Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark

Mette Marie Hald; Amy  Styring; Morten Fischer Mortensen; Tom Maltas; Doris Vidas; Peter Steen Henriksen; Anders Pihl; Peter Mose Jensen; Lotte Bach Christensen; Jesper Hansen; Scott Dollar; Torben Egeberg; Michael Borre Lundø; Niels Haue; Ejvind  Hertz; Rasmus Birch Iversen; Thomas Jørgensen; Inge Kjær Kristensen; Lutz Klassen; Niels Algreen Møller; Vibeke J. Pedersen; Mads Ravn; Katrine Vestergaard; Mads Dengsø Jessen

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736

Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark

Mette Marie Hald^*
, Amy Styring^*
, Morten Fischer Mortensen
, Tom Maltas
, Doris Vidas
, Peter Steen Henriksen
, Anders Pihl
, Peter Mose Jensen
, Lotte Bach Christensen
, Jesper Hansen
, Scott Dollar
, Torben Egeberg
, Michael Borre Lundø
, Niels Haue
, Ejvind Hertz
, Rasmus Birch Iversen
, Thomas Jørgensen
, Inge Kjær Kristensen
, Lutz Klassen
, Niels Algreen Møller

Vibeke J. Pedersen, Mads Ravn, Katrine Vestergaard, Mads Dengsø Jessen

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Keble College, University of Oxford
Bornholms Museum
Aarhus University
Holstebro Museum
Museum Sydfyn
Sønderskov Museum
Arkæologi Vestjylland
Museum Odense
Nordjyllands Historiske Museum
Moesgård Museum
Museum Nordsjælland
Museum Salling
Museum Østjylland
Museum Thy
Museum Midtjylland
VejleMuseerne
Viborg Museum

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Archaeobotanical and stable isotope analysis on plant remains from 39 sites spanning the Bronze, Iron, and Viking Ages in Denmark has been undertaken in order to investigate the development and resilience of agricultural practices, particularly through the 1250-year-long Iron Age (500 BC – AD 750). During this time, an increase in the spectrum of food resources can be seen in the archaeobotanical material. At the same time, soil enrichment of fields of barley, which increased markedly during the Bronze-Iron Age transition, remains
consistent until the Viking Age. A more broad-spectrum diet appears to tie in with agricultural extensification comprising increased scales of land use and fallowing alongside possibly less intense tillage of fields. These practices appear to have made agriculture resilient to climatic fluctuations during our study period, with the possible exception of a shift following volcanic eruptions in AD 536/540.

Original language	English
Article number	104736
Journal	Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Volume	58
Issue number	October
Number of pages	11
ISSN	2352-409X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736
Publication status	Published - Oct 2024

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10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736Licence: Unspecified

RnB: Resilience and breakpoints – exploring linkages between societal,agricultural and climatic changes in Iron Age Denmark.
Dengsø Jessen, M. (Project manager, academic), Hald, M. M. (Project participant), Henriksen, P. S. (Project participant), Baittinger, C. (Project participant), Mortensen, M. F. (Project participant), Olsen, J. (Project participant), Mikkelsen, P. (Project participant), Jensen, P. (Project participant) & Styring, A. (Project participant)
DFF Forskningsprojekt 2
01/10/2018 → …
Project: Research

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Hald, M. M., Styring, A., Mortensen, M. F., Maltas, T., Vidas, D., Henriksen, P. S., Pihl, A., Jensen, P. M., Christensen, L. B., Hansen, J., Dollar, S., Egeberg, T., Lundø, M. B., Haue, N., Hertz , E., Iversen, R. B., Jørgensen, T., Kristensen, I. K., Klassen, L., ... Dengsø Jessen, M. (2024). Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 58(October), Article 104736 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736

@article{b407cea8cee2479e9c0f49d5640d6932,

title = "Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark",

abstract = "Archaeobotanical and stable isotope analysis on plant remains from 39 sites spanning the Bronze, Iron, and Viking Ages in Denmark has been undertaken in order to investigate the development and resilience of agricultural practices, particularly through the 1250-year-long Iron Age (500 BC {\textendash} AD 750). During this time, an increase in the spectrum of food resources can be seen in the archaeobotanical material. At the same time, soil enrichment of fields of barley, which increased markedly during the Bronze-Iron Age transition, remains consistent until the Viking Age. A more broad-spectrum diet appears to tie in with agricultural extensification comprising increased scales of land use and fallowing alongside possibly less intense tillage of fields. These practices appear to have made agriculture resilient to climatic fluctuations during our study period, with the possible exception of a shift following volcanic eruptions in AD 536/540.",

