Skip to main content
Log in

First finds of Prunus domestica L. in Italy from the Phoenician and Punic periods (6th–2nd centuries bc)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During the archaeological excavations in the Phoenician and Punic settlement of Santa Giusta (Oristano, Sardinia, Italy), dating back to the 6th–2nd centuries bc, several Prunus fruitstones (endocarps) inside amphorae were recovered. The exceptional state of preservation of the waterlogged remains allowed morphometric measurements to be done by image analysis and statistical comparisons made with modern cultivated and wild Prunus samples collected in Sardinia. Digital images of modern and archaeological Prunus fruitstones were acquired with a flatbed scanner and analysed by applying image analysis techniques to measure 26 morphometric features. By applying stepwise linear discriminant analysis, a morphometric comparison was made between the archaeological fruitstones of Prunus and the modern ones collected in Sardinia. These analyses allowed identification of 53 archaeological fruitstones as P. spinosa and 11 as P. domestica. Moreover, the archaeological samples of P. spinosa showed morphometric similarities in 92.5% of the cases with the modern P. spinosa samples currently growing near the Phoenician and Punic site. Likewise, the archaeological fruitstones identified as P. domestica showed similarities with the modern variety of P. domestica called Sanguigna di Bosa which is currently cultivated near the village of Bosa. Currently, these findings represent the first evidence of P. domestica in Italy during the Phoenician and Punic periods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvin CR, William FC (2012) Methods of multivariate analysis, 3rd edn. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Antolín F, Jacomet S (2015) Wild fruit use among early farmers in the Neolithic (5400–2300 cal bc) in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula: an intensive practice? Veget Hist Archaeobot 24:19–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antolín F, Buxó R, Jacomet S, Navarrete V, Saña M (2014) An integrated perspective on farming in the Early Neolithic lakeshore site of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain). Environ Archaeol 19:241–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aradhya MK, Weeks C, Simon CJ (2004) Molecular characterization of variability and relationships among seven cultivated and selected wild species of Prunus L. using amplified fragment length polymorphism. Sci Hortic 103:131–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arobba D, Caramiello R, Del Lucchese A (2003) Archaeobotanical investigations in Liguria: preliminary data on the early Iron Age at Monte Trabocchetto (Pietra Ligure, Italy). Veget Hist Archaeobot 12:253–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Athanasiadis I, Nikoloudakis N, Hagidimitriou M (2013) Genetic relatedness among cultivars of the Greek plum germplasm. Not Bot Horti Agrobot 41:491–498

    Google Scholar 

  • Atzei AD (2003) Le piante nella tradizione popolare della Sardegna: documentazione sugli usi alimentari, aromatizzanti, profumieri, artigianali, cosmetici, medicinali, veterinari, magici, ornamentali, rituali, religiosi, tintori, antiparassitari e vari, delle piante. Delfino, Sassari

  • Bacchetta G, Grillo O, Mattana E, Venora G (2008) Morpho-colorimetric characterization by image analysis to identify diaspores of wild plant species. Flora 203:669–682

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakels C (2002) Plant remains from Sardinia, Italy with notes on barley and grape. Veget Hist Archaeobot 11:3–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellini C, Mariotti-Lippi M, Mori Secci M, Aranguren B, Perazzi P (2008) Plant gathering and cultivation in prehistoric Tuscany (Italy). Veget Hist Archaeobot 1:103–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouby L, Bouchette A, Figueiral I (2011) Sebesten fruits (Cordia myxa L.) in Gallia Narbonensis (Southern France): a trade item from the Eastern Mediterranean? Veget Hist Archaeobot 20:397–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouby L, Figueiral I, Bouchette A, Rovira N, Ivorra S, Lacombe T, Pastor T, Picq S, Marinval P, Terral J (2013) Bioarchaeological insights into the process of domestication of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) during Roman times in Southern France. PLoS One 8:e63195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouhadida M, Casas AM, Moreno MA, Gogorcena Y (2004) Genetic diversity of Prunus rootstocks using microsatellite markers. Acta Hort 663:625–628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouhadida M, Martín JP, Eremin G, Pinochet J, Moreno MÁ, Gogorcena Y (2007) Chloroplast DNA diversity in Prunus and its implication on genetic relationships. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 132:670–679

