Archaeobotanical Data Research Articles

Re-examining climate-driven Malthusian collapse in Kashmir: New palaeoenvironmental context for the archaeological record

Previous syntheses of palaeoclimate and archaeological data from the Kashmir Valley have proposed that climate changes drove prehistoric settlement of the valley, based on the adaptation of West Asian winter crops to mid-Holocene warm-humid conditions ca. 5000 BP. It has been argued that these conditions enabled population growth that became unsustainable following the onset of a cold-arid phase ca. 3000 BP, with these cycles of growth and collapse again repeating ca. 2000 and 1000 BP. Here we present multi-proxy palynomorph, charcoal and sediment data indicating that from ca. 4500-1500 BP the environment of the valley was characterised by drier conditions, comparable to other regional records indicating weakening Westerly precipitation over Central Asia. Considering recent archaeobotanical data indicating the presence of both West Asian winter crops and East Asian summer millets in the valley as early as 4500 BP, we argue that rather than Malthusian cycles of growth and collapse in Kashmir, early populations likely drew on a broad range of available domesticates and varied ecotopes across the valley to allow a Boserupian response to changing Holocene climate conditions. These adaptations were likely more oriented towards flexible systems of agro-pastoralism practiced throughout the Inner Asian mountains, rather than towards developing large urban settlements as was the case in the river basins and plains south of Kashmir.

Spatial Analysis of Charcoal and Wood: The Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Hekelingen III, the Netherlands (2900–2500 BCE)

ABSTRACT This paper concerns the spatial distribution of charcoal and uncarbonized wood at the Dutch Late Neolithic wetland site of Hekelingen III, dating to c. 2900–2500 BCE, where a rescue excavation in 1980 revealed occupation units that were intermittently in use during three phases. While earlier published archaeobotanical data from Hekelingen III included only a list of charcoal identifications, rediscovered documentation from the 1980s now allows contextualization of the charcoal data. In addition, the spatial distribution of both the charcoal and uncarbonized wood data is presented for the first time. With few exceptions, the charcoal and wood spatial data indicate continuity of wood use and site function through space and time.

Vzorkování a jeho vliv na složení archeobotanických souborů z doby římské

The subject of the presented study is taken from a dissertation project by one of the authors who focused on the processing of archaeobotanical assemblages from the Roman Period. The main aim of the research was the reconstruction of selected aspects of the subsistence strategy of the population in the given period based on the evaluation of archaeobotanical data from various chronological and cultural contexts in a designated region, available to author. The analysed sets were obtained during field excavations primarily conducted in the last third of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Uniform methods of archaeobotanical sampling were not applied in the acquisition of these assemblages. Source information on the origin of the samples was considerably heterogeneous and, in many cases, distinctly fragmentary. This was the impulse behind the investigation into the question as to whether, and to what extent, the method of sampling affects the interpretive value of the investigated dataset and what are the limitations of the analysis of such a dataset. The principal aim of this study is not the archaeobotanical evaluation of samples, but rather to investigate a possible effect of their formal properties on the composition of archaeobotanical finds. The formal properties studied include the volume and the number of collected samples, and the spatial stratification of samples (context/feature). Intuitively, it would appear that the heterogeneous quality of this information may have a certain impact on the interpretive value of an archaeobotanical assemblage. We discuss the effect of the chosen method of sampling on the composition of macro-remains in archaeobotanical samples and assemblages with the use of statistical models.

Mid-Holocene Palaeoenvironment, Plant Resources and Human Interaction in Northeast Iberia: An Archaeobotanical Approach

The role of the adoption of farming economies in the transformation of mid-Holocene landscapes in Northeast Iberia is under discussion given that the Neolithization coincides with the cold climatic phase dated ca. 7500–7000 cal BP. The main aim of this paper is to assess whether human activities or climate were the main driver of vegetation changes during the Middle Holocene through the study of the archaeobotanical data from three case studies: Cova del Sardo, La Draga, and Coves del Fem. The application of diverse archaeobotanical techniques to the different plant remains provides a complete picture of the vegetation composition and plant uses. During the early Neolithic, settlement surroundings were intensively exploited for firewood, wood raw material, timber, and plant fibers. The resources were obtained mainly from deciduous and pine forests, depending on the site localization, but also from riparian zones. The diversity of plants exploited was high, not only trees but shrubs and herbs. Evidence of deforestation has been identified in the settlement surroundings in La Draga and Cova del Sardo. The combination of plant exploitation with other agropastoral activities favored the expansion of colonizing species and enhanced biodiversity at a local scale.

