Beatrice CIUTĂ, ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DETERMINATION OF SEVERAL CHARRED SEEDS AND FRUITS RECOVERED FROM A...

Acta Terrae Septemcastrensis, XII, 2013; ISSN 1583-1817; http://arheologie.ulbsibiu.ro

1

ACTA TERRAE SEPTEMCASTRENSIS

XII, 2013


5

Content Sabin Adrian LUCA, Florentina MAR ŢIŞ, Anamaria TUDORIE, Adrian LUCA, “THE RITUAL CONSECRATION” OF THE FIRST NEOLITHIC COLONISATION FROM ROMANIA THE PIT HOLES SANCTUARY FROM CRISTIAN I, SIBIU COUNTY PART III. THE ABANDONMENT ........................................................................................... 7 Attila Nándor HÁGÓ, János NÉMETI, ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES AT PIŞCOLT-LUTĂRIE (THE SATU-MARE COUNTY) 1986-1989 .................21 Raymond WHITLOW , Valerii KAVRUK , Dan-Lucian BUZEA, Björn BRIEWIG , RADIOCARBON DATA FROM THE CUCUTENI-ARIUŞD LEVELS AT PĂULENI-CIUC (CIOMORTAN) “DÂMBUL CETĂŢII”, HARGHITA COUNTY ............................................................................... 37 Marius-Mihai CIUT Ă, RECOVERING THE PAST. THE CASE OF HERCULES APULENSIS ..................................................................................... 65 Beatrice CIUTĂ, ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DETERMINATION OF SEVERAL CHARRED SEEDS AND FRUITS RECOVERED FROM A LATE MEDIEVAL SITE (XVII-XVIII CENTURY) ............................................................................. 85 Sabin Adrian LUCA: Sanda BĂCUEŢ CRIŞAN, Cultura Starčevo-Criş în Depresiunea Şimleului [The Starčevo-Criş culture in the Şimleului Basin], Editura Mega, Cluj-Napoca, 2008, 183 pages ...................................................... 101 Sabin Adrian LUCA: Sanda BĂCUEŢ CRIŞAN, Neoliticul şi eneoliticul timpuriu în depresiunea Şimleului [The Neolithic and Early Neolithic of the Şimleului Basin], in Bibliotheca Brukenthal, 23, 2008, Editura Altip, Sibiu, 340 pages ..................................................................................................................... 109 Nicolae GUDEA: Archaeological (9) and Methodological Corrections. to dr. I. Bejinariu from Zal ău County Museum .............................................. 125


85

ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DETERMINATION OF SEVERAL CHARRED SEEDS AND FRUITS RECOVERED

FROM A LATE MEDIEVAL SITE (XVII-XVIII CENTURY)

Beatrice CIUTĂ Universitatea “1 Decembrie 1918” Alba Iulia;

[email protected] Abstract: This study presents the archaeobotanical results of macro vegetal remains carried out on samples recovered during archaeological researches from Late Medieval site Báthory Castle located in Simleul Silvaniei city. The study begins with the history of site evolution. The charred botanical remains visible with naked eye were been picked directly from soil excavation by archaeologists. It is worth mentioning that some of them are in a very good stage of preservation due to the fire. The identified species reveals us which species were included in vegetal diet of the inhabitants of the castle +_315 yeas ago.

Keywords: Şimleul Silvaniei, Báthory Castle, archaeological excavation, vegetal macroremains, XVII-XVIII centuries.

Rezumat: Studiul de faţă prezintă rezultatele analizelor arheobotanice efectuate asupra macroresturilor vegetale recuperate cu ocazia desfăşurării cercetărilor arheologice din situl Castel Báthory din localitatea Şimleul Silvaniei, judeţul Sălaj. Studiul începe cu un istoric al Castelului Báthory prezentat în raportul de cercetare arheologică de către specialiştii care au efectuat cercetările arheologice în zona castelului.

Macro-resturile carbonizate vizibile cu ochiul liber au fost prelevate direct din contextele arheologice în timpul desfăşurării cercetărilor. Merită menţionat că unele s-au păstrat remarcabil, asta şi datorită faptului că au fost conservate în urma unui incendiu. Seminţele identificate ne relevă care au fost speciile incluse în dieta alimentară vegetală a comunităţii care a locuit castelul acum aproximativ +_315 ani. Cuvinte cheie: Şimleul Silvaniei, Castelul Báthory, săpătură arheologică, macroresturi vegetale, secolele XVII-XVIII.