    Google Scholar 

  • Campanini E (2009) Piante medicinali in Sardegna. Ilisso, Nuoro

    Google Scholar 

  • Castiglioni E, Cottini M, Rottoli M (2008) Archeobotanica del Campaniforme in area lombarda. Atti del Convegno, Bell Beaker days in Italy-Bell Beaker in everyday life. Firenze, Siena, Villanuova sul Clisi, pp 12–15

  • Cooremans B (2008) The Roman cemeteries of Tienen and Tongeren: results from the archaeobotanical analysis of the cremation graves. Veget Hist Archaeobot 17:3–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costantini L, Costantini Biasini L, Delle Donne M (2007) L’agricoltura del villaggio protostorico di Nola, loc. Croce del Papa (Napoli). In: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria (ed) Atti della XL Riunione Scientifica “Strategie di insediamento fra Lazio e Campania in età preistorica e protostorica”, vol 2. Ist. Italiano di Preistoria, Firenze, pp 705–717

  • Crane MB, Lawrence WJC (1952) The genetics of garden plants. Macmillan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Vais C, Sanna I (2009) Ricerche su contesti sommersi di età fenicia e punica nella laguna di Santa Giusta (OR). Campagne 2005–2007. Studi Sardi 34:123–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Vais C, Sanna I (2012) Nuove ricerche subacquee nella laguna di Santa Giusta (OR) (campagna del 2009–2010). In: Arru MG, Campus S, Cicilloni R, La dogana R (eds) Ricerca e confronti 2010. Atti delle Giornate di studio di archeologia e storia dell’arte a 20 anni dall’istituzione del Dipartimento di Scienze Archeologiche e Storico-artistiche dell’Università degli Studi di Cagliari. (Suplemento ArcheoArte 1) Bulletino de Paletnologia Italiana, Cagliari, pp 201–233

  • Depypere L, Chaerle P, Vander Mijnsbrugge K, Goetghebeur P (2007) Stony endocarp dimension and shape variation in Prunus section Prunus. Ann Bot 100:1,585–1,597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Depypere L, Chaerle P, Breyne P, Vander Mijnsbrugge K, Goetghebeur P (2009) A combined morphometric and AFLP based diversity study challenges the taxonomy of the European members of the complex Prunus L. section Prunus. Plant Syst Evol 279:219–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAOSTAT (2013) http://www.faostat.fao. Accessed 10 Oct 2016

  • Figueiral I, Bouby L, Buffat L, Petitot H, Terral JF (2010) Archaeobotany, vine growing and wine producing in Roman Southern France: the site of Gasquinoy (Béziers, Hérault). J Archaeol Sci 37:139–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher RA (1936) The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems. Ann Eugen 7:179–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher RA (1940) The precision of discriminant functions. Ann Eugen 10:422–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giachi G, Mori Secci M, Pignatelli O, Gambogi P, Mariotti Lippi M (2010) The prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement of Stagno (Leghorn, Italy): wood and food resource exploitation. J Archaeol Sci 37:1,260–1,268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldschmidt EE (2013) The evolution of fruit tree productivity: a review. Econ Bot 67:51–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez Bellard F, Gurrea R, Grau E, Martínez R (1990) La colonización fenicia de la isla de Ibiza (Excavaciones Arqueológicas en España 157). Ministerio de cultura, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Grillo O, Draper D, Venora G, Martínez-Laborde JB (2012) Seed image analysis and taxonomy of Diplotaxis DC. (Brassicaceae, Brassiceae). Syst Biodiv 10:57–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grillo O, Andrés M, Moreno-Vazquez S (2016) Quantitative evaluation of Heterodera avenae females from soil and root extracts by digital image analysis. Crop Prot 81:85–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastie T, Tibshirani R, Friedman J (2001) The elements of statistical learning: data mining, inference, and prediction. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hegi G (1995) Illustrierte Flora von Mittel-Europa: mit besonderer Berücksichtigung von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Lehmann, München

