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Grain versus chaff: identifying a contrast between grain-rich and chaff-rich sites in the Neolithic of northern Greece

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Abstract

Recent archaeobotanical investigations of Late Neolithic sites in northern Greece have revealed a pattern as regards the crop parts represented at each site. Some sites appear to be dominated by chaff, mainly glume wheat chaff, while other sites are mainly characterised by cereal grain and pulses. This pattern could be the outcome of various factors: a. pre-depositional differential treatment of crops selecting for one category of plant remains to arrive at the site, b. depositional, therefore related to the type of activity represented at the excavated contexts and the use of space in relation to plants, and c. post-depositional factors such as erosion, or the type of features sampled. These alternative factors are considered in light of the preliminary results of the archaeobotanical investigation of seven Late Neolithic (5500–4000 cal. B.C.) sites from northern Greece. It is suggested that this pattern is the outcome of a differential use of space in relation to plants (storage, processing/food preparation, refuse disposal), probably related to aspects of the socioeconomic organisation of the settlements.

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Acknowledgements

This paper presents preliminary results of the ‘Investigation of Neolithic spatial and socio-economic organisation in northern Greece through the study of archaeobotanical remains’ project, undertaken by the author and generously funded by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP), the financial support of which is gratefully acknowledged. I also wish to deeply thank the excavators for entrusting me with the study of the material and for providing help during various stages of the archaeobotanical work: M. Besios, G. Chourmouziadis, A. Chrysostomou, N. Efstratiou, D. Kalintzi, K. Kotsakis, C. Koukouli, K. Papanthimou-Papaefthymiou, M. Pappa, K. Peristeri, A. Pilali and G. Toufexis. I also wish to thank S. Jacomet and the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments

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  1. Department of Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Soultana Maria Valamoti

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Valamoti, S.M. Grain versus chaff: identifying a contrast between grain-rich and chaff-rich sites in the Neolithic of northern Greece. Veget Hist Archaeobot 14, 259–267 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0073-z

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