Abstract
The aim of this article is the study of the botanical material in the fillings of 54 coffin pillows from Catholic and Protestant burials dated to the 17th-18/19th centuries, collected during the investigation of 15 church crypts in different regions of Poland, and consideration of the role of the plants used for this purpose. In a large part of the dataset, a comprehensive picture of the botanical composition of the pillow fills has been obtained through the parallel studies of plant macroremains and pollen. Advantages and pitfalls in the use of pollen analysis on these specific remains are discussed. The results show that a large number of taxa were used in pillow fillings. The choice of plants was mostly dictated by their aromatic, insect repellent and preservative properties as well as their symbolic meanings, but the morphology and other physical properties of plants used in the fillings was also of importance. In some cases, the use of plants from bouquets which had been blessed in specific Catholic church ceremonies is suggested. The possible season of burial according to the botanical composition of the pillows is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abad MJ, Bedoya LM, Bermejo P (2013) Essential oils from the Asteraceae family active against multidrug-resistant bacteria. In: Rai M, Kon K (eds) Fighting multidrug resistance with herbal extracts, essential oils and their components. Academic Press, London, pp 205–221
Akela MA, el Atrash AM, el Kilany MI, Tousson E (2018) Qualitative and quantitative characterization of biologically active compounds of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaf extract. J Adv Trends Basic Appl Sci 2:59–64
Akeret Ö (2016) Botanische Reste aus dem Sarkophag eines Kindes aus dem temple de Daillens (VD) (Daillens - temple INT 11283). Rapport, Integrative Prähistorische und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie
Akgul C, Saglikoglu G (2006) Antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extract and its fractions of aerial parts of Anthemis tinctoria. Indian J Biochem Biophys 42:395–397
Antić R (2010) The role of Christianity in the development of European and Serbian medieval medicine. Arch Oncol 18:111–114
Åsen PA (2021) Medieval monastery gardens in Iceland and Norway. Religions 12:317. https://doi.org/0.3390/rel12050317
Awe S, Amobi OO (2015) Antibacterial, phytochemical and proximate analysis of Pteridium aquilinum. Int J Res Pharm Biosci 2:1–7
Berglund BE, Ralska-Jasiewiczowa M (1986) Pollen analysis and pollen diagrams. In: Berglund BE (ed) Handbook of Holocene palaeoecology and palaeohydrology. Wiley, Chichester, pp 455–484
Beug H (2004) Leitfaden der Pollenbestimmung für Mitteleuropa und angrenzende Gebiete. Pfeil, München
Bocquet L, Sahpaz S, Hilbert JL, Rambaud C, Rivière C (2018) Humulus lupulus L., a very popular beer ingredient and medicinal plant: overview of its phytochemistry, its bioactivity, and its biotechnology. Phytochem Rev 17:1047–1090. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-018-9584-y
Bogawski P, Grewling Ł, Frątczak A (2016) Flowering phenology and potential pollen emission of three Artemisia species in relation to airborne pollen data in Poznań (Western Poland). Aerobiologia 32:265–276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-015-9397-z
Bohdanowicz J (1999) Wyposażenie zmarłych. In: Bohdanowicz J (ed) Komentarze do Polskiego atlasu etnograficznego, vol 5: Zwyczaje, obrzędy i wierzenia pogrzebowe. Wydawnictwo Polskiego Towarzystwa Ludoznawczego, Wrocław, pp 98–111
Boseva KY, Bosseva YZ (2016) Edible and medicinal plants in the cloister gardens of West Europe (800s-900s AD). Phytol Balc 22:161–166
Cappers RTJ, Bekker RM, Jans JEA (2006) Digital seed atlas of the Netherlands. Groningen Archaeological Studies 4. Barkhuis Publishing, Eelde
Celka Z (2011) Relics of cultivation in the vascular flora of medieval West Slavic settlements and castles. Biodiv Res Conserv 22:1–110. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10119-011-0011-0
Charlier P, Poupon J, Jeannel GF et al (2016) The embalming of John of Lancaster, first Duke of Bedford (1435 AD): A forensic analysis. Med Sci Law 56:107–115. https://doi.org/0.1177/0025802415587318
Corbineau R, Ruas M-P, Barbier-Pain D, Fornaciari G, Dupont H, Colleter R (2018) Plants and aromatics for embalming in Late Middle Ages and modern period: a synthesis of written sources and archaeobotanical data (France, Italy). Veget Hist Archaeobot 27:151–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-017-0620-4
