What did the Swiss eat during the Bronze Age?

The Bronze Age (2200 to 800 BC) was a decisive step in the technological and economic development of ancient societies. People who lived at the time faced a range of challenges: climate change, the opening up of trade and a degree of population growth. How did they react to changes in their diet, especially in western Switzerland? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Spain conducted for the first time isotopic analyzes on human and animal skeletons along with plant remains. The scientists discovered that the use of manure became widespread over time to improve crops in response to demographic growth. The researchers also found that there was a drastic change in eating habits after the introduction of new grains, such as millet. In fact, the spread of millet reflects the need to embrace new crops following the drought that plagued Europe during this period. Finally, the team showed that the resources consumed were mainly rural. The research results are published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Today, archaeological sources for the study of the Bronze Age are limited. “This is partly due to changes in funeral rites,” begins Mireille David-Elbiali, an archaeologist at the Laboratory of Prehistoric Archeology and Anthropology in the F.-A. Trout Department in UNIGE’s Faculty of Sciences. “People have gradually abandoned the practice of inhumation in favor of cremation, thus drastically reducing the bone material required for research. And yet the Bronze Age marks the beginning of modern societies with the rise of metallurgy.” As the name suggests, societies began to work with bronze, an alloy made of copper and tin. “And this development in metallurgy required more intensive trade so that they could obtain the essential raw materials. It increased the distribution of traditional works of art, prestigious goods, religious concepts and of course people between Europe and China,” the archaeologist continues.

Diet squeezed into bones

The Neolithic period was the beginning of animal husbandry and the cultivation of wheat and barley. But what about the diet in the next Bronze Age? Argeobotany and archeo-zoology are often used to reconstruct the diet, environment, agricultural practices and animal husbandry in the Bronze Age, but these methods provide only general information. “For the first time, we decided to answer this question precisely by directly analyzing human and animal skeletons. This means that we can study the stable isotopes of the collagen of the bones and teeth that consist of them and define their living conditions, “continues Alessandra Varalli. , a researcher from UPF’s Department of Humanities and the first author of the study. “In fact, we are what we eat,” points out Marie Besse, a professor at the Laboratory for Prehistoric Archeology and Anthropology in the F.-A. Trout department at UNIGE. Biochemical analyzes of bones and teeth will tell us what types of resources were consumed. Forty-one human skeletons, 22 animal skeletons and 30 plant samples from sites in western Switzerland and Haute-Savoie (France) were studied, ranging from the beginning. until the end of the Bronze Age.

No differences between men, women and children

The first outcome of the study showed that there was no difference between the diets of men and women, and that there were no drastic changes in the diet between childhood and the adult phase of these individuals. “So there was no specific strategy to feed children, just as men did not eat more meat or dairy products than women. What’s more, when it comes to the origin of the proteins consumed, it was found that although Western Switzerland home is to a lake and rivers the diet was mainly based on land animals and plants, excluding fish or other freshwater resources, “adds dr. Varalli by. But the greatest interest of the study lies in plants that reveal societal revelations.

Agriculture adapted to climate change

“During the early Bronze Age (2200 to 1500 BC), agriculture was mainly based on barley and wheat, two cereals of near Eastern origin that were cultivated in Europe during the Neolithic period,” explains dr. Varalli. “But from the late-late Bronze Age (1300 to 800 BC), we notice that millet was introduced, a plant from Asia that grows in a drier environment.” In addition, nitrogen isotopes have revealed that fertilization has been used more intensively. “The analysis of various plant species from different phases of the Bronze Age indicates that over time there was an increase in soil fertilization. This probably increased the production of agricultural crops.”

These two discoveries together apparently confirm the general aridity that prevailed in Europe during this period, which meant that agriculture had to be adapted; and that there was a greater trade between different cultures, such as northern Italy or the Danube region, which led to the introduction of millet in western Switzerland. These new grain foods may have played an important role in the supply of the supply and may have contributed to the population increase observed in the Late Bronze Age. In fact, this grain grows faster and is drought-resistant, at a time when the climate was relatively hot and dry. Finally, the use of fertilizers went hand in hand with a general improvement in techniques, both agricultural and artisan. “This first study of dietary changes in Western Switzerland during the Bronze Age confirms what we know about the period. But it also shows the richness of the widespread intercultural exchange,” says Professor Besse with enthusiasm. We still have much to learn about this millennium, despite the scientific problems associated with the lack of available materials. “This is one of the reasons why I had to excavate the Eremita Cave with UNIGE students. It is in the Piedmont region of Italy and dates from the Middle Bronze Age around 1600 BC,” concludes Professor Besse.