Subsistence and population development from the Middle Neolithic B

The present study aims to explore the hypothesis of a link between a population increase derived from intensified food production and the development from the widespread cultural diversity of the Middle Neolithic B (MNB) to the cultural unity towards the end of the Late Neolithic (LN) in Southern Sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0301938
Main Authors: Winther Johannsen, Jens, Laabs, Julian, Bunbury, Magdalena M. E, Mortensen, Morten Fischer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Growth
History
Multiculturalism
Population
Subsistence economy
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The present study aims to explore the hypothesis of a link between a population increase derived from intensified food production and the development from the widespread cultural diversity of the Middle Neolithic B (MNB) to the cultural unity towards the end of the Late Neolithic (LN) in Southern Scandinavia. We explore this through quantitative modelling of radiocarbon dates, aoristic time series of material culture and palynological data. On this basis, we propose three main results that may explain the transformation: (1) A supra-regional population increase, culminating in the middle of the LN (c. 2100 BCE). (2) A depopulation in Western Jutland at the transition from the MNB to the LN (c. 2400-2300 BCE) counterbalanced by a population increase in North and East Denmark. (3) A population boom in Southern Sweden around 2250-2000 BCE, possibly leading to migrations towards west. Furthermore, we propose an overall decline in population in the final LN (c. 1850 BCE).
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0301938