    Google Scholar 

  • Holden JE, Finch WH, Kelley K (2011) A comparison of two-group classification methods. Educ Psychol Meas 71:870–901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horvath A, Balsemin E, Barbot JC, Christmann H, Manzano G, Reynet P, Laigret F, Mariette S (2011) Phenotypic variability and genetic structure in plum (Prunus domestica L.), cherry plum (P. cerasifera Ehrh.) and sloe (P. spinosa L.). Sci Hortic 129:283–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacomet S (2003) Und zum Dessert Granatapfel—Ergebnisse der archäobotanischen Untersuchungen. In: Hagendorn A, Doppler HW, Huber A, Hüster-Plogmann H, Jacomet S, Meyer-Freuler C, Pfäffli B, Schibler J (eds) Zur Frühzeit von Vindonissa. Auswertung der Holzbauten der Grabung Windisch-Breite 1996–1998. Veröff Ges Pro Vindonissa 18:48–79, 173–229, 482–492

  • Janick J (2005) The origin of fruits, fruit growing and fruit breeding. Plant Breed Rev 25:255–320

    Google Scholar 

  • Jashemski WF, Meyer FG (2002) The natural history of Pompeii. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Katayama H, Uematsu C (2005) Structural analysis of chloroplast DNA in Prunus (Rosaceae): evolution, genetic diversity and unequal mutations. Theor Appl Genet 111:1,430–1,439

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenward HK, Hall AR, Jones AKG (1980) A tested set of techniques for the extraction of plant and animal macrofossils from waterlogged archaeological deposits. Sci Archaeol 22:3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Knörzer KH (1967) Römerzeitliche Pflanzenfunde aus Aachen. In: Knörzer KH, Untersuchungen subfossiler pflanzlicher Grossreste im Rheinland. Archaeo-Physika 2:39–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Knörzer KH (1970) Römerzeitliche Pflanzenfunde aus Neuss. (Novaesium IV, Limesforschungen 10) Mann, Berlin

  • Kohavi R (1995) A study of cross-validation and bootstrap for accuracy estimation and model selection. In: Proceedings of the 14th international joint conference on artificial intelligence. Montreal, Quebec, Canada, pp 1,137–1,143

  • Kohler-Schneider M, Caneppele A (2009) Late Neolithic agriculture in eastern Austria: archaeobotanical results from sites of the Baden and Jevišovice cultures (3600–2800 bc). Veget Hist Archaeobot 18:61–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kole C, Abbott AG (2012) Genetics, genomics and breeding of stone fruits. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Krussman G (1986) Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs, vol 3. Timber Press, Portland/OR, pp 18–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn M, Johnson K (2013) Discriminant analysis and other linear classification models. In: Kuhn M, Johnson K (eds) Applied predictive modeling. Springer, New York, pp 275–328

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Körber-Grohne U (1996) Pflaumen, Kirschpflaumen, Schlehen: Heutige Pflanzen und ihre Geschichte seit der Frühzeit. Theiss, Stuttgart

