Mesolithic hazelnut roasting – Experiments and their implications on subsistence and consumption strategies

Abstract Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) are considered as a staple in Mesolithic subsistence, decisive for early Holocene land use strategies. According to pollen analyses, ethnographic and historic accounts hazelnuts provided high return harvests. Roasting structures potentially served for the processing of nuts into large scale staples and therefore had an important economic role. As yet, the related nut technologies remain poorly understood and could not be replicated successfully. By controlled experiments we provide detailed data on the roasting process, its efforts and implications. Roasting in hot sand proved as a most efficient technology, capable of processing large amounts of nuts loss-free in a short time. These data help to quantitatively substantiate early Holocene nut economy and related land use strategies. Experiments on cracking and grinding of roasted nuts and analyses of resulting use wear supply references for future investigations in nut processing sites and their equipment. A significant improvement of flavour and processability were the most important advantages of roasting. However, shelf life could not be prolonged by roasting, neither for ripe nor for green nuts. Based on these results we discuss, if nuts served as a fat storage or were roasted for immediate consumption during feasting.