Search

The settlement of Ust-Voikar is one of the unique multilayered archaeological sites of north-west Siberia. The settlement was inhabited in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period by the Ob Ugrian or northern Khanty ethnographic group. Due to the presence of a frozen cultural layer ruins of wooden residential buildings and other organic materials are well preserved. Plant macroremain, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) analyses were applied to samples of the cultural layer from different parts of buildings and from space between them to establish the vegetation cover, plants used by the population, and differences between functional zones in the buildings. For the first time, the NPP analysis combined with statistical methods were used to clarify the settlement planning and human economic activity. Plant communities around the Ust-Voikar settlement were typical for the northern taiga subzone, some settlement's areas were overgrown with weed vegetation. Residents did not engage in agriculture and used local plant resources for construction, medicinal and food purposes. According to macroremain and NPP data were reconstructed (i) the use of spruce branches and cereal bedding indoors and outdoors on wet sites; (ii) the careful use of fire indoors; (iii) the presence of animals indoors; and (iv) whipworm infection. The cluster analysis and principal component analysis of NPPs helped to clarify the planning affiliations of several samples with the unclear origin and to suggest ways in which archaeological objects were used by the inhabitants.

Based on macroremains, we describe three fossil plant assemblages from the Miocene of the Messara Basin (southern Crete) and the adjacent Gavdos Island. The palaeoflora of Kassanoi, which is the oldest (Messara Basin, Viannos Fm, Serravallian/early Tortonian), is documented mainly by leaf imprints, including a fern, a conifer (Tetraclinis cf. salicornioides) and 23 angiosperms. The assemblage is dominated by Daphnogene polymorpha, Podocarpium podocarpum and Myrica lignitum. The plant record from Pitsidia (Messara Basin, Ambelouzos Fm, early Tortonian) comprises thousands of specimens. The plant fossils are preserved as imprints often covered by an inorganic encrustation (replica). One alga, 2 ferns, at least 5 conifers and more than 45 woody angiosperms were identified. Dominant taxa are Myrica and Pinus pitsidiensis, documented by numerous vegetative and reproductive organs (Zidianakis et al., 2015, 2016). Leaves of oaks (Q. pseudocastanea, Q. kubinyii) and Daphogene polymorpha as well as twigs of Taxodium dubium are also fairly common. From the palaeoflora of Metochia, which is the youngest (Gavdos Island, Metochia Fm, middle Tortonian), (Mantzouka et al., 2015), we report further taxa, including Quercus mediterranea, Ziziphus paradisiaca and a palm (Sabalites sp.). The vegetation is assessed both empirically (phytosociologically) and by Integrated Plant Record (IPR) Vegetation Analysis. The reconstructed vegetation models are presented in detail and discussed in the context of the geological and palaeontological settings of the area. The climate is assessed based on the Coexistence Approach (CA) and the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP). The palaeoclimatic datasets reveal a warm temperate to subtropical climate, probably with a weak seasonal drought.

The paper discusses possible evidence for cereal food from seven Bulgarian archaeological sites spanning the Early Neolithic to the Early Iron Age (6th millennium BC – 1st millennium BC). It aims to increase the awareness of excavators towards such finds and to present the methods for collecting and extracting such remains from archaeological layers and their laboratory analysis. The studied remains are mainly cereal fragments, agglomerations of fragments or amorphous/ porous masses with or without visible plant tissues. They were directly collected from vessel contents or derived by means of flotation from bulk samples taken from floor layers close to fireplaces/ cooking installations. The microscopic structure of the food remains is observed and described at plant tissue level under low magnification binocular, microscope with reflected light and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). These optical examinations were applied in order to detect alterations of the microstructure of the possible food remains and hence to trace the possible ways of food preparation. All the cereal food remains from the Neolithic/Chalcolithic period represent coarsely ground cereals, while the later ones (Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age) have characteristics of finely ground cereal products and may suggest the introduction of new cooking/ baking techniques as well as shifts in food processing practices. Based on their field experience and research results the authors strongly recommend careful sampling and documentation of any charred crusts recognisable as such in vessel contents, and deposits around installations like ovens and fireplaces, which could be related to daily food preparation or ritual offerings. Such systematic study of archaeological food remains will facilitate obtaining reliable information about food preparation and consumption in the past.

The site of Ifri El Baroud has one of the longest sequences excavated in recent times in NE Morocco, covering a chronology of ca. 23–13 ka cal BP. The sequence includes Early and Late Iberomaurusian levels and offers the possibility of investigating the economic, social and environmental processes that took place during this period. In this paper we present the results of the charcoal analysis carried out at the site with the aim of reconstructing environmental alterations and changes in the use of forest resources between the LGM and the end of the Pleistocene. These results form part of multidisciplinary studies aimed at revealing the role of climatic and environmental changes in the great cultural transitions of the Late Palaeolithic. The results of the charcoal analysis show continuous exploitation of Juniperus/Tetraclinis formations throughout the sequence, so they must have been a fundamental part of the area's landscape. These data indicate that the climatic changes occurred during the study period, and according with other environmental proxies, did not have a very significant impact on the woody vegetation of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on macroremains, we describe three fossil plant assemblages from the Miocene of the Messara Basin (southern Crete) and the adjacent Gavdos Island. The palaeoflora of Kassanoi, which is the oldest (Messara Basin, Viannos Fm, Serravallian/early Tortonian), is documented mainly by leaf imprints, including a fern, a conifer (Tetraclinis cf. salicornioides) and 23 angiosperms. The assemblage is dominated by Daphnogene polymorpha, Podocarpium podocarpum and Myrica lignitum. The plant record from Pitsidia (Messara Basin, Ambelouzos Fm, early Tortonian) comprises thousands of specimens. The plant fossils are preserved as imprints often covered by an inorganic encrustation (replica). One alga, 2 ferns, at least 5 conifers and more than 45 woody angiosperms were identified. Dominant taxa are Myrica and Pinus pitsidiensis, documented by numerous vegetative and reproductive organs (Zidianakis et al., 2015, 2016). Leaves of oaks (Q. pseudocastanea, Q. kubinyii) and Daphogene polymorpha as well as twigs of Taxodium dubium are also fairly common. From the palaeoflora of Metochia, which is the youngest (Gavdos Island, Metochia Fm, middle Tortonian), (Mantzouka et al., 2015), we report further taxa, including Quercus mediterranea, Ziziphus paradisiaca and a palm (Sabalites sp.). The vegetation is assessed both empirically (phytosociologically) and by Integrated Plant Record (IPR) Vegetation Analysis. The reconstructed vegetation models are presented in detail and discussed in the context of the geological and palaeontological settings of the area. The climate is assessed based on the Coexistence Approach (CA) and the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP). The palaeoclimatic datasets reveal a warm temperate to subtropical climate, probably with a weak seasonal drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated results of micromorphology, plant macrofossil, pollen, phytolith, and non-pollen palynomorph analyses represent an important study of two thirteenth-century Teutonic Order castles at Karksi (Livonia), and Elbląg (Prussia). The research examines deposits that formed during the period of active crusading. At Karksi, the investigation of a midden and of the organic-rich sediment beneath allows the diachronic use of this area to be understood. Freshwater aquatic indicators are consistent with the occurrence of shallow stagnant water, as