Plant introduction in Graeco‑Roman Egypt: the case of the rose of heaven (Silene coeli‑rosa (L.) Godr.)

Abstract

The political conditions that arose in Egypt after the conquest by Alexander the Great and later by Augustus certainly led to profound changes in the social and cultural structure of the country in a multicultural way. Under these foreign dominations, the use of the plant world also changed. New plant species were imported, and new crops were established. The rose of heaven (Silene coeli -rosa (L.) Godr.) can be well considered among these newly introduced species since not native to Egypt, nor attested in Egypt before the Ptolemaic time. The contribution examines all the accessible data on Silene coeli -rosa (L.) Godr. It includes the results of the analyses on the archaeobotanical material of the rose of heaven preserved in European museums, as well as the mention of other archaeobotanical attestations that could not be seen in person. Textual data from papyri are also included, after a discussion of the possible ancient names of the plant. The data are then considered together to investigate: the way of introduction and diffusion of the species in the territory and all the possible fields in which it may have come into use (food, medical, and ornamental). The study shows a limited diffusion in the Egyptian land, but specific importance of the use of the plant in Fayum garlands, particularly in their innovative manufacture of the Graeco -Roman period. Its involvement in this type of innovation shows the complexity in which newly introduced plant species can be involved in phenomena of cultural contact and change.

Keywords

• garlands
• archaeobotany
• plant culture
• cultural changes