Inside or outside the house? On the spatial organisation of plant-related activities at the Late Bronze Age settlement of Dobbin 27, northern Germany

Abstract

Abstract In northern Germany, crop diversity was much greater in the Late Bronze Age than in previous periods. To trace this development at a local scale, we conducted an archaeobotanical case study at the site of Dobbin 27, a rural settlement in north-eastern Germany dating to the Late Bronze Age. Charred seeds and fruits were recovered and the spatial distribution of these remains was analysed in order to understand the spatial organisation of plant-related activities at the site, principally plant processing. We discovered that the inhabitants processed cereals outside the house, in open areas of the settlement. Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) were the most common finds in the archaeobotanical samples; small proportions of pulses and wild fruits and nuts were also found. This shows that a wide range of plants was used by the prehistoric community at Dobbin 27. A regional comparison of the plant macro-remains record from Dobbin 27 with that from contemporary sites reveals both differences and similarities in crop choices and other aspects of the plant economy.