Micro-plant remains: witnesses of production economy, ancient materials and techniques

International audienceThe Tell el-Iswid South site is a predynastic site located in the eastern Nile delta, 40 km northeast of Zagazig.The lowest levels reveal structures and material from the Lower Egypt Cultural Complex (CBE2). The upper levels, displaying mud brick walls and tombs, correspond to the Naqada III phase. Two main phases of occupation were thus determined for the predynastic period:Iswid A (CBE) and Iswid B (Naqada III).Archaeobotany was integrated into the study of the site from the beginning of the research in 2006. It involves the study of pollen and starch grains, fibres and phytolithPlant micro-remains can provide data which, alongside results from other fields of study,make it possible to understand the evolution of cultures and the transition from one socio-cultural form to another as the state is establishing itself at the end of the IVth millenniumThe first results showed a production economy based on the cultivation of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon) and hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare). At Tell el-Iswid, cereals play an important role in the food economy since the beginning of the Lower Egypt cultures. While exploitation of cereals remains predominant throughout the sequence, the presence of leguminous crops and fruits indicates a richer diet during the Naqadian period.The phytoliths extracted from the samples, selected in collaboration with archaeologists, evidence the materials and techniques that were used during the IVthmillennium.While the results obtained from the stratigraphic units provide information on the use of space, those obtained from the analysis of hearth residues disclose the nature of the fuel used and its potential relationship to the use of an oven. Information on the construction and use of pits and silos is also noted.From sediments collected on grinding tools, phytoliths offer significant clues to identify the plants used and the different stages of cereals processing