Characterization and distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Daucus</Emphasis> species in Syria

Syria is considered as one of the important centres for Daucus diversity including Daucus carota. Therefore, it is essential to study the distribution and characterization of these species in Syria. An exploration of plants belonging to the Apiaceae family was conducted on road and field sides in several areas of Syria. Seeds (fruits) from these plants have been also collected. The seeds were sown in pots containing peatmoss in a glasshouse and emerging plants were grown until flowering and seed formation. The plants were classified based on leaf, umbel, and seed shape. Proteins were extracted from the leaves and analysed using electrophoresis to establish genetic relationships among species. Seven Daucus species have been identified to grow in Syria. These are D. aureus, D. bicolor, D. carota, D. durieua, D. guttatus, D. littoralis, and D. muricatus. Isozyme and total protein analysis, cluster analysis, and correlation matrix have revealed considerable genetic variation among studied Daucus species. Wild carrot (D. carota) came in one group with its cultivated form (D. carota ssp. sativus) and the closest species to them was D. guttatus. Species D. bicolor and D. durieua were in the same group and D. aureus and D. littoralis were in another group farther from the previous groups. The farthest species on the genetic tree was D. muricatus.     

Impressions of wild cereal chaff in pisé from the 10th millennium uncal B.P. at Jerf et Ahmar and Mureybet: Northern Syria

Pisé (daub or building earth) from Jerf el Ahmar and Mureybet was examined and found to contain plant impressions made by the fine fraction of cereal chaff which had been added to the pisé as a tempering medium. Four wild grasses were identified from impressions, while over fifty taxa were identified from charred remains. Chaff tempering was present in all samples examined and was composed of spikelet bases and fragments of spikelets. Several aspects of these findings complement results obtained from charred remains. The sheer quantity of building material with chaff implies that cereals were widely available. De-husking and winnowing appear to have been carried out on a large scale, probably near the site. Firm evidence for wild rye confirms previous identifications for this period in the middle Euphrates, rye being difficult to distinguish from wild einkorn if only grain is available for identification. The quality of the chaff provides some evidence of crop processing.     

El Kowm Oasis,human settlement in the Syrian Desert during the Pleistocene

The area of the El Kowm oasis in the centre of today's Syria is a unique showcase of Middle Eastern prehistory not only for its geographic position within the Arabian Desert, but also for the depth of its history. In fact the core area, about a dozen kilometres across, with the numerous natural springs were an important attractor for game and humans, visiting regularly this region since more than 1.8 million years. All over the periods, from the Lower Palaeolithic to the arrival of farmers, definitely arid conditions prevailed, perfectly showing human adaption to this particular environment, as has been clearly demonstrated by several extensive excavations of exceptionally rich Palaeolithic sites. Exceptional preservation conditions due to a particular geological setting in the context of active or dry springs offer an extraordinary resolution of human behaviour within a limited landscape during the complete period of the Pleistocene, illustrating cognitive capacities of early man to cope readily with arid environments, challenge the migration routes proposed by Out of Africa diffusion models, typically considered to be corridors with a superior environmental potential.     

Brief communication: A pilot study: Smooth surface early caries (caries incipiens) detection with kavo diagnodent in historical material

In many odontological studies concerning archeological material, there is no analysis of early caries lesions (caries incipiens) that manifest as a carious spot. At this stage of caries, the enamel is still hard, and thus, it is impossible to diagnose caries by visual methods. We assessed the usefulness of the DIAGNODent pen (DD laser) in analyzing noncavity lesions on the smooth surface sites of crowns from historical populations. Twenty‐seven individuals were examined: 18 from Radom (Poland), and nine from Tell Masaikh and Terqa (Syria). A total of 562 teeth were characterized. The series represented different climatic zones, but were dated from the similar period, 18th to 19th century AD. We used four diagnostic techniques: visual, DD laser, radiographic, and histological as the gold standard. DD laser showed that the mean values of healthy enamel in both series did not exceed 15 units. The mean values of smooth and rough spots in the Syrian population were significantly higher than those from Poland. This study showed that all the noncarious spots from the Radom series did not exceed 30 units. In the Syrian samples, this limit was higher at 44 units. These results were confirmed by histology and radiography. The DD laser provided good results in detecting dentine carious lesions in historical material, but its efficiency in diagnosing early caries (caries incipiens) remains uncertain based on the presented series. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.