Food, farming and trade on the Danube frontier: plant remains from Roman Aelia Mursa (Osijek, Croatia)

Abstract Archaeobotanical investigations at the Roman town of Aelia Mursa, located near Danube frontier in modern day Croatia, have revealed an extraordinary assemblage food remains from a series pits dated to early 2nd century ad . The site yielded wide array economically important remains, including staples such as Hordeum (barley), Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet), Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), Secale cereale (rye), Lens culinaris (lentil) and Vicia faba (broad bean). We also found range fruits, nuts, herbs vegetables, Daucus carota (carrot), Cichorium intybus (chicory), Allium sativum (garlic), Ficus carica (fig), Vitis vinifera (grape) Olea europaea (olive). Further, we clearly identifiable eggshell, fish bones scales, unidentifiable fruit flesh porridge or bread well possible animal dung. provides evidence exotic foods Piper nigrum (pepper), Oryza sp. (rice) Punica granatum (pomegranate). This diverse unique tantalising insight into character food, farming trade people living on Empire.