Agricultural Management and Culinary Culture in the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Aegean: Archaeobotanical and Stable Isotope Insights from Region I, Xeropolis, Lefkandi

Abstract

This study reports archaeobotanical and crop stable-isotope results from Building M and its environs at Xeropolis (Lefkandi, Euboea), a key Aegean site spanning the Late Bronze–Early Iron Age transition. The results demonstrated diachronic patterns in crop use, agricultural management, and culinary practice. The assemblage included numerous food and wild plants, indicating a variable, culture-specific cuisine. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses revealed crop-specific, phase-dependent differences in water availability and manuring. During the first occupation phase, distinct cultivation regimes—likely reflecting separate field systems—were evident for most crops. In the second phase, all crops were grown under reduced manuring, possibly reflecting shifts in subsistence and plant management, underpinning periods that led to increasing socio-political stress. The data combined with comparative regional evidence, indicate that Xeropolis maintained both southern and northern Aegean contacts, reflected in its hybrid culinary traditions, while its diet was based on local and regional traditions. Overall, the study illuminates adaptability, agricultural planning, and food culture during a pivotal period, highlighting the interplay of environment, economy, and identity.