiced as extensive ard cultivation with short fallow phases, the fallows used as pasture. Manuring is not proofed, but probable. In densely populated regions the land use caused considerable deforestation. The remaining woodland were used as pasture and were managed as forest with two layers, an upper layer of old oaks for construction wood and a lower layer of hazel, hornbeam and others used in short intervals to get firewood. There were already gardens with a small assemble of vegetables, spices and fruits.
The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher,
... more The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher, Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum, documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they obviously had Piper nigrum.
Forest vegetation plays a key role in the cycling of mercury (Hg) and organic matter (OM) in terr... more Forest vegetation plays a key role in the cycling of mercury (Hg) and organic matter (OM) in terrestrial ecosystems. Litterfall has been indicated as the major transport vector of atmospheric Hg to forest soils, which is eventually transported and stored in the sediments of forest lakes. Hence, it is important to understand how changes in forest vegetation affect Hg in soil and its biogeochemical cycling in lake systems. We investigated the pollen records and the geochemical compositions of sediments from two lakes (Schurmsee and Glaswaldsee) in the Black Forest (Germany) to evaluate whether long-term shifts in forest vegetation induced by climate or land use influenced Hg accumulation in the lakes. We were particularly interested to determine whether coniferous forests were associated with a larger export of Hg to aquatic systems than deciduous forests. Principal components analysis followed by principal component regression enabled us to describe the evolution of the weight of the latent processes determining the accumulation of Hg over time. Our results emphasize that the in-lake uptake of Hg during warm climate periods, soil erosion after deforestation and emissions from mining and other human activities triggered changes in Hg accumulation during the Holocene stronger than the changes caused by forest vegetation alone.
The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher,
... more The filling of two octagonal basins of a Roman Apollo Grannus sanctuary at Neuenstadt am Kocher, Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum, documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they obviously had Piper nigrum.
The Shahrizor Plain is a mountain valley bottom at ca. 800–900 m above sea level located in the f... more The Shahrizor Plain is a mountain valley bottom at ca. 800–900 m above sea level located in the foothills of the western Zagros Range in the southern part of Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Today the plain has a semi-arid climate and lies within the limits of rain-fed agriculture, where annual precipitation can vary significantly. Due to increased water consumption caused by fast urban growth, intensifying agriculture and river impoundments by dams, years with below average annual precipitation have great effects on agriculture and ecosystems in the region. These effects are intensified by machine dug wells and motor pumped water from deeper ground levels. In prehistoric and historical periods regional settlers developed different strategies to stabilize and optimize the availability of water for agriculture. Irrigation with surface and near-surface water is one of them. The present paper will compile available information that sheds light on the role irrigation may have played in the Shahrizor Plain over time and will discuss to which extent irrigation in (pre-)historical times could be traced further with data from sediment cores retrieved from Ganau Lake in the nearby Ranya Plain, data from excavations, site surveys as well as geoarchaeological investigations.
Mosses from three wells of the linear pottery culture in Saxonia were studied and their ecologica... more Mosses from three wells of the linear pottery culture in Saxonia were studied and their ecological and economical importance were discussed.
Long-term slash-and-burn experiments, when compared with intensive tillage without manuring, resu... more Long-term slash-and-burn experiments, when compared with intensive tillage without manuring, resulted in a huge data set relating to potential crop yields, depending on soil quality, crop type, and agricultural measures. Cultivation without manuring or fallow phases did not produce satisfying yields, and mono-season cropping on freshly cleared and burned plots resulted in rather high yields, comparable to those produced during modern industrial agriculture-at least tenfold the ones estimated for the medieval period. Continuous cultivation on the same plot, using imported wood from adjacent areas as fuel, causes decreasing yields over several years. The high yield of the first harvest of a slash-and-burn agriculture is caused by nutrient input through the ash produced and mobilization from the organic matter of the topsoil, due to high soil temperatures during the burning process and higher topsoil temperatures due to the soil's black surface. The harvested crops are pure, without contamination of any weeds. Considering the amount of work required to fight weeds without burning, the slash-and-burn technique yields much better results than any other tested agricultural approach. Therefore, in dense woodland, without optimal soils and climate, slash-and-burn agriculture seems to be the best, if not the only, feasible method to start agriculture, for example, during the Late Neolithic, when agriculture expanded from the loess belt into landscapes less suitable for agriculture. Extensive and cultivation with manuring is more practical in an already-open landscape and with a denser population, but its efficiency in terms of the ratio of the manpower input to food output, is worse. Slash-and-burn agriculture is not only a phenomenon of temperate European agriculture during the Neolithic, but played a major role in land-use in forested regions worldwide, creating anthromes on a huge spatial scale.
