Skip to main content

Human diet and land use in the time of the Khans—Archaeobotanical research in the capital of the Mongolian Empire, Qara Qorum, Mongolia

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany volume 14, pages 485–492 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Archaeobotanical investigations at Qara Qorum (Karakorum), Mongolia, reveal information about diet and land use from the 13th to the 15th century A.D. People grew Panicum miliaceum, Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum and Setaria italica in nearby irrigated fields but additionally imported all other known cereals, including Oryza sativa, in small amounts as well as oil and fibre plants and pulses. The most common oil and fibre plant was Cannabis sativa. At least ten species of vegetables and spices such as Carum carvi, Coriandrum sativum, Apium graveolens, Beta vulgaris, Lycium chinense and Piper nigrum were either gathered from the wild, grown locally or imported. Apart from some wild gathered species like Pinus sibirica and Fragaria vesca, most of the fruits and nuts as for instance Vitis vinifera, Ficus carica, Ziziphus jujuba, Prunus dulcis, P. insititia, P. avium and P. persica, Cucumis melo and Juglans regia must also have been imported from quite long distances. First pollen results from lake Ugii Nuur, 50 km north of Qara Qorum indicate a much earlier beginning of agriculture than in the high and late Medieval.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Arndt, B., Wiethold, J. (2001). Pflaume, Pfeffer, Paradieskorn. Archäologie in Niedersachsen, 4, 35–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkmann, U.B. (2002). Qara Qorum (Karakorum)—Fragmente zur Geschichte einer vergessenen Reichshauptstadt. In: Roth, H.R., Erdenebat, U. (eds) Qara Qorum-City (Mongolia) I. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology, 1, 7–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Brent, P. (1976). The mongol empire. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Erdenebat, U., Pohl, E. (2002). Karakorum 2 – Archäologie im Stadtzentrum. In: Roth, H.R., Erdenebat, U. (eds) Qara Qorum-City (Mongolia) I. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology, 1, 33–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellwig, M. (1990). Paläoethnobotanische Untersuchungen an mittelalterlichen und frühneuzeitlichen Pflanzenresten aus Braunschweig. Dissertationes Botanicae, 156, Cramer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacomet, S., Kreuz, A. (1999). Archäobotank. Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiyselyev, S.V., Yevtyuchova, F.A., Kyzlasov, L.J.R., Myerpyert, N.J., Lyevaschova, V.P. (1965). Dryevnyemongolskie goroda [The ancient cities of Mongolia]. Moskow

  • Knörzer, K. (1987). Geschichte der synanthropen Vegetation von Köln. Kölner Jahrbuch für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, 20, 271–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Küster, H. (1989). Mittelalterliche Pflanzenreste aus Konstanz am Bodensee. Dissertationes Botanicae, 133, Cramer, Berlin, pp 201–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang, G. (1994). Quartäre vegetationsgeschichte Europas. Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Maier, U. (2001). Archäobotanische Untersuchungen in der neolithischen Ufersiedlung Hornstaad-Hörnle IA am Bodensee. Forschungen und Berichte zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Baden-Württemberg, 74, 29-384

    Google Scholar 

  • Nesbitt, M., O’Hara, S. (2000). Irrigation agriculture in Central Asia: a long-term perspective from Turkmenistan. In: Barker, G., Gilbertson, D. (eds) The archaeology of drylands. Living at the margin. Routledge, New York, pp 103–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, H.R. (2002). Topics of Qara Qorum-City. In: Roth, H.R., Erdenebat, U. (eds) Qara Qorum-City (Mongolia) I. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology, 1, 21–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, H.R., Erdenebat, U. (eds) (2003) Qara Qorum-City (Mongolia) I. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology 1. Institut für vor- und frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Bonn

  • Shiraishi, N. (2001). Chingisukan no Kokogaku [Archaeological studies on Chinghis Khan]. Tokyo

  • Sillmann, M. (2002). Botanische Großreste mittelalterlicher und frühneuzeitlicher Latrinen und Gruben aus Freiburg im Breisgau. In: Galioto, L., Löbbecke, F., Untermann, M. (eds) Das Haus „Zum roten Basler Stab” (Salzstrasse 20) in Freiburg im Breisgau. Forschungen und Berichte der Archäologie des Mittelalters in Baden-Württemberg 25, Stuttgart, pp 623–770

  • Walther, M. (2002). Lake bottom sediments of Ugii Nuur. Scientific Geographical Problems, 2, 41-44

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiethold, J. (1995). Reis, Pfeffer und Paradieskorn: Pflanzenreste des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts aus der Kloake der Patrizierfamilie von Dassel aus Lüneburg. Archäologie und Bauforschung in Lüneburg, 1, 129–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Willerding, U. (1991). Präsenz, Erhaltung und Repräsentanz von Pflanzenresten in archäologischem Fundgut. In: Zeist, W. van, Wasylikowa, K., Behre, K.E. (eds) Progress in old world palaeoethnobotany. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 25–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, R. (2002). Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17th edn. Ulmer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • van Zeist, W. (1991). Economic aspects. In: Zeist, W. van, Wasylikowa, K., Behre, K.E. (eds) Progress in old world palaeoethnobotany. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 109–130

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the excavators, especially H. Roth (the late)†, H.-J. Hüttel, E. Pohl and E. Nagel for good cooperation, and M. Walther for providing the Ugii Nuur core. S. Jacomet and G. Willcox gave useful comments to a former draft

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landesdenkmalamt Baden-Württemberg, Fischersteig 9, 78343, Hemmenhofen, Germany

    Manfred Rösch, Elske Fischer & Tanja Märkle

Authors
  1. Manfred Rösch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elske Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tanja Märkle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manfred Rösch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rösch, M., Fischer, E. & Märkle, T. Human diet and land use in the time of the Khans—Archaeobotanical research in the capital of the Mongolian Empire, Qara Qorum, Mongolia. Veget Hist Archaeobot 14, 485–492 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0074-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0074-y

Keywords

  • Mongolia
  • High and late medieval
  • Human diet and land use
  • Town