The Sicilian Countryside in the Early Middle Ages: Human–Environment Interactions at Contrada Castro

ABSTRACT Within the project ‘Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani Landscapes’, this paper aims to reconstruct human–environment interactions in the inland areas of Western Sicily during the Early Middle Ages through a comparative analysis of environmental archaeological data. We analyse carpological and anthracological finds and faunal remains originating from different layers of the rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), excavated in 2017–2019. The site was mainly occupied between the Byzantine and Islamic periods (late 8th to 11th c. AD). The examination of wood charcoal enabled the identification of plant species selected and exploited in the landscape of the site for each main chronological period. The archaeobotanical data indicated a precise, qualitative picture on the historical vegetation of this area, accompanied with the agricultural practices of the communities. The zooarchaeological data added further information on the reconstruction of rural economy and animal exploitation patterns. An integrated comparison of the characteristic landscape and the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data presented the dynamics of agricultural strategy, wood exploitation, and management of animal resources of an early medieval rural community in Western Sicily.

Dig out, Dig in! Plant-based diet at the Late Bronze Age copper production site of Prigglitz-Gasteil (Lower Austria) and the relevance of processed foodstuffs for the supply of Alpine Bronze Age miners.

This paper starts from theoretical and methodical considerations about the role of archaeobotanical finds in culinary archaeology, emphasizing the importance of processed cereal preparations as the "missing link" between crop and consumption. These considerations are exemplified by the discussion of abundant new archaeobotanical data from the Late Bronze Age copper mining site of Prigglitz-Gasteil, situated at the easternmost fringe of the Alps. At this site, copper ore mining in opencast mines took place from the 11th until the 9th century BCE (late Urnfield Culture), as well as copper processing (beneficiation, smelting, refining, casting) on artificial terrain terraces. During archaeological excavations from 2010 to 2014, two areas of the site were investigated and sampled for archaeobotanical finds and micro-debris in a high-resolution approach. This paper aims at 1) analysing the food plant spectrum at the mining settlement of Prigglitz-Gasteil basing on charred plant macroremains, 2) investigating producer/consumer aspects of Prigglitz-Gasteil in comparison to the Bronze Age metallurgical sites of Kiechlberg, Klinglberg, and Mauken, and 3) reconstructing the miners' and metallurgists' diets. Our analyses demonstrate that the plant-based diet of the investigated mining communities reflects the general regional and chronological trends rather than particular preferences of the miners or metallurgists. The lack of chaff, combined with a high occurrence of processed food, suggests that the miners at Prigglitz-Gasteil were supplied from outside with ready-to-cook and processed grain, either from adjacent communities or from a larger distance. This consumer character is in accordance with observation from previously analysed metallurgical sites. Interestingly, the components observed in charred cereal products (barley, Hordeum vulgare, and foxtail millet, Setaria italica) contrast with the dominant crop taxa (broomcorn millet, Panicum miliaceum, foxtail millet, and lentil, Lens culinaris). Foraging of fruits and nuts also significantly contributed to the daily diet.

