Archaeobotanical Investigation Research Articles

Adaptive Dynamics of Settlement Models in the Urban Landscape of Termez (Uzbekistan) from c. 300 BCE to c. 1400 CE

The archaeological site of Ancient Termez is located in southern Uzbekistan. Despite the arid environment, the city benefited from its strategic position near two rivers, the Amu Darya and the Surkhan Darya. Its significance was mainly related to the expansion of trade routes connecting Eurasia. The city comprises several enclosures that attest long-term human-environment interactions. In order to identify the adaptive dynamics of the settlement models during an extended chronology covering the period from c. 300 BCE to c. 1220 CE (Greco-Bactrian/Yuezhi, Kushan, Kushano-Sasanian, and Islamic periods), a multidisciplinary study has been carried out, which includes: (1) archaeological excavations in several areas of the urban complex; (2) pedestrian surveying inside some enclosures and in the urban periphery; (3) an aerial survey based on high-resolution satellite imagery; (4) AMS dating of charcoal and bone samples; (5) archaeobotanical investigation through anthracological analysis; (6) zooarchaeological studies. The results point to variations in the development of the inhabited spaces, in which abandonment and occupation took place. The zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data demonstrate the exploitation of natural resources in different environments (i.e., arid areas and irrigated land) and a certain evolution during the period considered.

Exploring prehistoric plant use by molecular analyses of Neolithic grave goods

At the site of Grotta Mora Cavorso (Lazio, Italy), an unusual archaeological find, made of two coarse pottery vessels, was recovered from burial levels radiocarbon dated to 6,405–6,275 bp. These artefacts were analysed using several methods, for interpretation of the cultural practices of the earliest inhabitants in central Italy. This first molecular evidence about the potential processing and storage of poppy-based products in Neolithic pottery was obtained by detecting ancient DNA (aDNA) and chemical compounds. This study represents the second evidence from the Mediterranean area of the use of Papaver L. (poppies), although the actual use(s) of these plants then, for example as sedatives, drugs, or food, remains uncertain. Also, the employment of Olea europaea L. (olive) derivatives in foods or for other purposes was suggested, in agreement with the recovery of fruit stones at the site. The results of the present archaeobotanical investigation show the environmental knowledge of the first prehistoric communities living in central Italy, who might have shared their ethnobotanical practices.

Dietary Stories of One Household: Multi-proxy Study of Food Remains at Dominikonų St. 11 in Vilnius Between 15th-18th Century

This article presents research results from the archaeological excavation in the territory of Dominikonų St. 11 in Vilnius Old Town. In order to present as thorough dietary reconstructions of people who lived here as possible, four groups of evidence were combined together: archaeological artifacts, historical datasets, zooarchaeological research and archaeobotanical investigation. The analyzed materials are covering a wide chronological range (between 15th and 18th century) allowing us to observe the dietary changes in relation to architectural development, spatial distribution. This research shows changes in human diet across time from pre-Palace human diet consisting of grain and cattle meat to imported oysters, veal, game, and wines during the Palace period.

The resilience of pioneer crops in the highlands of Central Asia: Archaeobotanical investigation at the Chap II site in Kyrgyzstan

This paper presents archaeobotanical research results from an occupation horizon of the Chap II site left by the earliest known farming community in the Central Tien Shan mountains in the current territory of Kyrgyzstan. The archaeobotanical samples were recovered from well-defined contexts in domestic waste pits, house floors, fireplaces, and an oven, all of which date to a narrow period of occupation between 2474 and 2162 cal BCE (based on n-14 AMS dates). The archaeobotanical assemblage is dominated by the SW package crops of bread wheat and naked barley. Those are the only species to have progressed further east across the mountain ranges of Central Asia during the earliest wave of crop dispersal. However, other species in small quantities were also identified at the Chap II site, such as T. durum/turgidum and T. carthlicum, possibly glume wheats and hulled barley. Here, we argue that the dominant compact morphotypes seen only in bread wheat and naked barley caryopses hint toward a selection for the specific adaptive traits of cultigens that enabled successful agriculture in high-altitude ecogeographies. Large variations in cereal caryopses size possibly indicate that crops endured stress (e.g., insufficient nutrients, water, or other) during plant development. More research is needed for a better understanding of the developmental plasticity between different crop species and the formation of unique landraces in diverse environmental niches in the past.

Crops on the Rocks: Production, Processing, and Storage at the Early Medieval Site of Senhora Do Barrocal (Municipality of Sátão, Central Portugal).

