Investigating the Dietary, Economic, and Social Practices of a Neolithic Funnel Beaker Community in Wanna, Germany, Through Raw Material and Organic Residue Analyses of Pottery

This study details the analysis of an assemblage of Funnel Beaker pottery from Wanna in Northern Germany investigated using petrographic, geochemical, and organic residue analyses. The analyses revealed specialized production of pottery vessels for funerary contexts, but that domestic and funerary pottery were used intensively to process animal products. Dairy fats dominated, underlining the important role of domestic ruminants to the economy of the community at Wanna. Lack of evidence of aquatic resource processing suggests key differences in the dietary habits of the Funnel Beaker West group compared with preceding and neighbouring cultural groups.