Multi-disciplinary Egyptology: Archaeobotany

Multi-disciplinary Egyptology: Archaeobotany
Archaeobotany is the study of ancient plant remains, such as seeds and pollen. These remains can tell us much about the climate and environment of ancient peoples, about plant diversity and ecosystems. They can tell us about levels of technology, agricultural practices, medicine, diet and manufacturing processes.

For many years, archaeologists and Egyptologists assumed that daily staple of ancient Egyptian beer was fermented using a piece of bread to introduce yeast. This assumption was accepted without being tested. Recently the examination of botanical samples at Amarna and residues inside jars have revealed that a process of malting was used. This is just one example of how archaeobotany can add to our understanding of daily processes in ancient Egypt.

The problem of the separation of archaeology and science is not confined to Egypt, although this is slowly changing. This article discusses one man's efforts to bring archaeobotany to the prominence it deserves in Egypt.
https://www.madamasr.com/en/2017/01/10/feature/culture/teaching-egyptians-to-read-ancient-plants-pioneering-the-field-of-archaeobotany-in-egypt/

Comments