Pages:  359-376 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp256359376

This article shares findings from an archaeobotanical study based on material collected during excavations in medieval Azak, now known as the city of Azov. Researchers analyzed 36 samples from layers dating to the 14th century, using standard manual flotation techniques to recover plant remains. The collection included 6,844 macroremains representing cultivated crops, wild species, and weeds, found in both charred, uncharred, and mineralized states. Common millet and soft wheat were identified as the primary agricultural crops at the site, with barley and rye playing smaller roles. One sample contained a dense cluster of millet, and two others showed exceptionally high concentrations of mineralized remains from garden and berry plants—likely because these samples came from cesspits. Among fruit seeds preserved in the finds, figs appeared most frequently, followed by notable quantities of grape and mulberry seeds.

Keywords: archaeobotany, Golden Horde, Azak, nutrition, Middle Ages, millet, agriculture

Information about author:

Daria Serezhnikova (Sevastopol, Crimea). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Sevastopol State University, Institute of History and Archaeology of Byzantium and the Black Sea Region. Yuri Gagarin Ave., 13, Sevastopol, 299053, Crimea
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0003-4885-6177