Food in a colonial setting: the flora assemblage of a short-lived Seleucid-founded site in the Near East

In this paper we present the analysis of archaeobotanical material retrieved by means of flotation from well-secured features during recent excavation work carried out in 2019 and 2020 by the German-Israeli Tell Iẓṭabba Excavation Project in the Seleucid-founded town of Nysa-Scythopolis. Founded under Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 bce) and destroyed by the Hasmonaeans in the later years of John Hyrcanus (in 108/07 bce), the site offers a unique opportunity for observing the dietary habits of its settlers. The large sample size, namely the largest well-secured Seleucid assemblage ever analyzed in the southern Levant, together with its versatile provenance exhibit previously unknown information for the Hellenistic southern Levant vis-à-vis a unique case-study of high resolution systematic archaeobotanical analysis. The botanical assemblage from Tell Iẓṭabba gives a clearer picture of botanical dietary practices in Hellenistic Palestine. By presenting the archaeobotanical data of the published Hellenistic assemblages from the southern Levant, we offer a comprehensive overview of the agrarian resources cultivated and consumed as food at the time and period.

What’s new during the first millennium BCE in Greece? Archaeobotanical results from Olynthos and Sikyon

This paper investigates agricultural practices during the 1st millennium BCE in Greece. New archaeobotanical data provide fresh insights on the plant economy at the urban centers of Sikyon and Olynthos, dated to the Archaic-Classical period. The results show that the staple economy of Sikyon and Olynthos was based on a broad spectrum. However, the analysis records the presence of taxa such as sesame (Sesamum indicum) and pine (Pinus pinea) that are usually absent in assemblages from Greece. In order to understand the role and the place of these sites within the ancient Greek world, we draw a wider comparison of the ubiquity of the main economic taxa using available archaeobotanical records, covering the Protogeometric period to the end of the Hellenistic period. This paper gives an overview of plants exploited during the 1st millennium BCE and also focuses on the unusual remains recently recovered.

Intensification of agriculture in southwestern Germany between the Bronze Age and Medieval period, based on archaeobotanical data from Baden-W\xfcrttemberg

A system of farming with an alternation of land use between being cultivated or left fallow as grassland (Feldgraswirtschaft) developed in southwestern Germany since the Bronze Age. It involved fallow periods, where the arable land is left without crops in order to let it recover its fertility for several years while becoming grassland. This led to regeneration of the topsoil humus, which could later be mobilized by cultivation. With later farming systems, the supply of nutrients needed for crops could also be provided by manuring, which allowed shorter fallow periods but required the production of manure. Such cultivation systems with short or even without fallow phases and with intensive manuring are known from the medieval period as one, two or three field systems of agriculture and their development was an important step towards the intensification of farming. The current study considers on-site plant macrofossil data from archaeological sites as well as the off-site pollen data from cores in Baden-Württemberg in order to recognize the main changes towards agricultural intensification through time from the Bronze Age up to medieval times. The various landscape types included in the study area also reveal their different agricultural histories of intensification. In lowlands with good soils, the intensification can be recognized earlier and more strongly than in uplands or other marginal areas. The main shift towards intensification took place in the Roman period, which is also confirmed by written sources of the time that mention manuring as well as a kind of two field system and alternation between grassland and arable land.

A Response to Léa Drieu et al., 2020, “Is It Possible to Identify Ancient Wine Production Using Biomolecular Approaches?” (STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, DOI:10.1080/20548923.2020.1738728)

ABSTRACT Comparable to Drieu et al.’s viewpoint, we argue that it is possible to identify ancient Eurasian grape wine by current biomolecular methods, but only in conjunction with the relevant archaeological, archaeobotanical, and other natural and social scientific data. Additionally, we advocate an inductive–deductive working hypothesis model, which is appropriate for the “historical science” of archaeology. We focus on two key deficiencies of Drieu et al.’s argumentation: (1) the assumption that Guasch-Jané et al. (2004) extracted their ancient samples with potassium hydroxide before testing for tartaric acid/tartrate, and (2) the supposition that 5000-year-old yeast DNA would not be preserved in the hot climate of Egypt but rather represents modern contamination.