Small rural places are largely absent from early medieval written sources, but they were profuse and relevant in regional settlements and economies. Only through archaeological and archaeobotanical investigation is it possible to unveil their structure and productive strategies; however, this kind of investigation is still uncommon in Iberia. Here, the assemblage of fruits/seeds, wood charcoal, and food remains from Senhora do Barrocal (SB) (Sátão, Portugal) will be presented and discussed in order to understand the crop production, processing, and storage. The site was destroyed by a fire somewhere between the 10th and the 11th centuries AD, which allowed the preservation of abundant plant remains in a storage area. Charcoal analyses suggest that the building was made with oak and chestnut timber. The massive fruits/seeds assemblage was dominated by cereals, mostly oat and rye, but also barley, millet, and naked wheat, some fully dehusked, others still hulled. Furthermore, evidence of food products has also been found, suggesting that the area was used for the storage of multiple foods and crops at different processing stages. SB is a good example of how communities adopted a diverse set of crops and multifaceted storage strategies to prevent food shortages and to endure in a harsh environment.

Pearl millet and iron in the West African Sahel: Archaeobotanical investigation at Tongo Maaré Diabal, Mali

Recent archaeobotanical analysis revealed that the botanical remains from the site of Tongo Maaré Diabal (Mali) are composed primarily of pearl millet remains (up to 85%). Contemporaneous West African sites (500–1200 Cal AD) usually display more diverse patterns, especially by the end of this period. Indeed, contemporary urban sites of the West African Sahel often comprise combined and diversified farming systems of millet (Pennisetum glaucum), African rice (Oryza glaberrima), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Echinochloa sp. and fonio (Digitatia exilis). This article seeks to explain the near-exclusive focus of Tongo Maaré Diabal’s agricultural economy on millet, particularly with regard to the site’s status as a settlement of iron workers.

The first comprehensive archaeobotanical analysis of prehistoric agriculture in Kyrgyzstan

We present here the first comprehensive archaeobotanical investigation from the prehistoric farming settlement of Chap I (1065–825 cal bce), located in a high altitude valley in the central Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan. A total of 40,651 plant remains (seeds, chaff and other plant parts) have been identified, making this archaeobotanical study the first of its kind from Kyrgyzstan to enable a wider discussion on cultivated crop taxa including diversity of varieties and morphotypes within the same crop species, along with crop cultivation and processing practices. Additionally, the analysis of wild plant taxa permits a significant interpretation of crop weeds and the surrounding landscape ecology at the site. The crop assemblage at the site is dominated by Hordeum vulgare (naked and hulled barley) varieties, consisting of thousands of individual grains and chaff fragments recovered from all analysed contexts. The other crops consist of Triticum (free-threshing and possibly glume wheats), Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet), Setaria italica (foxtail millet) and Pisum sativum (pea). The wild plant spectrum suggests an open landscape created by humans, dominated by water and nitrogen demanding plants that were growing in a well-watered, possibly irrigated landscape at an altitude of 2,000 m a.s.l. The weed taxa also suggest that possibly both summer and winter crops were cultivated. Finally, we provide illustrations of recovered plant remains and list crop identification criteria, aiming to facilitate future archaeobotanical research in Central Asia.

Farming and multi-resource subsistence in the third and second millennium BC: archaeobotanical evidence from Karuo

Over the past years, archaeobotanical studies have clarified much of the process of dispersal and adaptation of crops across Asia. However, the development of farming systems that could function in the high-altitude environments of Tibet requires more in-depth consideration. In this article, we present the results of the systematic archaeobotanical investigation at Karuo, a third millennium BC site in eastern Tibet. We argue that millet cultivation was possibly practiced at the site and that it was likely an important aspect of the economy from 2700 to 2100 cal. BC. The role of millet in the cultivation system might have declined after the mid-second millennium BC, during which time wheat—a grain originating in southwest Asia—appeared at the site. In addition to farming, evidence of foraging, hunting, and fishing are present suggesting a diverse subsistence strategy. The diversification of human diets may have contributed to the long-term occupation of the site. Taking a broad regional perspective into account, the diverse spectrum of subsistence strategy engaged by Karuo people provides new insights into the understanding of early lifeways on the Tibetan Plateau.

