Humanities and Arts
Discovering Plum, Watermelon and Grape Cultivars Founded in a Middle Age Site of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy) through a Computer Image Analysis Approach
Marco Sarigu,
Marco Sarigu
Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Diego Sabato,
Diego Sabato
Departament de Prehistòria i Arqueologia, Facultat de Geografía i Historia, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 28, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Giovanna Bosi,
Giovanna Bosi
Laboratorio di Palinologia e Paleobotanica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi, 287, 41125 Modena, Italy
Salvador Torres,
Salvador Torres
Laboratório de Análise de Sementes, Departamento de Ciências Agronômicas e Florestais, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Av. Francisco Mota, Bairro Costa e Silva, 572, Mossoró 59625-900, Brazil
Mariano Ucchesu,
Mariano Ucchesu
Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution (ISEM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université Montpellier, UMR 5554, CEDEX 05, 34095 Montpellier, France
Maria Loi,
Maria Loi
Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Oscar Grillo,
Oscar Grillo
Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Gianluigi Bacchetta
Gianluigi Bacchetta
Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Abstract
The discovery of several waterlogged plant remains in a Middle Ages context (1330-1360 AD) in Sassari (NS, Sardinia, Italy) enabled the characterisation of archaeological plum fruit stones and watermelon and grape seeds through computer image analysis. Digital seed/endocarp images were acquired by a flatbed scanner and processed and analysed by applying computerised image analysis techniques. The morphometric data were statistically elaborated using stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA), allowing comparisons among archaeological remains, wild populations and autochthonous cultivars. Archaeological samples of plum were compared with 21 autochthonous cultivars of Prunus domestica from Sardinia, while archaeological watermelon seeds were compared with 36 seed lots of Citrullus from Europe, Africa and Asia. Moreover, archaeological grape seeds were compared with 51 autochthonous traditional cultivars of Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera from Sardinia, 16 cultivars from Tuscany, six cultivars from Liguria, and eight cultivars from Catalonia (Spain). Archaeological plum remains showed morphological affinity with five cultivars of Sardinia. Seed features of the archaeological watermelon remains demonstrated affiliation with a proper sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, and similarity with some Sardinian cultivars. Regarding the archaeological remains of grape, morphometric comparisons showed a high similarity with autochthonous cultivars from Catalonia and Liguria. This study provides new information about ancient fruit cultivated and consumed during the Middle Ages in Sardinia.
Key Questions
CopyWhat did researchers discover in Sassari, Sardinia?
Researchers found waterlogged plant remains—plum fruit stones, watermelon seeds, and grape seeds—dating back to the Middle Ages (1330–1360 AD) in Sassari, Sardinia. These ancient remains gave them a rare glimpse into what fruits were grown and eaten in the region hundreds of years ago.
How did they study these ancient plant remains?
They used a flatbed scanner to create digital images of the seeds and fruit stones, then analyzed them using computer image analysis techniques. To compare the ancient remains with modern plants, they used a statistical method called stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). This helped them see how closely the medieval plants matched today’s wild and cultivated varieties.
What did they find out about the medieval plums?
The ancient plum remains were very similar to five local plum varieties still grown in Sardinia today. This suggests that these plum cultivars have been around for centuries and were likely enjoyed by people in medieval Sardinia.
What about the watermelon seeds?
The watermelon seeds were identified as belonging to Citrullus lanatus, the same species as the sweet dessert watermelons we eat today. They also showed similarities to some Sardinian watermelon varieties, hinting at a long history of watermelon cultivation in the region.
What did the grape seeds reveal?
The grape seeds were very similar to traditional grape varieties from Catalonia (Spain) and Liguria (Italy). This suggests that Sardinia might have had connections with these regions, possibly through trade or cultural exchange, during the Middle Ages.
Why is this study important?
This study sheds light on the types of fruits people in medieval Sardinia grew and ate. It also shows how advanced techniques like computer image analysis can help us learn about ancient agriculture and the history of plant cultivation.
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