Introduction In 2008 during archaeological researches at Báthory Castle (late medieval era)

from Şimleul Silvaniei city era were been picked from a storehouse, eight small plastic bags containing slight quantities of charred seeds and fruits. The samples were been picked directly from the excavation by archaeologists which conducted


86

the investigation of the site. The samples were submitted to me in order to make the species determination in 2010 by D. Marcu Istrate the principal investigator of Báthory Castle site. According to information’s received from the archaeologists, seeds were been sampled from a basement filling but the excavation has not been processed completely so the discovery contexts can not be illustrated in detail.

Considering that the researcher’s dind’nt described the full context of their sampling it not raised my interest from the beginning waiting to additional disclosures. But the fact that they belong to a period so little analyzed from archaeobotanical point of view in Romania and the attribute that some are so well preserved has motivated me in publication of this study.

Unfortunately the medieval era didn’t get sow much interest in Romania when it comes about soil sampling in order to make determination of plant species included in alimentation of medieval populations. There are a few studies regarding medieval times, two of them published by undersigned20.

Judging by these considerations we decided to make known the species identified within the samples picked during researches from Báthory Castle medieval site.

Geographical location of the site The Báthory Castle is located in Şimleul Silvaniei city in the north-western

part of Romania, being placed in the western side of the Sălaj County. More specifically, Şimleul Silvaniei is situated at 29 km distance from the Zalău city in Şimleului Basin, at the foot of Şimleului hillock being surrounded by Crasna valley21 (Fig. 1).

Historical context The Şimleului Field is firstly mentioned in documents in the XIIIth century.

Another mentioning is in 1341 when the Field came into possession of Báthory family. Based on documents it has been assumed that already in the fifteenth century must have been a Curia building raised by the Nicholas II Báthory, which was placed in the ensemble of the inner city surrounded by a palisade for defense. It can be presumed that Curia was a modest building divided into two or three rooms. The rooms are very similar with rooms of today's peasant houses22.

20 Ciută 2009, 2010. 21 http://www.simleusilvaniei.ro/ 22 Marcu Istrate et al. 2009, p. 351.


87

Intensive use of indwelling site was developed between XVI-XVII centuries. From these habitations have remained numerous specific deposits such as complexes that have functioned in various parts of the fortress visible on the earth surface. Most recent deposits are layers of rubble that covers all demolished structures which belonging to XVIII century and partially to XIX century.

The archaeological investigations provided evidence of violent destructions by fire of whole architectural assemblage. During excavations were investigated about 37 complexes representing stove, hearths, ovens, pits with various functions (post hole pit, household pits) or clay floor and mortar screed23. There have been discovered numerous animal bones representing household waste, charred seeds, charred stones and pulp fruits and fragments of charred food. Whole remains were been preserved by the mentioned fire which reveal the stage of their storage24.

The archaeological researches The Şimleului Citadel is currently a ruin. From the old monumental ensemble

have remained in elevation only the towers on the eastern side of the precinct 1, the gate tower of precinct 2 and partially the bastions. Although in the last 15 years there have been several initiatives to restore and rehabilitate the whole ensemble, visible results are quite scarce25. However, during these periods there were several stages of partial archaeological research. In the fourth phase of research was completed the research area of S23 (started in 2007) which has been extended to N up to 14.7 m from the northern precinct of the large fortress. This area was named S23N, because S23 was extended with a southern section of 10.4 m. And section called S23S was drawn at 2.60 m S of the southern end of S23N.

S23 was drawn to verify the archaeological situation of the eastern side of the old fortress. In the southern extension of the surface S18 at around 1 m from it, were outlined S24, 25, 26, 27

26. The investigated area of these surfaces has a rectangular trapezoid shape with

14 m long on the eastern side. Western side has a length of 13 m and the northern one is of 12 m.

Between these four areas were spared two cross sections in order to obtain ideal archaeological profiles and to facilitate the work in the research area. The four areas were drawn to investigate the southwest corner of the old city where it

23 Ibidem. 24 Ibidem. 25 Source: http://dli.ro/castelul-bathory.html 26 Marcu Istrate et al. 2009, p. 352.


88

supposed to be a corner tower of the castle dated to the end of XV-XVI th century. S28 was traced on the N side of the castle to complete the planimetry area27.

General stratigraphy of the site is relatively simple. The fortress being located in a dejection cone, the structure of the ground consists of layers of ballast, sand, clay, and combinations of these. These layers contain dakian pottery, but about a residence belonging to dakian age it can not be speak, at least at this stage of research. There also were discovered prehistoric materials. Construction of the first citadel (precincts 1) was performed generally after the leveling of the surface with layers consist of clay and ballast (derived from alluvium which forms the dejection cone on which the castle was constructed), mixed in various proportions with construction debris. Generally on these surfaces were arranged the identified floor rooms.

