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Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C.
Review oi" Palaeobotmo' and Palynology, 7 ! ( ! 992): 207-2 !8 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
207
Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C. M. Mariotti Lippi a and A. Mercuri b aDipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, Universith di Firen:e, v. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firen-e, Italy blstituto e Otto Botanico, Universitfz di Modena, ~: le Caduti in Guerra, 127, 41100 Modena, Italy
(Received January 22, 1991; revised and accepted June 13, 1991)
ABSTRACT Mariotti Lippi, M. and Mercuri, A., 1992. Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol., 71: 207-218. A palynologicai analysis was carried out on a small amount of resin from the inside of an anthropoid Egyptian stone coffin from the second century B.C. Pinus halepensis Miller is the best represented resiniferous plant (5.3%) in the pollen spectrum and the botanical origin of the resin can be ascribed to it. The only group of pollen which is relatively abundant in the spectrum is Poaceae (29.6%). This high percentage suggests that grasses were in bloom during the period the resin was collected (late spring or summer). Pollen of Quercus ilex, Olea europaea, Ostrya carpil~(folia, Castanea sativa were also found. Pollen grains of Hordeum and Avena/Triticum types together with those of Plantago, Urtica, Chenopodiaceae, Rumex and Arwmisia represent anthropogenic indicators. A phytogeographical interpretation of the found pollen assemblage suggests the eastern part of the Mediterranean as the most probable area v,here the resin was collected. The presence of Cedrus libani pollen suggests an origin from south-eastern Turkey, north-western Syria or northern Lebanon. The flora of this area is in accordance with the pollen assemblage found in the studied resin.
Introduction An a n t h r o p o i d stone coffin (Fig.l) discovered at S a q q a r a (Egypt) and dated to the second century B.C. is one o f the Egyptian antiquities now kept in the Estense Collection (Civic M u s e u m , M o d e n a , Italy). In 1830, the coffin was sent to M o d e n a ' s D u k e Francesco IV by the t r a d e r Pietro Gennari of Reggio Emilia. In June 1988, the sarcophagus was opened for restoration a n d historical-archeological studies (Piacentini, 1988). A small quantity o f resin, apparently used to hold the head in place, was discovered in the coffin and subjected to palynological analysis. Resins are well-known as traps for all kinds o f airborne particles, such as pollen grains. The pollen assemblage entrapped in resin enables us to reconstruct the original vegetation o f the area in which the resin plant grew (Trevisan G r a n d i et al., 1986). Botanical knowledge is necessary to recog0034-6667/92/$05.00
nize which pollen represents the local flora and which is derived from greater distances. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that c o n t a m i n a t i o n of the studied resin, such as by mixing the original resin with other resins or aromatic oils, m a y produce spurious pollen assemblages. A preliminary palynological analysis o f the resin established its botanical source and also indicated that the resin was collected somewhere in the Mediterranean basin (Mercuri in: Piacentini, 1988; Mercuri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989). The aim o f the present paper was to identify more closely the specific area of origin o f the resin within the M e d i t e r r a n e a n basin.
Material and methods The resin sample (g 0.79) was prepared according to A r o b b a (!976) and A r o b b a et al. (1983),
© 1992 - - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved
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M. MARIOTTI LIPPl AND A. MERCUR!
Fig. l. Egyptian sarcophagus of the second century B.C. now kept in the Estense Collection of the Civic Museum of Modena (Italy).
however with slight modifications. The resin was dissolved in benzene for 24 hours, centrifuged and the treatment repeated once again. After washing with ethanol, the residue was hydrated with distilled water and treated with 10% HC! and 10% NaOH. The final residue was washed with distilled water and then stored in a water and glycerol solution (!: i). The good preservation of the pollen grains, and their relatively recent age, permitted a direct
comparison with a pollen reference collection ("Palinoteca delrlstituto Botanico di Modena") and current pollen literature. Table I shows the list of plants whose pollen or spores were found and the relative percentage of grains out of the total number of pollen plus spores. The plants have been divided into three groups to better illustrate the results. The first group includes the resiniferous plants and other trees, shrubs and climbing plants (AP)
209
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
TABLE I
TABLE ! (continued)
Pollen spectrum of the resin (e. =except)
% %
AP
Pinus halepensis Cedrus iibani Cupressaceae Quercus cf. ilex Vitis sp.
Olea europaea Phillyrea sp. Other Oleaceae (e.Fraxinus) Cercis cf. siliquastrum Pistacia sp. Other Anacardiaceae Araliaceae Tamarix sp. Arecaceae Myrica sp. Capparis sp. Maerua sp. Acacia sp. Grewia sp. Euphorbiaceae cf. Fagus
Castanea sp. Quercus sp. Corylus sp. Ostrya carpin(folia Juglans sp. Clematis cf. vitalba cf. Aesculus Tilia sp. Acer sp. Rosaceae Ericaceae Uimus sp.
Humulus iupulus Other Cannabaceae
Platanus orientalis Ainus cf. incana Salix sp. Salix cf. alba Populus sp. NAP Poaceae (e.Giyceria)
Plantago sp. Plantago cf. lanceolata Rumex sp. Urtica sp.
Daucus carota Anemone ef. hortensis Chenopodiaceae Artemisia sp.