Dafni A, Lev E, Beckmann S, Eichberger C (2006) Ritual plants of Muslim graveyards in northern Israel. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2:38. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-2-38
Dafni A, Petanidou T, Vallianatou I et al (2020) Myrtle, basil, rosemary, and three-lobed sage as ritual plants in the monotheistic religions: an historical-ethnobotanical comparison. Econ Bot 74:330–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09477-w
Decocq G, Bordier D, Wattez J-R, Racinet P (2004) A practical approach to assess the native status of a rare plant species: the controversy of Buxus sempervirens L. in northern France revisited. Plant Ecol 173:139–151
Dildar A (1990) Isolation and structural studies on the chemical constituents of Buxus species. Doctoral Thesis, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi City
Drążkowska A (2014) Odzież i insygnia grobowe biskupów przemyskich obrządku łacińskiego. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń
Drury S (1994) Funeral plants and flowers in England: some examples. Folklore 105:101–103
Ebadollahi A (2013) Plant essential oils from Apiaceae family as alternatives to conventional insecticides. Ecol Balk 5:149–172
Ekiert H, Knut E, Świątkowska J, Klin P, Rzepiela A, Tomczyk M, Szopa A (2021) Artemisia abrotanum L. (southern wormwood) - history, current knowledge on the chemistry, biological activity, traditional use and possible new pharmaceutical and cosmetological applications. Molecules 26:2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092503
Ekiert H, Pajor J, Klin P, Rzepiela A, Ślesak H, Szopa A (2020) Significance of Artemisia vulgaris L. (common mugwort) in the history of medicine and its possible contemporary applications substantiated by phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Molecules 25:4415. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25194415
Fischer-Rizzi S (1996) Medicine of the Earth: legends, recipes, remedies, and cultivation of healing plants. Rudra Press, Portland, Oregon, p 190
Frazer JG (1983) Relics of tree-worship in modern Europe. In: Frazer JG (ed) The golden bough. Palgrave Macmillan, London, p 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-00635-9_10
Galera H, Jurkiewicz E, Sudnik-Wójcikowska B (2013) Kwiaty i zioła w ostatnią drogę. In: Golonka J (ed) Tajemnice Bazyliki Jasnogórskiej, Studium do Dziejów. Paulinarium Wydawnictwo Zakonu Paulinów, Częstochowa, pp 181–225
Giuffra V, Fornaciari A, Marvelli S, Marchesini M, Caramella D, Fornaciari G (2011) Embalming methods and plants in Renaissance Italy: two artificial mummies from Siena (central Italy). J Archaeol Sci 38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.04.009. 1,949-1,956
Górnicka I (2014) Obraz sarmackiej ceremonii pogrzebowej w świetle wybranych źródeł narracyjnych. Koło Historii 15:59–68
Grűll T (2018) From transfer to transplantation – the economic role of medicinal plants in the Roman Empire. In: Grűll T (ed) Mobility and transfer: studies on ancient economy. Ancient Near East Mediterranean Studies, vol 3. L’Harmattan, Budapest, pp 109–128
Hsieh P-C, Kuo C-Y, Lee Y-H, Wu Y-K, Yang M-C, Tzeng I-S, Lan C-C (2020) Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of actions of Descurainia sophia. Int J Med Sci 17. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.47357. 2,163-2,170
Husti A, Cantor M (2015) Sacred connection of ornamental flowers with religious symbols. ProEnviron 8:73–79
Iriarte-Chiapusso M-J, Arrizabalaga A, Cuenca-Bescós G (2015) The vegetational and climatic contexts of the Lower Magdalenian human burial in El Mirón Cave (Cantabria, Spain): implications related to human behavior. J Archaeol Sci 60:66–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.008
Ives R (2021) Investigating botanical tributes in post-medieval British burials: archaeological evidence from three burial grounds. Int J Hist Archaeol 25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-021-00594-8. :1,142-1,164
Jacomet S, Kreuz A (1999) Archäobotanik: Aufgaben, Methoden und Ergebnisse vegetations- und agrarwissenschaftlicher Forschung. (UTB für Wissenschaft 8158). Ulmer, Stuttgart
Jamshidi-Kia F, Lorigooini Z, Amini-Khoei H (2018) Medicinal plants: past history and future perspective. J Herbmed Pharmacol 7:1–7. https://doi.org/10.15171/jhp.2018.01