  • Landini G (2006) Quantitative analysis of the epithelial lining architecture in radicular cysts and odontogenic keratocysts. Head Face Med 2:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lo Bianco M, Grillo O, Escobar Garcia P, Mascia F, Venora G, Bacchetta G (2017) Morpho-colorimetric characterization of Malva alliance taxa by seed image analysis. Plant Biol 19:90–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Łuczaj Ł (2012) Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants of Slovakia. Acta Soc Bot Pol 81:245–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchesini M, Marvelli S (2007) L’alimentazione nell’oltretomba: le offerte votive vegetali nelle necropoli romane dell’Emilia Romagna. Atti Soc Nat Mat di Modena 137:331–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin L, Jacomet S, Thiéebault S (2008) Plant economy during the Neolithic in a mountain context: the case of “Le Chenet des Pierres” in the French Alps (Bozel-Savoie, France). Veget Hist Archaeobot 17:113–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard CK, Havanagh K, Fuernkranz H, Draw A (1991) Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.). Biotechnol Agric For 16:3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercuri A, Accorsi C, Mazzanti M, Bosi G, Cardarelli A, Labate D, Marchesini M, Grandi G (2006) Economy and environment of Bronze Age settlements—Terramaras—on the Po Plain (Northern Italy): first results from the archaeobotanical research at the Terramara di Montale. Veget Hist Archaeobot 16:43–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milošević T, Milošević N (2012) Phenotypic diversity of autochthonous European (Prunus domestica L.) and damson (Prunus insititia L.) plum accessions based on multivariate analysis. Hort Sci 39:8–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Orrù M, Grillo O, Lovicu G, Venora G, Bacchetta G (2013) Morphological characterization of Vitis vinifera L. seeds by image analysis and comparison with archaeological remains. Veget Hist Archaeobot 22:231–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pagnoux C, Bouby L, Ivorra S, Petit C, Valamoti SM, Pastor T, Picq S, Terral JF (2015) Inferring the agrobiodiversity of Vitis vinifera L. (grapevine) in ancient Greece by comparative shape analysis of archaeological and modern seeds. Veget Hist Archaeobot 24:75–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parada M, Carrió E, Bonet MÀ, Vallès J (2009) Ethnobotany of the Alt Empordà region (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula): Plants used in human traditional medicine. J Ethnopharmacol 124:609–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pardo-de-Santayana M, Pieroni A, Puri RK (2013) Ethnobotany in the new Europe: people, health and wild plant resources. Berghahn Books, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Picard R, Cook D (1984) Cross-validation of regression models. J Am Stat Assoc 79:575–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pieroni A, Quave CL (2014) Ethnobotany and biocultural diversities in the Balkans: perspectives on sustainable rural development and reconciliation. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pollmann B, Jacomet S, Schlumbaum A (2005) Morphological and genetic studies of waterlogged Prunus species from the Roman vicus Tasgetium (Eschenz, Switzerland). J Archaeol Sci 32:1,471–1,480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Portas L, Farina V, Del Vais C, Carcupino M, Gazza F, Sanna I, Zedda M (2015) Anatomical study of animal remains from Phoenician-Punic amphorae found in the Santa Giusta Pond, Sardinia (Italy). J Bio Res 88:5073

  • Preiss S, Matterne V, Latron F (2005) An approach to funerary rituals in the Roman provinces: plant remains from a Gallo-Roman cemetery at Faulquemont (Moselle, France). Veget Hist Archaeobot 14:362–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramming DW, Cociu V (1991) Plums. In: Moore JN, Ballington JR Jr (eds) Genetic resources of temperate fruit and nut crops. Acta Horticulturae 290, Wageningen, pp 235–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Ariza MO, Moya EM (2010) Paisaje y gestión de los recursos vegetales en el yacimiento romano de Gabia (Granada) a través de la arqueobotánica. Archivo español de arqueología 83:85–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rottoli M (1999) I resti vegetali di Sammardenchia-Cȗeis (Udine), insediamento del Neolitico antico. In: Ferrari A, Pessina A (eds) Sammardenchia-Cûeis. Contributi per la conoscenza di una comunità del primo Neolitico. (Edizioni del Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale 41) Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, Udine, pp 307–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Rottoli M (2005) Un nuovo frumento vestito nei siti neolitici del Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italia nord orientale). Gortania 26:67–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Rottoli M, Castiglioni E (2011) Plant offerings from Roman cremations in northern Italy: a review. Veget Hist Archaeobot 20:495–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rottoli M (1993) “La Marmotta”, Anguillara Sabazia (RM). Scavi 1989. Analisi paletnobotaniche: prime risultanze, Appendice 1. In: Fugazzola Delpino MA et al (eds) “La Marmotta” (Anguillara Sabazia, RM). Scavi 1989. Un abitato perilacustre di età neolitica. (Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 84, II) Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana, Roma, pp 305–315

