علم النباتات في الدراسات الأثرية

Abstract EN

The Botany is a science that deals with the study and classification of plants, it bisect into several branches, such as microbiology, anatomy of plants, algae, trees, etc.

The relation between plants and humans dates back to prehistoric times, when he relied on them in his life as a food source, whether before or after the discovery of agriculture.

He also used tree leaves for his clothes, and then, used tree branches in building his shelter after coming out of caves and rock shelters.

Environmental conditions and climate played a clear role in economic events the history of ancient man.

As scientifically plants are of great importance in the archaeological study.

The environment and climatic conditions can be learned from heat, humidity, dryness and successive periods by examining the remains of fossil pollen, which have spread with climate change, and various plants have grown that have helped to know the natural plant species and the old climate conditions.

And the study of plants shows the knowledge of agricultural crops planted and harvested by the peoples of the ancient world, which constitute the main food for them and explain their agricultural and commercial economy by studying the plant environment whether local or imported plants, received through trade, and knowledge of the original habitat or were wild plants or the man was planted, through the anatomical study of the plant.

For example, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia brought cedar wood, aromatic materials used in religious rituals and others.

They have developed countless lists of species of plants, grasses, herbs, trees their uses and ways of carrying for them.

In practice, with the development of archeology and modern techniques, scientists have been able to determine approximate dates for most archaeological materials through the study and analysis of organic matter, including plants.

One of the most important ways to determine the age of impact of the use of (radioactive elements), including carbon 14 radiation, which helps in determining the effects of prehistoric times in approximate with the reservation to some of the disadvantages of this method.

Another method used to determine the history of archaeological sites by calculating the age of trees from the number of rings if the site is old trees and compared with the wood materials used in the impact and according to types.

This method has been used in Latin American regions