Archaeobotanical Investigations of Madzhar Settlement

Abstract

The papers deals with results of archaeobotanical study of the materials from the Madzhar settlement, excavation 2017. The settlement represents the remains of the Golden Horde city of 13th–15th centuries, which was an important trade center in the North Caucasus. In excavation № XII, a medieval road was uncovered, which passes through the city center. The road was built and functioned during the 14th century. According to the results of a spore-pollen analysis of two profiles (from the road and the excavation) the reconstruction of the haze-grass steppe vegetation of the study area was made. In the first half of the 14th century the domination of grasses in the steppe vegetation may be related to more abundant precipitation during the Little Ice Age. Perhaps with increased grazing pressure in the second half of the 14th century in the plant community, the role of Chenopodiaceae increased. The spore-pollen spectra of the profile from the road are distorted most likely as a result of pollen from animal dung. The collection of plant macro-remains from the Madzhar settlement gives a general picture of the main grain crops of the medieval city. Even such a small sample shows similarities with the currently studied Golden Horde cities, where the main crops were millet (Panicum miliaceum) and soft wheat (Triticum aestivum). The results obtained by the authors are only the first archaeobotanical data for the medieval city of Madzhar. Further research is required for more detailed analysis and reconstructions.

Keywords

• archaeology
• the golden horde
• madzhar
• medieval road
• pollen analysis
• archaeobotanical analysis