Wild cereal grain consumption among Early Holocene foragers of the Balkans predates the arrival of agriculture

Cristiani, Emanuela; Radini, Anita; Zupancich, Andrea; Gismondi, Angelo; D’Agostino, Alessia; Ottoni, Claudio; Carra, Marialetizia; Vukojičić, Snežana; Constantinescu, Mihai; Antonović, Dragana; Price, T. Douglas; Borić, Dušan

doi:10.1101/2021.10.14.464411

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…This is because the botanical material in archaeological contexts is almost always lost and, that which survives, would need of specific molecular/ genetic identification. However, recent methods applied to dental calculus have provided a wide understanding of the dietary preferences of human and animal and their interaction with the environment [1][2][3][4] .…”

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confidence: 99%

Neolithic dental calculi provide evidence for environmental proxies and consumption of wild edible fruits and herbs in central Apennines

D’Agostino

Marco

Marvelli³

et al. 2022

Commun Biol

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Looking for a biological fingerprint relative to new aspects of the relationship between humans and natural environment during prehistoric times is challenging. Although many issues still need to be addressed in terms of authentication and identification, microparticles hidden in ancient dental calculus can provide interesting information for bridging this gap of knowledge. Here, we show evidence about the role of edible plants for the early Neolithic individuals in the central Apennines of the Italian peninsula and relative cultural landscape. Dental calculi from human and animal specimens exhumed at Grotta Mora Cavorso (Lazio), one of the largest prehistoric burial deposits, have returned an archaeobotanical record made up of several types of palaeoecological proxies. The organic fraction of this matrix was investigated by a multidisciplinary approach, whose novelty consisted in the application of next generation sequencing to ancient plant DNA fragments, specifically codifying for maturase K barcode gene. Panicoideae and Triticeae starches, together with genetic indicators of Rosaceae fruits, figs, and Lamiaceae herbs, suggested subsistence practices most likely still based on wild plant resources. On the other hand, pollen, and non-pollen palynomorphs allowed us to outline a general vegetational framework dominated by woodland patches alternated with meadows, where semi-permanent settlements could have been established.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neolithic dental calculi provide evidence for environmental proxies and consumption of wild edible fruits and herbs in central Apennines

D’Agostino

Marco

Marvelli³

et al. 2022

Commun Biol

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“…7), were also identified in reasonable quantities as millet starch grains. Previous experimental analyses in species of the Triticeae tribe have revealed that wild starch grains (Aegilops genus) show a larger size distribution than domestic ones (Triticum and Hordeum genus) 78,79 . Additionally, B-type grains are more abundant than A-type in wheat and barley species.…”

Section: Dental Calculus Evidence Of Millet Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The arrival of millets to the Atlantic coast of northern Iberia

González-Rabanal

Marín-Arroyo

Cristiani

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Despite being one of the most important crops in the recent prehistory of Eurasia, the arrival and exploitation of millets in the westernmost part of Europe are still largely underexplored. Here and for the first time, we report multipronged biomolecular evidence of millet consumption along the Atlantic façade of northern Iberia through a combination of radiocarbon dating, stable isotopes, and dental calculus analyses on the human individuals found in the burial site of El Espinoso cave (Asturias, Spain). The high-resolution chronological framework established for individuals placed the burials between 1235 and 1099 cal. BC. The discovery of high δ13C values on their bone collagen and the identification of polyhedral starch grains within their dental plaque underline the relevance of C4 plants in their diet and highlights the timing of the systematic consumption of millets in the Late Bronze Age. Our data support previous regional archaeobotanical evidence and establish a more precise chronology of the dispersal of millets into northern Iberia during the Bronze Age, becoming an essential crop until the arrival of maize from America after AD 1492. This study emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary methods to ascertain the origin and development of agricultural practices during recent prehistory.

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Wild cereal grain consumption among Early Holocene foragers of the Balkans predates the arrival of agriculture

Cited by 2 publications

References 70 publications

Neolithic dental calculi provide evidence for environmental proxies and consumption of wild edible fruits and herbs in central Apennines

Neolithic dental calculi provide evidence for environmental proxies and consumption of wild edible fruits and herbs in central Apennines

The arrival of millets to the Atlantic coast of northern Iberia

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