Lecture Series »Neue Bioarchäologische Forschungen« (NeuBioArch)

»Geschichte der Kultivierung und Domestikation der Fruchtgehölze (Obst und Nüsse) im westlichen Mitteleuropa«

Hans-Peter Stika  |  University of Hohenheim, working group »Archaeobotany« at the Institute of Biology, FG Molecular Botany (190a)

Today, Central Europe is rich in fruit trees grown here, which enrich our diet with fruit and nuts. Which species are native to us, which were domesticated here or introduced in which prehistoric or historical period? Even answering these questions about apples and pears is not easy. As is well known, 2000 years ago the Romans contributed greatly to the expansion of the range of fruit trees in their northern provinces – including ours – especially in the case of stone fruits of the genus Prunus (plums, cherries etc.). But was there an import of fruit and nuts even before that? In the Middle Ages, there were further new arrivals such as quince and medlar.