This study uses two novel archaeobotanical techniques – crop carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis... more This study uses two novel archaeobotanical techniques – crop carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and functional weed ecology – to determine directly how the intensity of agricultural practice changed from the Neolithic to the Early Iron Age in southwest Germany, with the emergence of fortified hilltop settlements (Fürstensitze or chiefly seats) regarded as the first urban centres in central Europe. The crop isotope and functional weed ecological evidence suggest that surplus cereal production in the Early Iron Age was achieved through sustained use of manure combined with expansion in arable cultivation, both developments that are connected with more widespread use of animal traction. The increased scale of cultivation is broadly apparent across rural as well as fortified hilltop centres in the Early Iron Age, and considerable variability in manuring intensity is consistent with agricultural decision-making at a local level rather than centralised control. Additionally, the more intensive manuring of hulled six-row barley, used in beer production, demonstrates that the political importance of drinking and feasting in Early Iron Age society was reflected in crop husbandry practices. In terms of animal husbandry, faunal isotope data reveal a radical decrease in forest cover, potentially reflecting an expansion in the scale of herding accompanying that of arable cultivation. Site-specific patterning points to a range of herding strategies, from specialised herding of cattle at the Heuneburg to generalised patterns of livestock management at rural sites.
Summary
Only the contents of the bronze cauldron from Speckhau Tumulus 17 Grave 1 (Altheim-Heilig... more Summary Only the contents of the bronze cauldron from Speckhau Tumulus 17 Grave 1 (Altheim-Heiligkreuztal) were subjected to botanical investigation. The study focused on fruits/seeds, moss remains, and pol-len from the deposits adhering to the cauldron wall at the base as well as those extracted from moss-es found in contact with the cauldron. The pollen results were compared with the pollen content of the Heuneburg ditch. Plant macro-remains consisted of a few charred peas (Pisum sativum), uncharred fruits or seeds of Juncus effusus and bufonius, as well as Campanula rapunculoides, Potentilla erecta and Carex flacca/flava (Tab. 1). The mosses are a mixture of Thuidium delicatulum (most common) und Thuidium tamariscinum (also common) with traces of Leucodon sciuroides and Calliergonella cuspidata that must have been intentionally collected, most probably on poor, extensively used pas-tures with only few trees and shrubs in the immediate vicinity (Tab. 1). The abundance of mosses especially in the upper part of the cauldron fill suggests that they may have been used to seal the cauldron lid, which was not preserved. In the course of the analysis of 14 samples from the residue in the cauldron 5101 pollen and spores remains were identified and recorded representing 191 pollen types (Tab 2). Their flowering period encompasses the time period from early spring to late autumn (Tab. 3). Pollen types pollinated by bees or other insects dominate the pollen profile. A comparison with recent plant distribution in the region reduced the number of species considerably (Tab. 4). These could be assigned to several ecological groups (Tab. 5). The pollen samples derived from the preserved mosses presented quite a different picture (Tab. 6): Anemophilous taxa clearly dominate. They represent local wind-blown pollen and convey a picture of an open cultivated landscape with extensive pastures and arable land with only few trees and shrubs. Eighty pollen types could be identified in the mosses, the same number as in the Heuneburg ditch sample only two kilometres away, where the pollen composition was very similar, corroborating the current sense of the Iron Age landscape in the vicinity of the Heuneburg hillfort. Keeping in mind the high biodiversity, the long flowering period and the pollen concentration repre-sented by the cauldron sample, we can assume that the cauldron at the time of the interment con-tained freshly prepared mead with a honey content of about 40%. This honey was collected from wild bee hives sometime in the autumn. There is a striking similarity between the pollen composition of the cauldron contents and that of other known honey residues from Iron Age contexts. In addition to wild plants the bees also collected pollen from several mostly cultivated edible plants, providing additional insight into Iron Age agriculture. Among the cereals barley (Hordeum-Typ), oats (Avena-Typ), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat (Triticum), could be identified, among the pulses pea (Pisum sativum), horse bean (Vicia faba) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum), among the vegetables and spices celery (Apium graveolens), dill (Anethum graveolens), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), hops (Humulus lupulus), raute (Ruta graveolens), among the fruits and nuts pomaceaous and stone fruit (Prunus Typ), walnut (Juglans regia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), raspberry and blackberry (Rubus), as well as plants used in dyeing textiles, dyers woad (Reseda luteola).
This is my personal summary of early mediaval archaeobotany focusing on the site Lauchheim, Ostal... more This is my personal summary of early mediaval archaeobotany focusing on the site Lauchheim, Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is based on a manuscript submitted to the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege for publication in their volumes together with the archaeological and other research to a later time.
Plant macrofossil and pollen results from a Late Iron Age square entanglement at Nordheim, County... more Plant macrofossil and pollen results from a Late Iron Age square entanglement at Nordheim, County of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
A huge archaeobotanical dataset from the excavation Ulm, Neue Strasse, covering the whole medieva... more A huge archaeobotanical dataset from the excavation Ulm, Neue Strasse, covering the whole medieval, diferentiated in several time slides. The most striking result is the archaeobotanical proof for regular flooding of most parts of the medieval City by the river Blau which has ist source 20 km to the northwest on the Swabian Alb and is flowing into the Danube at Ulm.