also suggested by a waterlaid pond sediment identified in thin-section. Coprophilous spore taxa suggest the use of the pond as a watering hole. Plant macrofossils from the midden represent a range of habitats, mostly from wet/damp areas, as well as pastures and meadows, and also woodlands. Fragments of millet are embedded within herbivore dung in thin-section showing the use of this grain as fodder. At Elbląg, parasite ova may derive from animal feces as they also occur in the dung observed in thin-section, and a range of coprophilous fungal spore taxa were extracted. The results reveal information about the range of livestock that the Teutonic Knights kept, whereabouts within the castles the animals were stabled, and what fodder was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present high-resolution, contiguous plant macrofossil records taken from two glacial cirque mountain wetland ecosystems located in the subalpine zone of the Eastern Carpathians. We provide 1) a detailed reconstruction of plant succession from mountain peatland ecosystems; 2) a possible scenario of Holocene paleohydrological changes; 3) the presence of rare plants presently considered glacial relicts, e.g. Meesia triquetra; and 4) the peat forming potential of certain plants at altitudes above 1800 m a.s.l. At Gărgălău, a gradual decrease of water level and isolation from ground water influence approximately 7000 cal yr BP trigged the colonization of minerotrophic Sphagnum species (S. teres, S. centrale and S. subsecundum). The decline of Sphagnum subsecundum ca. 3000 cal yr BP was most likely caused by an increase of water level and competiton with Sarmentypnum sarmentosum populations. In the Late Holocene, ca. 2000 cal yr BP, Selaginella selaginoides expansion was recorded, followed by the reappearance of Sphagnum populations, most likely due to a lowering of the water table. The Gropile ecosystem transformed from a shallow lake into peatland at ca. 4200 cal yr BP. The temporary presence of Warnstorfia exannulata in peat sediments ca. 2300, 1600, 1300–1200, and 700–600 cal yr BP may indicate an increase of water level and very wet habitat, or the presence of small ponds. Paleohydrological changes only partly agree at both studied wetlands, suggesting the importance of local climatic and morphological conditions on past vegetation development. According to our paleoecological data, Straminergon stramineum indicates wet stages in peatlands and cannot be considered a high peat-forming species in subalpine zones in European mountain ranges. Projected warm and dry conditions may trigger mountain peatland water tables in Eastern Carpathians to decline, potentially resulting in the expansion of moss species that demand more acidic and drier habitats, e.g. Sphagnum russowii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of species of crop plants in Central Europe increased constantly during the Bronze Age. The structure of the composition of cultivated plants was probably connected to the cultural contacts of human populations. During the Bronze Age (2300/2000–800 BC), the region of South Bohemia (Czech Republic) increasingly became the focus of long-distance trade and exchange networks with regions to the east and many other regions (the Eastern Alps, the Alpine Foreland, the central lowlands of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Western Slovakia). The aim of the paper is to examine archaeobotanical assemblages of charred plant remains to see if these changes within Bronze Age societies, and their spheres of interaction, are also recorded within their agricultural practices. In particular, the importance of specific individual crop species can be reflected in the study region in comparison with other individual regions of Central Europe. Humans in the region of South Bohemia had more connections with the Eastern Alps and the Alpine Foreland region during the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. Regarding the structure of crop species, the composition of sub/dominant crops in South Bohemia and the Eastern Alps and the Alpine Foreland had many similarities. The cultural trajectory of the human populations of the South Bohemian region changed substantially in the Late and Final Bronze Ages: intensive contacts are documented, primarily with the region of Central Bohemia. This is reflected in the composition of the sub/dominant crops in South Bohemia, which shows many similarities to the other regions of the Czech Republic. Changes in migration and exchange networks—in particular those that involved more formalised trade—are associated with a large number of innovations and specific goods and led to much wider levels of cultural and social integration within Bronze Age Europe than had been previously seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the excavation carried out at the outskirts of Hajdúböszörmény (NE-Hungary) in 2011, the remains of a 12–13th century settlement were brought to light. Linguistic and historical research has previously presumed that one of the main centres of medieval Hungary's Muslim (Ishmaelites) population is located in the northern-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain. At Hajdúböszörmény–Téglagyár '2' archaeological site several household units were systematically sampled for archaeobotanical analysis. The recovered ceramics differ from the known ceramic production of the Árpád Age, whereas significant differences were detected in the zooarchaeological assemblage, too. The archaeobotanical record, representing 23 features, consists of 2679 items of charred macro-botanical remains that belong to 54 taxa. The record is predominated by the presence of cereals among which rye (Secale cereale L. subsp. cereale) and common barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) are the most frequent. Besides the dominance of cereals, pulses and vegetables, as well as gathered fruit remains were identified. By the comparison of results to other Árpád Age sites, we assume that the revealed ethno-archaeobotanical information identifies a population that used similar plant resources, but in a different way and strategy than the known Christian population of the Carpathian Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses possible evidence for cereal food from seven Bulgarian archaeological sites spanning the Early Neolithic to the Early Iron Age (6th millennium BC - 1st millennium BC). It aims to increase the awareness of excavators towards such finds and to present the methods for collecting and extracting such remains from archaeological layers and their laboratory analysis. The studied remains are mainly cereal fragments, agglomerations of fragments or amorphous/ porous masses with or without visible plant tissues. They were directly collected from vessel contents or derived by means of flotation from bulk samples taken from floor layers close to fireplaces/ cooking installations. The microscopic structure of the food remains is observed and described at plant tissue level under low magnification binocular, microscope with reflected light and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). These optical examinations were applied in order to detect alterations of the microstructure of the possible food remains and hence to trace the possible ways of food preparation. All the cereal food remains from the Neolithic/Chalcolithic period represent coarsely ground cereals, while the later ones (Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age) have characteristics of finely ground cereal products and may suggest the introduction of new cooking/ baking techniques as well as shifts in food processing practices. Based on their field experience and research results the authors strongly recommend careful sampling and documentation of any charred crusts recognisable as such in vessel contents, and deposits around installations like ovens and fireplaces, which could be related to daily food preparation or ritual offerings. Such systematic study of archaeological food remains will facilitate obtaining reliable information about food preparation and consumption in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methods and criteria used for the identification of bryophytes from the peat deposits of four ombrotrophic mires in northern Spain are presented. Two liverworts and fifteen moss taxa were recorded. Twelve were identified to species level, two to genus level (Polytrichum sp., Campylopus sp.) and another to section level (Sphagnum sect. Acutifolia). All taxa were identified from their vegetative remains, mainly leaves. Only sporangia of Sphagnum species were recorded. Descriptions of the most relevant characters for taxa identifications are shown, accompanied by illustrations that facilitate their interpretation. A dichotomous identification key is also provided.

