Niederwil, a palaeobotanical study of a swiss neolithic lake shore settlement

Abstract

In 1962 and 1963, excavations were carried out in the Neolithic lake shore settlement of Niederwil, in northeastern Switzerland. The site, which is dated from ca. 3700 to ca.3625 B.C. (bristlecone pine calibrated 14C dates), was founded on gyttja and overgrown by peat. In the settlement remains the conditions were favourable for the preservation of organic material. Information on the vegetation in the vicinity of Neolithic Niederwil is based upon the results of the examination of plant macrofossils, mainly wood, seeds, and fruits, recovered from the site, and upon the palynological study of sediment cores from outside the settlement. At the time the natural vegetation of the uplands consisted of Carpinion betuli forests, in which, in addition to oak and beech, various other trees and a larger number of shrubs were found (table 1). In the river valleys Alno-Padion forests with poplar, ash and elm would have been present. In consequence of cutting and grazing, open vegetations came into existence (table 2), while Prunetalia shrub vegetations expanded considerably along forest edges. The main crop plants of the Niederwil farmers were bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum), flax (Linum usitatissímum), and opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Further, wild plants would have played a more or less important part in the diet of the Neolithic inhabitants.