Exotic plants from Roman waterlogged sites in London

Abstract

An extensive range of plant remains was recovered from seven Roman sites in London where waterlogged conditions had resulted in good preservation. In the majority of cases the “artificial” nature of urban deposits precludes any objective ecological interpretation, since the allochthonous origin of the plant remains cannot be satisfactorily established. However, the presence of exotic plants in dated deposits is of both botanical and archaeological significance and is here artificially treated as an autonomous group. This varied group of plants (excluding carbonized cereals) is arranged according to their use and put in archaeological and botanical perspective. Species such as cucumber ( Cucumis sativa), gold of pleasure ( Camelina sativa), peach ( Prunus persica), olive ( Olea europaea) and millet ( Panicum miliaceum) have not been recorded from Romano-British sites before. For many of these plants their status, either as introductions or imports, is uncertain. Whichever is the case, it is clear that a wide variety of economic plants was available in Roman London.