Early Middle Pleistocene palaeolacustrine sediments of the Ferdynandów site (E Poland), serving as a stratotype for the Ferdynandovian interglacial, were subjected to a new drilling in 2011. The obtained profile, covering the late Sanian 1 glaciation, two interglacial successions (Ferdynandovian 1 and 2), the cold Ferdynandovian 1/2 interval, and the early Sanian 2 glaciation, permitted a high-resolution plant macroremains analysis, correlated with the results of a palynological examination. In detailed studies of plant macroremains from the profile, new taxa were discovered for the Polish Pleistocene flora: specifically, species that are extinct or not found nowadays in Poland. On the basis of the taxonomic diversity and occurrence of bioindicators, the division into warm and cold units of the Ferdynandovian interglacial as well as units associated with the Sanian 1 and 2 glaciations, already applied in pollen studies, were confirmed, and the periods were described in terms of plant macroremains.

Research in the Domuraty 2 section was focused on a series of lacustrine-river-swamp deposits in which the full spectrum of vegetation and climate changes was recognised in a detailed analysis of plant macroremains and a comparison with the results of pollen analysis. Based on plant macrofossil data, two (Dom II, Dom III) of three palynologically documented warm units were distinguished in the Domuraty succession. The palaeobotanical data from the Domuraty succession document several successive local vegetation changes in both interglacial and glacial periods, which can be related to global climate oscillations. The succession of local vegetation stands and changes in the vegetation, climate, water level, and trophy during the period of the Domuraty succession were analysed and compared with corresponding parameters of the Augustovian and Ferdynandovian interglacials. The taxonomically most diverse unit is Warm unit Dom II, with the highest share of taxa with high thermal requirements, which was compared to the older Augustovian (A II) and younger Ferdynandovian (F II) units. The comparison of the Domuratovian interglacial flora to that of the Korchevian interglacial in Belarus shows high similarity; most of the extinct taxa or taxa unknown in the present-day flora are common to the Korchevian and Domuratovian floras, suggesting similar age for these two communities. However, the Domuratovian flora lacks a few species important to the Korchevian flora, such as Stratiotes goretskyi, Carex rostrata-pliocenica, Brasenia sp., Caulinia antiqua, Aldrovanda borysthenica, and A. zusii.

Lacustrine sediments at the Łuków site bear a record of the Ferdynandovian interglacial, correlated with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13-15, including two warm periods of interglacial rank (climatostratigraphic units Ferdynandovian 1 and 2) separated by cooling/glaciation (Ferdynandovian 1/2). On the basis of plant macroremains analysis, the type of local vegetation in the lake and its surroundings as well as changes in climate, trophic conditions and water level were reconstructed in detail. Ferdynandovian 1 was a time of development of tall sedge swamps. The presence of Najas marina and N. minor also suggests high levels of eutrophication, particularly in the younger part of the climatic optimum. The occurrence of Zannichellia palustris indicates habitats of variable water level and high salt content. In the terminocratic phase of Ferdynandovian 1, the communities showed the reoccurrence of Betula nana, B. humilis and Larix sp., the disappearance of thermophilous trees, and the intensification of succession processes linked to climate cooling. In the cool Ferdynandovian 1/2, Betula nana and Cenococcum geophilum increased their frequencies, most likely due to enhanced supply of mineral matter to the basin. During Ferdynandovian 2, the next climate warming of interglacial rank, communities of aquatic vegetation with the highest share of thermophilous taxa included the extinct Aldrowanda borysthenica, Brasenia borysthenica, and Scirpus atroviroides, as well as Cyperus glomeratus, a species not presently found in the flora of Poland. Another cooling in the Sanian 2 (Elsterian 2) glaciation is indicated by the development of peat communities, with numerous Carex sp., Menyanthes trifoliata, Eriophorum vaginatum, and Andromeda polifolia, accompanied by the extinct Carex paucifloroides, Caulinia macrosperma, and Potamogeton praemaackianus.

This article presents the archaeobotanical study of Taï, a Neolithic settlement located in Languedoc, southern France. In the western Mediterranean, the Neolithization process occurred during the 6th millennium BC and is supposed to have induced a fundamental change in the subsistence economy, with the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Unfortunately, the Neolithic farming economy is still poorly known in southern France, mostly from old archaeobotanical studies. At Taï, soil flotation of 127 samples provided the largest dataset available for the Early Neolithic in southern France, which testifies to the changes occurring in cultivated plants and in the subsistence economy during the Neolithic. Sampling also allowed comparisons between the archaeobotanical record inside the cave and from the outside settlement. Naked barley and naked wheat were the most cultivated plants throughout the Neolithic sequence. The contribution of emmer and the probable use of opium poppy during the Early Neolithic should also be highlighted. This encourages us to reconsider the role of glume wheats during the early stages of agriculture in the area. Einkorn was more common in the Late Neolithic, in agreement with results from other sites in the region. Chaff remains were always underrepresented. Remains of weeds and wild fruits were very abundant in the Early Neolithic samples from the cave. Wild plants were probably brought to the site for the tending of domestic animals or by the animals themselves (dung, fodder and/or litter). Livestock was most probably occasionally kept at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—: This work presents the history of study of the Neopleistocene Singil deposits, results of analysis the drilling data, and different points of view on the stratigraphy of reference sections of the Lower Volga Region. A large volume of drilling core data indicate that the Singil deposits lie between the Lower Khazar and Upper Khazar deposits, which contradicts a traditional point of view that they lie under the Khazar deposits. As an analysis of faunistical data shows a high level of similarity between the Singil and Khazar assemblages of mammals, it is proposed to consider the Singil mammal assemblage as an analog of the Khazar faunistical assemblage, probably its early phase. The main conclusion of our research is that the accumulation of the Singil deposits occurred at the terminal regressive stage of the Early Khazar basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several major cereal groups have been identified as staples used by the pre-urban, urban and post-urban phase populations of the Indus Civilisation (3200-1500 BCE): wheat, barley, a range of small hulled millets and also rice, though their proportional exploitation is variable across space and over time. Traditional quantification methods examine the frequency, intensity and proportionality of the use of these crops and help ascertain the ‘relative importance’ of these cereals for Indus populations. However, this notion of ‘importance’ is abstracted from the daily lives of the people using these crops and may be biased by the differential production (as well as archaeological survival) of individual cereals. This paper outlines an alternative approach to quantifying Indus cereals by investigating proportions of calories. Cereals are predominantly composed of carbohydrates and therefore provided much of the daily caloric intake among many late Holocene farming populations. The four major cereal groups cultivated by Indus farmers, however, vary greatly in terms of calories per grain, and this has an impact on their proportional input to past diets. This paper demonstrates that, when converted to proportions of calories, the perceived ‘importance’ of cereals from five Indus sites changes dramatically, reducing the role of the previously dominant small hulled millet species and elevating the role of Triticoid grains. Although other factors will also have affected how a farmer perceived the role and importance of a crop, including its ecological tolerances, investments required to grow it, and the crop’s role in the economy, this papers suggests that some consideration of what cereals meant in terms of daily lives is needed alongside the more abstracted quantification methods that have traditionally been applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portuguese crowberry (Corema album (L.) D. Don) is a shrub considered endemic to the Atlantic coastal dunes of the Iberian Peninsula. For many reasons, among which the most prominent are habitat loss and competition from invasive species, but possibly also due to overexploitation, the survival of several of its populations is now compromised. By promoting the identification of its archaeobotanical remains and gathering information about its past uses, the current need for conservation is emphasized. The plant has been exploited for its berries since at least the Early Neolithic and the species features in a number of historical written sources. Archaeological sites located within its current natural distribution area have yielded relatively abundant archaeobotanical finds. This evidence suggests that its distribution area was much larger in the past and has decreased rapidly in recent decades. Its archaeological importance may be misrepresented due to issues with identification, particularly outside its current distribution area. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to a higher identification rate of archaeobotanical remains of this plant, eventually leading to a more thorough recognition of its past importance and contributing to its present conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed millet and rice agriculture is a unique agricultural style of China, and is distributed in a broad band between the Yangtze and Yellow River basin. However, the development of this style during the Neolithic-Bronze Age has not been comprehensively clarified, owing to limited archaeobotanical data and imprecise chronology for most of the regions. Here, the Central Plain, a location where mixed agriculture may have first appeared, was selected as the area for research. Phytolith and macrofossil analyses from the Zhuzhai site, together with the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon dating of samples, reveal information about the temporal changes of mixed agriculture as well as the domestication and cultivation of crops in this region. The results indicate that mixed millet and rice agriculture formed in the Central Plain about 8000 years ago. Common millet was the principal crop in the Peiligang and Yangshao periods, with the domestication process beginning in the Peiligang period and continuing up to the Shang period, at which time it was replaced by foxtail millet. Foxtail millet may have gone through a significant degree of domestication by ca. 6000 cal. BC, but its domestication process was still unclear. Rice had appeared since the Peiligang period, but its proportions were always low. Rice assigned to the Peiligang and Yangshao Cultures was the domesticated japonica, and its cultivation was always performed in dry field systems through the Neolithic-Bronze time. Within the subsistence economy, mixed agriculture was a minor component during the Peiligang period, but has been dominant since the Yangshao period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nowadays Najas flexilis is believed to be extinct in Poland, Germany, and Switzerland, while in other European countries it is classified as endangered or vulnerable. During the Early and Middle Holocene the species occurred throughout much of Europe, but in the Late Holocene it underwent a significant decline and reduction in range following, as it is believed, the gradual cooling of the climate and/or the eutrophication and acidification of lakes caused by human activity. The article recognizes the existence and disappearance of slender naiad in the palaeolake at the Hieronimowo site, NE Poland, during the Eemian Interglacial and at the beginning of the last glaciation (Vistulian, Weichselian), when lake transformations were caused solely by natural factors without human impact. Results of palynological and macrofossil analyses reveal that the appearance of slander naiad in the studied water body was probably triggered by the change of its pH and trophic status, resulting from the start of spruce and pine expansion stimulated by climate worsening during the younger part of the hornbeam phase (E5 R PAZ) in the middle Eemian. The appearance of spruce and pine in the area of the lake led to its acidification and oligotrophication, and that caused the strong and rapid development of N. flexilis. The species existed in the palaeolake at the Hieronimowo site through the spruce (E6 R PAZ) and pine (E7 R PAZ) phases, until the end of the Eemian Interglacial. These observations suggest that regressive transformations of the environment typical for the late part of the interglacial cycle, 'unsupported' by human activity, do not lead the extinction of N. flexilis. Quite the opposite, these processes promote this species. Its disappearance started only at the beginning of the Early Vistulian (Weichselian), and it was probably caused by a drastic decrease in temperatures and/or by the development of green algae, which limited light availability on the bottom of the water body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent archaeobotanical studies on hunter-gatherer sites in the steppes of central western Patagonia, Chile, reveal new data on the use of plant resources throughout the Holocene, often previously assumed to be unimportant. The plant macroremains from two cave sites, El Chueco 1 (~11,500-180 cal bp) and Baño Nuevo 1 (∼10,800-3,000 cal bp), indicate that hunter-gatherers used locally available plants, of both restricted and extensive distributions, during the entire occupational sequences there. Due to the nature of these remains, we may indirectly infer their potential use as food, food sub-products, for fuel, or for making artefacts. Plant taxa, used as a seasonal indicator, suggest spring-summer occupations in the different periods of time defined for each site. Archaeobotanical data have proven valuable in complementing our view of the subsistence economy of prehistoric Patagonian steppe hunter-gatherer groups, not only by defining the botanical assemblages associated with the occupations, but also by contributing to define seasonality and the mobility strategies related to plant use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents bed-by-bed description and paleofloristic characterization (on the basis of plant macroremains) of the Jurassic continental deposits of the Irkutsk Coal Basin, in the sections of the stratotype region where the lithostrata now widely used for the geological mapping works were established for the first time. The characteristics of these units are refined along with their age and occurrences. Newly obtained taphofloras are comparatively analyzed and established to be synchronous. The spatial distribution of Jurassic deposits from different outcrops is correlated with sections of the reference boreholes. Two successive phytostratigraphic assemblages, Cheremkhovo and Prisayan, are recognized. These assemblages are correlated based on the taxonomic composition of the dominant plant groups, with the assemblages of the end of the Early Jurassic and the beginning of the Middle Jurassic of Western Siberia, which are dated using coastal marine fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Los frutos de Prosopis spp. son una importante fuente de alimento tanto para los humanos como para los animales debido a su alto valor nutricional, cuyos componentes clave se encuentran distribuidos en el fruto. Mientras que los carbohidratos se presentan en el mesocarpo, las proteínas se encuentran en las semillas, lo que hace más difícil su extracción. Esto plantea la posibilidad de que las diferencias en los costos de procesamiento tengan que ver con el uso de la semilla del algarrobo descripto etnográficamente. En este trabajo presentamos los resultados de una serie de experimentos de recolección y molienda realizados con manos y molinos tradicionales con el fin de evaluar el aporte nutricional y los costos asociados con la intensificación en el procesamiento de vainas de algarroba. Observamos que mientras se intensifica el procesamiento obtenemos una mayor cantidad de proteínas en la harina de algarrobo debido a la incorporación de las semillas; sin embargo, las diferencias en el aporte nutricional son mínimas, el valor energético total se mantiene igual y los altos costos adicionales de procesamiento reducen la tasa de retorno energético. Estos resultados sugieren que, en la mayoría de los casos, el procesamiento del algarrobo se hace principalmente para extraer los hidratos de carbono. Asimismo, comparamos los residuos de la molienda experimental con los macrorrestos vegetales de sitios arqueológicos del sur de la provincia de Mendoza, los cuales sugieren patrones similares de procesamiento. Esto permite establecer un origen antropogénico y no natural para los restos recuperados.Mesquite fruits Prosopis spp. are an important food resource for both humans and animals due to their high nutritional value, but key dietary components are unevenly distributed within the fruit. While carbohydrates occur in the soft, outer mesocarpo, proteins are found in the much harder seeds. This raises the potential for differences in processing costs, and may explain variation in the use of mesquite seeds described ethnographically. Here we report the results of a series of processing experiments that evaluate the nutritional value and time costs associated with increasing levels of mesquite processing (gathering and grounding) using traditional manos and metates. We show that while additional processing does lead to more protein in mesquite flour as seeds are broken down, differences in nutritional value are minimal, overall energetic value remains the same, and the high additional processing costs reduce energetic return rates. These results suggest that under most circumstances mesquite processed using these technologies would be done mostly to extract the carbohydrates. A comparison of residual plant parts from these experiments with similar plant macrofossils from regional archaeological sites suggest similar patterns of processing in the past, with an anthropogenic rather than natural origin for the recovered remains.

