A chronological reassessment of Panicum miliaceum and Triticum spelta at Crasto de Palheiros (Murça, Northeast of Portugal) during the first millennium BCE

Abstract

Two AMS dates are published here, one on Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet) and another on Triticum spelta. The first confirms that Panicum cultivation at Crasto de Palheiros occurred only during the Iron Age, remaining unconfirmed its possible Late Bronze Age origins. The second provides the first direct dating of this wheat species at this archaeological site. Attention to post-depositional processes and sample infiltration has led to a contextual reassessment of previously published dates from nearly two decades ago, particularly those of Panicum miliaceum, warranting a more detailed publication of these and other related contexts. Given the difficulty in recovering broomcorn millet grains without employing bulk sediment sampling, this study revisits the significance of storage and consumption of both this cereal and Triticum spelta within the agro-pastoral economy of Crasto de Palheiros.