PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 10(1) (2013) © PalArch Foundation 1 Bioarchaeology Conference - Abstracts PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 10(1) (2013) SCHEDULE Time January 31 February 1 February 2 7:15-8:45 Registration 8:45-9:00 Welcome Late Registration 9:00-9:25 Antoine Khairat Malleson 9:25-9:50 Sabbahy Haddow Thanheiser 9:50-10:15 Norris Williams Vartavan 10:15-10:40 Hashesh Dupras Cappers 10:40-11:10 Break Break Break 11:10-11:35 Dabbs/Zabeki Lösch Creasman 11:35-12:00 Wahba Walker Lesur 12:00-12:25 Ogunmakin Saad El-Dorry 12:30-13:30 Lunch Lunch Lunch 13:30-13:55 Merghani Zakrzewski Bertini 13:55-14:20 Bianucci Nerlich Nasr 14:20-14:45 Gad Lichtenberg Wyatt 14:45-15:10 Al-Khafif Crosby Hansen 15:10-15:45 Break Break Break 15:45-16:10 Baker Horackova Sigl 16:10-16:35 Gabr Pieri Callou 16:35-17:00 Barta Rühli Van Neer 17:00-17:30 Break Break Break 17:30-18:00 Keynote: Rose Poster Session Redding 18:00-18:30 Keynote: Rose Poster Session Strouhal 18:30-19:30 Break Poster Session Break 19:30-21:30 Reception Dinner © PalArch Foundation 2 Bioarchaeology Conference - Abstracts PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 10(1) (2013) KEY-NOTE LECTURE doing here?” I describe my personal adventures (31 JANUARY 17.30-18.30) in Egypt and my interactions with the commu- nity of Egyptologists and Bioarchaeologists over Jerry Rose the past 24 years. I point out how participation (Anthropology Department in meetings, fieldwork, and skeletal analyses has University of Arkansas, USA) possibly shaped my views of this field different- ly from those who participated from the time Bioarchaeology of Ancient Egypt: An Outsider’s they were students. I certainly had to learn how Personal Adventures and Opinions of Its Past, I conducted myself in my research. I discuss the Present, and Future separate research paths of mummy and skeletal studies, the overwhelming influence of the vari- A student not only studies Egyptology, but is ous dam projects, and the transformations of also inducted into a community of fellow stu- the “Egyptian Antiquities Service” over the past dents, faculty, and scholars. This community is 150 years have all had on the development of expanded by attending meetings and partici- bioarchaeology in Egypt. It appears to me that pating in fieldwork. The budding scholar not the future of bioarchaeology in Egypt has great only grows in knowledge, but is socialized into promise with the development of new methods, a scholarly culture with its own attitudes and such as ancient DNA analysis, in addition to the perspectives. When a researcher who has spent development of new theoretical perspectives, a career working in another geographic area de- but it will continue to be hampered by the scar- cides to enter the Egyptology community some city of comparative skeletal collections and the might say “who is this person and what are they absence of uniform data recording. © PalArch Foundation 3 Bioarchaeology Conference - Abstracts PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 10(1) (2013) ARCHAEOBOTANY The work is aimed at modeling the criteria (P) indicate ‘poster’ that may explain the cultivation of particular ce- reals during specific eras. These criteria are re- Charlene Bouchaud lated to: What Type of Fuel Was Used for Heating the 1) The availability of crop plants; Collective Baths in Egypt? Evidences from the 2) The environmental constraints related to Plant Macro-remains and Textual Data During soil conditions and climate; Ptolemaic and Roman Periods (P) 3) Economic arguments dealing with yield, la- bour (grinding and de-husking), space (stor- The development of private and public baths age of grain and protection against decay), in Egypt is strongly linked first to Greek and and fuel (frequency of the use of ovens). then Roman influences from the 3rd and 2nd c. BC, respectively. In the Egyptian semi-arid Health may also have played a role in the and arid environments, wood resources are selection of cereals, because the quantity and scarce and the fuel management for heating chemical composition of the gluten has an im- the baths is a critical point. Data concerning pact on resistance against bacterial infections that question mainly come from textual evi- and on gluten intolerance. This criterion, how- dence and indicate that fuel is especially con- ever, must have played an indirect role, because stituted by straw or reed. Recent archaeologi- this relationship between food and health has cal excavations conducted at Greek (Taposiris only recently been recognized. Magna, Karnak) and Roman (Xëron in the Eastern Desert, Karnak) baths notably reveal Pearce P. Creasman their spatial organisation and their heating systems. Sediment samples were taken inside The Potential of Dendrochronology in Egypt: the oven complex or in the ash pits in order to Understanding Ancient Human/Environment start an archaeobotanical analysis on macro- Interactions remains. The preliminary results complete the papyri data and