Jarosińska M, Nowak S, Noryśkiewicz AM, Badura M (2019) Plant identification and significance in funeral traditions exemplified by pillow filling from a child crypt burial in Byszewo (18th/19th centuries). Analecta Archaeol Ressoviensia 14:187–197. https://doi.org/10.15584/anarres.2019.14.13
Jashemski WF (2017) Produce gardens. In: Jashemski WF, Gleason KL, Hartswick KJ, Malek A-A (eds) Gardens of the Roman Empire. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 121–151. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139033022.005
Karg S (ed) (2007) Medieval food traditions in northern Europe. Studies in Archaeology & History, vol 12. National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen
Karg S (2012/2013) Auf Hopfen gebettet - Pflanzliche Grabbeigaben in Bestattungen des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts im Dom zu Helsingør, Nordseeland (Dänemark). Offa 69/70:403–410
Kelso GK, Miller HM (2016) Pollen analysis of three seventeenth-century lead coffins. J Archaeol Sci: Rep 6:160–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.01.029
Kluk K (1805–1811) Dykcyonarz roślinny, vols.1–3.Drukarnia Xsięży Piarów, Warszawa
Kobielus S (2014) Florium christianum. Symbolika roślin - chrześcijańska starożytność i średniowiecze. Tyniec Wydawnictwo Benedyktynów, Kraków
Köhler P (2015) The romantic myth about the antiquity of folk botanical knowledge and its fall: Józef Rostafiński’s case. Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae scientiarum 3:99–108. https://doi.org/10.11590/abhps.2015.1.06
Köhler P (2016) Rośliny święcone w ankiecie Józefa Rostafińskiego (1850–1928) z 1883 r. Etnobiol Polska 6:129–190
Köhler P (2017) Rośliny sepulkralne w ankiecie Józefa Rostafińskiego (1850–1928) z 1883 r. Etnobiol Polska 7:41–74
Korpiola M, Lahtinen A (2015) Cultures of death and dying in medieval and early modern Europe. (Studies across disciplines in the humanities and social sciences 18. Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, Helsinki, pp 1–31
Kosmaczewska A (2019) Analiza botaniczna i znaczenie roślin z XVIII-wiecznych pochówków z Byszewa. Praca licencjacka, Uniwersytet Gdański, Gdańsk
Kujawska M, Łuczaj Ł, Sosnowska J, Klepacki P (2016) Rośliny w wierzeniach i zwyczajach ludowych. Słownik Adama Fischera. Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze, Wrocław, pp 116–118
Kujawska M, Łuczaj Ł, Typek J (2015) Fischer’s Lexicon of Slavic beliefs and customs: a previously unknown contribution to the ethnobotany of Ukraine and Poland. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 11:85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-015-0073-8
Kulpa W (1974) Nasionoznawstwo chwastów. PWRiL, Warszawa
Kvavadze E, Rukhadze L, Nikolaishvili V, Mumladze L (2008) Botanical and zoological remains from an early medieval grave at Tsitsamuri, Georgia. Veget Hist Archaeobot 17:217–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-008-0183-5
Lagerås P (2016) A fragrant grave - revealing the mummified remains of a 17th-century bishop. Curr World Archaeol 76:12–13
Latałowa M, Badura M, Jarosińska J, Święta-Musznicka J (2007) Useful plants in medieval and post-medieval archaeobotanical materials from the Hanseatic towns of northern Poland (Kołobrzeg, Gdańsk and Elbląg). In: Karg S (ed) Medieval food traditions in northern Europe. PNM Studies in Archaeology & History, vol 12. National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, pp 39–72
Lempiäinen T (2002) Plant macrofossils from graves and churches: The archaeobotany of graves from the Late Iron Age and the Middle Ages and of Medieval churches in Finland and the Karelian Isthmus (Russia). In: Viklund K (ed) Nordic Archaeobotany – NAG 2000 in Umeå. Archaeology and Environment, vol 15. University of Umeå, Umeå, pp 161–172
Lempiäinen-Avci M, Laakso V, Alenius T (2017) Archaeobotanical remains from inhumation graves in Finland, with special emphasis on a 16th century grave at Kappelinmäki, Lappeenranta. J Archaeol Sci: Rep 13:132–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.03.038
Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003) Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Lodwick LA (2017) Evergreen plants in Roman Britain and beyond: movement, meaning and materiality. Britannia 48:135–173. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X17000101
Lodwick L (2019) Sowing the seeds of future research: data sharing, citation and reuse in archaeobotany. Open Quat 5:1–7. https://doi.org/10.5334/oq.62
