Balneaves: The Botanical Remains

Abstract

Samples were taken from the ditch and various pits within the enclosure and processed foi carbonised remains. All samples were wet sieved using mesh sizes of 1mm and 300ji and the material from the coarse flot (1mm) was sorted. Of the thirty six samples taken, twelve produced small amounts of carbonised plant material. The results from these seven ditch and five pit samples form the basis of this report.A list of the species identified in each context is given below in Tables 6 and 7. Evidence for cereal grain is scant. Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) and barley (Hordeum sp.) are present. Both are known from the Bronze Age in Britain and in Scotland emmer appears to remain the commonest wheat into the Roman period and beyond (Jones 1981, 106). The evidence for emmer comes from a single grain and fragments of chaff from the ditch (context 1002A) near the entrance of the enclosure. A fragment of hulled barley was also found in the SW section of the ditch (context 1003). This fragment appeared to be twisted which suggests that the six-row variety is present. One other fragment of barley (possibly hulled) is present in context 1103A in Pit 10 (a large pit to the S of the enclosure).