title: Comment on "30,000-year-old wild flax fibers".
abstract: Kvavadze et al. (Brevia, 11 September 2009, p. 1359) identified fiber samples as 30,000-year-old flax based on a comparison with modern flax fibers analyzed by compound microscope and on the presence of dislocations/nodes in the fibers. We argue that this evidence is not sufficient to identify the fibers as flax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergfjord
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rast-Eicher
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nosch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mannering
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Allaby
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holst
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D019597:Flax / Q000737:chemistry; D005846:Georgia (Republic); D049690:History, Ancient; D008853:Microscopy; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D013784:Textiles / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant