Do grains make the difference? Plant economies during the development of urban societies in Upper and Lower Mesopotamia. New archaeobotanical studies in Iraq

From the 5^th to the 3^rd millennium BC, the Mesopotamian region is marked by major socio-economic and political changes, leading to the emergence and development of cities. This period also witnessed the expansion of the southern Uruk culture towards the north, inducing new interactions between the main cultural areas. Although agricultural surplus production has certainly played an important role in this so-called “urban revolution”, only few botanical data have been recorded. My proposal aims to investigate the archaeobotanical remains (grains, seeds, chaff) from several new archaeological sites located in Northern and Southern Mesopotamia (mostly Iraq). Charred macrobotanical remains can provide information on the nature and evolution of plant use and plant management (cultivation, consumption) and on large-scale economic networks of botanical resources. The aim of this new project is to characterise regional and local patterns, and to reflect social differences through plant remains and foodways.