GATHERING AND SOWING ACROSS THE CENTRAL MAYA LOWLANDS: A REVIEW OF PLANT USE BY PRECERAMIC PEOPLES AND THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PRECLASSIC MAYA

AbstractThe recovery of macro- and microbotanicals, along with the study of chemical residues, allows us to shed light on a number of anthropological issues concerning ancient populations. This article reviews the data available to date on the plants used by preceramic peoples during the Archaic period and by the Early to Middle Preclassic Maya across the central Maya lowlands. Archaeobotanical data suggest that early preceramic populations took advantage of their ecologically rich natural environment by gathering a range of wild foods and by cultivating domesticates such as maize, manioc, and chili peppers, a pattern that seemingly continued into the Early to Middle Preclassic, as the Maya settled into village life and left more visible traces of modifications to their natural environment in the form of canals and terraces. This region is of particular interest with regard to the development of sociopolitical complexity, as mobile hunter-gatherers used domesticates during the millennia that preceded the onset of sedentary life. These early populations set the stage for patterns of plant use that endured through time, but also across space in the Maya region.

Anthropogenic soil and settlement organisation in the Bolivian Amazon

AbstractAnthropogenic soils known as Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) have long been known as a key component of subsistence systems for various pre‐Columbian Amazonian populations. Often treated as a single category, ADE systems consist of two broad anthrosols (human‐modified soils): the darker ADE (traditionally known as terra preta) and a lighter brown Amazonian Brown Earth (ABE; traditionally known as terra mulata). Data on the characteristics and spatial distribution of these anthrosols are severely lacking. Transects of soil test pits at the Triunfo and Versalles archaeological sites in the Iténez Forest, in the Bolivian Amazon, show variability in the distribution of soil types, revealing aspects of settlement organisation and resource management. Geochemical, isotopic and archaeobotanical data from an ADE, ABE and control soil profile from the Triunfo site, established ca. 500 cal BCE, characterise the two anthrosols as distinct components of a polyculture agroforestry subsistence system that combines anthropogenic soil fertilisation, closed‐canopy forest enrichment, limited forest clearance for crop cultivation and low‐severity fire management.

The transition to a barley-dominant cultivation system in Tibet: First millennium BC archaeobotanical evidence from Bangga

Historically, agricultural and culinary traditions on the Tibetan Plateau have centered on a specific variety of naked frost-tolerant barley. Single-crop-dominant cultivation systems were rare in the ancient world, and we know little about how, why, and exactly when and where this unique barley-dominant economy developed. Previous research has shown that early cultivation systems in Tibet relied on a mix of barley, wheat, and millets, and that a barley-dominant economy first formed around two millennia ago. However, systematically collected data from the transition period between a mixed-cropping and a barley-dominant system have been lacking. We present new archaeobotanical data from the Bangga site (ca. 1055-211BC) in central Tibet, and compare it with a growing corpus of data from other archaeological sites at high elevations across the plateau. We argue that a specialized barley-dominant farming system started to develop, due to a combination of ecological and social factors, at least a millennia earlier than previously recognized in central Tibet and this was eventually adopted across a large geographic area in high-altitude regions (3500 masl) of Tibet.

The southern Central Asian mountains as an ancient agricultural mixing zone: new archaeobotanical data from Barikot in the Swat valley of Pakistan

The mountain foothills of inner Asia have served as a corridor of communication and exchange for at least five millennia, using historically documented trade routes such as the Silk Road and the Tea-Horse Road. Recent research has illustrated the important role that this mountain corridor played in the dispersal of crops and farming technology between northeast and southwest Asia 5,000 to 1,000 years ago. However, the role of the mountain valleys along the southern rim of the Pamirs and Himalaya in facilitating crop dispersals has not yet been fully explored. Notably, ongoing debates over secondary dispersals of Hordeum (barley) and Triticum (wheat) into China and the routes of dispersal for the East Asian crops Oryza sativa (rice), Prunus persica (peach) and P. armeniaca (apricot) into northern India are continuing topics of inquiry. In this article, we add to these discussions by focusing on archaeobotanical remains from the Barikot site (ca. 1200 bce–50 ce) in the Swat valley of northern Pakistan. The Swat valley is an ancient settlement zone in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram foothills, whose cultural features have always had a strong link with inner Asia. The archaeobotanical assemblage illustrates that a diverse array of crops, with origins across Asia, were cultivated around the same settlement. Additionally, these farmers likely implemented seasonal cropping cycles and irrigation that required various labour inputs and water management regimes.

