bronze age environment and economy in the troad - Universität ...

chapter 3: analysis
3.2.2.3 Crops and weeds during the different
subperiods of Kumtepe
The species abundance for species classes (ecological habitats)
in each sample shows several patterns (Graph 10).
A relationship between the subperiods and the ecological
groups becomes visible. The samples from the Neolithic
Kumtepe A have an abundance of seeds of species from
freshwater habitats.
Looking in more detail at the centre of the graph (10, bottom),
we recognise that in the group of samples from Kumtepe B2
the weeds are predominant in terms of seed numbers. The
group of samples from Kumtepe B3 layers is dominated by
plants from open vegetation (which in fact might also be
weeds, but less typical weeds from modern phytosociological
standpoint) while the abundances of the typical weeds are
comparatively low.
This is equivalent to the seed abundance for life form classes,
i.e. abundance of typical weeds equates to abundance of
annuals. To summarise, it seems that a decrease in weed
abundance took place from Kumtepe B2 to Kumtepe B3.
To get an impression of the diversity of the weed group that
was most abundant in Kumtepe B2 samples and less abundant
in other periods or subperiods of Kumtepe, the number of
different species for species classes (ecological habitats) was
plotted in relation to the species abundance (Graph 11). Here
we find the opposite relationship between the Kumtepe B2 and
Kumtepe B3 samples, i.e. the Kumtepe B3 samples have a
comparatively broad species spectrum contributing to the weed
class.
To summarise, it seems that an increase in the number of
typical weed species took place from Kumtepe B2 to Kumtepe
B3, but at the same time their seeds decreased in their
abundance. In the subperiod Kumtepe B2 the specialised weed
flora should have been a problem for the prehistoric farmers,
more than in earlier or later periods.
As mentioned, many weed species were most abundant in
Kumtepe B2 (Graph 10), but many typical weeds (e.g.
Chenopodium album, Eragrostis minor, Fumaria sp.,
Heliotropium europaeum, Polycnemum majus, Valerianella
dentata) were also very abundant in subperiod B3. Kumtepe A
samples usually contained few species and seeds of weeds.
Lathyrus cicera/sativus was very likely the accompanying
weed of the two abundant crop legumes lentil and bitter vetch.
Fig was also numerous in remains during Kumtepe A, but also
in Kumtepe B3.
Kumtepe B2 samples, which were previously characterised as
containing a lot of weed seeds, contain frequently barley grain,
whereas the rachises of barley are most abundant in Kumtepe
B3. An almost complete lack of chaff remains in Kumtepe B2
is somewhat surprising for samples from waste pits. It is more
likely that food remains (shells, cooking residues) were deposited
here, rather than remains from cereal crop-processing.
The most abundant weeds within the small species spectrum of
B2 were the grasses, and amongst those Lolium persicum-type.
Barley was certainly still an important crop in Kumtepe B3,
where the rachises were most abundant.
The submerged algae Chara sp. appeared only in the two latest
subperiods. The purpose of bringing this plant into the
settlement might have been related to building, i.e. it might
have come in with loamy sediment from pools or similar
freshwater resources, for mudbrick production. It is also of
interest that in Kumtepe B3 other moisture-indicating plants
were more abundant than before (Cladium mariscus, Scirpus
maritimus, Carex spp.). Vitis vinifera appears already in
Kumtepe B2, but it is only really abundant in Kumtepe B3.
Grains and chaff of both hulled wheats (emmer and einkorn)
are most abundant in Kumtepe B3. It is noticeable that these
cereals are relatively scarce in the Kumtepe B2 samples, which
raises the question of whether they might have been
contaminants of barley.
To examine the proportions of crops and weeds, both in their
abundances and their presence during each subperiod,
percentage participation and presence were plotted.
The percentage participation plot of members of the crop group
in each sample shows that in Kumtepe A samples the numbers
of crop items are high, in Kumtepe B2 samples strikingly low
(Graph 12). The percentage participation of members of the
weed group (typical weeds in the modern sense) in each
sample shows a complementary picture. In Kumtepe B2
samples the counts of weeds are relatively high and during all
the other subperiods comparatively low.
3.2.2.4 Diversity
The presence of crop or weed members in different samples in
addition to percentage participation gives an impression of the
broadness of the species spectra (Graph 13).
No clear pattern is visible for the species presence of members
of the crop group, except that the species spectrum of crops is
low in Kumtepe A and B1.
In the case of the weeds, the patterns are also not very clear.
The species spectrum of typical weeds is relatively narrow in
Kumtepe A and B1 samples, medium in Kumtepe B2 and
broad in some samples of Kumtepe B3. The tendency
suggested earlier of a broadening of the weed species spectrum
over time is not reflected very clearly in the plots. Many
species known from modern weed floras first appear in the
later phases at Kumtepe.
Comparing presence and participation for Kumtepe B2, the
low abundances of the crops together with a variable species
spectrum are striking. At the same time the abundance of
weeds is high only in Kumtepe B2 samples, but with a
relatively narrow species spectrum. If the high abundance of
the few weed species in Kumtepe B2 is chronological and not
functional in nature, then weed infestation of fields must have
been severe. The number of samples, however, is too small to
be conclusive, and further sampling is strongly suggested.
The number of crop species slightly increases from Kumtepe A
to Kumtepe B (cereals). The weed flora, however, does not
show relative signs of specialisation during Kumtepe A (Graph
12 and Graph 13). This could be interpreted as evidence of a
different subsistence strategy during Kumtepe A, particularly
as seafood was an important means of subsistence. It seems
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