Dissertation Research - Human Migration in Early Neolithic Europe

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

Under the direction of Dr. Douglas Price, Mr. R.Bentley will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will participate in the excavation of an early agricultural site in the Rhine Valley, Germany. He will then conduct strontium and lead isotope analyses on human skeletal material recovered from this and other archaeological occurrences which date to the same time period and culture. The goal of the research is to understand the process which led to the appearance of domesticated crops, animals and a settled way of life in Western Europe. While scientists recognize that crops such as wheat and barley and domesticated cattle sheep and goats first appeared in the Near East and at some later date spread westwards into Europe, the mechanism which underlies this movement is unclear. In many regions such domesticates appear suddenly - possibly within the span of a single generation and are accompanied by a distinctive pottery type termed "linear band ceramic" (LBK) A lively debate exists concerning whether it was technology itself or actual populations which moved. Many archaeologists believe that the LBK phenomenon reflects the actual movement of people - a group of pioneers who spread rapidly across much of Western Europe. Other researchers note that this area was already inhabited by hunting and gathering populations and thus far from devoid of a human presence. They argue that it was not people themselves who moved but rather objects and an understanding of how to use them. According to this model local hunters and gathers learned how to plant crops, herd livestock and make pottery. The observed changes in settlement pattern were thus the result of new technology and subsistence practices. To help resolve this issue, Mr. Bentley will examine a series of skeletons from LBK sites in the Rhine valley and conduct both strontium and lead isotope analyses of bone and teeth. The human body absorbs both elements from food and the proportions of strontium and likely lead isotopes reflects their abundance in the food itself. This in turn is strongly affected by the underlying bedrock geology. Because teeth form early in an individual's life and do not remodel over time, they reflect the ratio in the region where one's early years were spent. Bone however remodels over time and bone isotope ratios reflect a later period in an individual's life. Mr. Bentley has noted that strontium isotopic values in the Rhine floodplain where LBK sites are found, differ significantly from those in the surrounding highlands where pre-existing hunting and gathering populations were located. Through analyses of these ratios, it should be possible to determine whether LBK people lived their entire lives within this area or whether they came from elsewhere. Analysis of results by sex should also provide insight into possible marriage patterns. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on cultural dynamics in prehistoric Europe. It will help to develop the application strontium isotope analysis tool to archaeological questions. It will also explore the possibility of using lead isotope analysis in the same way. Finally, it will contribute to training a promising young scientist.