Abstract
213 goat or sheep faeces from the Neolithic lake shore settlement of Horgen Scheller (Switzerland) were analysed for plant macrofossils. Only 51 (24%) of them contained identifiable remains. The most frequent finds were prickles of Rosaceae, probably blackberry (Rubus fruticosus s.l.). This is interpreted as food that was grazed from hedges, woodland edges or clearings in winter or spring. Faeces from summer or autumn are apparently not present. Explanations for this are discussed, among which trans-humance seems most probable.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bachmann-Voegelin F (1984) Blatten im Löatschental. Die traditionelle Kulturlandschaft Biner Berggemeinde. Haupt, Bern
Beeching A, Moulin B (1983) Sédiments anthropiques et coprolithes animaux: modestes contributions à de grands problèmes? Bull Soc Préhist Fr 80: 72–74
Binz A, Heitz C (1990) Schul- und Exkursionsflora für die Schweiz. Schwabe, Basel
Bottema S (1984) The composition of modern charred seed assemblages. In: Zeist W van, Casparie WA (eds) Plants and ancient man. Studies in palaeoethnobotany. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 207–212
Caulton E, Gibson W (1988) Etude du contenu pollinique des matières fécales d'herbivores sélectionnés. Inst fr Pondichéry trav sec sci tech 25: 301–308
Clapham AJ, Scaife RG (1988) A pollen and plant macrofossil investigation of Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay, Scotland. In: Murphy P, French C (eds) The exploitation of wetlands. BAR Br Ser 186, Oxford, pp 293–325
Eberli U (1993) Horgen Scheller. Neolithische Ufersiedlungen am Zürichsee. Lizentiatsarbeit Universitât Zürich
Hadorn P (1994) Saint-Blaise/Bains des Dames, 1. Palynologie d'un site néolithique et historique de la végétation des derniers 16 000 ans. Musée cantonal d'archéologie, Neuchâtel
Harmon GW, Keim FD (1934) The percentage and viability of weed seeds recovered in the faeces of farm animals and their longevity when buried in manure. J Am Soc Agron 28: 762–767
Jacomet S, Brombacher C, Dick M (1989) Archäobotanik am Zürichsee. Ber Zürcher Denkmalpflege Monogr 7
King FB (1977) An evaluation of the pollen content of coprolithes as environmental indicators. J Ariz Acad Sci 12: 47–52
Körber-Grohne U (1964) Bestimmungsschlüssel für subfossile Juncus-Samen und Gramineen-Früchte. Probl Küstenforsch südl Nordseegeb 7: 1–47
Körber-Grohne U (1982) Der Schacht in Fellbach-Schmiden aus botanischer und stratigraphischer Sicht. In: Planck D (1982) Eine neuentdeckte keltische Viereckschanze in Fellbach-Schmiden, Rems-Murr-Kreis. Germania 60: 154–168
Kreuz A (1990) Die ersten Bauern Mitteleuropas. Eine archäobotanische Untersuchung zu Umwelt und Landwirtschaft der ältesten Bandkeramik. Analecta Praehist Leidensia 23: 1–256
Moe D (1983) Palynology of sheep's faeces: relationship between pollen content, diet and local pollen rain. Grana 22: 105–113
Müller-Schneider P (1954) Über endozoochore Samenverbreitung durch weidende Haustiere. Vegetatio 5–6: 23–28
Piggin CM (1978) Dispersal of Echium plantagineum L. by sheep. Weed Res 18: 155–160
Rasmussen P (1989a) Leaf foddering in the earliest neolithic agriculture. Evidence from Switzerland and Denmark. Acta Archaeol 60: 71–85
Rasmussen P (1989b) Leaf-foddering of livestock in the neolithic: archaeobotanical evidence from Weier, Switzerland. J Danish Archaeol 8: 51–71
Rasmussen P (1993) Analysis of goat/sheep faeces from Egolzwil 3, Switzerland: Evidence for branch and twig foddering of livestock in the neolithic. J Archaeol Sci 20: 479–502
Richard H (1986) Analyse pollinique des niveaux archéologiques et des coprolithes. In: Pétrequin P (ed) Les sites littoraux néolithiques de Clairvaux-les Lacs, Jura. I.: Problematique générale. L'example de la station 111. Edition de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris, pp 149–153
Stöckli WE, Niffeler U, Gross-Klee E (eds) (1995) SPM II: Neolithikum. Verlag Schweizerische Gesell Ur- Frühgesch, Basel
Therkorn LL, Brandt RW, Pals JP, Taylor M (1984) An early Iron Age farmstead: site Q of the Assendelver Polders project. Proc Prehist Soc 50: 351–373
Troels-Smith J (1955) Pollenanalytische Untersuchungen zu einigen schweizerischen Pfahlbauproblemen. In: Guyan WU (ed) Das Pfahlbauproblem. Monogr Ur- and Frühgesch, Schweiz 11: 11–68
Vermeeren C, Kuijper W (1993 (1996)) Pollen from coprolites and recent droppings: useful for reconstructing vegetations and determining the season of consumption? Analecta Praehist Leidensia 26: 213–220
Watson WCR (1958) Handbook of the Rubi of Great Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Akeret, Ö., Jacomet, S. Analysis of plant macrofossils in goat/sheep faeces from the Neolithic lake shore settlement of Horgen Scheller — an indication of prehistoric transhumance?. Veget Hist Archaebot 6, 235–239 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01370444
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01370444