Central Eurasian Paleoethnobotany

Archaeobotany on the Silk Road

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Recent Publications

  • Barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the Okhotsk culture (5th–10th century AD) of northern Japan and the role of cultivated plants in hunter-gatherer economies
  • Eurasian textiles: Case studies in exchange during the incipient and later Silk Road periods
  • Introduction and Intensification of Agriculture in Central Eurasia and Adjacent Regions
  • The spread of agriculture into northern Central Asia
  • Millet cultivation across Eurasia

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  • Articles (24)
    • Online Articles (4)
    • Thesis Writings (2)
  • Book Chapters (4)
  • Edited Volumes (2)
  • Notes to Readers (1)
  • Reviews (1)

Keywords Cloud

agriculture Altai Mountains anthropology Archaeobotany archaeology archaeology of food barley Bronze Age Central Asia Central Eurasia cereals China climate change cremation domestication Early agriculture Economy ecotones ecotopes exchange farming fishing human/environmental impact Iron Age irrigation Japan Kazakhstan landscape modification low-level food production migration millet Mountain Corridor Murghab niche construction origins of agriculture paleoclimate paleoethnobotany Panicum miliaceum pastoralism peas plant domestication Pollen pottery seasonality Setaria italic Silk Road Tajikistan technology Textiles Tibet Turkmenistan wheat

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Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), was once one of the most important grains of the ancient world. It was the grain of the low-investment farmers and nomads of Central Asia and Eastern Europe from the second millennium B.C. until historical times, it was the grain of the lower classes, pueblians, of the Classical world - feeding the workers of Rome, and it was the summer rotation crop in the arid regions of the Persian world. If you want to read about how this humble grass went from an origin of domestication in nothern China to dominating the Old World and ultimately to its current status as bird food, pet food, and the little yellow balls in our fancy multi-grain breads, then read up on my publications at robertnspengler.com #broomcorn #millet #broomcornmillet #ancietgrains #lostgrains #silkroad #innerasia #multigrainbread #bukhara #uzbekistan #samarkand #farming #crops #panicgrass #panicum #panicummiliaceum #rome #classicalmediterranean #theancientworld #fruitsfromthesands #robertspengler #grass #botany #thebeautyofgrass #cereals The asafoetida plant (Ferula asafoetida) growing in the Kyzylkum of Uzbekistan. This odd member of the carrot family once played an important role along the routes of the ancient Silk Road. The plant grows in arid regions from Ferghana, south to Iran and Afghanistan, and the resin that extrudes from its stem and roots is a highly sought-after spice. Many historians think that it is related to the legendary, and now extinct Classical Mediterranean spice of Silphium. Asafoetida is still sold in the markets of Central Asia today and was once shipped over great distances to spice foods across the ancient world. #silphium #asafoetida #ferula #ferulaassafeotida #uzbekistan #centralasia #silkroad #innerasia #deserts #kyzylkum #merchantcaravans #silkroadtraders #bukhara #archaeology #archaeobotany #paleoethnobotany #fruitsfromthesands #desertplants #apiaceae #robertspengler #silkroadtravel #spiceroad #spicetrade #silkroadspices @zachsilvia Quince (Cydonia oblonga) are one of the unsung fruits of the Silk Road. They are quite prominent on the landscape of Central Asia, especially along the Zerefshan. While there has only been limited research into their origins, they likely hail from somewhere in the foothill forests of the broad region of Central Eurasia - they are also currently cultivated in Turkey and the Balkans. Their pomaceous relatives, the apple and the pear, also come from these Eurasian foothill forests. #quince #cydoniaoblonga #fruitsofthesilkroad #innerasia #samarkand #zarafshan #bukhara #centralasia #archaeobotany #paleoethnobotany #robertspengler #fruitsofthesilkroad #bazaar #centralasianbazaars #pome #fruits Excavations at the late first millennium B.C. archaeological site of Bash Tepa. The site sits just beyond the modern boundary of the Bukhara Oasis in Uzbekistan. The site, which is a fortified citadel and settlement, was once surrounded by irrigated field of crops - I joined the project this summer to study what crops were grown in this part of the world at this time. If you wish to keep updated on the results of this study, visit robertnspengler.com #silkroad #centralasia #innerasia #archaeobotany #archaeology #uzbekistan #bukhara #oasis #kyzylkumdesert #paleoethnobotany #robertspengler #sand #fruitsfromthesands #citadel #fortress #winds #dust #isaw #instituteforthestudyoftheancientworld #samarkand What a broken down car looks like in the Kyzylkum Desert. Archaeology in the desert is rough, high temperatures, squelching sun, and winds that abrade you face with sand. What a lovely experience it was, and great data to show for it. #archaeology #horse #desert #kyzylkum #kyzylkumdesert #uzbekistan #bukhara #deserthike #desertlife #neverendingwind #centralasia #innerasia #silkroad #fruitsfromthesands #robertspengler #saxaul Honey vendors at the Bukhara bazaar - fruits were not the only sweets moving along the ancient Silk Road. There is a long tradition of honey production in Central Asia. The honey nomads (term coined by @mdfrachetti) transport large wagon loads of hive boxes across the steppe to take full advantage of the blooming of wildflowers. The fields of flowers bloom at different times of the spring and early summer depending, largely on elevation and water availability. One of the big misconceptions about the great Eurasian steppe is that it is an endless expanse of grass - the steppe is highly biodiverse and populated by a wide range of insect-pollenated herbaceous plants. Hence, the wildflowers of the steppe are transformed into rich sweet honey! It is also interesting to note that the honeybee appears to have been among the assemblage of animals spread from southwest to East Asia along the Silk Road. #silkroad #honey #honeyvendor #Bukhara #centralasianbazaars #bazaar #market #honeymerchant #centralasia #zooarchaeology #archaeology #historyofthesilkroad #merchants #sweets #honeycomb #bees #honeybees #sweethoney #wildflowers #eurasiansteppe #eurasia #uzbekwoman #robertspengler #fruitsfromthesands The sun rising over the saxauls (Haloxylon ammodendron) near Bukhara. This odd woody desert adapted shrub is a relative of quinoa and the wild chenopods that we have all struggled to eliminate from out gardens. They provide a refuge for an amazing array of small creatures from the midday heat in most of the major deserts of Inner Asia #silkroad #innerasia #saxaul #haloxylon #deserts #sunrise #archaeology #lifeinthedesert #centralasia #uzbekistan #bukhara #desertsands #fruitsfromthesands #robertspengler #heatofthedesert #desertlife #archaeobotany Finished two fascinating archaeological field seasons, crammed into one month. Archaeobotany on the Silk Road - I had the privilege of working with two amazing groups of archaeologists at two different sites in Uzbekistan this summer. The late first millennium BC fortified site of Bash Tepa sits on the edge of the Bukhara Oasis. Work at the site is run by Soeren Stark and Fiona Kidd, and the director of the units that I obtained my flotation samples from was @zachsilvia I also worked in the mountains for two weeks at the medieval site of Tashbulak, excavations at the site this year were directed by @g_gnomad and @farhadmaksud - both projects were supported by amazing scholars @elysiumad @bioarchnomad @megannphillips #archaeology #archaeologist #archaeologyfieldwork #uzbekistan #centralasia #innerasia #silkroad #robertspengler #fruitsfromthesands #tashbulak #bashtepa #isaw #instituteforthestudyoftheancientworld #pamirmountains #bukhara #travel #

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