TY - JOUR
T1 - New integrated molecular approaches for investigating lake settlements in north-western Europe
AU - Brown, Antony
AU - Fonville, Thierry
AU - van Hardenbroek, Maarten
AU - Caver, Graeme
AU - Crone, Anne
AU - McCormick, Finbar
AU - Murray, Emily
AU - Mackay, Helen
AU - Whitehouse, Nicki J.
AU - Henderson, Andrew C. G.
AU - Barratt, Phil
AU - Davies, Kim
AU - Head, Katie
AU - Langdon, Peter
AU - Alsos, Inger
AU - Pirrie, Duncan
N1 - Funding Information:
The research presented here was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/M005259/1).
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.
PY - 2022/9/28
Y1 - 2022/9/28
N2 - Lake settlements, particularly crannogs, pose several contradictions - visible yet inaccessible, widespread yet geographically restricted, persistent yet vulnerable. To further our understanding, we developed the integrated use of palaeolimnological (scanning XRF, pollen, spores, diatoms, chironomids, Cladocera, microcharcoal, biogenic silica, SEM-EDS, stable-isotopes) and biomolecular (faecal stanols, bile acids, sedaDNA) analyses of crannog cores in south-west Scotland and Ireland. Both can be effective methods sets for revealing occupation chronologies and identifying on-crannog activities and practices. Strong results from sedaDNA and lipid biomarker analyses demonstrate probable on-site animal slaughter, food storage and possible feasting, suggesting multi-period, elite site associations, and the storage and protection of valuable resources.
AB - Lake settlements, particularly crannogs, pose several contradictions - visible yet inaccessible, widespread yet geographically restricted, persistent yet vulnerable. To further our understanding, we developed the integrated use of palaeolimnological (scanning XRF, pollen, spores, diatoms, chironomids, Cladocera, microcharcoal, biogenic silica, SEM-EDS, stable-isotopes) and biomolecular (faecal stanols, bile acids, sedaDNA) analyses of crannog cores in south-west Scotland and Ireland. Both can be effective methods sets for revealing occupation chronologies and identifying on-crannog activities and practices. Strong results from sedaDNA and lipid biomarker analyses demonstrate probable on-site animal slaughter, food storage and possible feasting, suggesting multi-period, elite site associations, and the storage and protection of valuable resources.
KW - British Isles
KW - Ireland
KW - lake settlements
KW - molecular archaeology
KW - sedaDNA
KW - lipid biomarkers
KW - crannogs
U2 - 10.15184/aqy.2022.70
DO - 10.15184/aqy.2022.70
M3 - Article
VL - 96
SP - 1179
EP - 1199
JO - Antiquity
JF - Antiquity
SN - 0003-598X
IS - 389
ER -