Palaeobotanical investigations were carried out with the aim of reconstructing the development of palaeovegetation and formation of sediments in the northeastern area of ancient Lake Burtnieks. Pollen and plant macroremain studies provide information on vegetation development in the surroundings of the lake, including Stone Age settlements of Braukšas I and Braukšas II. Results of the investigations indicate that the development of vegetation together with sedimentation conditions in the palaeolake have changed since the Younger Dryas until today. Vegetation composition varies in different parts of the ancient Lake Burtnieks area due to past changes in lake water level which reached different sites at different times. Data from the northern part of ancient Lake Burtnieks indicate its gradual overgrowing since the Preboreal. Deposition of minerogenic lacustrine sediments (silt, clayey silt and sand) lasted until the Boreal or the Atlantic time, depending on the water depth of the lake locality. Clastic sediments were overlain by gyttja, which in turn was later covered by well-decomposed fen (sedge, sedge–grass) peat that started to form at the end of Atlantic time. Pollen and plant macroremain composition of lacustrine sediments and fen peat sequences suggests that people have inhabited the area since Preboreal–Boreal times. However, weak traces of possible presence of people are found already at the very end of the Younger Dryas.Fluctuating curves of broadleaved tree pollen, a significant amount of pollen of cultivated plants and charcoal dust in sediments indicate activities of an early man and refer to start of crop growing in the area in the second half of the Atlantic chronozone.

The methods and criteria used for the identification of bryophytes from the peat deposits of four ombrotrophic mires in northern Spain are presented. Two liverworts and fifteen moss taxa were recorded. Twelve were identified to species level, two to genus level (Polytrichum sp., Campylopus sp.) and another to section level (Sphagnum sect. Acutifolia). All taxa were identified from their vegetative remains, mainly leaves. Only sporangia of Sphagnum species were recorded. Descriptions of the most relevant characters for taxa identifications are shown, accompanied by illustrations that facilitate their interpretation. A dichotomous identification key is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beskid Niski Mts. and the foothill area of the Carpathians are under-represented in pollen data due to the unfavorable conditions for peat formation. This contribution is a review supplemented by new palaeobotanical data dedicated to the late Holocene history of local forests. Pollen, wood and other plant macrofossils as well as a new approach to isopollen mapping were used to reconstruct the migration of late-successional trees between ca. 3500 and 1900 BC. This time interval was define as a critical period in the development of the modern vegetation belts. We documented a quite late arrival of hornbeam, ca. 3500 BC, from the south and south east as well as optimal development of oak-lime-hornbeam forests forming the foothill belt between 2600 and 1600 BC. The migration of beech occurred ca. 3250–2750 BC and was followed by fir ca. 2800–2500 BC. Beech-fir forests already developed c. 2500 BC, and became common since ca. 1850 BC in the lower montane belt. On a regional scale, transformation of vegetation coincided with phases of climate moistening. The auxiliary role of the Corded Ware culture settlement, exploiting for the first time the upper landscape zone in the Carpathians, in the establishment of the new types of woodland, was indicated. Local differences in permanent deforestation of extensive areas were also analyzed. The beginning of this process in the lower landscape zone took place in the Roman Iron Age or in the Early Medieval time. In the upper landscape zone, it occurred in the Late Medieval or modern times, particularly as a result of the Wallachian colonization in the 15th and 16th century AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated sediment records from several maar lakes and dry maar lakes of the Eifel (Germany) reveal the history of climate, weather, environment, vegetation, and land use in central Europe during the last 60,000 years. The time series of the last 30,000 years is based on a continuous varve counted chronology, the MIS3 section is tuned to the Greenland ice — both with independent age control from 14 C dates. Total carbon, pollen and plant macrofossils are used to synthesize a vegetation-stack, which is used together with the stacks from seasonal varve formation, flood layers, eolian dust content and volcanic tephra layers to define Landscape Evolution Zones (LEZ). LEZ 1 encompasses the landscape dynamics of the last 6000 years with widespread human influence. The natural oak and hazel forests of the early Holocene back to 10,500 b2k define LEZ 2. LEZ 3, the late glacial between 10,500 and 14,700 b2k, shows the development of a boreal forest with abundant grass and shallow water biomass in the lakes. The maximum of the last glaciation (LEZ 4: 14,700–23,000 b2k) was characterized by sparse vegetation of moss and characeae. These sediments are generally devoid of clay and sand and reveal no indication of snow-meltwater events. Accordingly, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) must have been extremely arid in central Europe. The sediments of the subsequent LEZ 5 from 23,000–28,500 b2k preserve distinct layers of clay and coarse sand, which indicates running water with clay in suspension and ephemeral coarse-grained fluvial sediment discharge. Abundant Ranunculaceae macroremains (used for 14 C dating), insects, moss and fungi sclerotia reflect a tundra environment during a time of frequent strong snowmelt events. Total carbon content, Betula–Pinus pollen and diatoms reach increased concentrations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 interstadials that occurred between 28,500 and 36,500 b2k (LEZ 6). The entire MIS3 interstadials are well documented in the organic carbon record from the Auel dry maar. The main paleobotanical indicators of MIS3 are, however, grass pollen and heliophytes, which indicate a steppe environment with scattered/patchy trees during the interstadials. The stadial phases inferred during LEZ 6 reveal initiation of eolian dust deflation. The change of the early MIS 3 forested landscape to a steppe occurred with the LEZ 7–LEZ 6 transition. This is when modern man spread in central Europe. The principle vegetation change to a steppe at 36,500 b2k must have favoured the spread of horses, an important hunting prey of modern humans. We propose accordingly that the migration of the modern humans into central Europe might have been at least partly driven by climate and associated vegetation change. The LEZ 7 encompassed the time interval 36,500 to 49,000 b2k and was characterized by a boreal forest with high abundance of pine, birch, as well as spruce during the interstadial events. Abundant charcoal fragments indicate that this taiga was under frequent drought stress with regular burning. The most unexpected finding, but corroborated by all our maar records is the dominance of thermophilous tree taxa from 49,000 to 55,000 b2k (LEZ 8). Greenland interstadials 13 and 14 were apparently the warmest of MIS 3 according to the Eifel pollen records. The preceeding LEZ 9 from 55,000 to 60,000 b2k is also dominated by spruce, but thermophilous trees were sparse. A warm early MIS3 appears plausible, because summer insolation (at 60° N) was higher in the early MIS 3 than today, ice cover was low in Scandinavia and sea-surface temperatures of the North Atlantic were almost comparable to modern values during GI-14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediments in lakes have been formed under the conditions of sensitive ecosystem functions as historical records of micro- and macrocomponents. Besides others, lake sediments preserve macroremain and chemical evidence reflecting environmental changes and human impact. During the last centuries, sediment composition has been influenced by inconsistent urban and industrial developments. This article presents the multi-proxy data obtained from studies of lake sediment composition, chemical analysis and macroremain signatures in the upper sediment layer from tree small lakes of different origin: Lake Lilaste (lagoonal), Lake Velnezers (glaciokarstic), and Lake Veveri (glacial). The studies of lake sediments revealed that human impact is recognisable in the