Taxonomic identification of Cucurbita species through seed coat micromorphology: implications for dry and carbonized archaeobotanical remains.

LEMA, V., CAPPARELLI, A., POCHETTINO, M.L.

Krakow

Simposio; 14th Symposium of the International Work Group for Palaeoethnobotany; 2007

International Work Group for Palaeoethnobotany, W. Slafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences

Abstract Studying archaeobotanical macro remains can be a difficult task. One of the problems we usually deal with is how well preserved are the remains we are analysing, and the way this alter the presence of diagnostic features. Fragmentation usually happens and as a result we do not have the entire organ (seed, fruit, root) but part of it, and at this case identification by means of a general external morphology is not useful. The characteristic, disposition, size and shape of the tissues that compose the organ can be the only path to the specific identification of the sample. Carbonisation is another common factor altering diagnostic morphological features, because it can change both quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Cucurbita seeds are very hard to identify at a specific level taking into account only its external morphology, mostly those species closely related as C. maxima, C. maxima ssp.Studying archaeobotanical macro remains can be a difficult task. One of the problems we usually deal with is how well preserved are the remains we are analysing, and the way this alter the presence of diagnostic features. Fragmentation usually happens and as a result we do not have the entire organ (seed, fruit, root) but part of it, and at this case identification by means of a general external morphology is not useful. The characteristic, disposition, size and shape of the tissues that compose the organ can be the only path to the specific identification of the sample. Carbonisation is another common factor altering diagnostic morphological features, because it can change both quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Cucurbita seeds are very hard to identify at a specific level taking into account only its external morphology, mostly those species closely related as C. maxima, C. maxima ssp.C. maxima, C. maxima ssp. andreana and C. moschata, which can also be found together in the same archaeological record. Studding differences in their seed coat micromorphology is a suitable way to confirm or achieve taxonomic identification at a specific level. Being affected by carbonisation as most archaeobotanical macro remains are, differences in the diagnostic features of the seed coat tissues between charred and not charred seeds are analysed.and C. moschata, which can also be found together in the same archaeological record. Studding differences in their seed coat micromorphology is a suitable way to confirm or achieve taxonomic identification at a specific level. Being affected by carbonisation as most archaeobotanical macro remains are, differences in the diagnostic features of the seed coat tissues between charred and not charred seeds are analysed. Key words: seed coat, taxonomic identification, Cucurbita.: seed coat, taxonomic identification, Cucurbita.