Laurent Bouby

Bioarchaeological insights into the process of domestication of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) during Roman times in Southern France.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera), one of the most important fruit species in the Classical Mediterranean world, is thought to have been domesticated first in South-Western Asia, during the Neolithic. However, the domestication process remains largely unknown. Crucial unanswered questions concern the duration of the process (rapid or slow?) and the related geographical area (single or multiple-origins?). Seeds from domesticated grapevine and from its wild ancestor are reported to differ according to shape. Our work aims, first, to confirm this difference and secondly to identify the extent of domestication in the grapes cultivated by Romans in Southern France during the period 50 BCE–500 CE. We had the opportunity to analyze uncharred waterlogged grape pips from 17 archaeological sites. Based on an extended reference sample of modern wild grapevines and cultivars our work shows that both subspecies can be discriminated using simple measurements. The elongation gradient of the pip’s body and stalk may be regarded as an indicator of the strength of the selection pressures undergone by domesticated grapes. Grapevines cultivated during the Roman period included a mix of morphotypes comprising wild, intermediate and moderately selected domesticated forms. Our data point to a relative shift towards more selected types during the Roman period. Domestication of the grapevine appears to have been a slow process. This could result from the recurrent incorporation into cultivation of plants originating from sexual reproduction, when grape cultivation essentially relies on vegetative propagation.

Inferring the agrobiodiversity of Vitis vinifera L. (grapevine) in ancient Greece by comparative shape analysis of archaeological and modern seeds

The origins and biogeographical history of Vitis vinifera L. (domesticated grapevine) remain largely unknown. Shape and size have long been used as criteria to distinguish between wild and domesticated grape pips. Here we have analyzed variations of seed morphology in order to provide accurate criteria for the discrimination of different groups of varieties. Diversity in present-day cultivars and wild grapevines of Greek and east Mediterranean origin in relation to other Asiatic and European varieties and wild grapevines provides the basis for our analysis, which aims to allow the characterization of the ancient diversity of cultivated grapes in relation to present-day cultivars. Geometric morphometric analyses (Elliptic Fourier Transform method) have been used to characterize the seed shape and size of modern and archaeological material using 40 variables per seed. 197 archaeological grape pips from the 7th century bc sanctuary of Hera in Samos, Greece were compared with an extended reference collection of 269 modern cultivars and 83 wild populations, 10,518 seeds in total. Our study confirms the relationships between seed shape and domestication. Modern diversity is partly structured by the geographical origin of cultivars, but influence of other factors may play a significant role in clustering. The wide diversity of varieties offered at the Heraion of Samos during the Archaic Period, including cultivars growing on the island, imported grapes and wild morphotypes, is related to the history and geographical location of the island as well as to the diversity in the geographical range of pilgrims making offerings to the sanctuary.

Food plants from late Bronze Age lagoon sites in Languedoc, southern France: reconstruction of farming economy and environment

During the late Bronze age, settlements in Languedoc, southern France, were located on the shore of lagoons lining the Mediterranean, while, in the hinterland, settlements were mainly in the form of villages or cave sites. Information on food plants has been restricted, until now, to sites in the hinterland. In this paper, the archaeobotanical results obtained from two lagoon-shore settlements, La Fangade at Sète, and Portal Vielh at Vendres, are reported. The former provides the first waterlogged assemblage for this period in the French Mediterranean while the latter consists of a dry settlement. Emmer and hulled, six row barley are the most common cereals occurring at the two sites. Other cereals are less frequent, although einkorn chaff is common at La Fangade. Flax, and especially opium poppy, are well represented while faba bean is the only pulse of some importance. Many wild fruits were gathered, especially acorns. Comparison with data from the hinterland suggests that the main difference lay in the cultivation of opium poppy and flax in the lagoon sites. However, may be largely an impression, resulting from the differences in manner of preservation at hinterland and lagoon sites. Local production as distinct from importation of crops is considered and the conclusion is drawn that, at least at La Fangade, hulled barley was grown locally. The arable weed flora indicates that sowing took place during both autumn and spring at La Fangade.

