Was the Fishing Village of Lepenski Vir Built by Europe’s First Farmers?

• DOI: 10.1007/s10963-022-09169-9
• Publication Date: 2022-10-11T00:02:35Z
• Authors: Maxime Brami; Laura Winkelbach; Ilektra Schulz; Mona Schreiber; Jens Blöcher; Yoan Diekmann; Joachim Burger
• Keywords: Mesolithic; Reinterpretation; Hunter-gatherer; Settlement (finance)

Abstract It is now widely accepted that agriculture and settled village life arrived in Europe as a cultural package, carried by people migrating from Anatolia the Aegean Basin. The putative fisher-forager site of Lepenski Vir Serbia has long been acknowledged an exception to this model. Here, Mesolithic–Neolithic transition—possibly inspired interaction with new arrivals—was thought have taken place autochthonously on site. Our reinterpretation, based ancient genomes, well archaeological isotopic evidence, indicates here, too, house construction, early society were primarily associated Europe’s first farmers, thus challenging long-held view Mesolithic community adopted Neolithic practices. Although aspects site's occupation, such trapezoidal houses, local traditions, it far certain was founded Iron Gates foragers. A detailed timeline population changes at suggests incomers did not simply integrate into established society, but rather lineages households. foragers their admixed descendants largely appear buried separately, fringes settlement. diet those outside pits shows no major shift aquatic terrestrial food resources.