Jericho: Plant Remains
-Most of the seeds found in excavating Jericho were fully threshed.
-Very few weed Seeds were found, which could indicate that the process of cultivating plants must have reached a high standard some time during the PPNA.
-Botanical finds were from the:
PPNA
PPNB
PN
Proto-Urban
Early Bronze
EB/MB
Middle Bronze
-most of the seeds found from the site were preserved through carbonization. This could be caused by a number of things; perhaps through repeated destruction of the site, or from local conflaguration or they could have simply been to close to the fireplace. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
-Information on Cereals came from mud bricks where the people had added chaff from wheat and or barley to the wet clay, giving it strength.
-some of these bricks may have disintegrated or could have been destroyed by fire, but the hollows left behind provide a negative of the original grain, ear, glume, etc. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Cereals.
Einkorn
- Was found in the PPN
- Hypothesised that Einkorn came from the North and was brought down by Jericho's first permanent settlers.
- The Einkorn was found in Mud bricks of the PPNA and PPNB. Much of the other evidence for Einkorn in these periods has been charred.
- There was no evidence of Charring in the Pottery Neolithic or the "Proto Urban".
- EB and MB, it is doubtful that the species was grown.
- In the Middle Bronze Einkorn is absent altogether.
(Kenyon, Holland, 1983)
- "In Samples ther are two types of Einkorn: (a) with perfectly convex ventral and dorsal sides, coming from one-grain Spikelets and (B) with the middle, coming from two-grain spikelets."(Kenyon, Holland, 1983)
Emmer
- During the early Bronze emmer was the main wheat species grown. It is thought that it was brought back with barley and Einkorn from the north.
- The greatest amount of emmer was found in the Early bronze samples.
- The size of the Emmer changed from EB to MB, the seeds seemed to bee smaller.
(Kenyon, Holland, 1983)
Wheat
- PPNB: Tetraploid wheat is found, and it seems that it may have been restricted to this period (dry conditions.
- Early Bronze: reintroduction of naked wheat, in hexaploid form which is better addapted to irrigated land. (Kenyonl, Holland, 1983)
Barley
- Barley is Present from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A through to the Middle Bronze.
- During the PPN, Pottery Neolithic and "Proto-Urban" the two row form of Barley is present.
- Early Bronze samples show that the Six row type of Barley was predominent.
- Naked grains occur in all periods exept the PN and "Pro-urban". (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Legumes.
Field Pea
- The field pea is also thought to have come from PPNB settlers from the North.
- The Pea is absent during the Pottery Neolithic, "Proto-Urban", and Early bronze strata.
- There were 350 peas, and pea fragments found in PPNB layers.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Chick-pea
-Main amount of chick peas were found in the Early bronze. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Bean
- A few samples were found in PPNB and MB layers.
- No beans were found in any of the other levels.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Fruits.
Vine
- In the EB and MB layers both pips and Berries were found. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Figs
- Figs are found in all phases except the PPNB, PPN, and EB/MB.
- The pips found in the PPNA layers were the only ones not charred.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pomegranate
- There were some seeds found in the MB levels. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pistachio
- There were some bits of Pistachio shells found in the PPNA. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Date Palm
- There is some evidence of these in the EB and maybe the "Proto-Urban". (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Other:
Leeks
- There were some bulbs found from the EB layeres. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Bitter Vetch
- There were six seeds found in the MB layers. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Grass Pea
- There were two seeds found from early bronze layers. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
WEEDS
- There were 6,960 seeds found and they belong to twenty six different Genera.
- The Majoritiy of the seeds date from EB and MB.
The 26 genera of the weeds were:
Pig weed
Wild oats
Black Mustard
Brome Grass
Marigold
Pink family
Knapwood
Goosefoot family
Crucifer Family
Viper's bugloss
Fumitory
Bedstraw
grass family
Thyme Family
Pea Flower family
Rye grass
Mallow
Poppy
Plantain
Caterpillar
Night Shade family
Penny-cress
Bladderwort
Speedwell
Berries unidentified
Seeds unidentified
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)