Historical artificially created island settlements in Northern Europe, so-called crannogs, were a center for the elite of society, according to DNA analyzes. This was the conclusion of a team under the direction of Antony Brown from the University of Southampton using sediment samples in and around Crannogs in Scotland and Ireland. The data indicates that people stored grain in Crannogs and held valuable animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs and wild deer. The working group published its results in the specialist magazine »Antiquity«.
The islands that still exist today date back to more than 6000 years ago and were scattered in northern European lakes, including in Scotland and Ireland, until the 17th century. The crannogs usually have a diameter of about 30 meters and are about three meters high. In order to better understand life in these places, Brown's working group separated the contained DNA from these sediments. So, for example, they found remains of fern. Presumably, the residents use complete fern fronds as bedding for animals, underlay for humans or as roofing material.
The team was also able to reconstruct the phosphorus content of the lake and derive from the fact that people disposed of garbage and animal and human waste products in the water. Mineralogical analyzes also showed many small, angular and porous apatit shards - a mineral that is contained in teeth and bones. The researchers interpreted this find as bone fragments of slaughterhouse waste. The various biomolecules and material from the sediment kernels suggest that the crannogs were places of battle, food storage and perhaps also ceremonial festivals, according to the authors.