Łuczaj Ł (2011a) Herbal bouquets blessed on Assumption Day in south-eastern Poland: freelisting versus photographic inventory. Ethnobot Res Appl 9:1–25
Łuczaj Ł (2011b) Changes in Assumption Day herbal bouquets in Poland: a nineteenth century study revisited. Econ Bot 65:66–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-011-9148-1
Łuczaj ŁJ (2012) A relic of medieval folklore: Corpus Christi Octave herbal wreaths in Poland and their relationship with the local pharmacopoeia. J Ethnopharmacol 142:228–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.04.049
Łuczaj Ł (2013) Rośliny święcone w bukietach w dniu Matki Boskiej Zielnej w cerkwiach prawosławnych na przedpolu Puszczy Białowieskiej. Etnobiol Polska 3:55–62
Mahoney-Swales D, O´Neill R, Willmott H (2011) The hidden material culture of death: coffins and grave goods in late 18th- and early 19th-century Sheffield. In: King C, Sayer D (eds) The archaeology of post-medieval religion. The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, pp 215–232
Majdecki L (2007) Historia ogrodów. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa
Michel J, Abd Rani NZ, Husain K (2020) A review on the potential use of medicinal plants from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae plant family in cardiovascular diseases. Front Pharmacol 11:852. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00852
Mihailović V, Mišić D, Matić S et al (2015) Comparative phytochemical analysis of Gentiana cruciata L. roots and aerial parts, and their biological activities. Ind Crops Prod 73:49–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.04.013
Mirek Z, Piękoś-Mirkowa H, Zając A, Zając M (2002) Flowering plants and pteridophytes of Poland: a checklist. Szafer Institiute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków
Moore PD, Webb JA, Collinson ME (1991) Pollen analysis, 2nd edn. Blackwell, Oxford
Moszyński K (1967) Kultura ludowa Słowian. Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa
Nadel D, Danin A, Power RC et al (2013) Earliest floral grave lining from 13,700–11,700-y-old Natufian burials at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. Proc Natl Adad Sci USA 110:11774–11778. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1302277110
Napoli M (2008) The plants, rituals and spells that ‘cured’ helminthiasis in Sicily. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 4:21. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-4-21
Naser B, Bodinet C, Tegtmeier M, Lindequist U (2005) Thuja occidentalis (Arbor vitae): a review of its pharmaceutical, pharmacological and clinical properties. eCAM 2:69–78. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh065
Neef R, Cappers RTJ, Bekker RM (2012) Digital atlas of economic plants in archaeology. (Groningen Archaeological Studies 17) Barkhuis Publishing, Eelde
Nieto G (2017) Biological activities of three essential oils of the Lamiaceae family. Medicines 4:63. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines4030063
Nimrouzi M, Zarshenas MM (2016) Phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of Descurainia sophia Webb ex Prantl: modern and traditional applications. Avicenna J Phytomed 6:266–272
Nowak SK (2019) Coffin upholstery from the southern crypt of the Holy Trinity church in Byszewo (Poland). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26673.84325. Post-Medieval Archaeology Congress 2019
O’Keeffe CM, Stutte GW, McKeon-Bennett M (2015) Ragwort: invasive weed and potential pharmaceutical. Hortic Rev 43:145–184. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119107781.ch03
Paluch A (1985) Miejsce roślin w praktykach i zwyczajach związanych ze śmiercią człowieka na wsi polskiej. In: Paluch A (ed) Etnobotanika. Materiały I Ogólnopolskiego Seminarium Etnobotanicznego, Kolbuszowa 19–20 VII 1980 r. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław pp 43–55
Paluch A (1988) Świat roślin w tradycyjnych praktykach leczniczych wsi polskiej. (Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis 752) Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław
Pareek A, Suthar M, Rathore GS, Bansal V (2011) Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): a systematic review. Pharmacogn Rev 5:103–110. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.79105
Pela W (1997) Krypta grobowa ostatnich książąt mazowieckich. Almanach Muzealny 1:7–29