Use of decayed wood for funerary practices: Archaeobotanical analysis of funerary wooden artefacts from Prehispanic (ca. 400–1500 CE) Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

The island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) shows great potential for studying the wooden raw materials used by the indigenous population during the Prehispanic period based on xylological analyses from domestic and funerary contexts. This paper includes archaeobotanical data from wooden funerary artefacts recovered from several archaeological contexts of the island and deposited at El Museo Canario (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain). Our results provide pioneering data as only a few xylological and anthracological analyses have been carried out on this island. Thus, the preferential use of pinewood (Pinus canariensis) for the manufacture of most of the artefacts is suggested, although dragon tree wood (Dracaena sp.) has also been identified in some funerary boards. Wood selection criteria not focusing on healthy wood has been suggested based on a combination of the microscopic observation of fungal decay patterns and archaeoentomological data. In addition to this, morpho-technological analysis suggests extensive woodworking knowledge in a geographic context lacking metal ores. Further xylological and experimental research, including other islands of the archipelago, is needed to obtain a more comprehensive perspective of wood procurement and use during the Prehispanic period.

Gathering in the dunes. Seeds and fruits from the Gravettian levels of Cova de les Cendres (Teulada-Moraira, Alicante, Spain)

Plants were key elements of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer subsistence. However, because of methodological and preservation issues, little attention has been devoted to studying them. Nevertheless, new information has recently come to light on this topic. The Palaeolithic site of Cova de les Cendres (Teulada-Moraira, Alicante, Spain) has provided new archaeobotanical data about plant gathering during the Upper Palaeolithic, when different biotopes could have been exploited to obtain mineral, animal and plant raw materials and food. During the time of the Gravettian culture, the configuration of the environment was extremely different from the present environment. Based on the ecology of some of the documented taxa, we know that dune systems and ponds were developed near the coast, which may have been systematically visited by human groups. There, they could harvest fleshy fruits from Corema album, which could be used as food, Alkanna tinctoria, whose roots could provide dye, and leaves from Eleocharis sp., which could be used as raw material. The richness of the environment of Cova de les Cendres could explain the recurrent and intense occupations of the site.

How did trans-Eurasian exchanges affect spatial-temporal variation in agricultural patterns during the late prehistoric period in the Yellow River valley (China)?

The introduction of wheat into China between ~4500 and 4000 cal. a BP is thought to have restructured the ancient Chinese agricultural system and contributed to the formation and development of Chinese civilization. However, the spatial variation in agricultural development before and after the introduction of exotic crops across the Yellow River valley has not yet been discussed in detail. Here, we report new archaeobotanical data and radiocarbon dates from 25 sites in Sanmenxia, Henan Province, which was a hub for human migration in the middle reach of the Yellow River. Integrating our data with those of other archaeobotanical studies in northern China confirms that spatial cropping patterns in the Yellow River valley changed significantly around 4000 cal. a BP in the context of trans-Eurasia exchanges. From 7000 to 4000 cal. a BP, millet crops in the upper and middle Yellow River valley dominated the agricultural system, while mixed millet and rice agriculture developed in the lower Yellow River valley. In the subsequent period (4000–2200 cal. a BP), the cropping system in the upper Yellow River valley changed predominantly to barley and wheat agriculture, supplemented with millets. The contemporaneous cropping system in the middle and lower Yellow River valley, however, was dominated by millets, supplemented with wheat and rice. We argue that technological innovation and its dissemination in the context of trans-Eurasian cultural exchanges provided the basis for changes in the agricultural systems in northern China during the Bronze Age. Additionally, the trajectory of agricultural development was influenced by the natural environment and social change in different regions of the Yellow River valley.