An excerpt of my diploma Thesis at Hohenheim University from 1979 dealing with the history of the... more An excerpt of my diploma Thesis at Hohenheim University from 1979 dealing with the history of the Taxus baccata forest of Paterzell, Upper Bavaria.
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Papers by Manfred Rösch
Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and
pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as
well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum,
documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were
edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open
landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates
the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the
Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The
filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they
obviously had Piper nigrum.
Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and
pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as
well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum,
documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were
edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open
landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates
the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the
Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The
filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they
obviously had Piper nigrum.
Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and
pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as
well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum,
documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were
edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open
landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates
the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the
Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The
filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they
obviously had Piper nigrum.
Baden-Württemberg contained wet preserved organic matter in high concentration. Plant macrofossils and
pollen were studied. The only evidences for cultivated agricultural plants were cereal pollen and fruits as
well as pollen of Cannabis sativa. Other cultivated plants are Apium graveolens and Rheum rhabarbarum,
documented by pollen, as well as a fruit of Piper nigrum, the latter a rather surprising find. Common were
edible plants gathered in the wild, as Humulus lupulus and several fruits. In general, a more or less semi-open
landscape with forest, shrubland, and agricultural land is indicated. According to a coin and radiocarbon dates
the basins were not filled-up in the Roman period, when the sanctuary was in use, but afterwards, when the
Roman border was shifted back to the Upper Rhein and this region was occupied by Alamannic tribes. The
filling of the basin was therefore most probably caused by those people, and it is rather surprising that they
obviously had Piper nigrum.
Only the contents of the bronze cauldron from Speckhau Tumulus 17 Grave 1 (Altheim-Heiligkreuztal) were subjected to botanical investigation. The study focused on fruits/seeds, moss remains, and pol-len from the deposits adhering to the cauldron wall at the base as well as those extracted from moss-es found in contact with the cauldron. The pollen results were compared with the pollen content of the Heuneburg ditch. Plant macro-remains consisted of a few charred peas (Pisum sativum), uncharred fruits or seeds of Juncus effusus and bufonius, as well as Campanula rapunculoides, Potentilla erecta and Carex flacca/flava (Tab. 1). The mosses are a mixture of Thuidium delicatulum (most common) und Thuidium tamariscinum (also common) with traces of Leucodon sciuroides and Calliergonella cuspidata that must have been intentionally collected, most probably on poor, extensively used pas-tures with only few trees and shrubs in the immediate vicinity (Tab. 1). The abundance of mosses especially in the upper part of the cauldron fill suggests that they may have been used to seal the cauldron lid, which was not preserved.
In the course of the analysis of 14 samples from the residue in the cauldron 5101 pollen and spores remains were identified and recorded representing 191 pollen types (Tab 2). Their flowering period encompasses the time period from early spring to late autumn (Tab. 3). Pollen types pollinated by bees or other insects dominate the pollen profile. A comparison with recent plant distribution in the region reduced the number of species considerably (Tab. 4). These could be assigned to several ecological groups (Tab. 5).
The pollen samples derived from the preserved mosses presented quite a different picture (Tab. 6): Anemophilous taxa clearly dominate. They represent local wind-blown pollen and convey a picture of an open cultivated landscape with extensive pastures and arable land with only few trees and shrubs. Eighty pollen types could be identified in the mosses, the same number as in the Heuneburg ditch sample only two kilometres away, where the pollen composition was very similar, corroborating the current sense of the Iron Age landscape in the vicinity of the Heuneburg hillfort.
Keeping in mind the high biodiversity, the long flowering period and the pollen concentration repre-sented by the cauldron sample, we can assume that the cauldron at the time of the interment con-tained freshly prepared mead with a honey content of about 40%. This honey was collected from wild bee hives sometime in the autumn. There is a striking similarity between the pollen composition of the cauldron contents and that of other known honey residues from Iron Age contexts.
In addition to wild plants the bees also collected pollen from several mostly cultivated edible plants, providing additional insight into Iron Age agriculture. Among the cereals barley (Hordeum-Typ), oats (Avena-Typ), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat (Triticum), could be identified, among the pulses pea (Pisum sativum), horse bean (Vicia faba) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum), among the vegetables and spices celery (Apium graveolens), dill (Anethum graveolens), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), hops (Humulus lupulus), raute (Ruta graveolens), among the fruits and nuts pomaceaous and stone fruit (Prunus Typ), walnut (Juglans regia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), raspberry and blackberry (Rubus), as well as plants used in dyeing textiles, dyers woad (Reseda luteola).