Bronze Age subsistence in Sardinia, Italy: cultivated plants and wild resources

Abstract

This paper presents new archaeobotanical data from six sites in Sardinia, Italy, dated to the Bronze Age (2000–1100 cal. bc). A total of 978 l of sediment has been sampled and 23,008 items retrieved. The study reveals the presence of cereals (Hordeum vulgare, H. vulgare var. nudum, Triticum monococcum and T. aestivum/durum), legumes (Lathyrus sativus/cicera, Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum and Vicia faba), and wild plants such as Ficus carica, Fragaria sp., Rubus sp., Prunus spinosa, Vitis vinifera, Myrtus communis, Juniperus oxycedrus and Pistacia lentiscus, providing substantial information on the agricultural practices of the first Nuragic communities during the Bronze Age in Sardinia.