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Macrobotanical Analysis In Central Hungary: A Case Study, The Vésztő-Bikeri Site,
by Kimberly Kasper
Excavations at the Vésztő-Bikeri site have recently become intense during the 2001 and 2002 summer
field seasons. In the 2002 field season all soil samples were processed by a flotation system in
order to recover botanical material as methodically as possible (Figures 1
and 2). Water from the
local canal was utilized for the flotation process (Figure 3). Roughly,
ten-liter flotation samples
were taken from every tenth test unit excavated at the Veszto-Bikeri site during the 2001 field season
and every other test unit excavated during the 2002 field season. Twenty seven soil samples from
the 2001 field season were stored and floated along with one hundred and forty seven soil samples
from various excavated units during the 2002 field season. Most soil samples taken were associated
with or in three house structures uncovered on the site.
Since there is limited knowledge about macrobotanical remains in Great Hungarian Plain during the
Copper Age, the examination of the macrobotanical remains from the Veszto-Bikeri site may provide a
new perspective about the consumption of wild and cultivated crops. The key element to successful
macrobotanical sampling during the excavation of the Vésztő-Bikeri site was to fit the sampling design
to our goals of archaeobotanical recovery. Sampling was conducted to identify crops under
cultivation, and to distinguish activity areas within structures, such as the evidence of einkorn,
emmer or barley within a structure. Contrary to past macrobotanical studies, like the
Tiszapolgar-Basatanya analysis which focused on identifying random archaeobotanical remains from
burial sites, the macrobotanical study at Vésztő-Bikeri will be focusing on obtaining archaeobotanical
information about the food and cultivation activities associated with a settlement site.
It appears that the presence or absence of botanical material the Vésztő-Bikeri site may be more
influenced by cultural processes than natural depositional processes. Fundamentally, natural
depositional processes, like rodent burrows and/or changes in the acidity of the soil, can
significantly alter the archaeological record. For example, past cultural activities that are
associated with the utilization of botanical remains, such as areas of food procurement and trash
pits may be harder to identify and interpret. Essentially, the macrobotanical study at Vésztő-Bikeri
hopes to provide a theoretical and methodological framework that will aid in understanding the
cultural and natural processes that control the botanical significance of the Vésztő-Bikeri site.
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