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Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses supported with radiocarbon dating were conducted on a Holocene core from the peat bog Beliya Kanton (1547 m a.s.l.) located in the Western Rhodope Mountains (South Bulgaria). In the early Holocene until ~10 000 cal. BP the mountain slopes were covered by Pinus, admixed with Betula, Juniperus and shrubland of Ephedra among herb communities dominated by Poaceae, Cichorioideae, Achillea, Artemisia, Brassicaceae species. Subsequently, the afforestation continued with the expansion of broadleaved oak forests with Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus which reached their maximum distribution ~8800 cal. BP. Gradually, these forests began to retreat, replaced at many places first by Corylus and later on by Picea abies, Abies alba and Fagus. The formation of the contemporary coniferous belt with the dominance of Pinus - Picea abies and fragmented mixed coniferous-deciduous communities in the late Holocene was attributed not only to climate change but also to diverse human interference in the natural forest cover. During the last 2000 years the continuous presence of Juniperus, Juglans, Rumex, Cirsium, Plantago lanceolata and Hordeum pollen indicated intensive stock-breeding, grazing and crop cultivation. The fragments of charred wood testify to tree felling and fire clearances on flat ground to obtain new pasture land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollen sum includes all terrestrial pollen except Cyperaceae, aquatics, spores, and pteridophytes. Percentage pollen diagram for Huzenbacher See: selected pollen taxa, exaggeration 10 ×. LPAZ 7 is dominated by I Corylus i and I Abies i , while I Tilia i and I Taxus i decline. [Extracted from the article]

In the middle of the second millennium, a coppiced forest land use phase most probably attributable to the middle Bronze age interrupts the I Fagus i dominance shortly by the increase of I Corylus i and I Betula i (LPAZ 11). The pollen sum comprises 1000 counts per sample and includes all terrestrial pollen types except Cyperaceae, spores of mosses and pteridophytes. Percentage pollen diagram, selected pollen taxa, exaggeration 10 ×. Table II. [Extracted from the article]

The pollen sum (whenever possible up to 500 pollen grains) includes all terrestrial pollen types, excluded are the local wetland and aquatic elements (including I Alnus i , I Salix i , I Urtica i , Cyperaceae), spores of mosses and pteridophytes. In the upper most pollen spectra clear peaks of Cerealia pollen indicate local cultivation and processing of cereal crops. The actual soil moisture regime of the region is Udic (soil moisture is sufficient throughout the year to meet plant requirements [USDA [11]: 97]). [Extracted from the article]

A system of farming with an alternation of land use between being cultivated or left fallow as grassland (Feldgraswirtschaft) developed in southwestern Germany since the Bronze Age. It involved fallow periods, where the arable land is left without crops in order to let it recover its fertility for several years while becoming grassland. This led to regeneration of the topsoil humus, which could later be mobilized by cultivation. With later farming systems, the supply of nutrients needed for crops could also be provided by manuring, which allowed shorter fallow periods but required the production of manure. Such cultivation systems with short or even without fallow phases and with intensive manuring are known from the medieval period as one, two or three field systems of agriculture and their development was an important step towards the intensification of farming. The current study considers on-site plant macrofossil data from archaeological sites as well as the off-site pollen data from cores in Baden-Württemberg in order to recognize the main changes towards agricultural intensification through time from the Bronze Age up to medieval times. The various landscape types included in the study area also reveal their different agricultural histories of intensification. In lowlands with good soils, the intensification can be recognized earlier and more strongly than in uplands or other marginal areas. The main shift towards intensification took place in the Roman period, which is also confirmed by written sources of the time that mention manuring as well as a kind of two field system and alternation between grassland and arable land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percentage pollen diagram Gnadensee (ARG 2013): selected pollen taxa, exaggeration 10 × Contrary to the other pollen records in the area, where I Fagus i dominates over I Quercus i (Rösch [5]; Rösch et al. [7]; Rösch & Wick [8]), at Gnadensee, I Quercus i is clearly more important than I Fagus i throughout the Mid and Late Holocene. Recently, several pollen profiles have been studied in this area (Rösch et al. [6]); the closest pollen profiles come from: Mainau, 9.5 km to the east, Mindelsee, 6.5 km to the northwest, and Hornstaad, 4.5 km to the west. Bodensee-Untersee, the smaller part of Lake Constance, covers an area of 62 km SP 2 sp between Konstanz and Stein am Rhein and is divided into several basins by peninsulas and the Island Reichenau. [Extracted from the article]

The Upper Neckar and Ammer River valleys in southwestern Germany correspond to the southwestern limit of the overall distribution of the oldest Linear Bandkeramik (LBK) culture. More than 200 Neolithic sites are known from this region, with one of the oldest sites located in the vicinity of the village Ammerbuch-Pfäffingen, 10 km west of Tübingen, Germany. The archaeological record suggests that settlement activities occurred here between approximately 6300 and 6030 BP (modelled ca. 5290-4900 calBC). Despite the various on-site activities, little is known about the environment and its resources that were available prior to and after the LBK arrival. We here present the first results of a palynological study of a 2.4 m section from two parallel, overlapping 16 m (in total) sediment cores. The cores were retrieved in 2018 from a palaeo-wetland (Ammer palaeo-mire) only 0.7 km distant from the LBK settlement "Lüsse" and 2.5 km from the LBK settlement "Unteres Feld". Pollen, spores, charcoal and plant macro-remains indicate three major periods of vegetational development between 10,650 and 7870 calBP. Accordingly, between 10,650 and 10,150 calBP, deciduous oak forests with strong participation of hazel (Corylus avellana) and open vegetation dominated by Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae and diverse species of the Asteraceae family were spread around a shallow palaeo-wetland of ~3 km2. From 10,150 to 8400 calBP, vegetation around the palaeo-wetland turns into a mixed oak forest with an even more prominent presence of hazel. From 8400 to 7870 calBP, a noticeable dominance of mixed oak forests is established