upper sediment layer of all investigated lakes, but at different depth from the sediment surface. The most recognisable traces of anthropogenic influence can be attributed to the increase of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) concentration, number of plant macroremains and charcoal particles in all investigated lake sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volume measurements in archaeobotany are not performed uniformly. The goal of this paper therefore is to test the different known methods and to define the obtained differences, in order to make the density values (remains per litre of sediment) for plant macroremains in the samples comparable between sites. Three methods of volume measurement were tested for a large number of samples of different sizes coming from two late Neolithic layers of the lakeshore site of Parkhaus Opéra (Zürich, Switzerland). The sampled layers were preserved in waterlogged conditions and there were samples rich in sand, loam, lake marl but mostly consisting of organic remains, including uncharred subfossil plant macroremains. In general, the classical volume (that is the upper limit of the sediment in water) measured before and after freezing as pre-treatment gave similar results. But a systematic difference was found between the classical volume measured after freezing and the displacement volume. This difference could be described by a proportionality factor of 1.5. This proportionality factor could be used to make data obtained with different methods of volume measurement comparable, although more evaluations are needed from other sites in order to test the generality of the factor proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is a review of the archaeobotanical analyses carried out in the last decade at the three ancient Roman port/dock system sites of Pisae , Portus , and Neapolis . Pollen, plant macrofossils (leaf, wood, seed/fruit macroremains) and wood constituting the shipwrecks were considered, and the results, partly unpublished, integrated and interpreted. Waterlogged sediments from these port areas turned out to be particularly suited for archaeobotanical analysis and opened new perspectives in ancient harbour studies. This is the first time that a synthesis of archaeobotanical data from Italian archaeological sites of the same typology is attempted for the Roman period. The disparate sampling strategies and available materials for macrofossil analysis in the various sites – cores in Portus , short sediment sequences in Pisae , and single visible hand-collected macroremains in Neapolis – conditioned the results obtained for these remains, making the comparison among sites a particularly difficult task. The urgency of establishing a common protocol between archaeologists and archaeobotanists is thus emphasized. The plant micro- and macrofossils highlight that in Roman times the landscape of the Italian coasts between Pisa and Naples was formed by deciduous oak plain forests (whose relicts are preserved in some protected areas, like in Parco Nazionale del Circeo, south of Rome and along the coast of the Pisan plain, in the Migliarino San Rossore Regional Park) with prevalence of mesophilous elements. The Mediterranean vegetation was not widespread as expected and maquis was limited to small areas by the coast. Surprisingly, mountain elements such as beech and silver fir were not so rare in pre-Roman times, suggesting that these trees could have occupied wider areas than at present. Besides food plant remains typical of the Roman age, the port sediments also preserved seeds, fruits and leaves of the wild vegetation. Comparing the results obtained by palynology with the shipwreck wood study showed that the boats were prevailingly built with local timber, often with conifers. The use of silver fir, though never very frequent, still confirms the preference of shipbuilders for this timber, which was not always available in the close surroundings of the three sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of climate change during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, human society gradually transitioned from a hunting/foraging economy to an agricultural economy. The role of climate change in the development of millet-based agriculture, which originated in northern China, is of major scientific interest. Millet agriculture is thought to have originated in areas of hilly terrain, because most of the early millet agricultural sites in northern China occur in such areas. Hence, understanding the ecological background of hilly terrain during the early Holocene is important for understanding the climatic and ecological mechanisms associated with the origin of millet agriculture. In this study, we reconstructed the ecological background of Ping'an Cave, an early Neolithic site in the hilly area of Beijing, based on analyses of pollen, fungal spores, and plant macrofossils recovered from the cave sediments. At ~ 11,000 cal kyr BP, deciduous broadleaved forest-grassland developed in the hilly areas of northern China, where the climate was warm and relatively dry. Nut shells of Juglans and Celtis were found, associated with an increase in Quercus pollen, indicating the development of a wetter climate at ~ 8000 cal kyr BP. Open deciduous broadleaved forest–grassland was the main vegetation type in the hilly areas of northern China during the early Holocene. The geographical characteristics of these areas were favorable for prehistoric humans, providing ecological resources from both forest and grassland. • We investigated plant remains from Ping'an Cave site in hilly areas, northern China. • Deciduous broadleaved forest-grassland developed during early Holocene. • The vegetation became closer around 8000 years than it in 11,000 years. • Hilly terrain provided both forest and grassland resources for prehistoric humans. • This study offered ecological background for understanding millet agriculture origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent excavation at the site of Chobareti (1615 m a.s.l., South Caucasus Mountains) reveals an important Kura-Araxes settlement and eleven burials so far, for which a first multi-proxies approach was conducted to understand both exploitation of plants and human dietary practices in this mountainous area. Thanks to the excavation of several pits, in 2011, a well-reasoned sampling for archaeobotanical analysis, including phytoliths, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal, seeds and other plant macroremains was undertaken. In parallel, human, animal bones and wheat seeds were recovered in order to perform stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N). Results show the strong presence of cereals (especially naked wheat, as a hexaploid form, and emmer), highlighting the role played by cereal growing in the Kura-Araxes farming activities. Plant macroremains, but also phytoliths recovered in pits, reflect processing activities on the site. While animal dung seems to have been used to enhance cereal yields, different herding practices can be suggested by δ 15 N values. Whereas δ 13 C values and archaeobotanical data agree for a consumption of C 3 plants, with no significant input in wheat for both animals and humans, a homogeneous mixed diet, with a great contribution of animal protein source (meat, secondary products) has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the archaeobotanical study of several Neolithic settlements located in the Valais, the upper part of the Rhone Valley, in Switzerland. The archaeological sites are dated between 5000 and 4200 cal bc, which corresponds to the Early and the Middle Neolithic. Most of the sites are situated around 500-600 m, overhanging the alluvial plain of the Rhone. First results of the macroremains analysis show that cereals, comprising mainly naked wheat ( Triticum aestivum s.l. /durum/turgidum) and barley ( Hordeum distichum/vulgare), are predominant. In addition, pea ( Pisum sativum) and opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum) are recorded. Gathered plants are sparse, and this from the first establishment of farmers around 5000 cal bc. If we compare the obtained results with data from the Northern French Alps, not far from the Valais, we get a completely different picture of the Neolithic plant economy. In the northern French Alps the communities exploited all vegetation levels from the collinean to the subalpine belt, gathered plants playing an important role alongside the cultivated species. Our first results are giving a new insight