Towards the Mid-Late Holocene Environment of Mochena Borago Rock Shelter, Wolayta, South Ethiopia

With the objective of understanding the mid-late Holocene subsistence pattern and the local ecology, archaeobotanical investigation was conducted on soil samples collected from 29 contexts from the rock shelter site of Mochena Borago. The samples were collected by the French Archaeological Mission in 2000 and 2001 field seasons. Flotation was carried out using bucket and 2.0 mm mesh size sieve. Recovered botanical remains were classified based on size and grain morphology. Seed analysis was conducted at 5-20x magnification. A total of 112 seeds and fruit stones were identified which include 55 Sapindaceae cf. Deinbollia type (dune soap-berry), 33 Myrtaceae cf. Syzigium guineense type (sometimes called waterberry), 9 Plectranthus edulis (Wolayta dinich/potato), 7 Euphorbiaceae Croton sp. (rushfoil), 2 Cordia cf. africana (wanza in Amharic), 1 Ebenaceae cf. Diospyros (commonly known as ebony trees), 1 Olea europea ssp. africana (Olive Oil). Plectranthus edulis is an indigenous crop for the study area and Cordia cf. africana and Olea europea ssp. africana are reported for the first time in archaeological context of the whole region of Ethiopia. The study provided data on the ancient economy and ecology of the site in a region where archaeobotanical research is limited.

From Bronze Age Hillfort to Capital City New Radiocarbon Dates and the First Archaeobotanical Investigation at the Vilnius Castle Hill

The ‘Castle Hill’ represents the core territory of Vilnius, around which gravitated urban development, eventually culminating in the foundation of the capital of Lithuania. However, we know very little about the earliest occupation on Castle Hill - how it developed over time, and what the activities were of the people that inhabited the site. While the study of plant remains can provide a crucial insight into human staple foods, agricultural activities and the palaeoenvironment, previous attempts of archaeobotanical investigations of such an important cultural heritage site was cut short due to the outbreak of World War II.Here is presented the first archaeobotanical analyses from the territory of Castle Hill together with new radiocarbon dates stretching from the 8thcentury BC until the 14thcentury AD. The primary archaeobotanical analyses in combination with published datasets from adjacent regions around Castle Hill show that the diversification of crops and the introduction of various crop rotation practises during the 8-13thcenturies AD. Here, for the first time, attention is drawn to the agricultural strategies in medieval Vilnius that likely played a pivotal role in the formation and development of the city.

An archaeobotanical investigation on the beginning of rice agriculture in Gimpo, Korea

An archaeobotanical investigation on the beginning of rice agriculture in Gimpo, Korea

Dental calculus reveals diet habits and medicinal plant use in the Early Medieval Italian population of Colonna

The community of Colonna (Rome, Central Italy), dated back to 8th–10th century CE, was characterized by a poor quality of life. In the present archaeobotanical investigation, we obtained a detailed qualitative reconstruction of the food habits of this Medieval population. To do it, light microscopy and GC–MS techniques were applied on the dental calculus of specimens exhumed from the cemetery of Colonna archaeological site, an approach never performed before on Italian Medieval samples. The identification of starch grains and other plant microfossils (e.g. pollen, phytoliths) showed a nutritional plan coherent with coeval poor classes, consisting of both C3 (e.g. Triticum sp.) and C4 (e.g. Sorghum bicolor) plant species, with a particular intake of acorns (Fagaceae) and legumes (Fabaceae) rich in proteins. Chromatographic analysis revealed the use of a large variety of foods: oil-rich seeds and fruits, aquatic resources (e.g. fish, molluscs, algae), animal derivatives (e.g. eggs, meat, milk, dairy products), Brassicaceae, Rosaceae fruits, aromatic herbs (Lamiaceae), mushrooms, wine and tea. In addition, specific markers of medicinal plants (e.g. Digitalis sp., Hyssopus officinalis, Artemisia sp., Ephedra sp.) evidenced the pharmaceutical culture of this historical period. Finally, the present work also amplified the knowledge about past environment, trade, plant uses and customs.

