The Early Neolithic site at Hoge Vaart, Almere, the Netherlands, with particular reference to non-diffusion of crop plants, and the significance of site function and sample location

The construction of a new motorway necessitated the excavation of an Early Neolithic site in the Dutch Flevopolder near the Hoge Vaart canal. In 1994- 1996, an area of ca. 1700 m(2) was excavated in 0.5 x 0.5-m squares. The ex cavation revealed 150 surface hearths and more than a hundred deep hearth p its. The finds, mainly flint and pottery, as well as C-14 dates from charco al demonstrated that the area had been used mainly during the Early Neolith ic (ca. 4900-4500 cal. B.C.). The investigation of the Early Neolithic rema ins included detailed botanical analyses of 182 samples and hand-sorting by the excavation team, which included archaeobotanists, of tens of thousands of samples sieved over 2-mm-mesh sieves. No remains of cultivated plants w ere recognised among the 87 taxa (40 identified to species level) that were preserved, mainly in carbonised form. These results are compared with othe r Early Neolithic sites studied in the Netherlands, such as Swifterbant S3 and Schokland P14. The possible significance of site function and sample lo cation as important factors influencing presence/absence of cultivated plan t remains at a particular site is discussed.