- Chapter Thirty -
Figure 30.10 Model of the fortified settlement at Manching, Bavaria - based on excavation
evidence. (After Gebhart 1993 .)
surveying the topographical setting and the extent of cultivated land. Still, a relatively
exact picture of Celtic crop cultivation may be reconstructed on the basis of samples
gathered from water-sieving at more advanced excavations Qerem et al. 1985; Jerem
1986; Waldhauser 1986, Waldhauser et al. 1993; Kuster 1991, 1993; Gyulai 1994)·
The major crop was wheat, followed by rye, barley and millet. Vegetables included
mostly pulses, beans, etc; of the industrial crops, flax was cultivated and pressed
as well. Evidence for both the consumption and ritual interment of wild and
domestic fruits is also known from this period. Some such plant remains are clearly
recognizable among grave goods. Pollen diagrams contribute additional information
concerning the natural vegetation and climate.
Animal husbandry was also a significant part of the economy. Excavations are
chiefly characterized by meat consumption, while animal remains brought to light
from graves seem rather to illustrate religious beliefs. Settlement debris revealed a
dominance of bones of domestic pig and cow, followed by the remains of sheep and
goat. In addition, domestic fowl also start to occur at this time. Hunted animals
make up only a very small proportion of the refuse material but they include large
game such as wild pig and red deer. These two wild animal species also had a cultic
significance.
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY, HANDCRAFT
Stone and wood were worked on a small-scale basis in the settlements. There is
evidence for iron industry only from La Tene D. The eastern alpine region
(Burgerland) had an important role in iron production - roasting hearths to separate