A short history of Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) in the Roman provinces: morphotypes and archaeogenetics

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (bottle gourd) is pantropic and displays large variation in fruit and seed shape. Two subspecies are currently recognized: the African L. siceraria ssp. siceraria and the Asian L. siceraria ssp. asiatica. The Asian type of bottle gourd belongs to the earliest domesticated plants in the Americas. In Europe, bottle gourd only appears with some frequency from the Roman period onwards. The paper is the study of ancient DNA (aDNA) and seed morphology of one almost complete bottle gourd fruit from the Roman site of Oedenburg/Biesheim-Kunheim, France (1st century a.d.), and from individual seed finds from the Roman vicus of Petinesca-Vorderberg, Switzerland (3rd century a.d.), both recovered from waterlogged layers. Width and length measurements of seeds show large variation. Based on the index of width to length, seeds from both sites differ significantly (p<0.0001 Mann-Whitney) suggesting that there were different variants present north of the Alps. Genetically, the bottle gourd fruit from Roman Oedenburg/Biesheim-Kunheim and one commercial cultivar L. siceraria cv. ‘Herkuleskeule' are of Asian origin as identified by three Asian and African specific chloroplast markers. These results support an early and long-lasting presence of the Asian type of domestic bottle gourd in Europe. No chloroplast markers were found in the seeds from Petinesca-Vorderberg. However preserved nuclear high copy 5.8S rDNA fragments correctly matched to Cucurbitaceae, further supporting the evidence for preservation of DNA in waterlogged plant remain

The well-preserved Late Neolithic dolmen burial of Oberbipp, Switzerland. Construction, use, and post-depositional processes

Excavation of the Late Neolithic dolmen of Oberbipp BE, Steingasse in the Swiss Central Plateau provided a unique opportunity for a comprehensive study of the archaeological and anthropological evidence. In multidisciplinary studies, we investigated the processes at work during construction, use, and abandonment of the megalithic structure, as well as the dietary habits, subsistence strategy, and possible mobility of the Neolithic population. Archaeological methods included micromorphology, archaeobiology, typology, use-wear analysis, and geology. The anthropological investigation was complemented by an analysis of stable isotope ratios and palaeogenetics. Local topography and the cover of alluvial sediments ensured an extraordinary conservation of the monument. It allowed the preservation of the human remains of at least 42 individuals of both sexes and all ages. The observation of the sedimentary and post-depositional processes, supplemented by an extensive series of radiocarbon dates, allowed us to reconstruct the history of the dolmen in its environment and the definition of at least two deposition phases. We found genetic evidence of lactase intolerance, a local population with a mixed ancestry of early Anatolian farmers and Western hunter-gatherers, and a crop-based diet. Sparse remains of a nearby Late Neolithic settlement sustain the interpretation that this is the burial site of a local farming community. Evidence of higher mobility of females and kinship over three generations solely in the paternal line suggests a virilocal community. Bone-altering pathologies support the assumption of a caring society

Plant macro remains from the 1st and 2nd Cent. A.D. in Roman Oedenburg/Biesheim-Kunheim (F) : methodological aspects and insights into local nutrition, agricultural practices, import and the natural environment

The Roman settlement Oedenburg was founded at the beginning of the 1st Cent. A.D. in the lower plains of the river Rhine between the present-day communities of Biesheim and Kunheim in Alsace, France. The archaeology of the Roman settlement is very complex; it comprises two successive 1st Cent. A.D. military camps, a civil agglomeration including a large temple complex (dated from the 1st to the 4th Cent. A.D.) and a Late Roman occupation; a large part of the archaeological structures are located under the present groundwater level which has resulted in excellent conditions of preservation through waterlogging. The archaeobotanical analysis focuses on structures of the Roman civil agglomeration with special consideration of the temple complex; as well as few structures from the military camps. The main goals of this study were: to find out more about local nutrition, import, the natural environment and agricultural practices in Roman Oedenburg; and to explore methodological aspects in archaeobotany. The analysis of plant macro remains (mainly seeds and fruits) has revealed a rich and diverse plant spectrum of cultural plants as well as wild plants. In total 303 plant taxa were identified; they were preserved mainly through waterlogging (292 plant taxa), besides mineralisation (57 plant taxa) and charring (58 plant taxa). The plant assemblage illustrates that the inhabitants of Roman Oedenburg had access to a wide variety of vegetable food. The main part of their basic diet consisted of cereals and pulses; their dishes were seasoned with typically Roman condiments, while fruits and nuts from both local and foreign sources were regularly consumed. In comparison to other sites in the Upper Rhine region and the North of Switzerland, the list of food plants in Oedenburg is extensive and varied, which can be linked to the military occupation of the site and after that with its function as a centre of distribution. Many imported plants have been attested, the majority originate from the Mediterranean region, and only some are from further distances. They include: pepper (Piper nigrum), black cumin (Nigella cf sativa), olive (Olea europaea), date (Phoenix dactylifera) and stone pine (Pinus pinea) among others. The many riverbank, reed, and aquatic plants found within the archaeological structures demonstrate that the settlement area was characterised by a moist environment with open and slowly flowing water. In addition, the numerous findings of cereal remains, arable weeds and grassland vegetation point towards an open landscape of cereal fields, meadows and pastures in the near vicinity. Based on the arable weeds, it is concluded that the agricultural practices carried out in Roman Oedenburg involved: the exploitation of garden plots for the cultivation of vegetables, spices, and pulses; the management of grassland; and the cultivation of both summer and winter cereals. The presence of large quantities of weeds belonging to the Order of the Secalietalia, Caucalion alliance was noted; of which the most frequently found species is muskweed (Myagrum perfoliatum). The greater part of these weeds of winter cereals is native in the Mediterranean region. It is hypothesized that they reached the site as part of imported cereal stocks from the Mediterranean. The majority of archaeobotanical assemblages found in Roman Oedenburg derive from mixed deposits; yet there is evidence of waste disposal, wetland management and offering practices. It was establish that some plants found as part of the vegetable offerings in the temple complex in Roman Oedenburg were exclusively used for sacred practices (e.g. date and stone pine). Finally, a methodological issue was explored. It consisted of finding a suitable pre-treatment method for the processing of very compacted waterlogged organic sediments. Experiments with four known pre-treatment methods have revealed that freezing and de-frosting a soil sample before sieving enhanced the sieving process and least damaged the plant macro remains