Diversität der Nutzpflanzen im Mittelalter Nordeuropas

Abstract

Ancient plant diet can be reconstructed by help of seeds and fruits that are regularly found in archaeological excavations. Those plant fi nds enlighten former local cultivation methods, the spectrum of wild plants collected in “nature” and, also trading activities with staple foods, as for example cereals, exotic spices, fruit and nuts. The HANSA Network Project (2000-2007) offered the frame to compile botanical fi nds from 79 archaeological excavations dated to the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times in seven different countries and to compare the results with written sources (KARG ED. 2007). This work presents an important contribution to the cultural history of food plants in Northern Europe between 1150 -1650 AD.