Nigella in the Mirror of Time: A Brief Attempt to Draw a Genus’ Ethnohistorical Portrait

Andreas G. Heiss, Hans-Peter Stika, Nicla De Zorzi, Michael Jursa

Publications: Contribution to bookChapterPeer Reviewed

Abstract

Nigella (Ranunculaceae) is a small genus of annuals mainly of Irano-Turanian distribution, but some species also extending across most of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. The genus comprises several taxa of ethnopharmacological interest, as their seeds are used in a wide range of medicinal contexts – those of N. sativa have even developed into a plant drug of prime commercial interest. However, the historical dimension (the “traditional uses”) of Nigella species, nowadays used as a marketing tool and often a justification of modern use, has hardly ever been documented basing on the critical use of sources, and employing a multidisciplinary approach. The current paper now attempts to combine a wide range of written sources and the full archaeological record in order to find evidence of this genus’ possible use in history and prehistory, and to serve as an example of the combination and interlinking of research tools from historical botany and archaeobotany.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationVon Sylt bis Kastanas
Subtitle of host publicationFestschrift für Helmut Johannes Kroll
EditorsClaus von Carnap-Bornheim, Walter Dörfler, Wiebke Kirleis, Johannes Müller, Ulrich Müller
Place of PublicationNeumünster
PublisherWachholtz Verlag
Pages147-169
Number of pages23
ISBN (Print)978-3-529-01-264-8
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Publication series

SeriesOffa. Berichte und Mitteilungen zur Urgeschichte, Frühgeschichte und Mittelalterarchäologie
Volume69/70

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 601003 Archaeology
  • 106008 Botany
  • 107001 Archaeometry
  • 602056 Ancient Oriental studies

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