Économie agraire à la fin de l'âge du Bronze sur les bords du lac du Bourget (Savoie, France)

In spite of their suitability, waterlogged Bronze Age settlements of the Alpine area are actually under-investigated for archaeobotany. New investigations in Gresine (Bourget Lake, Savoie) bring new data on farming economy. Food plants include different cereals, oil plants, pulses, and many collected fruits. Various farming practices are documented. The fields seem to be long-term cultivated, autumn and spring sowings probably taking turns with short fallow phases. Grassland communities were exploited and could in part have grown during fallow phases on the cultivated land.

Identifying prehistoric collected wild plants: A case study from late bronze age settlements in the french alps (Grésine, Bourget Lake, Savoie)

The late Bronze Age lakeshore settlements of Grésine (French Alps) have yielded archaeobotanical evidence of 14 cultivated and 153 wild plants. Some of the wild taxa may have been collected, but many are probably here by chance. Three criteria are used as evidence for human transport and manipulation of wild plant remains: number of items, fragmentation, and carbonization. Relations between these criteria and known ethnobotanical properties of the identified plants are statistically analyzed. Results display good evidence of the gathering of edible wild fruits and seeds. Other gathering practices are not documented. Edible fruits and seeds seem to have been gathered mainly from ruderal spring weed communities and, possibly, from forest clearances and hedge communities. Fragmentation appears to be less of a discriminating factor than number of plant remains and carbonization.RésuméLes sites lacustres de lâge du Bronze final de Grésine (Alpes françaises) ont permis láttestation archéobotanique de 14 plantes cultivées et de 153 plantes sauvages. Certains des taxons sauvages ont pu être cueillis mais nombre d’entre eux sont probablement présents par accident. Trois critères sont utilisés pour montrer un apport et un traitement de ces plantes par l’homme: la représentation quantitative, la fragmentation et la carbonisation. Les relations statistiques entre ces critéres et diverses propriétés ethnobotaniques sont analysées. Les résultats convergent pour attester la cueillette de fruits et graines sauvages comestibles. Aucune autre pratique de cueillette nést mise en évidence. Les semences et fruits alimentaires proviennent plus particuliérement des groupements de mauvaises herbes des cultures sarclées ou de printemps ainsi que, peut être, des fruticées, haies, lisiéres et clairiéres. Le taux de fragmentation est un caractère moins discriminant que la représentation quantitative et la carbonisation

Early Neolithic wine of Georgia in the South Caucasus

Significance The earliest biomolecular archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East, ca. 6,000–5,800 BC during the early Neolithic Period, was obtained by applying state-of-the-art archaeological, archaeobotanical, climatic, and chemical methods to newly excavated materials from two sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus. Wine is central to civilization as we know it in the West. As a medicine, social lubricant, mind-altering substance, and highly valued commodity, wine became the focus of religious cults, pharmacopoeias, cuisines, economies, and society in the ancient Near East. This wine culture subsequently spread around the globe. Viniculture illustrates human ingenuity in developing horticultural and winemaking techniques, such as domestication, propagation, selection of desirable traits, wine presses, suitable containers and closures, and so on. Chemical analyses of ancient organic compounds absorbed into the pottery fabrics from sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus region, dating to the early Neolithic period (ca. 6,000–5,000 BC), provide the earliest biomolecular archaeological evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East, at ca. 6,000–5,800 BC. The chemical findings are corroborated by climatic and environmental reconstruction, together with archaeobotanical evidence, including grape pollen, starch, and epidermal remains associated with a jar of similar type and date. The very large-capacity jars, some of the earliest pottery made in the Near East, probably served as combination fermentation, aging, and serving vessels. They are the most numerous pottery type at many sites comprising the so-called “Shulaveri-Shomutepe Culture” of the Neolithic period, which extends into western Azerbaijan and northern Armenia. The discovery of early sixth millennium BC grape wine in this region is crucial to the later history of wine in Europe and the rest of the world.

