Abstract:
The archaeobotanical research presented in this dissertation focuses on the study of plant macro
remains from archaeological Bronze Age sites (3600 BCE – 1200 BCE) in the southern Levant.
Although the Levant has been and is the subject of numerous scientific studies, several gaps
still exist, including those related to archaeobotanical research. Numerous sites, including those
extensively studied, lack systematic botanical sampling, environmental data, or even a
comprehensive archaeobotanical investigation. Additionally, there is a scarcity of regional
diachronic syntheses that compare the findings of these archaeobotanical studies. This
deficiency hinders a comprehensive understanding of agricultural development and resources
within specific chronological ranges.
The work presented here thus concerns the analysis of plant macro remains from two significant
sites in the southern Levant: Lachish, one of the most influential cities during the Late Bronze
Age, where previous botanical investigations were limited to charcoal remains and handpicked
materials, and Tel Kabri, previously unexplored in terms of carpological studies, renowned for
its Middle Bronze Age palace that houses the earliest known wine cellar in the ancient Near
East. Plant macro remains from various contexts, encompassing both wild species and
cultivated crops, were retrieved and analyzed from approximately 6500 liters of sediment
collected. These analyses have been complemented and integrated with other types of research,
such as environmental, isotopic, iconographic studies and multivariate statistics. Indeed,
Correspondence Analyses were utilized to compare the results of the botanical assemblages
with those of other coeval sites in the Levant.
The results enhanced our knowledge of the agricultural resources at both sites and have
provided deeper insights into the nature of the archaeological contexts from which the samples
originated. The botanical assemblages at both sites are predominantly characterized by fruit
crop taxa, with olive being the most prevalent, indicating a common trend among southern
Levant sites that initiated intensified horticulture and vineyard cultivation from the Early
Bronze Age onwards. Through the comprehensive analysis of the evolution of agrarian
resources throughout the Bronze Age, it becomes evident that agricultural practices in the
southern Levant were influenced not only by climatic changes but also by cultural and economic
factors. The results underscore the value of this archaeobotanical research in filling research
gaps and serving as an essential tool to reconstruct crucial archaeological information at the
individual sites. Moreover, it contributes to reconstructing the agricultural resources transition
within a broader regional context
Archaeobotany