Archaeology
Europe’s prehistoric mega-settlements were almost exclusively vegetarian
A study by researchers from the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1266 at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU), has revealed that Europe’s prehistoric mega-settlements relied on fertiliser and plant protein.
Mega-settlements of the Trypillia societies arose around 6,000 years ago in the territory of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Starting around 4,150 BC, these societies constructed large planned settlements covering areas of up to 790 acres, which many researchers argue were the earliest cities in Europe.
It was previously assumed that these large communities relied on subsistence farming, however, according to Kiel paleoecologist Doctor Frank Schlütz: “The supply of the residents of the mega-settlements was based on extremely sophisticated food and pasture management.”
But how could such large groups of people ensure their nutrition with Neolithic technology? “In order to answer this question, we have determined the carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of hundreds of samples over the last 10 years,” says Johannes Müller.
The isotopes can be used to determine how domestic animals were raised, whether crops were grown with fertiliser, and the role plants and animals played in human nutrition.
“We came to the conclusion that a large proportion of the cattle and sheep were kept in fenced pastures. And the animal dung produced there was used by people to intensively fertilise peas,” says Frank Schlütz.
This is supported by studies by the University of Kiel, which determined that Trypillia farmers relied primarily on a diet of grain and peas, in what is now Ukraine and Moldova 7,000-years-ago.
Peas and grains provide nutritional value to the human diet, but are also a balance in essential amino acids. Furthermore, the resulting pea straw likely served as feed for the livestock grazing in the pastures.
According to the study: “Because of this close connection between crop production and livestock farming, the people of the mega-settlements were able to eat adequately and healthily. The labour-intensive and resource-consuming production of meat was largely eliminated.”
Header Image Credit : Susanne Beyer, University of Kiel
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A study of archaeological sites in Winchester, England, has revealed that red squirrels served as a host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people.
Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history and is still prevalent to this day in Asia, Africa, and South America.
It has previously been suggested that the extensive trade of red squirrel fur, greatly valued during medieval times, could have contributed to the leprosy epidemic in medieval Europe.
The results of the study, published in the journal Current Biology, studied 25 human and 12 squirrel samples from two medieval sites in Winchester.
During this period, the city had strong connections to the fur trade and housed the leprosarium, a hospital that treated people with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria.
Verena Schuenemann of the University of Basel in Switzerland, said: “With our genetic analysis we were able to identify red squirrels as the first ancient animal host of leprosy.”
The study found that the medieval red squirrel strains were more closely related to human strains in Winchester, rather than to modern squirrel strains from England – suggesting an independent circulation of Mycobacterium leprae strains.
“Our findings highlight the importance of involving archaeological material, in particular animal remains, into studying the long-term zoonotic potential of this disease, as only a direct comparison of ancient human and animal strains allows reconstructions of potential transmission events across time,” says Sarah Inskip of the University of Leicester, UK, a co-author on the study.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : Current Biology, Urban, Blom, and Avanzi et al.: “Ancient Mycobacterium leprae genome reveals medieval English red squirrels as animal leprosy host.” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(24)00446-9
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project have discovered a rare lump of Tyrian purple at the grounds of the Carlisle Cricket Club in Carlisle, England.
The project is a community supported excavation by Wardell Armstrong, focusing on uncovering a Roman bath house found in 2017.
The bath house is located near the Roman fort of Uxelodunum (meaning “high fort”), also known as Petriana, in the Carlisle district of Stanwix.
Uxelodunum was constructed to control the territories west of present-day Carlisle and an important crossing on the River Eden. The fort was garrisoned by the Ala Petriana, a 1,000-strong cavalry unit, whose members were all granted Roman citizenship for valour on the field.
Previous excavations at the bath house have discovered colossal sandstone heads depicting Roman gods, in addition to engraved gems known as intaglios, figurines, animal bones, and imperial-stamped tiles.
During the latest season of excavations, archaeologists found a mysterious lump of a soft purple substance. The substance was tested by researchers from Newcastle University, revealing that it contained levels of Bromine and beeswax.
According to the researchers, the substance is Tyrian purple, a coloured dye associated with the Imperial Court in the Roman Empire. Tyrian purple is secreted by several species of predatory sea snails in the family Muricidae, rock snails originally known by the name Murex.
Frank Giecco, Technical Director at Wardell Armstrong, said: “For millennia, Tyrian Purple was the world’s most expensive and sought after colour. It’s presence in Carlisle combined with other evidence from the excavation all strengthens the hypothesis that the building was in some way associated with the Imperial Court of the Emperor Septimius Severus which was located in York and possibly relates to an Imperial visit to Carlisle.”
“It’s the only example we know of in Northern Europe – possibly the only example of a solid sample of the pigment in the form of unused paint pigment anywhere in the Roman Empire. Examples have been found of it in wall paintings (like in Pompeii) and some high status painted coffins from the Roman province of Egypt,” said Giecco.
Header Image Credit : Wardell Armstrong
Sources : Wardell Armstrong
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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