The Neolithic Transition in Europe : evaluating diffusion mechanisims from radiocarbon proxy data, genetic variation and mathematical models

Archaeologists have been debating the processes which occurred during the Neolithic Transition in Europe for many decades. Two main hypotheses are at the fore of these deliberations. One puts the focus of the spread of farming firmly on the movement of people, a process known as demic diffusion, the other hypothesises that farming technologies, at least in some areas, spread mainly by cultural transmission. Researchers from many fields have collaborated in investigation into this complex period of time. This thesis brings together some of these disciplines in an attempt to correlate archaeological resources with scientific methodology. Four hypotheses are proposed to describe the spread of farming in Europe: no replacement of hunter-gatherers by farmers; total replacement of the same; an admixture model between the two populations and a mixed origins hypothesis which encompasses demic diffusion in some regions but spread by cultural means in others. This thesis aims to resolve which is the most probable. There are three main themes herein. The first is an introduction to mathematical models of human interaction, with specific emphasis on farmer/hunter-gatherer populations. The second is a review of genetic studies focusing on the proportions of genes of Palaeolithic or Neolithic origin in the modern day gene pool. The third, and main, focus of this thesis is an archaeological investigation using a large set of radiocarbon determinations from both European Mesolithic and Neolithic sites. This dataset is investigated as a source of proxy population data, the hypothesis being that more radiocarbon dates at any given time should represent a greater density of occupation. The results from this analysis are used to evaluate the parameters needed to determine if the processes behind the three population models can be recognised within Neolithic Europe.