A new anthracological sequence from Niğde-Kınık Höyük (Turkey): woodland vegetation and arboriculture in southern Cappadocia from the Late Bronze Age to the Ottoman Period.

This article presents a new anthracological sequence from the archeological site of Niğde-Kınık Höyük, in southern Cappadocia (Turkey), spanning from the Late Bronze Age to the Ottoman Period, which provides important insights into the vegetation history of Cappadocia and its change through time. The local woody vegetation was composed of deciduous oaks, with an important contribution, especially in the earlier periods, of riparian trees (Salicaceae). Conifers played a minor role but indicate the possible presence of cedar and fir stands in the site’s vicinity. Starting in the mid-1st millennium BCE, wood charcoal data shows a well-defined and coherent anthracological phase characterized by abundant evidence of arboreal crops, especially grapevine. This evidence is here connected to the Beyşehir Occupation Phase phenomenon, and its economic and historic implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]