Abstract
Plant records reveal remarkable evidence about past environments and human cultures. Exploiting dental calculus analysis and using a combined approach of microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, our research outlines dietary ecology and phytomedicinal practices of the ancient community of Motya (Sicily, eight to sixth century BC), one of the most important Phoenician settlements in the Mediterranean basin. Micro-remains suggest use or consumption of Triticeae cereals, and animal-derived sources (e.g., milk and aquatic birds). Markers of grape (or wine), herbs, and rhizomes, endemic of Mediterranean latitudes and the East, provide insight into the subsistence of this colony, in terms of foodstuffs and phytotherapeutic products. The application of resins and wood of Gymnosperms for social and cultural purposes is hypothesized through the identification of Pinaceae secondary metabolites and pollen grains. The information hidden in dental calculus discloses the strong human-plant interaction in Motya’s Phoenician community, in terms of cultural traditions and land use.
Highlights
Over the last decade, the analysis of microparticles entrapped in dental calculus has contributed significantly to the knowledge about ancient subsistence systems and human interaction with different environments [1,2,3,4,5]
Exploring the potential of the archaeobotany on ancient human dental calculus, in the present paper, we detailed the remarkable customs of the Motya’s Phoenician community, concerning the numerous plant species which they used for subsistence
Microparticles hidden in tartar reveal the inextricable relationship that existed between an individual and the surrounding environment
Summary
The analysis of microparticles entrapped in dental calculus has contributed significantly to the knowledge about ancient subsistence systems and human interaction with different environments [1,2,3,4,5]. The contribution of plants to the human diet remains difficult to estimate by using dental calculus, due to archaeological matrix’s multifactorial aetiology. Several factors, such as genetic predisposition, oral hygiene practices, levels of inorganic salts contained in saliva, and oral pH, contribute to calculus growth [17,18]. Some types of micro-debris (e.g., starches) are subjected to diagenetic changes, gelatinization, and mechanical destruction, which can make identification even more difficult or impossible For these reasons, not all microparticles (e.g., starches and pollen grains) have the same likelihood of conservation inside the ancient dental plaque [19]. Taxonomic identification of plant remains that are entrapped in this powerful
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