Farming and hillforts: diversity and distinction of early food crops in the eastern Baltic

Duration of the project

01.06.2021. - 23.11.2021.

Countries and institutions involved in the project

flag-LV
University of Latvia
flag-EE
University of Tallinn
flag-DE
University of Rostock

Project manager

PhD Candidate Vanda Visocka

Achieved aim(s) of the project

Determination and differentiation of botanical remains from two Bronze Age settlement sites, the archaeological contextualization and dating of the macro residues.

Main activities

1) Context study of food crop finds in the hillforts by investigating the archaeological data, stratigraphy and excavation reports, also for sample selection for 14C AMS dating (Vanda Visocka, Andrejs Vasks, Uwe Sperling, Hans-Jörg Karlsen; Lembi Lõugas; University of Latvia, Rostock University, Tallinn University).

2) Sampling and analysis of food crops.

2a) Sampling of macro remains and seed imprints from pottery fabric of the Asva and Ķivutkalns assemblages (V. Visocka, U. Sperling, L. Lõugas; National History Museum of Latvia, Archaeological Research collection Tallinn University).

2b) Pottery “autopsy” – analysis of pottery collections to collect samples with seed imprints. Creating positives with moulding clay and making Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) models and additional images with digital Keyence 3D-Microscope (V. Visocka, U. Sperling; National History Museum of Latvia; HSI at Rostock University).

2c) Palaeobotanical study of the sampled food crops and identification of imprints from the pottery (Aija Ceriņa, Janta Meža and Sirje Hiie, National History Museum of Latvia, ARC Tallinn University).

3) 14C AMS dating of selected samples of charred seeds from Asva and Ķivutkalns. Sample preparation and submitting to Poznan Radiocarbon Laboratory, in Poznan, Poland.

4) Public lectures of the research results at the Rostock University and University of Latvia (V. Visocka, U. Sperling, H.-J. Karlsen).

Direct and indirect target group

Direct: Researchers of this study – 12 people

Indirect: Students and interesents of the project – 60 people (due to covid-19 it was not possible to get the desired amount of target group (250 people)).