Late Neolithic plant subsistence and farming activities on the southern margins of the Massif Central (France)

Abstract

Seed and fruit remains from archaeological sites provide the most direct source of evidence on ancient crops and plant food resources. Earlier studies on late Neolithic sites (3500–2200 BC) in the Grands Causses and Hérault valley areas focused on cave and rock-shelter sites. Here, we discuss new and previously published archaeobotanical evidence from open-air settlements, which should be considered as more representative of the standard subsistence and farming economy. Patterns in the data have been analyzed through sample densities, diversity index, taxa ubiquities, and abundance by means of correspondence factor analysis. Contrary to what is assumed in other Western European regions for that period, the available dataset indicates that cereals were consumed and therefore probably cultivated on a regular basis in the Grands Causses and Hérault valley. The range of crops and collected wild fruits was the same in both areas but certain differences existed. As in other regions, einkorn played a significant role during the late Neolithic, but it was more common in the Hérault valley than in the Grands Causses plateaux. On the other hand, the collection of wild fruits seemed to be of more importance in the hinterland than in the littoral area. The more striking difference concerns crop processing activities and the use of glume wheat by-products. They are much more common in the Grands Causses samples.