in the surroundings and the palaeo-lake turns into a river floodplain. It is highly probable that, at the time of the arrival of the LBK, diverse natural plant resources were available from a mixture of trees, herbs and wetland taxa. The bioarchaeological evidence from the following LBK are based on the analysis of seeds/fruits and wood charcoal from 'Lüsse' and 'Unteres Feld' and complements the information on land use for the period after the pollen record stops. The results suggest that the alluvial wetland area continued to provide food resources, together with the mixed oak forests which were also targeted by the LBK population. Apart from cultivation, LBK land-use caused an increase in the light-demanding forest component. The current study integrates the usually rarely available palaeo-ecological records from near LBK sites with on-site bioarchaeological evidence and thus delivers valuable insights on the environment at the beginning of farming in Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (MEL) may influence the efficiency of reprogramming both by somatic cell nuclear transfer and by direct induction of pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) through a yet unidentified mechanism. Transcription factors linked to cell reprogramming and cell signalling may be differentially expressed according to cell differentiation status. To address the effect of MEL on the expression of transcription factors linked to reprogramming, we used two distinct in vitro models of cellular plasticity: human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) and primary human granulosa-lutein cells (GLC). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed amplification of transcripts for KLF4, MYC and NANOG in both cell types. In GLC, treatment with 10 nmol/L of MEL provoked significant up-regulation of the expression of MYC and NANOG compared to controls. KLF4 expression was not altered in GLC but was significantly down-regulated in MEL-treated HFF cells. Alterations in the expression of ERK1/2 and pERK1/2 in GLC as analyzed by Western blot were not observed regardless of the MEL treatment. On the contrary, HFF cells responded to MEL treatment with 1.6-fold higher levels of pERK1/2 compared to the non-treated controls. Our data suggest that the activation of MT1 melatonin receptor is probably related to phosphorylation of ERK1/2 at least in expanding HFF, which subsequently may act to alter gene expression and regulate cell fate. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time, the selective effect of MEL in vitro at physiological concentration on transcription factors regulating pluripotency and differentiation in human non-cancer cells according to cell differentiation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Fagus i declines strongly in LPAZ 7a (800-600 bc), when I Betula i , I Corylus i , NAP and human indicators increase. LPAZ 7c (200 bc-ad 100) is characterised by dominance of I Betula i , whereas LPAZ 7d (ad 100-200) has dominance of I Quercus i and I Fagus i . In LPAZ 7b (600-200 bc) first I Corylus i , later I Betula i decrease, as well as NAP and human indicators, and I Quercus i , later I Fagus i increase. [Extracted from the article]

Ethical issues related to animal rights have gained significant exposure in the past few decades. As a result, animal welfare concerns have continuously been at the forefront of public debate. This has had a major impact on Western culture, expressed in the growing popularity of lifestyle changes towards reducing and abandonment of animal use across different industries. However, animal use in planned events remains insufficiently studied and absent from most event management literature. Therefore, this research aims to explore the opinions of Millennials on the use of live animals in events. The literature discusses anthropocentrism, anthropomorphism and cognitive dissonance, as reoccurring themes. A combination of a focus group and semi-structured interviews was undertaken, and the analysis identified entertainment, financial benefit and tradition as the main reasons for using live animals at events. Awareness and transparency on animal welfare issues within the events industry were stated by interviewees as points for improvement together with the lack of a clear definition of animal welfare, especially when it comes to captive and performing animals, as well as the uncertainty regarding animals' stakeholder status in events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper addresses for the first time a large body of archaeobotanical data from prehistoric Southeastern Europe, mostly published for the first time, that correspond to cereal food preparations. The evidence presented here comes from 20 sites situated in Greece and Bulgaria, spanning the Early Neolithic through to the Iron Age (7th millennium B.C.-1st millennium B.C.). The remains correspond to cereal fragments or agglomerations of fragments that resulted from ancient food preparation steps such as grinding, boiling, sprouting/malting, mixing in bread-like or porridge-like foodstuffs. The article builds on previous pilot studies and with the aid of stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy offers a first classification and possible interpretations of the finds leading to the recipes that might have generated them. At the same time the article highlights the significance of retrieving and studying in depth such rare archaeobotanical finds, points out the interpretative problems stemming from such material and suggests ways forward to address similar archaeological finds in different parts of the world. The paper demonstrates the potential of the systematic study of cereal-based food remains, in our case prehistoric Southeastern Europe, to reveal a wide variability in cereal food transformation practices, suggestive of the interplay between available ingredients, cultural traditions and the complex interaction between society and environment. Highlights • Cereal food remains from Southeastern Europe spanning the 7th to the 1st millennium B.C. reveal considerable variability. • A new classification system is proposed for the study of cereal-based food remains. • Classification criteria are based on macroscopic and microscopic observations informed by ethnography. • A wide range of potential cereal food preparations in prehistory cautions against hasty identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: The pollen sum (100%) comprises all terrestrial pollen types except Cyperaceae, spores of mosses and pteridophytes. The vegetation of the peat bog consisted mainly of Poaceae, I Artemisia, Achillea i , I Cirsium i , Cichorioideae, Apiaceae, I Rumex i and Cyperaceae species. The herbaceous vegetation of the peat bog was enriched with various representatives from Cyperaceae, while I Artemisia i , Cichorioideae, I Rumex i , Apiaceae, I Galium i , I Cirsium i species and ferns decreased.

