A meta-analysis of the presence of crop plants in the Dutch and German terp area between 700 BC and AD 1600

There is a long tradition of archaeobotanical research in and around the dwelling mounds, known as terps or Wurten (among other names), along the Wadden Sea coast. The present paper presents an overview of crop plants retrieved from 1,389 samples, from a total of more than 100 sites, spanning the Iron Age to the Early Modern Period. Traditionally, the area has been more associated with animal husbandry than with crop farming. The crops that do occur are often mentioned in the form of a simple list, which is presented as being constant through time and space. Despite the large number of samples available, an overview looking at the potential diversity in crop plant composition in the area across time and space has been lacking until now. The present paper shows clear trends over time, starting long before the permanent embanking of the Wadden Sea salt marshes.