Archaeobotany in the Crusader castle of al-Wu'Aira (Petra, Jordan)

摘要

The castle of al-Wu'Ayra is a Crusader fortified settlement located near Petra, in Jordan. Pollen analysis revealed a Mediterranean-type flora in the most ancient levels, preceding the Crusader period. The best represented plants were evergreen oaks, probably Quercus calliprinos, and pistacia. Afterwards, this flora was strongly impoverished, degrading toward a steppic vegetation. This was probably a consequence of human activity in the area. The main decrease in Mediterranean flora and number of morphorypes coincides with the occurence of Cerealia pollen, which shows a very sharp peak in the spectra, suggesting cultivation or processing practices close to the castle. Finally, the spectra resulting from the sediments after the castle abandonment present more emphasized steppic characters, suggesting a plantlife similar to that today growing in the surroundings of the castle, at least in its global delineation.