Plant Environment of Man between 6000 and 2000 B.C. in Bulgaria

Description

This study discusses the results of archaeobotanical studies carried out in Bulgaria, with a special focus on finds from 36 Neolithic and Bronze Age sites. In order to obtain palaeobotanical (palaeovegetation and palaeoenvironmental) evidence contemporary methods and analyses have been applied to the herbaceous and ligneous plants found. For each of the settlements studied, seeds, fruits and charred wood are identified and examined, and the origin, ecological requirements and spread of each is explained. The charred wood data also provide information about the composition of the forest vegetation. Plants that were additional sources of food or were used for different technical needs are also examined. The palaeobotanical analyses of this study support the great diversity of cultivated, wild growing and weed plants in this region and also provide evidence for the availability of Mediterranean species which may have been transferred from Greece or Asia Minor.