Plant remains from Maadi, a predynastic site in lower Egypt

Abstract

The economy of predynastic Maadi, situated on a Pleistocene terrace, was largely based upon the exploitation of the Nile valley close by. Wheat and barley were the main crop plants. Melon (Cucumis melo) was also grown, but there is no firm evidence of local pulse crop and flax cultivation. The identification of wheat grains posed problems; it is not clear whether in addition to Triticum dicoccum, free-threshing wheat (T. durum/aestivum) is also represented. Both two-rowed barley (Hordeum distichum) and the six-rowed form (H. vulgare) could be demonstrated. The arable weed flora included Lolium (temulentum), Vicia spp., Rumex (dentatus), Phalaris (paradoxa), Lathyrus hirsuta and Medicago (tuberculata). A concentration of Acacia seeds including pod segments points to the use of Acacia pods for tanning. The Nile valley produced most of the timber used by the Maadi inhabitants: Acacia, Tamarix, Salix. Scarce remains of coniferous wood (Cedrus, Juniperus, Pinus) are evidence of foreign trade.