POTENTIAL AND RECOMMENDATIONS: AGRARIAN BOTANICAL DATA FROM WESTERN NORWAY POTENTIAL AND RECOMMENDATIONS: AGRARIAN BOTANICAL DATA FROM WESTERN NORWAY Kari Loe Hjelle University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen
[email protected] Lisbeth Prøsch-Danielsen Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger
[email protected] Eli-Christine Soltvedt Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger
[email protected] ABSTRACT Palaeobotanical sampling in relation to legally required rescue excavations from agrarian contexts, has been carried out for half a century, with increased effort since the introduction of mechanical top-soil stripping from the 1990s. Development instigated excavations have increased our knowledge of the agricultural history of Western Norway, and highlighted the importance of systematic palaeo botanical sampling. Samples with charred seeds and other macro scopic plant remains, as well as in-context pollen samples, are only available through archaeological excavation. These data represent the primary data set for understanding the development of farming, cultivation and land-use practices. Each site is a step towards greater knowledge of the development of agrarian societies. In this paper we present samples from house remains, cultivated fields and clearance cairns found in the collections of the University Museums of Bergen and Stavanger. The time periods covered are the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age (2200–1100 BC), Late Bronze Age (1100–500 BC), Early Iron Age (500 BC–AD 550) and Late Iron Age (AD 550–1030/50). In Rogaland, samples from house structures dominate the record, whereas samples from cultivated fields are more numerous further north. This is discussed in relation to natural resources and collection strategies, and gaps of knowledge related to archaeological periods and geographical distribu- tion are identified.