Wood exploitation in northern Europe during the Early Neolithic: The case study of the Funnel Beaker site of Frydenlund, ca. 3600 BCE

• Understanding wood exploitation is relevant for the understanding of neolithization. • We present charcoal data and radiocarbon dates from Early Neolithic Frydenlund. • The data shed light on the vegetation, wood use and site formation processes. • Evidence of selective use of wood for particular purposes is limited. • More studies are needed on wood use in northern Europe during the Early Neolithic. Understanding the interaction between people and their environment during the neolithization process in northern Europe requires detailed knowledge of wood exploitation by Funnel Beaker societies (4000–2800 BCE). However, although many sites from this culture are known, wood and/or charcoal analyses from such sites are scarcely available. Moreover, the focus of such analyses is often on the reconstruction of the former vegetation, while the possible selective use of wood for specific purposes is rarely investigated. Here, we present the results of a detailed charcoal analysis from the well-dated Early Neolithic site of Frydenlund in present-day Denmark. The charcoal assemblage from Frydenlund, complementing the available archaeobotanical and palynological data, indicates the presence and exploitation of deciduous woodland. Comparisons of the various samples and contexts indicate that the charcoal from all different types of archaeological contexts primarily represents secondarily deposited material. While the site only offers limited information about the possible selective use of wood, the outcomes offer a new, detailed insight into the site deposition processes at Frydenlund, highlighting the potential of archaeobotany, including wood analysis, that is of methodological relevance for the understanding of archaeological sites in any region and dating to any period. The assemblage from Frydenlund is compared with that from the slightly later causewayed enclosure site of Sarup, also of the Funnel Beaker Culture, located 2 km west of Frydenlund. Overall, the outcomes indicate the urgent need for further research to get a better understanding of wood exploitation by Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic societies and possible changing attitudes towards nature during the neolithization process.