Woodland around Early Neolithic settlement in the Carpathian Foothills. A charcoal analysis from Biskupice site 18 (southern Poland)

Abstract

The archaeological excavations at Biskupice site 18 uncovered the remains of at least five Early Neolithic houses associated with the Linear Pottery Culture. This site represents the earliest known stable settlement in the Wieliczka Foothills, dating back to approximately 5200–5000 BCE, marking the initial presence of agrarian societies in this region of the Carpathian Foothills. At Early Neolithic sites located in loess areas, the density of plant remains, including wood charcoal, is typically low per litre of sediment. To obtain a representative sample of anthracological material, a large number of samples were collected during the excavation from all archaeological features. In total, 1,453 samples, amounting to 4,359 L of sediment, were analysed. Despite this extensive effort, only over 2,450 charcoal fragments were recovered. However, these fragments provided sufficient data to reconstruct the local vegetation. This study discusses two possible phases of occupation, highlighting the dominance of oak (Quercus sp.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior), which are the most abundant taxa, alongside a relatively high percentage of maple (Acer sp.) and hazel (Corylus avellana). A slight shift in wood charcoal composition is observed between the older and younger phases, with an increase in pine (Pinus sylvestris) and members of the Rosaceae family, suggesting changes in wood availability or a growing openness of the local woodlands. The anthracological analysis indicates that the primary vegetation types include mixed deciduous forests with oak-dominated communities in higher elevations, and oak-ash-elm woodlands along watercourses. The data suggest that ash played a prominent role in the deciduous woodlands of the local foothills during the Atlantic phase, a phenomenon that has not previously been observed at Early Neolithic archaeological sites in the Carpathian Foothills.