give a new insight on the fuel Basic tree-ring analyses have been applied to used, showing a great variety and a strong de- wooden archaeological remains around the pendence from the local plant resources. world for nearly a century and with great suc- cess (e.g., dating the prehistoric ruins of the US René T.J. Cappers Southwest). ‘Dendroarchaeology’, as it is known, is primarily employed to address chronologi- Modelling Shifts in Cereal Cultivation in Egypt cal questions, for which there is a great need from the Start of Agriculture Until Modern Times and exceptional utility in Egypt. However, den- droarchaeological interpretations are not only The extensive archaeobotanical record of an- limited to questions of time. While the study cient Egypt can be used to reconstruct past ag- of timber, its uses and acquisition in ancient ricultural practices, including major shifts in Egypt has received much attention, more can crop assemblages. This communication deals be learned. Specifically, there is much knowl- with shifts in cereal cultivation from the early edge to be gained by systematically analyzing Neolithic (6000 BC) to modern times. Three ancient timber, including the areas of resource major shifts will be discussed: management, responses to environmental change, timber selection processes, patterns of 1) The shift in predominance between barley reuse and repair, stockpiling, deadwood use, and emmer wheat in the New Kingdom; economy of wood use, and timber supply and 2) The replacement of emmer by Hard wheat trade. This paper discusses the great potential in the Greco-Roman Period; of dendrochronology in enhancing our under- 3) The replacement of Hard wheat by Bread standing of ancient Egyptian human/environ- wheat in modern times. ment interactions, aside from its clear chrono- logical benefits. © PalArch Foundation 4 Bioarchaeology Conference - Abstracts PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 10(1) (2013) Mennat-Allah El Dorry use of cereal crop processing waste as fodder and fuel. Grapes, Raisins and Wine? Archaeobotanical The site offers an exceptional insight into Finds from the Monastery of John the Little in ancient Egyptian settlement remains at a site Wadi El Natrun that was occupied for over 1000 years. The rich charred plant remains present the opportunity Very little archaeobotanical material from Egyp- to study changing patterns of agriculture and tian monastic settlements or early medieval the local ecology, as well as the influences of dif- contexts has been studied, leaving somewhat fering populations in the town. There are very of a lacuna in our knowledge. Instead, the tra- few (if any) comparable sites at which botani- ditional reconstruction of monastic history has cal work has been carried out so systematically been based on textual sources. This paper will from the outset of excavations, and this is the present some of the archaeobotanical material first time that Third Intermediate Period plant recovered from the ninth-to-eleventh-century remains from non-funerary contexts have ever monastic residence of John the Little in Wadi El been studied/published. Natrun, Egypt, excavated by the Yale Monastic This paper will present an overview of the Archaeology Project (YMAP-North) since 2006. findings from this site, summarising the results Particularly attention will be given to remains of the analyses. that point to grapes pressing. Several cooking areas were uncovered dur- Islam M. Mostafa ing the excavations of this monastic cell. These areas include several ovens and kanoons, and Genetic Efficacy ofPenicillium sp.and Bacillus possible storage and food preparation spaces. cereus in Ancient Organic Artifacts from the Large amounts of soil have been samples, from Egyptian Museum in Cairo (P) which hundreds of charred botanical items were recovered. The material studied has al- The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is home to an ready provided us with an insight into animal extensive collection of ancient organic materials husbandry and agricultural practices within that provide information for the genetic history this monastic residence, and points to trade and evolutionary principles of some microor- with its neighbours. ganisms dwelling within the cellular synthe- sis of these artifacts. Cellulose-composite ones Claire J. Malleson such as wood and textiles had been focused on in this pilot study entailing the long-term sur- Archaeo-Botanical Investigations at Tell el-Reta- vival of Penicillium sp. and Bacillus cereus with ba in the First Four Years their various bio-activities in selected wood and textile objects. A Late Period Ficus sycomorus Since 2009 archaeobotanical materials have sarcophagus (CG 1025) sustained Bacillus and been systematically sampled and studied as a Pencillium species. A linen manuscript (CG part of the Warsaw University investigations at 66218) dating to the New Kingdom reveals the the multi-period tell site of Retaba in the Wadi metabolic activity of both organisms through Tumilat.