West of Eden: pioneers and colonising farmers in early Neolithic western Europe

The Early Neolithic of western Europe was introduced by colonists, not by local hunter-gatherers adopting agriculture. Three colonisation events are considered: the Impressa/Cardial of the West Mediterranean coasts; the Linearbandkeramik or LBK of central Europe; and the British and Irish Neolithic. These three all spread much faster than ethnographic cases of farmers in tropical forests, suggesting a different mechanism was operating. I argue that socially-perceived stress levels were lowered at the start of each of the colonisation events. The outcome was linear ‘chain’ migration, not ‘wave of advance’ migration. Ecological conditions mean that pioneers went ahead, to start house construction and establish the coppices that the settlement would depend upon. They probably took draft oxen with them to move large house timbers, and lactating cows to provide a daily food supply. Large quantities of hazel withies (thin pliable stems) were likely brought from the parent settlements. All three colonisation events probably proceeded in linear fashion, along the coasts of the West Mediterranean and the seas around Britain, and along the rivers of central Europe – the latter being easier ways forward than migrating overland. In the Mediterranean and probably Britain, enclaves of hunter-gatherers were bypassed by ‘leapfrog’ colonisation. Boats were vital to all three colonisation events; probably these were most commonly made of animal hide stretched over frames. • First farmers in western Europe were immigrant colonists using chain migration. • Pioneers moved ahead to build new houses and establish coppices. • Colonisation was linear, along coasts or large braided rivers in the interior. • Colonisation proceeded much too fast for wave of advance models. • Watercraft technology was sophisticated, mainly involving boats of animal hide.