Plant Subsistence Strategies in NW Anatolia and SE Europe
From The Observatory
Date
March 11, 2026
Location
Otto Wagner Postsparkasse, Georg-Coch-Platz 2, Vienna
Area
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The talk provides an overview of early plant subsistence strategies and their spatial and chronological variations in Northwest Anatolia and Southeast Europe, based on subfossil macro-botanical data, and discusses the process of Neolithization in the 7th and early 6th millennium BC.
Key Speaker: Hüreyla Balci
Participants
OeAI
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The OeAI is an institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Austria's largest research institution in the field of archaeology and classical studies, with around 150 employees. Its core task is to study the history of mankind from the Quaternary period to modern times, taking into account material archaeological sources and written records.
Moving beyond simplistic diffusion models, the research frames Neolithization as a mosaic of localized adaptations rather than a uniform transition. The results reveal a mostly cereal-centered plant economy across all sites, with pulses and gathered plants integrated in site-specific ways. The people integrated their farming and herding knowledge when they migrated and settled in the region. Along with that, they developed new niches such as dairy production, hunting, gathering, and fishing. Many criteria could affect their subsistence preferences. Moreover, sometimes flavor alone can be a motivator; the taste sensation/taste memory of a community sometimes can be a selective factor in plant choices.
These patterns reflect how ecological niches, cultural preferences, and adaptive behaviors jointly shaped the uptake and modification of the Neolithic way of life. By introducing first-hand archaeobotanical dataset (Barcın Höyük, Bahçelievler, Aşağı Pınar and Hoca Çeşme) from Northwest Türkiye and emphasizing intra-site and inter-site variability, this research contributes to broader discussions on the diversity of early agricultural practices. It underscores the importance of regional perspectives in understanding the complex dynamics of Neolithization.
