Archaeobotany at Ancient Cadır Höyük: Farming During a Climate Crisis

Authors: Janet Martinez, Sharon Steadman

SUNY Campus: SUNY Cortland

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: Old Union Hall

Presentation #: 18

Timeslot: Session A 9:00-10:00 AM

Abstract: The general objective of my summer research project was to look at ancient plant (archaeobotanical) evidence for farming strategies and changes. My research focused on the 3.2 kya climate change event during the Hittite period and Iron Age. My specific part of the research contributed to gathering information that will help us understand how the Hittite/Late Bronze/Iron Age's climate affected agriculture at the archaeological site. In particular, if the Hittite State may or may not have aided rural farmers during this rough time. My theoretical approach was to examine past archaeobotanical data from Dr. Von Baeyer. I also took a scientific approach, which required me to ID the ancient plant remains under a microscope. My method required me to weigh the samples, dry sieve them using 4mm, 2mm, and 1mm sieves, and weigh each sieved sample separately. Then, I used a microscope to examine each sieved sample and divide it into "threes": non-organic materials (rocks, soil); non-seed organics (bones, wood, charcoal); and seeds. Lastly, I identified the genus of the seeds and created a database to store the information collected. Based on the results we can interpret that wheat was prioritized before and after the collapse due to it’s importance. Most likely because it has more versatility compared to other crops, adaptability, high yield potential, and cultural significance.