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Dear Kathleen, I cannot provide any instances in the Levant, (although I imagine it was common in antiquity, as it is now). However, there is a specific instance of pre-charred olive pits in an amphora outside a kiln in Roman Africa; and a lot of olives noted as fuel in Pompeii (pre AD79). Various authors - Charlene Murphy (in insula VI.i), Sylvie Coubray et al (bakeries - extensive use as fuel); Erica Rowan (Herculaneum sewer, roughly 1st c AD). Most of these references are collected together in Erica’s article in AJA 119(4) 465-482, 'Olive oil pressing waste as a fuel in antiquity’ which also provides a good general overview. Please write to me offlist if you need more help. Regards, Robyn. Dr Robyn Veal [log in to unmask] Affiliate researcher, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Department of Archaeology, Fellow and tutor, Hughes Hall University of Cambridge. Honorary research associate, University of Sydney www.robynveal.com > On 18 May 2016, at 4:13 am, Forste, Kathleen <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Dear colleagues, > > I am looking for some references on the use of fruit pits (specifically ziziphus, date, olive, plum/peach/cherry/etc.) as an alternative fuel source in the Levant. Does anyone know of any archaeological or ethnological sources? I am analyzing an Early Islamic botanical assemblage from a coastal site in Israel and have found a number of samples that are very rich in a variety of these pits, and am exploring the potential for their use as fuel. > > On a related note, does anyone know of any references discussing the drying of fruits for local consumption or export? > > Many thanks, > -Kathleen > > > Kathleen Forste > Ph.D. student and Teaching Fellow > Department of Archaeology > Boston University > Environmental Archaeology Lab <http://sites.bu.edu/ealab/people/kathleen-forste/>