author = "Hald, \{Mette Marie\} and Amy Styring and Mortensen, \{Morten Fischer\} and Tom Maltas and Doris Vidas and Henriksen, \{Peter Steen\} and Anders Pihl and Jensen, \{Peter Mose\} and Christensen, \{Lotte Bach\} and Jesper Hansen and Scott Dollar and Torben Egeberg and Lund{\o}, \{Michael Borre\} and Niels Haue and Ejvind Hertz and Iversen, \{Rasmus Birch\} and Thomas J{\o}rgensen and Kristensen, \{Inge Kj{\ae}r\} and Lutz Klassen and M{\o}ller, \{Niels Algreen\} and Pedersen, \{Vibeke J.\} and Mads Ravn and Katrine Vestergaard and \{Dengs{\o} Jessen\}, Mads",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736",

language = "English",

volume = "58",

journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports",

issn = "2352-409X",

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Hald, MM, Styring, A, Mortensen, MF, Maltas, T, Vidas, D, Henriksen, PS , Pihl, A, Jensen, PM, Christensen, LB, Hansen, J, Dollar, S, Egeberg, T, Lundø, MB, Haue, N, Hertz , E, Iversen, RB, Jørgensen, T, Kristensen, IK, Klassen, L, Møller, NA, Pedersen, VJ, Ravn, M, Vestergaard, K & Dengsø Jessen, M 2024, 'Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark', Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol. 58, no. October, 104736 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736

TY - JOUR

T1 - Farming during turbulent times

T2 - Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark

AU - Hald, Mette Marie

AU - Styring, Amy

AU - Mortensen, Morten Fischer

AU - Maltas, Tom

AU - Vidas, Doris

AU - Henriksen, Peter Steen

AU - Pihl, Anders

AU - Jensen, Peter Mose

AU - Christensen, Lotte Bach

AU - Hansen, Jesper

AU - Dollar, Scott

AU - Egeberg, Torben

AU - Lundø, Michael Borre

AU - Haue, Niels

AU - Hertz , Ejvind

AU - Iversen, Rasmus Birch

AU - Jørgensen, Thomas

AU - Kristensen, Inge Kjær

AU - Klassen, Lutz

AU - Møller, Niels Algreen

AU - Pedersen, Vibeke J.

AU - Ravn, Mads

AU - Vestergaard, Katrine

AU - Dengsø Jessen, Mads

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - Archaeobotanical and stable isotope analysis on plant remains from 39 sites spanning the Bronze, Iron, and Viking Ages in Denmark has been undertaken in order to investigate the development and resilience of agricultural practices, particularly through the 1250-year-long Iron Age (500 BC – AD 750). During this time, an increase in the spectrum of food resources can be seen in the archaeobotanical material. At the same time, soil enrichment of fields of barley, which increased markedly during the Bronze-Iron Age transition, remains consistent until the Viking Age. A more broad-spectrum diet appears to tie in with agricultural extensification comprising increased scales of land use and fallowing alongside possibly less intense tillage of fields. These practices appear to have made agriculture resilient to climatic fluctuations during our study period, with the possible exception of a shift following volcanic eruptions in AD 536/540.

AB - Archaeobotanical and stable isotope analysis on plant remains from 39 sites spanning the Bronze, Iron, and Viking Ages in Denmark has been undertaken in order to investigate the development and resilience of agricultural practices, particularly through the 1250-year-long Iron Age (500 BC – AD 750). During this time, an increase in the spectrum of food resources can be seen in the archaeobotanical material. At the same time, soil enrichment of fields of barley, which increased markedly during the Bronze-Iron Age transition, remains consistent until the Viking Age. A more broad-spectrum diet appears to tie in with agricultural extensification comprising increased scales of land use and fallowing alongside possibly less intense tillage of fields. These practices appear to have made agriculture resilient to climatic fluctuations during our study period, with the possible exception of a shift following volcanic eruptions in AD 536/540.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736

DO - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104736

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2352-409X

VL - 58

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

IS - October

M1 - 104736

ER -

Farming during turbulent times: Agriculture, food crops, and manuring practices in Bronze Age to Viking Age Denmark

Abstract

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Projects

RnB: Resilience and breakpoints – exploring linkages between societal,agricultural and climatic changes in Iron Age Denmark.

Cite this