Grapes and vines of the Phoenicians: Morphometric analyses of pips from modern varieties and Iron Age archaeological sites in the Western Mediterranean

The present study aims to contribute the investigation of role Phoenicians in spreading and trade grapevine through morphometric analysis grape pips. Waterlogged charred samples were selected from three Iron Age sites Western Mediterranean: Motya (Sicily, Italy), Nuraghe S’Urachi (Sardinia, Italy) Huelva (Andalusia, Spain). While only is a Phoenician foundation, all nevertheless associated with expansion cultural interaction. Ten cultivars “Vivaio Federico Paulsen” Marsala (western Sicily) chosen as modern reference material. key challenge was comparison archaeological pips preserved different fossilization processes, which overcome using two datasets same cultivars, one uncharred charred. Statistical analyses pip outlines show that remains these morphologically comparable varieties, suggesting finds represent domesticated grapevines. PCA allowed an inter-site comparison, showing are clearly distinguishable based on their morphology. This indicates use varieties may be due factors. Our represents first step towards better understanding diachronic synchronic relationship between vines grown ancient West Mediterranean, could expanded by analysing more contexts sites, compared against wider selection cultivars.