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Cultivation and processing of Linum usitatissimum and Camelina sativa in southern Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age

Larsson, Mikael LU (2013) In Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22(6). p.509-520
Abstract
Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum (flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were found at UppAyenkra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in SkAyenne, southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use, processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the flax cultivation at UppAyenkra 2:25 was intended for the production of... (More)
Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum (flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were found at UppAyenkra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in SkAyenne, southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use, processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the flax cultivation at UppAyenkra 2:25 was intended for the production of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop which was cultivated separately from flax. (Less)
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author
organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Linum usitatissimum, Camelina sativa, Iron Age, Uppakra, Sweden
in
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
volume
22
issue
6
pages
509 - 520
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000325709100005
  • scopus:84885464040
ISSN
0939-6314
DOI
10.1007/s00334-013-0413-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9c3f2593-887f-4265-b9b4-1b69d25c44ee (old id 4160389)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:04:00
date last changed
2022-03-30 00:15:21
@article{9c3f2593-887f-4265-b9b4-1b69d25c44ee,
  abstract     = {{Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum (flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were found at UppAyenkra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in SkAyenne, southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use, processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the flax cultivation at UppAyenkra 2:25 was intended for the production of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop which was cultivated separately from flax.}},
  author       = {{Larsson, Mikael}},
  issn         = {{0939-6314}},
  keywords     = {{Linum usitatissimum; Camelina sativa; Iron Age; Uppakra; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{509--520}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Vegetation History and Archaeobotany}},
  title        = {{Cultivation and processing of Linum usitatissimum and Camelina sativa in southern Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00334-013-0413-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00334-013-0413-3}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}