Early Neolithic forest farming at Seven Springs, Martlesham, Suffolk inferred from sedaDNA and pollen

The importance of small wetlands and springs to Mesolithic cultures is well established. However, few studies have focused on their significance and use by Early Neolithic agro-pastoralists. Here we present a multiproxy palaeoenvironmental analysis, including authenticated sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), at Seven Springs, Martlesham, UK, indicating that the springs provided an attractive location for pastoral and ritual activity around a palaeochannel surrounded by dense woodland. We demonstrate that sedaDNA can be preserved well within stratigraphically complex wetland sediment sequences, allowing archaeologically valuable insights into crucial periods of change in the prehistoric, where other forms of environmental evidence can be scarce.