Plant Remains and What Else? Environmental Archaeology of the Late Hellenistic Pit Fills of Sexaginta Prista, Northern Bulgaria

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study combines several categories of environmental remains retrieved from machine-assisted water flotation samples, originating from the pit field of the Late Hellenistic archaeological site of Sexaginta Prista (2c. BC – 1c. AD), located on the River Danube in North Bulgaria. The analysis of the different organic remains, such as archaeobotanical macro-remains (seeds, wood charcoal and ‘food crusts’), fish scales, molluscs and animal bones, aims at exploring the possible utilisation scenarios of the pits, including crop/food storage and preparation, disposal activities and ritual practices and also allowed for a preliminary past-environmental reconstruction of the site during the study of interest.