Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago.
The study of plant exploitation and early use of cereals in Africa has seen over the years a great input from charred and desiccated macrobotanical remains. This paper presents the results of one of the few examples in Africa of microbotanical analyses. Three grave contexts of phytolith-rich deposit...
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-01-01
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Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4206403?pdf=render |
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author | Marco Madella Juan José García-Granero Welmoed A Out Philippa Ryan Donatella Usai |
author_facet | Marco Madella Juan José García-Granero Welmoed A Out Philippa Ryan Donatella Usai |
author_sort | Marco Madella |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The study of plant exploitation and early use of cereals in Africa has seen over the years a great input from charred and desiccated macrobotanical remains. This paper presents the results of one of the few examples in Africa of microbotanical analyses. Three grave contexts of phytolith-rich deposits and the dental calculus of 20 individuals were analysed from two Neolithic cemeteries in North and Central Sudan. The radiocarbon-dated phytoliths from the burial samples show the presence of Near East domestic cereals in Northern Sudan at least 7000 years ago. Phytoliths also indicate the exploitation of wild, savannah-adapted millets in Central Sudan between 7500 and 6500 years ago. The calculus samples contained starch grains from wheat/barley, pulses and millets, as well as panicoid phytoliths. This evidence shows that Near East domestic cereals were consumed in Northern Africa at least 500 years earlier than previously thought. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:39:09Z |
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id | doaj.art-cd53814c36094cd98f2e5cf211df5b7b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1932-6203 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:39:09Z |
publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
record_format | Article |
series | PLoS ONE |
spelling | doaj.art-cd53814c36094cd98f2e5cf211df5b7b2022-12-21T18:40:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-01910e11017710.1371/journal.pone.0110177Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago.Marco MadellaJuan José García-GraneroWelmoed A OutPhilippa RyanDonatella UsaiThe study of plant exploitation and early use of cereals in Africa has seen over the years a great input from charred and desiccated macrobotanical remains. This paper presents the results of one of the few examples in Africa of microbotanical analyses. Three grave contexts of phytolith-rich deposits and the dental calculus of 20 individuals were analysed from two Neolithic cemeteries in North and Central Sudan. The radiocarbon-dated phytoliths from the burial samples show the presence of Near East domestic cereals in Northern Sudan at least 7000 years ago. Phytoliths also indicate the exploitation of wild, savannah-adapted millets in Central Sudan between 7500 and 6500 years ago. The calculus samples contained starch grains from wheat/barley, pulses and millets, as well as panicoid phytoliths. This evidence shows that Near East domestic cereals were consumed in Northern Africa at least 500 years earlier than previously thought.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4206403?pdf=render |
spellingShingle | Marco Madella Juan José García-Granero Welmoed A Out Philippa Ryan Donatella Usai Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. PLoS ONE |
title | Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. |
title_full | Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. |
title_fullStr | Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. |
title_full_unstemmed | Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. |
title_short | Microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in Africa 7000 years ago. |
title_sort | microbotanical evidence of domestic cereals in africa 7000 years ago |
url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4206403?pdf=render |
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