A new research study led by Dr. Frank Schlütz from the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology at Kiel University sheds light on these crucial insights. It shows how rye has fundamentally influenced agriculture and landscapes in northern Central Europe from Roman Empire times. This cereal grain was central to their diet for more than a thousand years. It wasn’t only that it replaced other crops – the crop in many ways became a staple by slotting into a pre-existing, labor-intensive system of cultivation.
The study, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, analyzes charred rye grains unearthed during archaeological excavations on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony and in settlements across Brandenburg. The ancient grains date from the 4th – 15th centuries. They do provide unique insights into the agricultural practices of that era.
Rye’s Historical Context
In the past, farmers viewed rye as an invasive weed. They focused on developing other cereals such as wheat and barley from the Neolithic Era onward. It was rye’s undemanding nature that let it find purchase in almost any environment and flourish with relatively little care that made it a farmer’s dream. The researchers conclude that rye’s adoption and widespread growth never happened in the first place slowly.
“It did not slowly become a dominant crop as a substitute plant, but through its early integration into a labor-intensive manuring system that already existed at the time, which was mainly based on stable dung,” – Dr. Frank Schlütz
This seamless integration into established agricultural practices was key to rye’s newfound prominence. Its hardiness on barren, sandy soils proved instrumental in being able to spread it widely in the lowland regions of northern Central Europe.
Agricultural Insights from Isotope Analysis
The multi-year study employed stable isotope analyses to excavate the intricacies of rye production and harvest. It zeroed in on nitrogen, sulfur and carbon isotopes in particular. These isotopes yielded important information about the type and intensity of manuring during the period of rye cultivation.
Dr. Schlütz explains, “The nitrogen and sulfur isotopes provide us information about the type and intensity of manuring at the time, while the carbon isotopes tell us about the grain’s yield.” Pollen studies across extensive marshy areas along the North Sea coast indicate that this region likely yielded the most rye. In particular, marshy areas helped Mongolians improve rye production.
For these evaluations, we used pre-existing agricultural trial plot sites. These regions, both based in Thyrow (Brandenburg) and Halle an der Saale (Saxony-Anhalt), were all about dung fertilisation. This study illustrates how manuring practices could contribute to improving crop yields during medieval times.
Rye’s Cultural Impact
Rye’s significance extends beyond mere sustenance. German culinary traditions are illustrated vividly by signature products such as black bread and pumpernickel. These staples are enjoying a renaissance in this country’s cuisine. Production and regulation of rye surpluses in the Middle Ages were equally important in developing social hierarchies.
Dr. Schlütz noted, “There is much to suggest that the accumulation and control of rye surpluses during the Middle Ages was a means for the upper classes and the church to consolidate their dominant position.” This underscores the far-reaching impacts of agricultural practices on not just the environment, but societal hierarchies and power dynamics throughout history.