Archaeobotany and Agriculture in the Ancient Levant

Agriculture was the central activity of daily life for most individuals in pre-modern societies, even those living in early cities, and it was the primary source of wealth for both temples and palaces in most ancient states. Yet how people practiced agriculture is also determined by local landscapes and subject to climatic and ecological forces, in addition to political and economic ones. Archaeobotany, the study of plant remains from archaeological sites, allows us to reconstruct agricultural practices within their contemporary ecological contexts, and also to identify the particular strategies used by farmers, and how and why those changed over time. This presentation focuses on how individuals planned agricultural systems within the context of changing environments and political contexts, focusing in particular on two periods (the Hellenistic and Early Islamic periods) in the Levant when dramatic political changes shaped agricultural practices in unexpected ways.

Dr. John Marston is an Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Director of the Archaeology Program at Boston University. An environmental archaeologist with a specialty in paleoethnobotany (the study of archaeological plant remains), he studies long-term sustainability of agriculture and land use. He links ecological theory with archaeological methods to reconstruct agricultural and land-use strategies from plant and animal remains. His current research projects include work in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Greece, and Israel (Ashkelon and Tel Shimron). Dr. Marston earned both his PhD and Master’s degrees in Archaeology from UCLA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology, Classics, and Biology from Washington University in St. Louis.

This presentation is part of “Science in Archaeology: Using Natural Science to Uncover the Human Past” – a multi-day symposium presented by the Natural Sciences Division. All events listed are free and open to the public. This event will take place at the Meyer Science Center, 430 Howard St, Wheaton, IL 60187. For more details, visit our website.