Determination of charred macro remains As we already have mentioned there were collected eight seeds samples in

small plastic bags. Seeds are coming from a basement filling and it is worth mentioning that from the basement was collected a huge amount of archaeological material of which processing is in an intermediate stage28.

According to archaeologists who performed the excavation the vast majority of the macroremains was picked from section named S23 during researches from 2008.

An attempt of a chronological data place the age of macroremains somewhere + _ 315 years old. It is worth mentioning that some of them are in a very good stage of preservation. This was due to the fire that favored their preservation. Like mentioned before they come from the castle storehouse and offer a glance of the stored food over the moment when the castle was burned.

Identification of plant macroremains was done using a low power (2X-4X) microscope (Novex AP). Pictures were been made with a Nikon D800 camera. The identification of macro plant remains was based on the external morphological characteristics of plant material using specific bibliography29. Scientific plant names follow Zohary and Hopf 1988.

In operation of species determination we kept the numbering of samples consequently we will restore below as such (see Table 1 and fig. 4):

- Sample 01: fruit pulp and stones of Prunus sp.; one stone plus fruit pulp fragment; one stone of Cornus mas ;

27Marcu Istrate et al. 2009, p. 352. 28 Informations from Daniela Marcu Istrate. 29Renfrew 1973; Körber-Grohne 1994; Zohary, Hopf 1988; Schoch et. al. 1988.


89

- Sample 02: fragments of Rosa canina fruit and seeds; - Sample 03: seven fruit-pulp and stones Cerasus avium ; - Sample 04: seven seeds and thirteen fragments of Pisum sativum specie; - Sample 05: two hundred nine modern wheat seeds of Triticum aestivum / compactum; intrusions: two weed seeds, thirty two seeds of Secale sp., two seeds of Hordeum sp., six seeds of Pisum sativum; - Sample 06: eleven fragments of fruit pulp of Cerasus avium, two fruit of apple Malus communis very well preserved; - Sample 07: one walnut fruit, Juglans regia; - Sample 08: three pulp fruit peach Prunus persica,

According to written sources for that time, vegetal diet of late medieval peoples included cereals, fruits and vegetables such as onions, garlic, peas and beans. In Transylvania, potatoes and corn were not used until XVI century.

What kind fruits were consumed? They consumed wild cherries, apples, pears, plums, peaches and grapes. Apples and pears were also cooked. Ripe apples were very popular. Other imports for the rich peoples have consisted of raisins, currants, figs and dried plums.

Prunus is a large genus of trees and shrubs, which includes plums, cherries, peaches and apricots. The Prunoideae are traditionally classified as a subfamily within the family Rosaceae. Botanical classification of species within this genus is sometimes controversial, partly because of the ease of interspecific hybridization. There are many different types of rootstocks being used for Prunus species on a worldwide basis. Each one has a particular set of advantages and limitations for adaptation to different geographic regions30.

These species were been identified as very numerous in temperate area and cooler parts of Europe being found also in the Black Sea and Northeast regions of Turkey31. The peaches are not native from Europe being originated from Western China32.

Conclusions Based on the analysis of only a few samples our information regarding vegetal

diet of the inhabitants of Báthory Castle is incomplete but may illustrate which were the plant species included in their alimentation however.

30 Turkoglu et al. 2010, p. 2156. 31 Turkoglu et al. 2010, p. 2157. 32 Zohary, Hopf 1988, p. 159.


90

New researches is still necessary in order to reach a more complete understanding of the palaeoethnobotanical context for Medieval era and the possibility of recovering more samples from different archaeological contexts.

Our current information about food in Medieval Times in Romania is based only on the written documents which are still missing from existing publications. The present study provides the first direct evidence about seeds and fruits used by late medieval peoples from Şimleul Silvaniei Báthory Castle33.

Acknowledgments: Thanks are due to archaeologists who made the excavation from Báthory

Castle where were discovered the macroremains subject of this study: Daniela Marcu Istrate (SC Damasus SRL), Horea Pop (MJIA Zalău) and their colleagues.

Also I want to express my gratitude to my colleague Călin Şuteu who made the picture of the seeds included in this study.

33 Borojević 2005, p. 453-464.


91

Bibliography

Borojević 2005

Borojević Ksenija, Nutrition and environment in medieval Serbia: charred cereal, weed and fruit remains from the fortress of Ras, in Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (2005) Heidelberg, p. 453-464.