Abstract: Aim: To evaluate the biomization technique for reconstructing past vegetation in the Eastern Mediterranean–Black Sea–Caspian‐Corridor using an extensive modern pollen data set and comparing reconstructions to potential vegetation and observed land cover data. Location: The region between 28–48°N and 22–62°E. Methods: We apply the biomization technique to 1,387 modern pollen samples, representing 1,107 entities, to reconstruct the distribution of 13 broad vegetation categories (biomes). We assess the results using estimates of potential natural vegetation from the European Vegetation Map and the Physico‐Geographic Atlas of the World. We test whether anthropogenic disturbance affects reconstruction quality using land use information from the Global Land Cover data set. Results: The biomization scheme successfully predicts the broadscale patterns of vegetation across the region, including changes with elevation. The technique discriminates deserts from shrublands, the prevalence of woodlands in moister lowland sites, and the presence of temperate and mixed forests at higher elevations. Quantitative assessment of the reconstructions is less satisfactory: the biome is predicted correctly at 44% of the sites in Europe and 33% of the sites overall. The low success rate is not a reflection of anthropogenic impacts: only 33% of the samples are correctly assigned after the removal of sites in anthropogenically altered environments. Open vegetation is less successfully predicted (33%) than forest types (73%), reflecting the under‐representation of herbaceous taxa in pollen assemblages and the impact of long‐distance pollen transport into open environments. Samples from small basins (<1 km2) are more likely to be reconstructed accurately, with 58% of the sites in Europe and 66% of all sites correctly predicted, probably because they sample an appropriate pollen source area to reflect regional vegetation patterns in relatively heterogeneous landscapes. While methodological biases exist, the low confidence of the quantitative comparisons should not be over‐emphasized because the target maps themselves are not accurate representations of vegetation patterns in this region. Main Conclusions: The biomization scheme yields reasonable reconstructions of the broadscale vegetation patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean–Black Sea–Caspian‐Corridor, particularly if appropriate‐sized sampling sites are used. Our results indicate biomization could be used to reconstruct changing patterns of vegetation in response to past climate changes in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the interpretation of the transition process to the European Neolithic, it is important to understand the archaeobotanical on-site display of plant remains in different investigation areas and different archaeological contexts. As regionally diverse archaeological feature types have been sampled in varying ways, they might bring to light different assemblages of plant remains for methodological reasons. Therefore, this paper uses the underlying fully quantified archaeobotanical data from 67 Neolithic sites and 2,279 samples from 832 features in Bulgaria, Austria and Germany. Also, a feature based quantitative comparison was made between the Early to Late Neolithic crop spectra from Bulgaria and those of the Early Neolithic Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) of central Europe. This touches the hypothesis of agricultural risk management and the question whether an ecological barrier may have prevented the LBK farmers from growing all of the original crops of the Balkan area and southwest Asia, so that they changed to a less diverse crop spectrum as well as new dietary preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After extracting oil from olives a residue is left usually referred to as the olive oil processing residue (OPR). This study explores the way in which ancient societies may have used OPR as fuel for fires to generate heat and the various issues that are related to the residues of this fuel. After drying, the high heating value and structure of OPR makes it an excellent and efficient fuel. Upgrading OPR further, through thermal conversion or charring, provides an even more efficient fuel (COPR), with a hotter and smoke free flame, a higher heating value and which is lighter in mass and thus easier to transport. After a fire is extinguished two types of remains of the fuel are left i.e. char and ash. Analyses on both remains, recovered from archaeological deposits, could be used as a source of information on fuel utilization. Laboratory experiments on charred modern OPR and stones show that by measuring their reflectance and analyzing their structure under reflected light microscopy, OPR and COPR can be distinguished in the charred material recovered from three archaeological sites in Greece and Syria. Based on these investigations it is suggested that on the three sites COPR was used as fuel. Ash, sampled together with the char, provides the possibility of investigating if other types of fuel were used, apart from OPR or COPR. On the investigated sites no ash was collected, but the analysis of the modern OPR showed that the properties of its ash could be used to distinguish it from other types of fuel. Ash from modern OPR and olive stones showed the presence of phytoliths. The often discussed issue related to the sharpness and smoothness of the edges of charred fragmented olive stones was investigated. The results showed that this is not a reliable criterion for recognizing olive oil production. It is recommended that in addition to the identification of the botanical material more properties of the remains of fuels should be analysed. To prevent destroying and losing char and ash as a result of excavation activities such as flotation and sieving, special measures have to be taken. The results show that analysing char and ash may provide valuable information on the (pyro)technology practised in ancient societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses were performed on a sequence 105 cm deep obtained from a peat bog (1750 m) that is located above the present timber-line in the Osogovo Mountain, Southwestern Bulgaria. The palaeovegetation reconstruction, supported by a radiocarbon chronology, revealed the vegetation dynamics and human impact during the last 5000 years. The peat bog formed when a coniferous belt of Abies alba and Pinus ( Pinus sylvestris , Pinus nigra ) covered the high mountain slopes. Charcoal fragments indicate the presence of a broad-leaved tree community composed of Quercus , Corylus , Carpinus , Tilia , Acer and Ulmus at lower altitudes. Stands of Fagus sylvatica in places with higher air and soil humidity, like river valleys and deep ravines, became established. The pollen assemblages after c. 3200 cal. BP record an important change in the forest composition that led to the replacement of the