Plant subsistence and environment in the Late Bronze Age of the Central Black Sea Region: archaeobotanical remains from Oymaağaç Höyük/Nerik and their Anatolian context

Abstract This archaeobotanical study represents the first comprehensive study of the Late Bronze Age Hittite subsistence use of plants and woodland vegetation in the Black Sea region. Seed/fruit and wood-charcoal analyses were conducted to gain insight into the plant-based economy of the site. The economic seed plants reveal that the main annual crops were barley, free-threshing wheat, and emmer, along with pulses like lentil, bitter vetch, grass pea, broad bean, and garden pea. In addition, a variety of fruits and nuts were used. The charcoal analyses show the use of different woodland types and, together with the spectrum of wild plant macrofossils, paint a picture of extensive anthropogenic activity on the natural vegetation. Previous research postulated that Hittite agriculture was strongly influenced by cultural and political factors. The climatic conditions and the natural environment of the Hittite sites played a less important role in the choice of agricultural products than traditional ties to systematic surplus production of specific crops. To test this hypothesis, we compare seed assemblages from Oymaağaç Höyük with those from other Late Bronze Age and Hittite settlements in Anatolia and northern Syria and investigate possible environmental constraints and cultural trends. Climatic factors, such as the general regional climate patterns as well as mean annual precipitation, were taken into consideration when discussing the plant diversity. Our results confirm a strong cultural pattern of plant subsistence at Oymaağaç Höyük, which is similar to that in other Hittite sites in Central Anatolia, while it differs from other non-Hittite settlements with comparable rainfall regimes.