  (Abridged) We present palaeoeconomy reconstructions for pre-modern
agriculture, with the Cucuteni-Trypillia Cultural unity (5,400-2,700 BC, modern
Ukraine, Moldova and Romania) as example. The starting point of our analysis is
the palaeodiet structure suggested by archaeological data, stable isotope
analyses of human remains, and palynology. We allow for the archeologically
attested contributions of domesticated and wild animal products to the diet,
develop plausible estimates of the yield of ancient cereal varieties cultivated
with ancient techniques, and quantify the yield dependence on the time after
initial planting and on rainfall (as a climate proxy). Our conclusions involve
analysis of the labour costs of the agricultural cycle of both an individual
and a farmer's family. Finally, we put our results into the context of the
exploitation territory and catchment analysis. The simplest economic complex
based on cereals, domestic and wild animal products, with fallow cropping,
appears to be capable of supporting an isolated, relatively small farming
community of 50-300 people (2-10 ha). Our results strongly suggest that dairy
products played a significant role in the dietary and labour balance. The
smaller settlements are typical of the earliest Trypillia A but remain
predominant at the later stages. A larger settlement of several hundred people
could function in isolation only with technological innovations, such as manure
fertiliser and ard tillage. Very large settlements of a few hundred hectares
could function only if supported by satellite farming villages and stable
exchange networks. We also discuss, quantify and assess some strategies to
mitigate the risks of arable agriculture associated with strong temporal
fluctuations in the cereal yield, such as manure fertilisation, increased
fraction of cereals in the diet combined with producing grain surplus for
emergency storage.