conifers, mostly A. alba , by the invading communities of F. sylvatica . The reasons for this replacement included factors related to both climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. During the last centuries a large-scale degradation of the woodlands in the mountain has occurred. On a regional scale the palaeoecological evidence is compared with information from palynological, archaeological and historical sources in Southwestern Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The forest steppe of the Transylvanian Plain is a landscape of exceptionally diverse steppe-like and semi-natural grasslands. Is this vegetation a remnant of a once continuous temperate forest extensively cleared by humans, or has the area, since the last glacial, always been a forest steppe? Understanding the processes that drive temperate grassland formation is important because effective management of this biome is critical to the conservation of the European cultural landscape. Location Lake Stiucii, north-western Romania, central-eastern Europe. Methods We analysed multi-proxy variables (pollen, coprophilous fungi, plant macroremains, macrocharcoal) from a 55,000 year discontinuous sequence ( c. 55,000-35,000; 13,000-0 cal. yr bp), integrating models of pollen-based vegetation cover, biome reconstruction, global atmospheric simulations and archaeological records. Results Needleleaf woodland occurred during glacial Marine Isotope Stage ( MIS) 3, but contracted at the end of this period. Forest coverage of c. 55% (early Holocene) and 65% (mid-Holocene) prevailed through the Holocene, but Bronze Age humans extensively cleared forests after 3700 cal. yr bp. Forest coverage was most widespread between 8600 and 3700 cal. yr bp, whereas grasses, steppe and xerothermic forbs were most extensive between 11,700 and 8600 cal. yr bp and during the last 3700 cal. yr bp. Cerealia pollen indicate the presence of arable agriculture by c. 7000 cal. yr bp. Main conclusions We have provided the first unequivocal evidence for needleleaf woodland during glacial MIS 3 in this region. Extensive forests prevailed prior to 3700 cal. yr bp, challenging the hypothesis that the Transylvanian lowlands were never wooded following the last glaciation. However, these forests were never fully closed either, reflecting dry growing season conditions, recurrent fires and anthropogenic impacts, which have favoured grassland persistence throughout the Holocene. The longevity of natural and semi-natural grasslands in the region may explain their current exceptional biodiversity. This longer-term perspective implies that future climatic warming and associated fire will maintain these grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The environmental changes (vegetation history, human impact and land use, influence of the Black Sea) in the area of Lake Durankulak, northeastern Bulgaria, were reconstructed and synthesized for the last ca. 8000 years. The palaeoecological information derived from various proxies (pollen, plant macrofossils, molluscs, sediments) was compared on a regional scale with the evidence from the nearby coastal lakes Shabla–Ezeretz and Bolata. The Early Holocene xerothermic steppe vegetation, dominated by Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia and Poaceae species, and accompanied by stands of trees in moister habitats, was transformed after 6000 cal. BP into a forest-steppe, comprising oak woods with Carpinus betulus, Ulmus, Tilia, Acer. This vegetation pattern has been periodically modified, depleted and replaced by arable land or xerothermic herbaceous communities enriched with anthropophytes and ruderals, particularly after the intensification of human activities since 3300 cal. BP. The archaeobotanical evidence from the region has provided valuable information about the occupation phases and subsistence strategy of the local people since the Late Neolithic (5300 cal. BC/7250 cal. BP). Periods with cultivation of cereals (Triticum, Hordeum) and/or stock-breeding activity were interrupted by abandonment of the settlements and the arable land due to unfavourable environmental changes. The periodical connection/isolation of Lake Durankulak with the Black Sea and the periods of marine influence were recorded by changes in the composition of the fossil molluscan fauna and the lithology of the sediments, and chronologically confirmed by radiocarbon dates. The development of the coastal lakes throughout the largest part of the Holocene has been also considerably influenced by the fluctuations of the Black Sea level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Palaeoecological reconstructions from the region of southwestern Bulgaria were used for inferring the human impact on the vegetation and landscape during the last 8 millennia. They are based on data from pollen analyses of lakes and peat-bogs, plant macrofossils, archaeobotanical finds and radiocarbon dating. During the early Holocene, after 7900 cal. b.p. (5950 cal. b. c.) the climate changed to cooler summers, milder winters and higher precipitation resulting in the formation of a coniferous belt dominated by Pinus sp. and Abies alba. These favorable environmental pre-conditions had a positive influence on the Neolithisation of the Balkans after the 8200 cal. b. p. (6250 cal. b. c.) cold event, which caused drought in the Eastern Mediterranean. Direct evidence from wood charcoal records from the Neolithic settlement layers in the study area shows a slight modification of the surrounding woodlands and an increase of the light-demanding components, probably expressed through larger forest border zones and thinning out of the wood stands. The increase in the number of settlements in the valleys of southwestern Bulgaria intensified the human activity visible in the palaeobotanical record from 6950 cal. b. p. (5000 cal. b. c.) onwards. Between ca. 5700-5100 cal. b. p. (3800-3200 cal. b. c.) signs of anthropogenic influence on the vegetation are virtually absent. The intensity of human impact increased notably after 3200 cal. b. p. (1400-1250 cal. b. c., approx. Late Bronze Age), documented by a rise of pollen anthropogenic indicators. The final transformations in the natural forest cover after 2750 cal. b. p. (800 cal. b. c. onset of the Iron Age) marked the reduction of the coniferous forests dominated by Abies alba and Pinus sp. and the expansion of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies. These vegetation changes are contemporaneous with increase of the palaeofire activities and the next peak of anthropogenic indicators. The changes in the landscape during the Roman period and the medieval period reflect regional environmental features and were forced by the diversification of anthropogenic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including the investigation of palaeoecology, the analysis of cave deposit in the foreststeppe zone, and the examination of pollen in Po plain, Italy.

