title: Predictive Method for Correct Identification of Archaeological Charred Grape Seeds: Support for Advances in Knowledge of Grape Domestication Process.
abstract: The identification of archaeological charred grape seeds is a difficult task due to the alteration of the morphological seeds shape. In archaeobotanical studies, for the correct discrimination between Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera grape seeds it is very important to understand the history and origin of the domesticated grapevine. In this work, different carbonisation experiments were carried out using a hearth to reproduce the same burning conditions that occurred in archaeological contexts. In addition, several carbonisation trials on modern wild and cultivated grape seeds were performed using a muffle furnace. For comparison with archaeological materials, modern grape seed samples were obtained using seven different temperatures of carbonisation ranging between 180 and 340ºC for 120 min. Analysing the grape seed size and shape by computer vision techniques, and applying the stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) method, discrimination of the wild from the cultivated charred grape seeds was possible. An overall correct classification of 93.3% was achieved. Applying the same statistical procedure to compare modern charred with archaeological grape seeds, found in Sardinia and dating back to the Early Bronze Age (2017-1751 2σ cal. BC), allowed 75.0% of the cases to be identified as wild grape. The proposed method proved to be a useful and effective procedure in identifying, with high accuracy, the charred grape seeds found in archaeological sites. Moreover, it may be considered valid support for advances in the knowledge and comprehension of viticulture adoption and the grape domestication process. The same methodology may also be successful when applied to other plant remains, and provide important information about the history of domesticated plants.
authors.affiliation: Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, V.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ucchesu
authors.affiliation: Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, V.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Martino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orrù
authors.affiliation: Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, V.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123, Cagliari, Italy.|Dipartimento di Storia, Beni Culturali e Territorio-Sezione Archeologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Piazza Arsenale 1-09124, Cagliari, Italy.|Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia, Via Sirio 1, 95041, Borgo San Pietro-Caltagirone (CT), Italy.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.affiliation: Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia, Via Sirio 1, 95041, Borgo San Pietro-Caltagirone (CT), Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venora
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Storia, Beni Culturali e Territorio-Sezione Archeologia, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Piazza Arsenale 1-09124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paglietti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, S.P. Monserrato-Sestu km 0.7, Monserrato, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardu
authors.affiliation: Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università degli Studi di Cagliari, V.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bacchetta
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods*; D007558:Italy; D012639:Seeds; D027843:Vitis