Plant economy of the Kura-Araxes : a comparative analysis of agriculture in the Near East from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Bronze Age
This thesis investigates the nature of the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon by examining archaeobotanical evidence from sites across the Near East from the Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age. Using the concept of food as material culture, this thesis explores the cultural integrity of the Kura-Araxes horizon and the extent of mobile pastoralism in the Kura-Araxes economy. This thesis presents a detailed archaeobotanical study of a Kura-Araxes site, Sos HoÌyuÌk from northeastern Anatolia, which dates from the Late Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age (3500-1500B.C.). From the archaeobotanical evidence, Sos HoÌyuÌk appears to have been a settled agro-pastoral community. The thesis also investigates the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon through a comparative analysis of crop remains from Kura-Araxes and other Near Eastern sites from 6100-1500 B.C. Crop data from 117 sites, including 21 Kura-Araxes sites, are compared using correspondence analysis. Over the period studied there is a decline of in the proportion of glume wheat at sites across the Near East. In some regions this is accompanied by an increase in barley remains and in other areas by an increase in free threshing wheat remains. The shift from glume wheat to
Longford, Catherine
Plant economy of the Kura-Araxes : a comparative analysis of agriculture in the Near East from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Bronze Age. This thesis investigates the nature of the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon by examining archaeobotanical evidence from sites across the Near East from the Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age. Using the concept of food as material culture, this thesis explores the cultural integrity of the Kura-Araxes horizon and the extent of mobile pastoralism in the Kura-Araxes economy. This thesis presents a detailed archaeobotanical study of a Kura-Araxes site, Sos HoÌyuÌk from northeastern Anatolia, which dates from the Late Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age (3500-1500B.C.). From the archaeobotanical evidence, Sos HoÌyuÌk appears to have been a settled agro-pastoral community. The thesis also investigates the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon through a comparative analysis of crop remains from Kura-Araxes and other Near Eastern sites from 6100-1500 B.C. Crop data from 117 sites, including 21 Kura-Araxes sites, are compared using correspondence analysis. Over the period studied there is a decline of in the proportion of glume wheat at sites across the Near East. In some regions this is accompanied by an increase in barley remains and in other areas by an increase in free threshing wheat remains. The shift from glume wheat to
plant economy comparative_analysis agriculture near_east chalcolithic middle_bronze_age investigates nature cultural horizon examine archaeobotanical_evidence site_across near_east chalcolithic middle_bronze_age using concept food material_culture explore cultural integrity horizon extent mobile pastoralism economy present_detail archaeobotanical study site northeastern anatolia date late chalcolithic middle_bronze_age archaeobotanical_evidence appear settle agro_pastoral community also_investigate cultural horizon comparative_analysis crop remain near_eastern site crop data site_include site compare use correspondence_analysis period study decline proportion wheat site_across near_east region accompany increase barley remain area increase free wheat remains shift wheat