Corded Ware Culture Plant Gathering at the Narva-Jõesuu IIB Settlement and Burial Site in Estonia

Abstract

Plant use of the Corded Ware Culture (2800–2000 cal BC) communities in Estonia and more broadly in the eastern Baltic area has not been systematically studied using archaeobotanical methods. This article presents the first archaeobotanical study from a Stone Age context in Estonia, and discusses plant use at the Corded Ware Culture settlement and burial site of Narva-Jõesuu IIB in the north-eastern part of the country. Analysis revealed the first occurrence of water chestnut (Trapa natans) from a Stone Age context in Estonia and numerous common hazel (Corylus avellana) nutshells. Otherwise, the plant material preserved in the sandy soils of Narva-Jõesuu IIB consisted of charred remains of conifers and heathland species, as well as plants from scrubs or forest edges. The plant species that were found reflect the mosaic nature of the environment surrounding the site. Only wild plants were gathered and used at Narva-Jõesuu IIB; no domesticated plants or signs of plant cultivation were identified.