Use of woodland plant resources at the Neolithic site at Bronocice (southern Poland)

Abstract

At the Bronocice site, the analysis of macroscopic plant remains from 179 archaeological features offers significant insights into the local flora and its utilization by Neolithic communities, including the Lublin-Volhynian culture and the Funnel Beaker culture, as well as the Early Bronze Age Trzciniec culture. The remains of cultivated plants indicate the presence of fields with emmer (Triticum dicoccon) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum) as primary crops, with common millet (Panicum miliaceum) gaining importance during the Bronze Age. Among the wild herbaceous plants, which are currently interpreted as weeds or ruderals, species such as goosefoot (Chenopodium t. album) as well as rye brome (Bromus secalinus), black bind-weed (Fallopia convolvulus), and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) may have served as food sources. Charcoal analyses reveal a predominance of oak (Quercus sp.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), suggesting that oak and oak-pine woodlands with an open canopy were prevalent near the settlement on the loess belt of southern Poland. These woodlands likely supported a diverse array of trees and shrubs, including birch (Betula sp.), lime (Tilia sp.), maple (Acer sp.), and ash (Fraxinus excelsior). The presence of fruits such as wild apple (Malus sylvestris), common hazel (Corylus avellana), elderberry (Sambucus sp.), and wild strawberry (Fragaria sp.) in the plant assemblages indicates their use for food and medicinal purposes. The macroscopic plant remains from new trenches at Bronocice suggest an actively managed and exploited landscape, reflecting the inhabitants’ reliance on their environment and their impact on the local landscape over prolonged occupation.