ERRATUM

International Journal of OsteoarchaeologyVolume 30, Issue 4 p. 580-580 ERRATUMFree Access ERRATUM This article corrects the following: Animal use in the late second millennium BCE in northern China: Evidence from Zaoshugounao and Zaolinhetan in the Jing River valley Yue Li, Chengrui Zhang, Zhen Wang, Haifeng Dou, Huan Liu, Furen Hou, Mingzhi Ma, Yaopeng Qian, Honghai Chen, Volume 30Issue 3International Journal of Osteoarchaeology pages: 318-329 First Published online: February 4, 2020 First published: 18 August 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2903AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat In the published article of Li et al. (2020), we have made changes in the two references. The two revised references are as follows: Chen, S., Fu, W., Liu, J., Tang, L., Zhai, L., Zhao, Z., & Wen, R. (2019). Shaanxi Xunyi Zaolinhetan Yizhi Tanhua Zhiwu Yicun Yanjiu [陕西旬邑枣林河滩遗址炭化植物遗存研究]. Nanfang Wenwu, 1, 103–112. Dou, H., Wang, Z., Zhai, L., Zhao, Y., & Qian, Y. (2019). Shaanxi Xunyi Xian Zaolinhetan Yizhi Shangzhou Shiqi Yicun Fajue Jianbao [陕西旬邑县枣林河滩遗址商周时期遗存发掘简报]. Kaogu, 10, 15–32. In addition, the in-text citation for Chen et al., 2019 has also changed in the following sentences: “Most recent archaeobotanical data have shown that foxtail millets took up the largest proportion of crops at Zaolinhetan, with broomcorn millets, legumes, and barleys being grown as well (Chen et al., 2019).” “Although archaeobotanical data from Zaoshugounao are currently not available, the Zaolinhetan data indicate a very low wild/cereal ratio (Chen et al., 2019).” REFERENCE Li, Y., Zhang, C., Wang, Z., Dou, H., Liu, H., Hou, F., … Chen, H. (2020). Animal use in the late second millennium BCE in northern China: Evidence from Zaoshugounao and Zaolinhetan in the Jing River valley. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 30, 318– 329. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2860Wiley Online LibraryWeb of Science®Google Scholar Volume30, Issue4July/August 2020Pages 580-580 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Hungarian Neolithic landscapes, crops and diet – Signs of cultural decisions?

During the second half of the 6th millennium BC the Transdanubian Linear Pottery Culture (Linearbandkeramik, LBK) spread to a large area of Central Europe. This farming subsistence included parts of an agricultural system characteristic of the Early Neolithic Starčevo-Körös-Çris culture complex, setting at the same time new emphases on crop growing, stock farming and diet. Food culture belongs to the fundamental elements of human social behaviour. The use or refusal of particular crops, domestic animals as well as collected plant and animal foods from the wild is based on different strategies and food traditions and related creative processes needed. Archaeobotanical data allow a comparison of the Early and Middle Neolithic crop spectra from 21 Hungarian Neolithic sites with 39 from the Early Neolithic western LBK in Austria and Germany. The differences found between these groups are discussed and whether they result from the available regional ecological conditions or rather from cultural culinary identities.

Terrestrial diet in prehistoric human groups from southern Poland based on human, faunal and botanical stable isotope evidence

We present stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of animal and human bones from south-eastern Poland, dated to the Neolithic and the Bronze Ages. The analyses are discussed against the background of archaeobotanical data from the studied sites from Miechów and Mozgawa. The mean values of δ13C and δ15N obtained from wheat grains from south-eastern Poland were used to model human palaeodiet. Our results show high levels of plant proteins in the diet, taking into account crop grain enriched in heavy nitrogen instead of the δ15N values for plants estimated from herbivore collagen. Dental abrasion analyses suggests the contribution of a highly abrasive food component in the diet (e.g. from plants). As the number of samples was limited and there were no statistically significant differences between chronological and gender groups, we conclude that despite some small differences in carbon isotopic composition between genders, Miechów site societies were egalitarian in this respect. Despite the presence of millet in the studied area in the Bronze Age no evidence of C4 plant consumption was noted in the δ13C of human and animal bones.