How did bread come to Central Europe? Investigations into the role of the Neolithic settlement of Brunn am Gebirge near Vienna
Food is the basis of metabolism and, therefore, of life. The Early Neolithic settlement of Brunn am Gebirge (5700-5100 BC) provides important archaeological evidence of a significant shift in food habits and cereal meal processing techniques, which subsequently spread throughout the rest of Europe.
Food is the basis of metabolism and, therefore, of life. Its procurement and consumption have a substantial impact on the biological, cultural, psychological, sociological, and economic development of humankind. Within archaeology, a specialized field of research known as »food archaeology« has been developed. Numerous studies on the production, preparation, and consumption of food, as well as on disposal practices, within political, cultural, and economic contexts have been conducted in the last two decades.
These questions are particularly important in relation to a crucial period in human history: the Neolithic. In the late 10th and especially in the 9th century BC, societies in southwest Asia began actively transforming their natural environment. The process of Neolithization defines an epoch that fundamentally and irreversibly changed the world: hunter-gatherers transitioned into farmers, humans repositioned themselves in relation to their environment, and began to systematically change and control it. This process, spanning several millennia, ranges from the systematic utilization of new food sources such as cereals to the systematic genetic modification of plants and animals during domestication, and the invention of new technologies. The Neolithic period signifies more stable food sources and permanent, intensive settlements. The newly acquired knowledge spreads in several ways as a »Neolithic package« from the core area in Southwestern Asia towards Western Anatolia and Europe. Its emergence was preceded by a long period of experimentation and technological modification, characterized by the development of special tools for deforestation, land preparation for cultivation, and food preparation.
Grinding stones, which fall under the generic name of »tools for grinding, crushing, and pounding«, are part of this category. This classification of artifacts comprises a wide range of tool sets consisting of active and passive parts, which are crucial for processing cereals.
The Early Neolithic world of Upper Mesopotamia and the Levant is characterized by a diverse array of grinding stones, processing techniques, and products. Meals such as porridges and beers dominate in this region. Fine flour and bread became widespread only in the Late Neolithic, starting from the middle of the 7th century onwards. It is likely that some processing techniques from the Northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia spread westwards along the Anatolian coast, a hypothesis that fits with current research findings on the spread of Neolithization. Only certain aspects of these cooking traditions, including the use of mortars and pestles, reached Southeastern Europe.
However, the majority of tools characteristic of the region of origin are absent in Central Europe. The Early Neolithic settlement of Brunn am Gebirge (5585 to 5095 calBC) provides important archaeological evidence of a significant shift in food habits and cereal meal processing techniques, which subsequently spread throughout the rest of Europe.
The site was excavated by the Prehistoric Department of the Natural History Museum Vienna, under the direction of PD Dr. Peter Stadler, between 1989 and 2005 and is part of a landscape that was settled several times from the Early Neolithic to the Avar period. More than 125 longhouses are features of a large settlement, in which assemblages likely show influences from the Starčevo culture (Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania), but also introduce new elements that contributed to the emergence of the Linear Pottery, the first culture of Neolithic farmers in Central Europe. The Early Neolithic settlement of Brunn am Gebirge is a key find in Neolithic archaeology in Europe and has been presented in four (two more in pereparation) detailed monographs.
In addition to pottery, figurines, and stone tools, the most common category of finds, with over 90 discoveries, are sets of grinding stones, consisting of saddle quern-type netherstones, two-handed, and one-handed handstones. The project aims to investigate the full spectrum of grinding stones related to processing practices of cereals and cereal meals from Brunn as a key site, and to explore the transmission routes to Central Europe. Brunn is most likely the place of origin of a certain type of over-ranging handstone, which was later adopted in central and north-western Europe and became the main tool for the production of bread. This handstone is an extremely heavy and long tool that can be used to generate high pressure to grind grain into particularly fine flour. Grinding with bidirectional motion and very hard pressure with this heavy type of handstone represents a new technique in the Neolithic period in Central Europe. In this pilot project, we aim to approach this category of finds using modern techniques and methods: 3D modelling combined with macrophotography using side lighting, microscopic analysis of surface deformation, as well as residue analyses and experimental reconstructions of Neolithic recipes.
Projektleitung
Team
Kooperationen
- Caroline Posch (Natural History Museum Vienna)
- Karina Grömer (Natural History Museum Vienna)
- Peter Stadler (Natural History Museum Vienna, retired)
Laufzeit
Finanzierung
Municipal Department 7 – Culture, Science and Research Promotion of the City of Vienna