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Hello, Though not particularly relevant to Neolithic Ireland, Jane Renfrew found charred dried crabapples [called Pyrus malus in the article] on a string in Queen Puabi's tomb at Ur (Mesopotamia), late 3rd millennium BC: Ellison, Rosemary, Jane Renfrew, Don Brothwell, and Nigel Seeley 1978 Some food offerings from Ur, excavated by sir leonard woolley, and previously unpublished. Journal of Archaeological Science 5(2): 167-177. Naomi Quoting Alys Vaughan-Williams <[log in to unmask]>: > Hello, > I'm working on a few samples from a Neolithic enclosure site in Ireland. > One sample from a possible cist contains a number of charred apple seeds > (Malus sylvestris) and also a couple of fragments of endocarps. I have > read Monk 1988 who found charred Malus endocarps. The article refers to > the apples having been dried prior to charring. I was wondering if an > endocarp has to be dried for it to be preserved through charring? > > The site is also believed to be ritual due to the artefacts recovered. > Does anyone know of any examples of ritual deposition of apples? Would a > whole apple thrown on a fire burn down to just the core / seeds? The > only other material preserved in this sample were fragments of hazelnut > shell (Corylus avellana) and a few cereal grains. > > Thanks > Alys > ----------------------------- > Alys Vaughan-Williams > Consultant Archaeobotanist > www.alysvaughanwilliams.co.uk > > -- Naomi F. Miller, Ph.D. Research Project Manager, Near East Section University of Pennsylvania Museum 3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 tel: 215.898.4075 fax: 215.898.0657 url: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~nmiller0