Archaeobotanical Investigation of Charred and Desiccated Fruit Stones and Seeds from Late Holocene Contexts in Kassala and its Environs: Window to Past Ecology and Subsistence

With the aim of reconstructing the Late Holocene palaeoenvironment and vegetation history of Kassala and its environs, archaeobotanical investigation was conducted on charred and desiccated fruit stones and seeds. These botanical remains were recovered by dry screening from various contexts in three excavation squares. The excavations were conducted by the Italian Archaeological Expedition in East Sudan (IAEES) at the site of Mahal Teglinos, Kassala, northeast Sudan in the years 1991, 2013 and 2014. Identification and comparative study was conducted in the laboratories of Addis Ababa University and the Bio-archaeological Research Center of the National Museum of Oriental Art, Rome. A total of 1771 (n=1771) charred and desiccated fruit stones and seeds are identified belonging mainly to five species: Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi, Celtis integrifolia, Vigna unguiculata and Grewia bicolor. The botanical remains are dated to the early second millennium BC when the area was populated by several Gash Groups (along the Mereb river). The identification of the macrobotanical remains indicated that the site of Kassala and the Ethio-Eritrean and Sudanese low-lying border region was characterized by semi-arid and sub-humid tropical environmental conditions by the Late Holocene. Keywords: fruit stones, seeds, semi-arid, Late Holocene, Eritrea-Sudanese border

Did Greek colonisation bring olive growing to the north? An integrated archaeobotanical investigation of the spread of Olea europaea in Greece from the 7th to the 1st millennium bc

This paper discusses the distribution of archaeobotanical remains of Olea europaea (olive) across space and through time in mainland Greece and the Aegean from Neolithic to Hellenistic times (7th millennium-1st century bc) in order to explore the history of olive use in the study area. Olive stones and olive charcoal retrieved from prehistoric and historic sites on mainland Greece and the islands offer the basis for a discussion of the context and processes involved in the introduction of olive cultivation to the study area. The olive was nearly absent for most of the Neolithic and only appears in the southern parts of mainland Greece and the islands towards the end of the period. From the Early Bronze Age onwards it becomes increasingly visible in the archaeobotanical record. A possible cause for the introduction and increased presence of the olive during the Bronze Age could have been for oil production for elite use and trade. From the Bronze Age palaces of the 2nd millennium bc to the Hellenistic kingdoms towards the end of the 1st millennium bc, the olive thrived and was introduced northwards to new terrain, more marginal for olive growing than the warm lands of southern Greece. This introduction of olives to the northern Aegean region could be attributed to Greek colonisation and the increase in later times to a gradually increasing need for olive oil, perhaps associated with the emergence of new lifestyles, such as training in gymnasia.

Phytolith evidence of historical rice cultivation at Wormsloe Historic Site, Georgia, USA

Despite much of the environmental history of Wormsloe Historic Site, Georgia, having been previously documented and described, the aspect related to whether rice cultivation was ever performed on-site still has not been entirely defined. The main goal of this study is the archaeobotanical investigation of soil samples collected from a salt marsh at Wormsloe where rice cultivation is suggested to provide a more definitive answer to this aspect. The study employs phytolith analysis to reveal evidence of past agricultural practices on-site related to rice cultivation. The results reveal the presence of phytoliths belonging to the rice genus, with some indicating a domesticated nature. Cultivation was likely done for subsistence purposes by the African American community living on the property. Preliminary radionuclide analysis suggests the soil samples may be older than 100years. For the first time in Wormsloe's history, concrete evidence suggesting that rice was indeed cultivated on-site has been obtained, while also casting some light on local African American agricultural practices. The results of this study fill a gap in Wormsloe's environmental history, and increase Wormsloe's cultural, historical, and archaeological significance both at the regional and the national level. Ultimately, this study provides a reliable method to further investigate historical rice cultivation in other areas within the Wormsloe Site as well as along the southeastern United States.

Environmental context and the role of plants at the early medieval artificial island in the lake Paklicko Wielkie, Nowy Dworek, western Poland

This paper reports the archaeobotanical investigation of the early medieval lake site near Nowy Dworek, in the west of Poland, focussing on the role of plants on and around the site. The construction of a small, artificial island in a lake similar to Irish crannogs, traces of a wooden bridge and archaeological artefacts all indicate that the site was a special place for the local Slav community in the 9th–10th centuries ad. Plant macroremains and pollen also demonstrate the uniqueness of the place. A large number of the cultivated and wild plant taxa are connected with the local environment and reveal an interest in plants as an element of beliefs. Pollen from dung pellets provides information about plants used as fodder and complements the picture of plant communities on the land around the island.

Archaeobotanical remains from the mid-first millennium AD site of Kaerdong in western Tibet

In this study, we present the preliminary result of archaeobotanical investigation at Kaerdong in western Tibet. The result shows that agropastoralism with combined strategies of foraging, hunting and fishing was in practice at the location between approximately 455 and 700 cal. AD. Our results also show that herding animals grazed at meadows above 4300 m above sea level (masl), and dung was used as fuel. The presence of a rice grain together with spikelet bases indicates that rice was a component of food resources possibly as a result of a trade and exchange system. In addition, tatary buckwheat grains were also recovered at the site.

The First Farmers of Ukraine: an Archaeobotanical Investigation and AMS Dating of Wheat Grains from the Ratniv-2 Site

Pirmieji Ukrainos žemdirbiai: Ratniv-2 objekto archeo-botaniniai tyrimai ir kviečių grūdų datavimas radioaktyviosios anglies metodu (AMS)Šiame straipsnyje pateikiami archeobotaninių tyrimų rezultatai iš Ratniv-2 archeologinio objekto, esančio Vakarų Ukrainoje, priklausančio linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūrai. Augintų kultūrinių augalų ir piktžolių įvairovė atspindi įprastą linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojų augintų augalų racioną, kuris labai panašus visuose šios kultūros paplitimo regionuose. Datavimas gautas tiesiogiai tiriant kultūrinius augalus, aptiktus Ratniv-2 objekte, parodė, kad ši kultūra išplito iki pat Ukrainos jau pirmoje savo stadijoje, tai yra gerokai anksčiau nei prieš tai manyta. Nauji archeobotaniniai duomenys ir datavimo rezultatai, pristatyti šiamestraipsnyje, padėjo eliminuoti anksčiau pateiktas teorijas apie žemdirbystės laikotarpį ir geografinę kilmę Ukrainoje. Tikėtiniausia, kad linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojai yra pirmieji, vertęsi žemdirbyste Ukrainos teritorijoje.

Multidisciplinary study of a Lateglacial-Holocene sedimentary sequence near Bologna (Italy): insights on natural and anthropogenic impacts on the landscape dynamics

This study investigated a Lateglacial to Holocene sedimentary sequence derived from a small catchment located at San Lazzaro di Savena in the surroundings of Bologna Emilia (Northern Italy), in which different buried soil horizons were investigated in order to delineate the physiographic evolution of the area. Several disciplinary/analytical approaches including pedostratigraphy, geochemistry, radiocarbon dating, archaeobotanical investigation and δ13C stable isotopes analyses were taken into account for the pedosequence characterization. This multidisciplinary approach allowed us to identify the main factors that affected the ancient environment over a prolonged time interval (∼12 ky); starting from 14 ky BP with a palaeosol ascribed to the Bolling period, cold-arid conditions characterized by a steppic vegetation gradually evolved toward a more humid (and slightly warmer) setting. This climatic change allowed the development of a forest constituted by abundant conifers at ca 10 ky BP. Humans also impacted on the environment, at least since 9 ky BP, as indicated by repeated traces of firing (plausibly for deforestation and land clearance). The data allow a comparison with findings provided by other neighbouring sites and contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationships between climatic and anthropogenic impacts on the landscape dynamic. The human impact on the landscape has been effective from the Mesolithic, earlier than usually considered in previous studies. Anthropogenic activities caused geomorphological and hydraulic instabilities within the basin, accelerating soil erosion as indicated by the increase of the estimated sedimentation rates and change in the type of geochemical, mineralogical and textural properties of the studied soils.

Changes in crop cultivation during the last five centuries before the Roman conquest: archaeobotanical investigation in the Clermont-Ferrand basin, Massif Central, France

For several decades, a growing number of protohistoric sites in Auvergne (Massif Central, France) - mostly excavated through preventive archaeology - have been subject to the collection of archaeobotanical analysis. This study presents the archaeobotanical results from ten La Tene sites dating from the last five centuries before the Roman conquest. In addition to providing an inventory of taxa, this paper concerns crops and crop cultivation methods. These results are interpreted in a wider context, dealing with crop husbandry, arable farming, storage and consumption practices. The sites are located in the Limagne plain within a fifty kilometre radius around the city of Clermont-Ferrand. A total of 23,579 carpological remains were identified from 163 sediment samples totalizing a volume of 1096 liters. Comparable to other sites in Gaul, the spectrum of cereals and pulses is restricted. Spelt (Triticum spelta), einkorn (Triticum monococcum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) are disappearing or become rare. A better control of agricultural techniques and increased yields are supposed during the ca. five centuries of the La Tene period. Mixed cultivation is hereby replaced by the sowing of monocrops. At the beginning of this period, farming systems are dominated by a polyculture of cereals and pulses. They become more specialized during the last two centuries before the Roman conquest; diversity of cereals and pulses is decreased.