History and evolution of Mesolithic landscapes in the Haut-Quercy (Lot, France): New charcoal data from archaeological contexts

Charred wood analyses have been performed on three Mesolithic sites located on the Causse de Gramat, a karstic plateau in southwestern France (Lot department): Les Fieux, les Escabasses and le Cuzoul de Gramat. The sites yielded occupations dating from the early to the late Mesolithic (9th to the 6th millennia cal. bc). In the absence of palynological data, charcoal analysis allowed us to characterise the woody environment exploited by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Our results point at the minor place of softwoods in the landscape and the local importance of Rosaceae prunoideae, marking an original type of pre-forest vegetation. In order to retrace the local vegetation dynamics, these results are synthesized and discussed thanks to a correspondence analysis, which includes previous anthracological data from Azilian and middle Mesolithic levels of two other sites of the Causse. The homogeneity of the results speaks in favour of the stability of the local environment and confirms the specific vegetation features of the area.

New insights into Mediterranean Gallo-Roman farming: a closer look at archaeological wells in Southern France

Archaeological wells have recently become a major source of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoeconomic information, thus, providing the background for past day-to-day material life. At the site of La Lesse–Espagnac (Hérault), combined evidence from archaeobotany, morphometry and palynology, from two wells, offers a coherent picture of the diversity of the local Gallo-Roman farming economy, whose development was fuelled by the proximity of a major urban centre (Colonia Urbs Julia Septimanorum Baeterra—present day Béziers). The ever present vine growing and wine making were complemented by other food crops such as fruit trees, vegetables, condiments and cereals. The dense network of farming establishments and the scale of their production could only aggravate the extent of anthropogenic impact on the local natural woodlands and would explain the very minor role of typical thermophilous trees in the pollen diagram. The over-multiplication of these farming establishments may explain why some of them apparently ran out of momentum and eventually failed

Potential of combining morphometry and ancient DNA information to investigate grapevine domestication

The goal of this work was to explore the possibility (1) of carrying out both morphogeometric and archaeological DNA analyses on the same grape pips and (2) of comparing different molecular markers to reveal DNA variation, namely Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). We focused on waterlogged seeds originating from three Roman and one medieval archaeological sites in France. Our first results indicate that taking photographs of pips is not detrimental to the preservation of DNA, provided a specific protocol is respected. Regarding the genetic markers, obtaining reliable information in sufficient quantity proved very difficult using SSRs. SNPs have a much more interesting potential, providing greater success rates and reliability. Here in four archaeological pips we studied 842 SNPs, derived from known polymorphisms in several genes, including one gene related to sex. Phylogenies built using these genetic markers indicate that three pips from the Roman site of Gasquinoy are close to modern wild grapevines and/or the female group, while the only medieval pip from Colletière is hermaphrodite and close to the modern cultivated group. Morphogeometrical results are in agreement with these findings. We conclude that the combined use of SNP markers and morphogeometry is promising for deciphering the intricate history of grapevine domestication.

Domestication de la vigne (Vitis vinifera L.) et origines de cépages en France : apport de l’archéobiologie

L’histoire et les mecanismes de la domestication de la vignedemeurent enigmatiques en depit d’un important corpus de sources archeologiques, historiques et moleculaires. Depuis peu, de nouveaux outils issus de la biologie sont investis par l’archeobotanique afin d’acceder a une resolution taxinomique infra-specifique au regard de taxinomies etablies par l’agronomie et la genetique. Ces approches methodologiques sont riches de perspectives a la fois en archeologie et en biologie evolutive, tant les connections entre types varietaux, societes, terroirs, pratiques et usages peuvent etre etroites. Certains cepages proposent un parfait exemple d’un patrimoine biologique constituant l’assise emblematique, souvent pluriseculaire, des viticultures regionales.