into the first agro-pastoral communities in the Swiss Alps; they are allowing us to understand how plant resources were exploited in a mountainous context and to outline the catchment area of the settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, remains of an unknown Triticum species-later named 'new glume wheat' (NGW)-were identified in the archaeobotanical material of Neolithic and Bronze Age Greek sites. The presence of NGW was later reported from several other locations across Europe, from the seventh to the first millennium cal. b.c. During the systematic archaeobotanical survey of the multiperiod site of Hódmezővásárhely-Kopáncs I., Olasz-tanya (5310-2936 cal. b.c.) more than 2,000 cereal remains were recovered. During the morphological analyses, ten spikelet forks showed the distinctive traits of NGW, therefore morphometric analyses were conducted on the remains to reinforce the morphological identification. The results suggest that both approaches-morphological and morphometric-should be applied in parallel to securely separate the NGW remains from Triticum turgidum L. ssp. dicoccum (Schrank) Thell. (emmer) and T. monococcum L. ssp. monococcum (einkorn). All NGW glume bases were recovered from Late Copper Age features (3338-3264 cal. b.c.) of the settlement, which represent the Baden culture of the Great Hungarian Plain. Similarly to other Baden culture sites of the Carpathian Basin einkorn and emmer dominated the crop production of the settlement. The ratio of the NGW remains within the cereal assemblage was measured to be 0.48 %, which suggests that NGW did not have the status of a regular crop; still it may have been part of the accompanying weed flora of the cereal fields during the fourth millennium in the south-eastern Great Hungarian Plain landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen analysis of sediments from three lakes and analysis of plant macroremains including charcoal from archaeological sites in the Mazurian Lake District provide new data for the reconstruction of vegetation changes related to human activity between the 1st and 13th century ad. At that time settlements of the Bogaczewo culture (from the turn of the 1st century ad to the first part of the 5th century ad), the Olsztyn Group (second part of the 5th century ad to the 7th or beginning of the 8th century ad), and the Prussian Galinditae tribes (8th/9th-13th century ad) developed. The most intensive woodland clearing occurred between the 1st and 6th/7th century ad. Presence of Cerealia-type, Secale cereale and Cannabis-type pollen, as well as macroremains of Hordeum vulgare, S. cereale, Triticum spelta, T. cf. monococcum, T. cf. dicoccum, Avena sp. and Panicum miliaceum documented local agriculture. High Betula representation synchronous with microcharcoal occurrence suggests shifting agriculture. After forest regeneration between c. ad 650 and 1100, the area was strongly deforested due to the early medieval occupation by Prussian tribes. The archaeobotanical examination of samples taken in a cemetery and a large settlement of the Roman Iron Age revealed strong differences in the taxonomic composition of the fossil plant remains. An absolute dominance of birch charcoal in the samples from the cemetery indicates its selective use for funeral pyre construction. There is a difference between cereals found in both contexts: numerous grains of Triticum have been found in the cemetery, while in the settlement crops were represented mostly by Secale and Hordeum. Grass tubers, belonging probably to Phleum pratense, are among the particularly interesting plant remains found in the cemetery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Roman port of Portus was the most important in the Mediterranean during the imperial period (27 BC–476 AD). It was made up of an outer port or Claudius basin and an inner hexagon or Trajan's port, joined by the Canale di Imbocco. The archaeobotanical record obtained in a continuos sediment core taken in this channel is made up of 19 types of plant macroremains, with a predominance of fibers of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica L., replaced by fluvial sediments in the upper part of the core. Seeds, fruits and thorns of aquatic species from marine or brackish waters, halophyte species, edible species, freshwater riparian vegetation and remains of charcoal and wood also appear regularly. According to the inferred palaeoenviromental evolution of this core, Portus was an area of fluvial-marine interaction during the Roman Empire, with brackish water conditions interrupted by stormy periods deduced from the record of P. oceanica. The archaeobotanical and sedimentary evolution points to a restriction of marine contributions and a final implantation of a fluvial environment. In this evolution, a specific interval with abundant charcoal and caryopses of Triticum could correspond to a fire, which was followed by a possible period of greater construction activity linked with large fragments of wood. • Fibers and Neptune balls of Posidonia oceanica dominated the filling of Portus. • The archaeobotanical record indicates an evolution from an initial marine domain to a final fluvial/anthropic phase. • High abundance of Neptune balls are tentatively correlated with stormy periods. • The joint presence of charcoal, caryopses of Triticum and larger wood fragments is associated with a fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen was analysed from a sediment sequence collected in the close vicinity of the Mesolithic settlement Tågerup, southern Sweden. Macroremains were also retrieved from numerous samples taken at the site of the archaeological excavations of Kongemose and Ertebølle settlement phases, 6700-6000 b.c. and 5500-4900 b.c. respectively. Plants and other organic remains were well preserved in the refuse layers from the settlements embedded in the gyttja. The pollen record includes no clear indications of human impact on the vegetation during the Mesolithic. The occurrence of charcoal particles and pollen of grass and herbs associated with nutrient-rich soils are contemporaneous with the Kongemose settlement. The Ertebølle settlement phase, although characterised by considerable dwelling activities less than a hundred metres from the pollen sampling site, is scarcely seen in the pollen data. Numerous finds of crushed dogwood stones from the Kongemose phase, often partly carbonised, suggest that these stones were used for the extraction of oil. Other plants found in the Kongemose refuse layers that may have been used are apples, cherries, raspberries, acorns and rowan-berries. Based on the abundance of hazelnut shells found at the studied site and in other studies of Mesolithic sites in southern Scandinavia it is proposed that these remains may testify to an important food supply rather than just use as a supplement to animal protein. It is also hypothesised that a regional decrease in hazel populations and thus hazelnut availability at the end of the Mesolithic may have motivated the adoption of Neolithic subsistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the late Neolithic site Torwiesen II (3283 and 3279 cal. b.c.) a systematic sampling programme was carried out, covering the entire settlement area. Plastic tubes, 10 cm in diameter and 20-30 cm long were used for sampling, in which one sample per square metre was taken. For each plant species in every analysed sample the concentration, in remains per litre of sediment, was calculated and plotted with AutoCAD. Every plot shows the quantitative distribution of a taxon on the site and indicates a special pattern that may reflect economic conditions or even social differences within the settlement. With the plots, areas of special activity inside and outside the houses were detected: zones of crop processing, cooking areas and rubbish deposits. The socio-economic structure of the settlement with unspecialised farmers, crop specialists and gatherers is indicated by the content of crops and edible wild plants inside the houses. On the basis of the systematic sampling programme it could be shown that Torwiesen II was not a consistent community, but much more a structured one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a plant macroremain study of the late Neolithic lakeshore settlement Stare gmajne (SG) at Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia, with cultural horizons that ended around 3330 and 3110 cal. b. c., as obtained by dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating of the most frequent construction timbers of