Food in a colonial setting: the flora assemblage of a short-lived Seleucid-founded site in the Near East

Abstract In this paper we present the analysis of archaeobotanical material retrieved by means flotation from well-secured features during recent excavation work carried out in 2019 and 2020 German-Israeli Tell Iẓṭabba Excavation Project Seleucid-founded town Nysa-Scythopolis. Founded under Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 bce ) destroyed Hasmonaeans later years John Hyrcanus (in 108/07 ), site offers a unique opportunity for observing dietary habits its settlers. The large sample size, namely largest Seleucid assemblage ever analyzed southern Levant, together with versatile provenance exhibit previously unknown information Hellenistic Levant vis-à-vis case-study high resolution systematic analysis. botanical gives clearer picture practices Palestine. By presenting data published assemblages offer comprehensive overview agrarian resources cultivated consumed as food at time period.