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Strontium isotope evidence for Pre-Islamic cotton cultivation in Arabia
- Source :
- Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol 11 (2023)
- Publication Year :
- 2023
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media S.A., 2023.
-
Abstract
- With a view to understanding the dynamics of ancient trade and agrobiodiversity, archaeobotanical remains provide a means of tracing the trajectories of certain agricultural commodities. A prime example is cotton in Arabia, a plant that is non-native but has been found in raw seed and processed textile form at Hegra and Dadan, in the region of al-ʿUlā, north-western Saudi Arabia—sites of critical importance given their role in the trans-Arabian trading routes during Antiquity. Here, we demonstrate that the measurement of strontium isotopes from pre-cleaned archaeological cotton is methodologically sound and is an informative addition to the study of ancient plant/textile provenance, in this case, putting forward evidence for local production of cotton in oasis agrosystems and possible external supply. The presence of locally-grown cotton at these sites from the late 1st c. BCE–mid 6th c. CE is significant as it demonstrates that cotton cultivation in Arabia was a Pre-Islamic socio-technical feat, while imported cotton highlights the dynamism of trade at that time.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22966463
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Earth Science
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.b26a5bea28c547509ba7c43187e935d0
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1257482