Urartian crop plant remains from Patnos (Aǧri), eastern Turkey

Abstract

The analysis of eight samples of carbonised plant material from the Patnos area (Aǧri), an important site of the Urartian period in eastern Turkey is presented. Bread/macaroni wheat (Triticum aestivum L./T. durum Desf.) and domesticated emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum Schübl.) are the main crop plants. Hulled barley (Hordeum L.) is less abundantly represented. Pulse seeds, bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and Latyhrus L.-type were found in smaller numbers. A few wild seeds were also recorded.

Some Phrygian Plant and Insect Remains from Kerkenes Dağ, Central Anatolia (Turkey)

“…These dimensions are similar to those found for T. durum/aestivum at other sites across Anatolia dating to the 1 st millennium B.C. (e.g., Dönmez 2003).…”

“…Free-threshing wheats were commonly cultivated across Anatolia during the first millennium B.C., as documented by remains from Gordion, Çadır Höyük, Patnos, Kaman-Kalehöyök and Sos Höyük, (Dönmez 2003;Fairbairn 2002;Longford et al 2009;Marston 2012;Miller 2010;Smith 2007). The grain cache sample from Kerkenes Dağ yielded very small proportions of T. dicoccum and Hordeum vulgare ssp.…”

Archaeobotanical studies at the Urartian site of Ayanis in Van Province, eastern Turkey

“…It also indicates the storage of agricultural surplus. Archaeobotanical information from other Urartian settlements, such Patnos (Oybak Dönmez, 2003), Yoncatepe (Oybak Dönmez & Belli, 2007), Karmir Blur (Bedigian, 1985), and Bastam (Hopf & Willerding, 1988) also suggested that heavier reliance was placed mainly on cereals in the times of Urartian dominance. Based on the botanical remains found in association with the archaeological finds recovered from the temple at Ayanis, Çilingiroğlu (2004) writes that cereal grains may have also played an important role in the religious rites of the Urartians.…”

“…The Urartian texts contain few data on agricultural activities. However, archaeobotanical investigations at several Urartian sites, such as Anzavurtepe and Değirmentepe at Patnos (Ağrı) (Oybak Dönmez, 2003) and Yoncatepe (Van) (Oybak Dönmez & Belli, 2007) in eastern Turkey, Bastam (Rusaipatari) (Hopf & Willerding, 1988) in Nakhchivan, and Karmir Blur (Teishebaina) (Bedigian, 1985) in Armenia, provided some significant information on Urartian plant-related activities.…”

“…The Urartian texts contain few data on agricultural activities. However, archaeobotanical investigations at several Urartian sites, such as Anzavurtepe and Değirmentepe at Patnos (Ağrı) (Oybak Dönmez, 2003) and Yoncatepe (Van) (Oybak Dönmez & Belli, 2007) in eastern Turkey, Bastam (Rusaipatari) (Hopf & Willerding, 1988) in Nakhchivan, and Karmir Blur (Teishebaina) (Bedigian, 1985) in Armenia, provided some significant information on Urartian plant-related activities.The present investigation was performed on plant remains from a highly defensible Urartian fortress, Ayanis (Rusahinili), situated in Van Province (Figure 1). There has been only a preliminary report of 2 archaeobotanical samples from the site so far (Cocharro et al, 2001).…”