Abstract: A public latrine in the ‘Imperial Baths’ of Sagalassos was transformed into a dump site in the early Byzantine period. Several layers of urban waste, including ceramics, bones, glass and perhaps excrements were deposited on the floor. Faecal biomarker analyses and archaeobotanical analyses were conducted to reconstruct the history of the room. 5β-stanols of human origin, such as coprostanol, were found in the sewage channels together with mineralised plant remains, indicating a human faecal context. The botanical remains are furthermore representative of the Roman diet of the Sagalassians. Soil layers, deposited on top of the latrine floor and dating to the early Byzantine period, contained herbivore derived 5β-stanols, such as 5β-stigmastanol and epi-5β-stigmastanol. Additionally, a clear predominance of epi-5β-stanols over 5β-stanols showed that the animal dung has been subject to composting. In this period, the former latrine was clearly used as a manure production site which is further confirmed by stratigraphic evidence of large amounts of urban waste artefacts, which were commonly collected together with manure before application on the fields. The results of the present study support the theory that off-site potsherd scattering can be used as a proxy for manuring events. Additionally, the data show key evidence for vertical migration of 5β-stanols and presumably also for the leaching of bile acids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To help the interpretation of possible olive processing residues at archaeological sites, this study examines the changes which occur in pre- and post-charring breakage surfaces of olive stones at tissue level. Fresh olives were experimentally broken before and after charring and heated to different temperatures (230, 330, 430°C) in oxidising and non-oxidising conditions. The structures obtained by the experiment were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the characteristics for the different temperatures, oxidation regimes and pre- or post-charring fractures were recorded. Furthermore, the experimental specimens were compared with recent and possibly old fractures of several archaeological olive stones from Tell Tweini, Syria. Criteria to infer their formation are discussed. These criteria could be developed further through more experimental replication and additional charring variables, and verified extensively on archaeobotanical assemblages in future studies. The described structures and alterations in the olive stones can be observed using reflected light microscopy, which would allow the proposed approach to be rather easy to apply in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses two projects entitled "Joint Genomic Center" (JGC) and "Center for Sustainable Development of Plant and Animal Genomics," presented by the AgroBioInstitute and financed by the National Science Fund (NSF) in Bulgaria. Among the key activities involved in the second project are modernization of the AgroBioInstitute's research infrastructure and technology transfer and protection of intellectual property rights. It describes the use of several equipment purchased through a public tender.

Abstract: The Tree Shelter site dates to the Early to Mid-Holocene (8000 to 4900 14C yr BP). Present conditions around the site are hyperarid, but charcoal remains indicate less severe aridity at the time of its occupation. The environment around the site then supported a rich wadi vegetation, which allowed hunting during the Epipaleolithic and herding during the Neolithic occupation. Although more favorable than today, the environmental conditions also displayed a desert character and seem to have limited the range of domestic herbivores introduced in the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the capacity building of Agrobiotech Park Ltd. (ABTP) in Sofia, Bulgaria for the development of planting material. It outlines the stages of development to be faced by ABTP Ltd. About 7,000 pre-basic and basic plant material of dessert and wine grape varieties were produced by the company to develop pilot mother vineyards on a project in five regions of the country. It explores another project entitled "Genetic Transformation of Vegetable Cultivars (Tomatoes, etc.) and Their Usage As Biorreactors."

Abstract: A new pollen core, called “Durankulak-3”, comes from the lake of that name, situated at the Black Sea coast of northeastern Bulgaria. The location of the core close to archaeological sites permits the correlation of palynological data, including non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) (spores of fungi, remains of algae etc., as defined by van Geel, B., 2001. Non-pollen palynomorphs. In: Smol, J.P., Birks, H.J.B., Last, W. M. (Eds.), Tracking environmental changes using lake sediments. Vol. 3: Terrestrial, algal and siliceous indicators. Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, pp. 99–119.), microscopic charcoal, and plant macrofossils with the archaeological data. A detailed reconstruction of the past vegetation reveals the extent of anthropogenic influence in the area. Radiocarbon dates from the basal part of the core show that the palaeoecological record begins at about 4500 BP. This start corresponds to the end of Chalcolithic and transition to the Bronze Age in the area and is connected with a rise of the lake level around Great Island and the lake shore to the west. Peaks of microscopic charcoal in the lowest part of the core coincide well with those of anthropogenic indicators in the pollen diagram and with the NPP, indicating fire and erosion. These signals can be attributed to the Early Bronze Age activities of nomadic tribes in the area, according to the archaeological record. A second peak of the anthropogenic indicators, well correlated with a peak in the NPP-dung indicators, is probably connected with the Late Bonze Age and Early Iron Age occupation of the area. This suggestion is supported by peaks of Vitis-pollen and the first appearance of Juglans-pollen. In the last zone the vegetation is more and more similar to that of the modern reduced forests and expanded steppe vegetation. In this part of the diagram more specialized crop weeds like Agrostemma githago and Centaurea cyanus appear, most probably originating from rye cultivated there during the Middle Ages. In parallel is the last peak of microscopic charcoal particles and NPP indicators for dung and erosion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pollen analysis, plant macrofossil determination and radiocarbon dating were performed on profiles of Holocene age obtained from two subalpine lakes (2320–2340 m a.s.l.) in the Central Rila Mountains, Bulgaria. The palaeovegetational reconstruction dates back to the mid-Atlantic (6500–6700 cal. BP). The plant macrofossil record revealed that groups of Pinus mugo and Juniperus sibirica were distributed in the subalpine zone. The treeline was shaped by Pinus sylvestris and Pinus peuce and was higher (up to 2200–2300 m a.s.l.) compared with the present-day. A change to cooler summers and warmer winters after 6700 cal. BP, characterized by a rise in humidity and precipitation, stimulated the formation of a coniferous vegetation belt dominated by Pinus sylvestris, Pinus peuce and Abies alba. The pollen assemblages also indicated a dominance of deciduous trees (Quercetum mixtum-Corylus phase) at low altitudes until c. 6000 cal. BP. The sub-Boreal was characterized by a wider distribution of Abies alba in the lower part of the coniferous belt and a gradual enlargement of the areas occupied by Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies after 3800–3500 cal. BP. The macrofossil finds of Picea abies testify to its expansion after 2800 cal. BP when average temperatures dropped and precipitation increased. Traces of human disturbance in the subalpine area are continuously registered in the pollen and plant macrofossil records since 3770 cal. BP, indicating livestock-grazing, burning of dwarf-pine (Pinus mugo) for new pasture land and lowering of the treeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-021-00835-0 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the largest isotopic datasets of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean region is evaluated, based on plants (n = 410), animals (n = 210) and humans (n = 16) from Tell Tweini (Syria). Diachronic analysis of plant and faunal specimens from four main periods of occupation: Early Bronze Age (2600–2000 BC), Middle Bronze Age (2000–1600 BC), Late Bronze Age (1600–1200 BC) and Iron Age (1200–333 BC) were investigated. Mean Δ13C results from seven plant species reveal emmer and free threshing wheat, olives, bitter vetch, rye grass and barley were adequately or well-watered during all periods of occupation. The grape Δ13C results suggest excellent growing conditions and particular care for its cultivation. The δ15N results indicate that especially the emmer and free threshing wheats received some manure inputs throughout the occupation sequence, while these were likely further increased during the Iron Age, encompassing also the olive groves and grape vineyards. Generally, domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats) had C3 terrestrial diets and were kept together in similar environments. However, some animals consumed significant amounts of marine or C4 plants, possibly from disturbed habitats due to land use pressure or salt tolerant grasses and shrubs from wetland environments, which were recorded in the direct vicinity of the site. Middle Bronze Age humans consumed a C3 terrestrial diet with no measurable input from C4, freshwater or marine protein sources. Interestingly, the human diet was relatively low in animal protein and appears comparable to what is considered today a typical Mediterranean diet consisting of bread (wheat/barley), olives, grapes, pulses, dairy products and small amounts of meat. The combined isotopic analysis of plants, animals and humans from Tell Tweini represents unbroken links in the food chain which create unparalleled opportunities to enhance our current understanding of environmental conditions, climate change and lifeways in past populations from the Eastern Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Biomisation has been the most widely used technique to reconstruct past regional vegetation patterns because it does not require an extensive modern pollen dataset. However, it has well‐known limitations including its dependence on expert judgement for the assignment of pollen taxa to plant functional types (PFTs) and PFTs to biomes. Here we present a new method that combines the strengths of biomisation with those of the alternative dissimilarity‐based techniques. Location: The Eastern Mediterranean‐Black Sea Caspian Corridor (EMBSeCBIO). Taxon: Plants Methods: Modern pollen samples, assigned to biomes based on potential natural vegetation data, are used to characterize the within‐biome means and standard deviations of the abundances of each taxon. These values are used to calculate a dissimilarity index between any pollen sample and every biome, and thus assign the sample to the most likely biome. We calculate a threshold value for each modern biome; fossil samples with scores below the threshold for all modern biomes are thus identified as non‐analogue vegetation. We applied the new method to the EMBSeCBIO region to compare its performance with existing reconstructions. Results: The method captured changes in the importance of individual taxa along environmental gradients. The balanced accuracy obtained for the EMBSeCBIO region using the new method was better than obtained using biomisation (77% vs. 65%). When the method was applied to high‐resolution fossil records, 70% of the entities showed more temporally stable biome assignments than obtained using biomisation. The technique also identified likely non‐analogue assemblages in a synthetic modern dataset and in fossil records. Main conclusions: The new method yields more accurate and stable reconstructions of vegetation than biomisation. It requires an extensive modern pollen dataset, but is conceptually simple, and avoids subjective choices about taxon allocations to PFTs and PFTs to biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coniferous belt became dominated by I Pinus peuce i , I Picea abies i , I Pinus sylvestris i and some I Abies alba. i The human impact was not very intensive, most probably due to the partial abandonment of the high-mountain pasture in recent times. At lower altitudes were distributed I Pinus peuce i , I Abies alba i , some I Betula i and stands of I Alnus i in wetter places and along mountain brooks I . i The presence of deciduous tree pollen ( I Quercus i , I Tilia, Carpinus i , I Corylus i ) can be explained by aerial upslope transport from the mixed oak forests. Four local pollen assemblage zones (LPAZs), which correspond to successive stages of vegetation history (LV-1 to LV-4), can be recognized: I LPAZ LV-1, 490-425 cm (~6200-5940 cal. bp) i The lowermost section of the pollen record, as confirmed also by the find of subfossil stomata, reveals that stands of I Pinus i (most likely I Pinus mugo i ) and I Juniperus i occupied the slopes in the surroundings of the lake. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: We reconstruct vegetation changes since 12 ky in the Eastern Mediterranean to examine four features of the regional vegetation history that are controversial: the extent of non‐analogue vegetation assemblages in the transition from the Late Glacial to the early Holocene, the synchroneity of postglacial forest expansion, the geographical extent of temperate deciduous forest during the mid‐Holocene and the timing and trigger for the re‐establishment of drought‐tolerant vegetation during the late Holocene. Location: The Eastern Mediterranean–Black Sea Caspian Corridor. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: We reconstruct vegetation changes for 122 fossil pollen records using a method that accounts for within‐biome variability in pollen taxon abundance to determine the biome with which a sample has greatest affinity. Per‐biome affinity threshold values were used to identify samples that do not belong to any modern biome. We apply time series analysis and mapping to examine space and time changes. Results: Sites with non‐analogue vegetation were most common between 11.5 and 9.5 ky and mostly in the Carpathians. The transition from open vegetation to forest occurred at 10.64 ± 0.65 ky across the whole region. Temperate deciduous forest was not more extensive at 6 ky; maximum expansion occurred between 5.5 and 5 ky. Expansion of forest occurred between c. 4 and 2.8 k, followed by an abrupt decrease and a subsequent recovery. This pattern is not consistent with a systematic decline of forest towards more drought‐tolerant vegetation in the late Holocene but is consistent with centennial‐scale speleothem patterns linked to variations in moisture availability. Main Conclusions: We show the occurrence of non‐analogue vegetation types peaked during early Holocene, forest expansion was synchronous across the region and there was an expansion of moisture‐demanding temperate trees around 5.5 to 5 ky. There is no signal of a continuous late Holocene aridification, but changes in forest cover appear to reflect climatic rather than anthropogenic influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain vegetation is facing more rapid changes in temperature than the global average with the risk of losing essential ecosystem services in higher elevation environments. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly understand the sensitivity of mountain vegetation to climatic and anthropogenic induced changes. Although a general framework of Holocene tree-line evolution in Southwestern Bulgaria has already been established in previous research, data on higher elevations spanning the entire Holocene was still lacking. To provide this data, a multi-proxy analysis (comprising plant macro-remains, pollen and charcoals), covering the entire Holocene, was performed on a core from a peat bog near the tree-line of the Rila Mountains (Southwestern Bulgaria). The results of this study were subsequently interpreted in the framework of other palaeoecological records from the region providing information on tree-line shifts. The resulting reconstruction, supported by radiocarbon chronology, revealed the climatic and anthropogenic impact on the development of the postglacial vegetation. From this reconstruction can be concluded that our data is well in agreement with the general vegetational and environmental changes in the region. After the end of the last glaciation (around 11,500 cal. BP) open vegetation developed, which was gradually replaced by pioneer tree species. This phase was followed by the establishment of a coniferous belt (around 6700 cal. BP) as a response to an increase in humidity in the Atlantic. During the next period, the Subboreal (after 4800 cal. BP), the tree-line underwent major changes in composition as a response to a decrease in average temperatures and a rise in average precipitation. This signal is however biased during the Subatlantic (after 2400 cal. BP) because of the intensification of anthropogenic disturbance in the form of deforestation, burning and animal husbandry. Human impact in the area is still playing a significant role, threatening the peat bogs that provide valuable ecosystem services and serve as unique palaeoenvironmental archives. This study provides a more complete insight in the sensitivity of mountain vegetation to climatic and anthropogenic driven changes, in order to anticipate the likely future responses in tree-line position and diversity. In this way, it will contribute to the choice of more effective conservation strategies for the protection of the biodiversity and other ecosystem services in these ecological hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percentage pollen diagram for selected pollen types and charcoal concentration observed in core X039B (dots indicate minor abundances, exaggeration curves are × 10). The pollen profile was obtained from the floodplain of Ammer River Valley, west of Tübingen in south-western Germany. LPAZ-AM3-2 ( I Pinus i I Corylus i I Quercus-Ulmus-Tilia i ), 8.7-8.1 ka (340-295 cm) is characterised by a rapid decrease of I Pinus i and by a large proportion (40%) of the pioneer taxon I C. avellana i (45%). [Extracted from the article]

Abstract As part of a rock art dating project at Qurta (Upper Egypt), samples were collected from an organic deposit and from an accumulation of individual faecal pellets. Radiocarbon dating of these relatively well-preserved materials indicates an unexpectedly old age of ca. 45,000 BP or older. In order to identify the biogenic nature of these deposits and to reconstruct the palaeo-environment at the time of their formation, micromorphological, palaeobotanical, and biomarker analyses were carried out. All data indicate that the organic deposit and the pellets were produced by different species. The presence of a novel biomarker, which only occurs in animal urine (hippuric acid), contributed to the conclusion that the organic deposit most likely represents the remains of a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) latrine, whereas the pellets stem from small bovids. Plant macroremains from the pellets indicate that the animals browsed in the more vegetated areas, presumably near the Nile, although the general environment was probably mainly arid and open. Combined with the dates, this suggests that the pellets date to MIS 3 or 4. Our results demonstrate the great potential of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Quaternary coprolite deposits, allowing for more adequate and more complete interpretation. Highlights • Two organic deposits from the Egyptian Nile Valley were dated to ca. 45,000 years BP or older. • An interdisciplinary approach allowed to identify one as a hyrax midden and another as a small bovid pellet accumulation • Our study contributes to the further development of biomarker analysis as an analytical method for ancient organic deposits. • Plant macroremains inside the organic deposits indicate open, arid environments, probably linked