“Grassland in a jar” – an ecological view of the archaeobotanical contents of vessels from two Lusatian Urnfield Culture settlements (Early Iron Age) in north-central Poland

During the archaeological exploration of two Lusatian Urnfield Culture settlements, dated to the Early Iron Age and located in north-central Poland, 11 well-preserved clay vessels filled with waterlogged botanical remains were discovered. Their position and context led archaeologists to suggest a possible function of these vessels as foundation offerings. Accordingly, the results of archaeobotanical analyses were discussed within this context. The qualitative and quantitative richness of the subfossil samples collected from these vessels also offered an opportunity to provide data on the vegetation that developed in the vicinity of both settlements. This study focuses on grassland vegetation as a contribution to the broader history of grasslands in different European regions. The potential and limitations of reconstructing ancient vegetation and land use from archaeobotanical material of complex origin are also discussed.