Fox C L, Juan J, Albert R M
Departmento Biologia Animal, Facultat Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1996 Sep;101(1):101-13. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199609)101:1<101::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-Y.
Silica phytoliths (microscopic remains originating in plant tissues) have been identified on the enamel surface and dental calculus of a sample of teeth selected from well preserved skeletons from a Late Roman necropolis in Tarragona (Spain). Phytoliths were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their siliceous nature was confirmed by X-ray microanalysis. The phytoliths were compared to those of soil samples from both the areas of the tombs corresponding to the abdomen and the periphery of the skeletons, and were classified taxonomically by comparison with a large collection of silica particles from modern plants in the Mediterranean area. Most of the phytoliths identified on the enamel and the dental calculus belong to the family of Poaceae, while the phytoliths from the abdominal area belong to Poaceae, Leguminosae, Cyperaceae, and Chenopodiaceae. Results are concordant with archaeological, ecological, and historical data from the same site, and with the human Mediterranean diet. If done properly, the study of phytoliths can provide direct information about the vegetable diet of past human populations, and could be applied to the study of human fossils.
在从西班牙塔拉戈纳一座晚期罗马墓地保存完好的骨骼中选取的一组牙齿样本的牙釉质表面和牙结石上，已鉴定出硅质植物微化石（源自植物组织的微观残留物）。通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察到了植物微化石，并用X射线微分析证实了它们的硅质性质。将这些植物微化石与对应于腹部和骨骼周边的墓葬区域的土壤样本中的植物微化石进行了比较，并通过与地中海地区现代植物的大量硅质颗粒集合进行比较进行了分类学分类。在牙釉质和牙结石上鉴定出的大多数植物微化石属于禾本科，而来自腹部区域的植物微化石属于禾本科、豆科、莎草科和藜科。研究结果与来自同一地点的考古、生态和历史数据以及人类地中海饮食相一致。如果方法得当，植物微化石的研究可以提供有关过去人类群体蔬菜饮食的直接信息，并可应用于人类化石的研究。