to MIS3 or MIS4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major social and economical changes occurred in human societies during the Iron Age of Southeastern Europe: increasing structuring of societies, intensifying production and metal technologies and the establishment of a market economy. However, the related plant economy of the region is still poorly studied and understood. The Iron Age 'pit field sites' (groups of pits distributed over a certain area) in south-eastern Bulgaria were recently intensively excavated, and their study provides rich archaeobotanical assemblages, which are used for filling this gap in our knowledge. The current study presents the archaeobotanical information from 196 flotation samples from 50 Iron Age pits. The results show a wide range of annual crops, the most important of which seem to be hulled wheats (mainly einkorn), barley and also millet. A variety of pulses and fruits is retrieved, each in small quantities. Some species like Olea europaea and Cucumis melo are an indication for contacts with adjacent regions (especially the Mediterranean area) . The archaeobotanical assemblages also documented the environment and land use, revealing the exploitation of a variety of habitats like cropland, open grassland, shrub land and wetland. The archaeobotanical analyses of the Iron Age pit fields show that this type of structures can be an important source of information on the Iron Age plant economy in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss human occupation during the Early and Middle Holocene in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, based mainly on the data provided by excavated deposits from the Sodmein Cave, which produced an important Holocene stratigraphic sequence. This sequence is dated by a large number of conventional and AMS C dates. It appears that the area was empty of human occupation during the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the earliest Holocene. With improved climatic conditions, humans arrived in the area, as hunter-gatherers using no ceramics, from around 7.1 to 6.4 Ka cal BC. Humans were absent from the cave during the Holocene 8.2 Ka event ( ca. 6.3 Ka cal BC). From 6.2 to 5.0 Ka cal BC, herders visited the site on a regular basis importing caprines. The bone evidence for domesticated small stock is very limited at Sodmein but is nevertheless extremely important, as it contains the oldest known specimens for Africa to date. After 5.0 Ka cal BC, the area was almost entirely deserted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeobotanical state of research from sites of the Michelsberg and the Bischheim culture (5th/4th millenium BC) in France, Belgium, southern Netherlands and Germany has been compiled and discussed in the context of archaeological, climatological and biological data. Compared with Bischheim and the Middle Neolithic the farmers of the Michelsberg culture had a reduced crop spectrum with emphasis on cereal growing. It is still under debate, from where the tetraploid wheat has been introduced. Possibly the growing of oil/fibre plants was abandoned by the Michelsberg farmers. Interestingly the same reduced crop spectrum is found somewhat later in the distribution area of the Funnelbeaker culture as well as in the Neolithic sites of Great Britain and Ireland. Climatic causes are not likely for this phenomenon. Instead, zoologial and botanical results point to an agricultural system with more emphasis on stock farming, which might have been based on a cultural decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Der archäobotanische Forschungsstand zur Michelsberger und zur Bischheimer Kultur (5./4. Jahrtausend BC) wurde zusammengetragen und in Zusammenhang mit archäologischen, klimatologischen und biologischen Daten diskutiert. Verglichen mit Bischheim und dem Mittelneolithikum hat die Michelsberger Kultur ein reduziertes Kulturpflanzenspektrum genutzt, mit einem Schwerpunkt bei Getreideanbau. Die Herkunft des tetraploiden Nacktweizens konnte dabei noch nicht abschließend geklärt werden. Möglicherweise wurde der Anbau von Öl-/Faserpflanzen aufgegeben. Dieses reduzierte Michelsberger Spektrum findet sich interessanterweise etwas später analog im Verbreitungsgebiet der Trichterbecherkultur und bei den neolithischen Fundstellen auf den britischen Inseln. Klimatische Ursachen sind dafür wohl nicht als ursächlich anzusehen. Stattdessen könnte es sich nach den vegetationsgeschichtlichen und archäozoologischen Ergebnissen um eine kulturelle Entscheidung zu einem Landwirtschaftssystem mit Schwerpunkt bei der Viehzucht handeln. Résumé: Les données carpologiques issues des sites de la culture Michelsberg et du complexe culturel de Bischheim (5th/4th millénaire BC) provenant de la France, de Belgique, du Pays-Bas et de l'Allemagne ont été mises en perspective avec des données archéologiques, climatologiques et des données biologiques. Au contraire des cultures archéologiques du complexe Bischheim et du Néolithique moyen les communautés paysannes du Michelsberg commençaient à cultiver un spectre des plantes réduit. Les résultats archéobotaniques rendent possible la reconstruction d'un mode de subsistance avec une orientation des activités vers l'élevage. Des changements importants viennent de l'exploitation surtout des céréales et peu des légumineuses et l'abandon de la culture des plantes oléagineuses, un spectre qui se retrouve également un peu plus tard dans la région de la Culture des vases à entonnoir et du Néolithique en Angleterre et en Irlande. Les recherches futures devront s'attacher à vérifier cette hypothèse. Peutêtre est-ce un exemple d'une décision culturelle comme adaptation aux changements des besoins et des structures sociales? Abstract: The archaeobotanical state of research from sites of the Michelsberg and the Bischheim culture (5th/4th millenium BC) in France, Belgium, southern Netherlands and Germany has been compiled and discussed in the context of archaeological, climatological and biological data. Compared with Bischheim and the Middle Neolithic the farmers of the Michelsberg culture had a reduced crop spectrum with emphasis on cereal growing. It is still under debate, from where the tetraploid wheat has been introduced. Possibly the growing of oil/fibre plants was abandoned by the Michelsberg farmers. Interestingly the same reduced crop spectrum is found somewhat later in the distribution area of the Funnelbeaker culture as well as in the Neolithic sites of Great Britain and Ireland. Climatic causes are not likely for this phenomenon. Instead, zoologial and botanical results point to an agricultural system with more emphasis on stock farming, which might have been based on a cultural decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]