  • Sabato D, Masi A, Pepe C, Ucchesu M, Peña-Chocarro L, Usai A, Giachi G, Capretti C, Bacchetta G (2015) Archaeobotanical analysis of a Bronze Age well from Sardinia: a wealth of knowledge. Plant Biosyst 1:205–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SPSS (2006) Application guide Base 16.0. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Stika HP, Heiss AG, Zach B (2008) Plant remains from the early Iron Age in western Sicily: differences in subsistence strategies of Greek and Elymian sites. Veget Hist Archaeobot 17:139–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama M (2007) Dimensionality reduction of multimodal labeled data by local fisher discriminant analysis. J Mach Learn Res 8:1,027–1,061

    Google Scholar 

  • Terral JF, Tabard E, Bouby L, Ivorra S, Pastor T, Figueiral I, Picq S, Chevance JB, Jung C, Fabre L, Tardy C, Compan M, Bacilieri R, Lacombe T, This P (2010) Evolution and history of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) under domestication: new morphometric perspectives to understand seed domestication syndrome and reveal origins of ancient European cultivars. Ann Bot 105:443–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiţă I, Mogoşanu GD, Tiţă MG (2009) Ethnobotanical inventory of medicinal plants from the South–West of Romania. Farmácia 57:141–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Ucchesu M, Orrù M, Grillo O, Venora G, Usai A, Serreli P, Bacchetta G (2015) Earliest evidence of a primitive cultivar of Vitis vinifera L. during the Bronze Age in Sardinia (Italy). Veget Hist Archaeobot 24:587–600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ucchesu M, Orrù M, Grillo O, Venora G, Paglietti G, Ardu A, Bacchetta G (2016) Predictive method for correct identification of archaeological charred grape seeds: support for advances in knowledge of grape domestication process. PloS One 11:e0149814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Zeist W, Bottema S, Van der Veen M (2001) Diet and vegetation at ancient Carthage, the archaeobotanical evidence. Groningen Institute of Archaeology, Groningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins R (1995) Cherry, plum, peach, apricot and almond: Prunus spp. (Rosaceae). In: Smart J, Simmonds NW (eds) Evolution of crop plants, 2nd edn. Longman Scientific & Technical, Harlow, pp 423–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Woldring H (2000) On the origin of plums: a study of sloe, damson, cherry plum, domestic plums and their intermediates. Palaeohistoria 39/40:535–562

    Google Scholar 

  • Wünsch A (2009) Cross-transferable polymorphic SSR loci in Prunus species. Sci Hort 120:348–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xuan HX, Spann D, Schlottmann P, Neumüller M (2011) Approaches to determine the origin of European plum (Prunus domestica) based on DNA nucleotide sequences. Acta Hort 918:261–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz KU, Ercisli S, Asma BM, Dogan Y, Kafkas S (2009) Genetic relatedness in Prunus genus revealed by inter-simple sequence repeat markers. Hort Sci 44:293–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Zech-Matterne V, Tengberg M, Van Andringa W (2015) Sesamum indicum L. (sesame) in 2nd century bc Pompeii, southwest Italy, and a review of early sesame finds in Asia and Europe. Veget Hist Archaeobot 24:673–681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y, Crawford GW, Chen X (2014) Archaeological evidence for peach (Prunus persica) cultivation and domestication in China. PLoS One 9:e106595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zohary D, Hopf M, Weiss E (2012) Domestication of plants in the Old World. The origin and spread of cultivated plants in West Asia, Europe and the Nile valley, 4th edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the staff of ‘Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Cagliari e le province di Oristano, Medio Campidano, Carbonia-Iglesias e Ogliastra’ for assistance and for allowing us the use of archaeological material. We wish to acknowledge Giuseppe Rosas, Liberato Fara and all the staff of the CNR-ISPA (Nuraxinieddu, Oristano, Sardinia) for technical assistance during the sample collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marco Sarigu.

Additional information

Communicated by F. Bittmann.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ucchesu, M., Sarigu, M., Vais, C.D. et al. First finds of Prunus domestica L. in Italy from the Phoenician and Punic periods (6th–2nd centuries bc). Veget Hist Archaeobot 26, 539–549 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-017-0622-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-017-0622-2

Keywords

Navigation