Ciută 2009 Beatrice Ciută, Analize arheobotanice efectuate asupra probelor provenite din situl Târgu Mureş-Cetate (campania 2006), în Marisia, XXIX (2009),Târgu Mureş p. 217- 224.

Ciută 2010 Beatrice Ciută, Archaeobotanical analysis carried on macro remains from Tâtgu Mureş- Franciscan friary (campaign 2007) în Marisia, XXX (2010), Târgu Mureş, p. 213-217.

Körber-Grohne 1994

U. Körber-Grohne, Nutzpflanzen in Deutschland. Kulturgerschite und Biologie, (1994) Stuttgart

Marcu Istrate et al. 2009

Daniela Marcu Istrate, Anca Matiş, Horea Pop, Emanuel Pripon, I. Marchiş, Marius Ardeleanu, Raport de cercetare arheologică privind săpăturile efectuate în situl Castel Bathory, Şimleul Silvaniei, în Cronica Cercetărilor Arheologice, campania 2008 (2009) Târgovişte, p. 351-352.

Renfrew 1973 Jane Renfrew, Paleoethnobotany, (1973) London. Schoch et. al. 1988

W. H Schoch, B Pawlik, F H Schweingruber, Botanical macro-remains: an atlas for the determination of frequently encountered and ecologically important plant seeds (1988), Berne.

Turkoglu et al. 2010

Z. Turkoglu1, S. Bilgener, S. Ercisli, M. Bakir, A. Koc, M. Akbulut, R. Gercekcioglu, M. Gunes and A. Esitken, Simple sequence repeat-based assessment of genetic relationships among Prunus rootstocks, in Genetics and Molecular research 9, (4) 2010, p. 2156-2165.

Zohary, Hopf 1988

Daniel Zohary, Maria Hopf, Domestication of plants in the Old World, (1988), Oxford.


92

List of figures:

Fig.1 Romania map with geographical location of Sălaj county (source:ro. wikipedia..org/judetul Sălaj 3D map),

Fig. 2-3 Details from the archaeological excavation units (apud Cronica Cimec 2007; http://ran.cimec.ro/codran=139893.09).

Fig. 4 Plate with pictures of identified macroremains (scale bar 10 mm). Tabel 1 Species names and counts of identified charred seeds and fruits from

Báthory Castle.

Lista figurilor: Fig. 1. Harta României cu localizarea geografică a judeţului Sălaj (sursa: ro.

wikipedia..org/judetul Sălaj 3D map) Fig.2-3. Detalii din secţiunile săpăturilor arheologice ((apud Cronica Cimec

2007; http://ran.cimec.ro/codran=139893.09) Fig. 4. Planşa conţinând imagini ale macroresturile identificate (scara 10 mm) Tabel 1. Tabel cu denumirea şi numărul speciilor identificate.


93

Fig. 1.


94

Fig. 2.


95

Fig. 3.


96

Fig. 4.

Site: Báthory Castle (Sălaj County) Chronological time: XVII - XVIII century Late Medieval Era

No. of sample and archaeological context

Sample1 S23

Sample2S23

Sample3S23

Sample4 Section5/2008; Complex 59

Sample5 Section 23 north, m 13-16, depth: 2,05m Complex 71,

Sample 6 Section23 north, m 15,8, depth: 1,8m, Complex71,

Sample 7 Complex 68/2, depth: 2,8; from a small pitcher

Sample 8 S23

Total

Latin name of the species

Cerealia Triticum 209 2


97

aestivum / compactum

caryopsis

09

Hordeum sp.

2caryopsis

2

Secale sp 32caryopsis

32

Leguminosae

Pisum sativum

7seeds+13 frg. seeds

6 seeds 26

Fruits Prunus sp

1stone+1 frg pulp

2

Prunus persica

3 fruits

3

Cerasus avium

7 frg. pulp +2 stones

11 pulp frg.

20

Mallus comunis

2 fruits

2

Juglans regia

fruit

1

Wild fruits

Cornus mas

1stone

1

Rosa canina

3 frg. pulp+5 seeds

8

Weeds Indeterminata

2 seeds 2

Table 1. Species names and counts of identified charred seeds and fruits from Báthory Castle.


98

Beatrice CIUTĂ, ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DETERMINATION OF SEVERAL CHARRED SEEDS AND FRUITS RECOVERED FROM A...

Documents

Transcript of Beatrice CIUTĂ, ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DETERMINATION OF SEVERAL CHARRED SEEDS AND FRUITS RECOVERED FROM A...