Multiproxy bioarchaeological analyses reveal subsistence shift in Bronze Age Central Europe

Changes in past subsistence strategies reflect the adaptation of human societies to climatic, environmental, and cultural settings. Despite being a resistant, flexible, and nutritive crop, millet only sporadically became a staple crop in Europe and is nearly forgotten today. This raises the question of the cultural dimensions associated with the adoption or rejection of millet. We use a multi-isotope dataset from Bronze Age Poland (2200 to 1000 BCE) coupled with radiocarbon dates to identify dietary practices and associate them with cultural and environmental conditions. We (i) revise the earliest evidence for millet consumption in Europe to 1590 ± 50 calibrated years (cal) BCE instead of 1460 ± 40 cal BCE, (ii) reconstruct dietary shifts at the group and individual level, (iii) suggest environmental instead of cultural mechanisms behind millet adoption, and (iv) reveal land-use shifts associated with millet cultivation, showing no strong evidence for a demic diffusion model. The gained insights into crop integration processes can help in discussing coping strategies for present-day challenges.