Quercus sp. (oak) and Fraxinus sp. (ash). Fourteen systematically taken samples were investigated, using standard methods for studying waterlogged plant remains, which had been developed during lake dwelling research north of the Alps. Most of the remains were preserved in a waterlogged state, and we identified a total of 93 taxa. The most important cultivated plants were Triticum dicoccum (emmer), Hordeum vulgare (six-rowed naked barley), T. monococcum (einkorn), Linum usitatissimum (flax) and Papaver somniferum (opium poppy). The numerous possibly gathered plants also included Trapa natans (water chestnut) and Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris (wild grapevine). Chenopodium album (goosefoot) and Brassica rapa (turnip) with seeds/fruits rich in oil and starch were probably gathered as well. Comparisons of the Stare gmajne results with contemporary north Alpine sites (NA) showed, among other things, that Triticum durum/turgidum (tetraploid naked wheat), frequent at NA, was not found at SG. Trapa natans (water chestnut) was rare and Vitis (grapevine) was not found at NA. The observed differences in the wild plant spectra may have ecological causes, for example a warmer climate south of the Alps, but differences in cultivar spectra are more likely for cultural-historical reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comunicaçõe Geológicas is the property of Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia, I.P. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Palaeobotanical investigations were carried out with the aim of reconstructing the development of palaeovegetation and formation of sediments in the northeastern area of ancient Lake Burtnieks. Pollen and plant macroremain studies provide information on vegetation development in the surroundings of the lake, including Stone Age settlements of Brauk?as I and Brauk?as II. Results of the investigations indicate that the development of vegetation together with sedimentation conditions in the palaeolake have changed since the Younger Dryas until today. Vegetation composition varies in different parts of the ancient Lake Burtnieks area due to past changes in lake water level which reached different sites at different times. Data from the northern part of ancient Lake Burtnieks indicate its gradual overgrowing since the Preboreal. Deposition of minerogenic lacustrine sediments (silt, clayey silt and sand) lasted until the Boreal or the Atlantic time, depending on the water depth of the lake locality. Clastic sediments were overlain by gyttja, which in turn was later covered by well-decomposed fen (sedge, sedge?grass) peat that started to form at the end of Atlantic time. Pollen and plant macroremain composition of lacustrine sediments and fen peat sequences suggests that people have inhabited the area since Preboreal?Boreal times. However, weak traces of possible presence of people are found already at the very end of the Younger Dryas. Fluctuating curves of broadleaved tree pollen, a significant amount of pollen of cultivated plants and charcoal dust in sediments indicate activities of an early man and refer to start of crop growing in the area in the second half of the Atlantic chronozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The analysis of phytoliths, pollen, charcoal and other macroremains was carried out in the neolithic shelter of “La Grande Rivoire”, Vercors massif (French Alps). The results show the predominance of tree species, in the form of phytoliths, clustered pollen, stomata, small branches charcoal, needles, bark, buds… The practice of leaf fodder is already known in the alpine and circum-alpine area from archaeological and historical sources. The analyses of the neolithic dung levels of “La Grande Rivoire” illustrate the use of leafy and flowering tree branches as fodder. The results also suggest that some species were used for special purpose in relation with the tending of livestock (litter, dietary supplement, veterinary practices). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Neolithic site at Hidden Valley, Farafra Oasis, Egypt (6028±150 – 5163±374 cal B. C.) on the shores of a playa (dry lake basin in the desert), yielded a large quantity of carbonized plant remains from post-holes, hearths, querns and a corridor. The plant remains could have become carbonised during food preparation, or when fuel included seeds. Rich and diverse floras were retrieved from 40 soil samples, in all 534 seeds, grains, spikelets, culm fragments and leaflet fragments which were attributed to 30 taxa in the flora of Egypt. Wild grasses from almost all samples represent 83% of the plant remains. Quantitative correlation between plants remains and archaeological contexts is discussed. The highest density of plant remains was recorded from pot-holes (in which pots were stood), while sediments recovered near querns show the lowest. The economy of the site was apparently based mainly on herding associated with the gathering of grasses which suggests that the climate at Farafra during the middle Holocene (6077–4511 cal B. C.) was wetter than today's, with winter and summer rainfall. A reconstruction of the vegetation around the site comprises reed plant cover, aquatic and wetland plants and desert savanna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat deposits of area up to 50 m 2 and thickness of 10–50 cm on fell summits at 370–622 m a.s.l. in northern Finland have been mapped, analysed and dated. These summit ‘peat cakes’ are most frequent in northwestern Inari Lapland, in a relatively continental climate and close to the Arctic Ocean. It seems that the most important local factor for their development are irregularities in microtopography, which collect drift snow and shelter plants from destructive winds. Most sites are dominated by Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum. Accumulation of peat started after the Atlantic period c. 4000 14 C years BP, when the climate became more humid. The mean annual growth of seven investigated deposits ranged from 0.11 to 0.44 mm yr -1 . Plant macroremains at Kuovdaoaivi provide evidence of gradual vegetation development from an Empetrum-dominated community to a more diverse one: macro-remain concentration and the number of species rise gradually to the top of the deposit. At present, summit peats are being eroded by deflation, enhanced by needle ice and reindeer overgrazing. It seems that these peat deposits represent embryonic blanket mires at the continental limit of high-latitude blanket mire distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation dynamics during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition and the beginning of farming are major topics for palaeoenvironmental sciences, especially interesting in ecologically sensitive areas, such as in North Africa. However, there are still important geographic and chronological gaps of environmental information in this region. Archaeobotanical record from Gueldaman GLD 1 deals with these issues, as it presents the longest archaeobotanical sequence available nowadays for Algeria, which includes these moments of major changes in landscapes. This topic has been approached from an interdisciplinary point of view, focused on the analysis of various types of plant remains that result in the reconstruction of both environment and use of plant resources. Results reveal the existence of a postglacial phase of plant colonization with Cupressaceae formations, which are gradually integrating some elements of sclerophyllous vegetation, such as several species of Pistacia , well documented both in charcoal and seed records. Neolithic levels show a shift in vegetation composition, as Olea europaea dominates the spectra, accompanied by strawberry tree and evergreen Quercus , among others. The presence of Olea in earlier chronologies has resulted from intrusions from the Neolithic levels: a set of radiocarbon dates has made it possible to evidence this process and detect the extent of the intrusions, which are inherent to cave records. • North Africa is a key region to know the dynamics of postglacial vegetation in the Mediterranean. • Gueldaman has provided archeobotanical information for a long sequence in Algeria. • Postglacial plant colonization and a later spread of sclerophyllous vegetation have been documented. • A taphonomic analysis has shown that the pre-Neolithic presence of Olea has resulted from intrusions from upper levels. • During Neolithic, Olea is a species of great economic relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]