Pietkiewicz I (2012) Burial rituals and cultural changes in the Polish community – a qualitative study. Pol Psychol Bull 43:288–309
Pińska K, Drążkowska A (2020) Szczątki roślin odnalezione w kryptach. In: Drążkowska A (ed) Krypty grobowe kościoła pw. św. Franciszka z Asyżu w Krakowie w świetle badań interdyscyplinarnych. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń, pp 81–120
Pińska K, Sady A, Drążkowska A (2015) Szczątki roślin z badań archeologicznych z wybranych stanowisk z Polski i Litwy. In: Drążkowska A (ed) Kultura funeralna elit Rzeczypospolitej od XVI do XVIII wieku na terenie Korony i Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń, pp 267–324
Pokropek A (1993) Sen-brat śmierci. Konteksty: Polska Sztuka Ludowa 47:110–112
Punt W et al (eds) (1976–2003) The northwest European pollen flora, vols 1–8.Elsevier, Amsterdam
Punt W, Hoen PP (2009) The Northwest European pollen flora. Asteraceae – Asteroideae Rev Palaeobot Palynol 157 70:22–183
Puri AV, Khandagale PD, Ansari YN (2018) A review on ethnomedicinal, pharmacological and phytochemical aspects of Sonchus oleraceus Linn. (Asteraceae). Int J Pharm Biol Sci 8:1–9
Quiroz D, van Andel T (2018) The cultural importance of plants in western African religions. Econ Bot 72:251–262
Rana S, Sharma DK, Paliwal PP (2016) Ritual plants used by indigenous and ethnic societies of district Banswara (South Rajasthan), India. Am J Ethnomed 3:26–31
Rawa-Szubert A, Hryszko H, Kehl J (1981) Konserwacja ubiorów pochodzących z sarkofagów książąt słupskich. Ochrona Zabytków 34:72–81
Riaz M, Ahmad R, Rahman NU, Khan Z, Dou D, Sechel G, Manea R (2020) Traditional uses, Phyto-chemistry and pharmacological activities of Tagetes patula L. J Ethnopharmacol 255:112718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.112718
Riera Mora S, Servera-Vives G, Picornell-Gelabert L, Cabanis M, Boi M, Miras Y (2018) Pollen signatures of a ritual process in the collective burial cave of Cova des Pas (Late Bronze Age, Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain). In: Livarda A, Madwick R, Riera i Mora S (eds) The bioarchaeology of ritual and religion. Oxbow Books, Oxford, pp 28–43. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvh1dpkx.9
Rosinski M (2007) Pflanzen in den Grablegen des Fürsten Wilhelm Heinrich von Nassau Saarbrücken und seines Sohnes Fürst Ludwig von Nassau Saarbrücken. Abhandl Delattinia 33:141–154
Rożek M (1977) Groby królewskie na Wawelu. Wydawnictwo “Petrus”, Kraków
Sabudak T, Guler N (2009) Trifolium L. – A review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. Phytother Res 23:439–445. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2709
Sady A (2010) Wyniki analizy botanicznej materiałów roślinnych z sarkofagu Anny Marii von Promnitz (sarkofag nr 9). Unpublished report, private archive, no. 11/2010, Katowice
Sady A (2015) Wstępne wyniki analizy botanicznej prób szczątków z krypt. Unpublished report, private archive no. 10, 2015, Katowice
Sady A (2016) Wstępne wyniki analizy botanicznej wypełniska sarkofagu Zuzanny Jadwigi Schaffgotsch. Unpublished report, private archive no. 8/2016, Katowice
Sah SN, Regmi S, Tamang MK (2017) Antibacterial effects of Thuja leaves extract. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol 5:256–260. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v5i2.17617
Salvesen PH, Kanz B, Moe D (2009) Historical cultivars of Buxus sempervirens L. revealed in a preserved 17th century garden by biometry and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Eur J Hortic Sci 74:130–136
Sarma J, Devi A (2015) Study on traditional worshipping plants in Hindu religion from Nalbari and Sonitpur districts of Assam. Int J Sci Res 5:1–5
Schwarz Z, Żmijewska E (1995) Ogrody Gdańska i okolic. Miejski Dom Kultury, Gdańsk
Shakya AK (2016) Medicinal plants: future source of new drugs. Int J Herbal Med 4:59–64. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1395.6085
Sillasoo U (2009) Plants in Late Medieval festivals and customs in written and pictorial sources from southern central Europe. Environ Archaeol 14:76–89. https://doi.org/10.1179/174963108X345720
Skonieczna-Gawlik D (2015) Rośliny w zwyczajach i obrzędach mieszkańców województwa śląskiego. Tradycja i współczesność. Rocznik Muzeum GórnoślÄ ski Park Etnograficzny w Chorzowie 3:103–123
Spalding JC, Chadwick WO, Marty ME, Bainton RH, Nelson EC (2021) Protestantism. Encyclopedia Britannica online. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestantism. Accessed 14 May 2021
