Abstract
The lucky find of 934 carbonized seeds of Abutilon theophrasti Medic. in a storage jar at the Late Neolithic site of Hódmezővásárhely-Gorzsa, south Hungary, suggests that the seeds of velvetleaf were intentionally gathered, processed and stored by the inhabitants of this Tisza culture tell-site. Today this ancient fibre and oil plant, the seeds of which can be used for food and medicine, has become a pestilential weed worldwide. Until now, there has been no archaeobotanical record of velvetleaf. Conflicting reports as to the native origin of velvetleaf exist, including India, China and even the Mediterranean area. Since the progenitors of velvetleaf have not yet been found the centre of origin of the species is still unidentified. The huge floodplain swamps and flood-free loess-silt areas in the heart of the Pannonian plain provide this temperate species with suitable growing conditions.
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Medović, A., Horváth, F. Content of a storage jar from the Late Neolithic site of Hódmezővásárhely-Gorzsa, south Hungary: a thousand carbonized seeds of Abutilon theophrasti Medic.. Veget Hist Archaeobot 21, 215–220 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-011-0319-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-011-0319-x