ABSTRACT

A consistent theme in British prehistoric studies is a perceived lack of evidence for settlement and agriculture in the Neolithic (c.4000 cal BC – 2500 cal BC), which then increases in prevalence during the Bronze Age. This lack of evidence for Neolithic settlement and farming has been linked to a collapse of agriculture associated with population decline and climatic deterioration from c.3600 cal BC onwards, with population recovery and the resumption of widespread agriculture in the later 3rd millennium cal BC. Updated palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from Lairg, Sutherland, incorporating a high-resolution Bayesian chronology based on 14C dates from 20 samples indicate that mixed agriculture (including cereal cultivation) continued in this area during the proposed Middle – Late Neolithic agricultural recession described above. We suggest that an existing reliance on barley, which is more tolerant of cooler, wetter conditions than other cereals, and the use of well-drained sites within the landscape allowed cereal cultivation to continue in the face of climatic deterioration. We also suggest that a lack of high-resolution chronologies for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and a reliance on woodland clearance as a proxy for agriculture could potentially obscure pollen evidence for Middle and Late Neolithic farming. Issues of chronological precision in legacy datasets are addressed.

摘要

英国史前研究的一个一致主题是，人们认为缺乏新石器时代（约公元前 4000 年至公元前 2500 年）定居和农业的证据，而在青铜时代，这种现象越来越普遍。新石器时代定居和农业证据的缺乏与公元前约3600年以来人口减少和气候恶化有关的农业崩溃有关，而在公元前3世纪后期人口恢复和广泛农业的恢复。来自萨瑟兰莱尔格的最新古环境重建，结合了基于 20 个样本的 14C 日期的高分辨率贝叶斯年表，表明在上述拟议的新石器时代中晚期农业衰退期间，该地区继续存在混合农业（包括谷物种植）。我们认为，现有的对大麦的依赖比其他谷物更能耐受凉爽、潮湿的条件，并且在景观中使用排水良好的地点使得谷物种植能够在气候恶化的情况下继续进行。我们还认为，缺乏高分辨率的古环境重建年表以及依赖林地清理作为农业的替代指标可能会掩盖新石器时代中晚期农业的花粉证据。解决了遗留数据集中的时间顺序精度问题。我们还认为，缺乏高分辨率的古环境重建年表以及依赖林地清理作为农业的替代指标可能会掩盖新石器时代中晚期农业的花粉证据。解决了遗留数据集中的时间顺序精度问题。我们还认为，缺乏高分辨率的古环境重建年表以及依赖林地清理作为农业的代表可能会掩盖新石器时代中晚期农业的花粉证据。解决了遗留数据集中的时间顺序精度问题。