Ströbl R, Ströbl A, Vick D, Wiethold J (2017) Grafengruft in neuer Würde – die Grablege derer von Ehrentreuter/von Wedel unter der reformierten Kirche in Loga/Leer. Nachr aus Niedersachsens Urgeschichte 86:173–194
Stryamets N, Fontefrancesco MF, Mattalia G et al (2021) Just beautiful green herbs: use of plants in cultural practices in Bukovina and Roztochya, Western Ukraine. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 17:12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-021-00439-y
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B (2011) Rośliny synantropijne. Multico, Warszawa
Svanberg I, de Vahl E (2020) It may also have prevented churchgoers from falling asleep: southernwood, Artemisia abrotanum L. (fam. Asteraceae), in the church bouquet, and its contemporary presence as a heritage plant in Sweden. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 16:49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00401-4
Święta-Musznicka J, Sulkowska-Tuszyńska K, Latałowa M (eds) Archaeologia Historica Polona 29
Szcześniak K (2013) Świat roślin światem ludzi na pograniczu wschodniej i zachodniej słowiańszczyzny. Wydawnictwo Uniw Gdańskiego, Gdańsk, pp 139–140
Szopa A, Pajor J, Klin P et al (2020) Artemisia absinthium L.- importance in the history of medicine, the latest advances in phytochemistry and therapeutical, cosmetological and culinary uses. Plants (Basel) 9:1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091063
Tarlow S (ed) (2015) The archaeology of death in post-medieval Europe. De Gruyter Poland, Warsaw
Tagesson G (2015) The human body as material culture – Linköping cathedral churchyard in the early modern period. In: Tarlow S (ed) The archaeology of death in post-medieval Europe. De Gruyter Poland, Warsaw, pp 19–38
Tokarska-Guzik B, Dajdok Z, Zając M, Zając A, Urbisz A, Danielewicz W, Hołdyński C (2012) Rośliny obcego pochodzenia w Polsce ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem gatunków inwazyjnych. Generalna Dyrekcja Ochrony Środowiska, Warszawa
Tranberg A (2015) Burial customs in the northern Ostrobothnian Region (Finland) from the late medieval period to the 20th century. Plant remains in graves. In: Tarlow S (ed) The archaeology of death in post-medieval Europe. De Gruyter Poland, Warsaw, pp 189–203
Van der Veen M, Livarda A, Hill A (2008) New plant foods in Roman Britain - dispersal and social access. Environ Archaeol 13:11–36. https://doi.org/10.1179/174963108X279193
Weiser F (2021) Catholic activity: the Feast of the Assumption customs and traditions. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1311
Wiethold J (2005) … auf Hopfen gebettet. Botanische Analysen zu den Bestattungen in der Äbtissinnengruft unter der Barbarakapelle im Kloster Lüne. Denkmalpflege in Lüneburg 2005:27–33
Witcher R (2013) On Rome’s ecological contribution to British flora and fauna: landscape, legacy and identity. Landsc Hist 34:5–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/01433768.2013.855393
Zarcone T (2005) Myth of the mandrake, the ‘plant-human’. Diogenes 207:115–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0392192105055178
Zemanek A, Zemanek B (2005) Rośliny i “sacrum” w historii cywilizacji. In: Domański B, Skiba S (eds) Geografia i sacrum. Profesorowi Antoniemu Jackowskiemu w 70. Rocznicę urodzin, vol 2. Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków, pp 471–480
Acknowledgements
Our thanks are due to Anna Drążkowska, Małgorzata Grupa, Sebastian Nowak, Sławomir Kulpa and Rafał Niedźwiadek for providing archaeological and historical information and to Mateusz Sosnowski for creating the map. We are grateful to Julian Wiethold and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on the manuscript and to Karl-Ernst Behre for his editing. This study has been supported by the University of Gdańsk (531-D040-D581-21) and Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre Poland) (2016/23/B/HS3/01910).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by K.-E. Behre.
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Badura, M., Jarosińska, M., Noryśkiewicz, A.M. et al. Archaeobotanical evidence and ethnobotanical interpretation of plants used as coffin pillow fillings in burials in Poland (17th-18/19th centuries). Veget Hist Archaeobot 32, 85–103 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-022-00884-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-022-00884-z