5.3 0.8 0.4 2.1 0.2 1.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.8 0.2 2.7 0.6 0.8 3.1 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.2 1.0 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2
1.0 1.9 0.2 1.0 0.2
29.0 3.3 2.3 0.8 1.0 3.1 1,8 2,7 i,2
Matricaria type Carduus type cf, Anthemis Other Asteroideae Amaranthaceae Solanaceae Tr~folium type Other Fabaceae Papaveraceae Caryophyllaceae Lamiaceae Brassicaceae Campanulaceae
Cichorioideae Convolvulus sp. Boraginaceae Thalictrum sp. Polygalaceae cf. Poterion Liliaceae Cyperaceae Giyceria type
0.6 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 !.9 1.2 ! .2 1.0 ! .0 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Typha angust~folia Myriophyllum sp.
6,0 0,6 0.6 0.6
Pteridophyta
0.8
Unidentified
3.3
AP / NAP Total pollen
31/69 5 !3
typical of Mediterranean or warm-dry climates. Euphorbiaceae, a family showing a mixture of species of very different ecology and appearance (shrubby or herbaceous), were placed at the end of this group, although they could equally well have been assigned to one of the other groups. The second group lists the mesophilous arboreal species which are part of mountain and hilly woods in the Mediterranean area. The inclusion of Rosaceae, probably Prunus species, in the group was mainly based on the same reason as given above for Euphorbiaceae. Listed at the end are the hygrophilous trees A lnus, Salix and Populus. The third group is divided into several subgroups and consists of herbaceous plants and ferns (NAP). The Poaceae pollen grains have been kept separated with the exception of the Glyceria type (which
210
could be identified separately), because of its special ecological characteristics. The Poaceae are followed by pollen of plants with a relationship to man and/or dry environments. The last subgroup includes hygro- and hydrophilous plants. Pteridophyta are listed at the end. The AP/NAP ratio has been given, but not too much emphasis must be laid on this figure, as it does not indicate the real forest coverage at the site where the resin was collected. This is due to the limited period during which the pollen was trapped in the resin and since it is not sure to what extent contamination by other pollen might have occurred (for the reasons mentioned above) at a later stage. Results and discussion
In the resin sample seventy-four different types of grains were identified (Table I). Among AP, pollen of Pinus, Osoya, Castanea, Quercus, Olea are most abundant. Pollen of Platanus, Alnus, Salix, Rosaceae, other Oleaceae and Grewia present lower percentages. Pollen of herbaceous plants form the majority (69%) of the recorded pollen, with Poaceae pollen (29.6%) being by far the most abundant. Next in importance are Cyperaceae, Piantago, Daucus, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Anemone and Papaveraceae, in order of decreasing abundance. It is suggested that all trapped and identified pollen grains did originally belong to the resin, although it is not at all certain that the resin was used in its pure state. It might have been melted
PLATE I Pollen grains in the resin !,2. Pinus halepensis 3,4. Quercus cf. ilex 5. Olea europaea 6. Cercis siliquastrum 7,8. vitis sp. 9. Capparis sp. 10. Castanea sp. ! !. Grewia sp. ! 2,13. Maerua sp. 14. Ostrya carpinifolia
M. MARIOTTI LIPPI AND A. MERCURI
and mixed with other substances which could have influenced the original palynological content. The plants of significance whose pollen is present in the spectrum are briefly discussed below, together with their areas of distribution in the Mediterranean basin. Their occurrence is influenced by two factors, viz. human impact and climate. The latter factor has, however, not changed drastically during the last few thousand years (Pinna, 1977; Bertolani Marchetti, 1985). Pinus halepensis Miller Morpho-biometrical studies (Arobba, 1976, 1979) has led us to the conclusion that the pine pollen found in the resin belongs to Pinus halepensis Miller (Plate I). Aleppo pine is a thermophilous and xerophilous species, widespread in the circum-Mediterranean region (Fig.2) and also occur along the northeastern and southern coasts of the Black Sea (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). In the northern part of the Mediterranean basin it takes part in the Mediterranean sclerophyllous evergreens with Quercus ilex L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Olea europaea L. and some species of the genera Juniperus and Phiilyrea. In the Middle East it grows on hills or mountain slopes, together with Olea europaea, Quercus calliprinos Webb, Pistacia palaestina Boiss. and with Quercus boissieri Reuter and Phillyrea iatifolia L. (Feinbrun-Dothan, 1978); in northern Africa it occurs with Quercus ilex, Phillyrea angu-
st~folia L., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Cupressus sempervirens L., Pistacia lentiscus L. etc. between 800
211
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
PLATE I
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Olea europaea L. Pinus halepensis Mill. Quercus ilex L.
Fig.2. Approximate present-day areas of distribution of Olea europaea L., Phms halepensis Miller and Quercus ilex L. (Adapted from Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
and 1500 m a.s.I. (Camus, i 938-1939; Le Hou6rou, 1969). The pollen dispersal period is from March to May (Post and Dinsmore, 1932; Maire, 1952; M~tro and Sauvage, 1955; Zohary, i q66, Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). P. halepensis is the resiniferous plant with the highest percentage of pollen in the examined material and therefore, it is suggested that this tree represents the botanical origin of the resin (Mer~uri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989). Studies on the resin exudation of P. halepensis have shown that the flux is greatest in June and July, or, in any case, during the warm months (Crivellari, 1956). The periods of high resin exudation and pollen dispersal
PLATE II Pollen grains in the resin Corylus sp. 1. Juglans sp. 2. UImus sp. 3. Clematis cf. vitalba 4. 5,6. Platanus orientalis Alnus cf. incana 7. 8,9. Salix sp. 10,11. Daucus carota 12,13. Anemone cf. hortensis 14,15. Rumex sp. 16. Chenopodiaceae 17. Matricaria type
are out of phase and this may explain the relatively low percentage of Pinus pollen. Cedrus libani Loud.*
Cedrus pollen was identified by comparison with reference material and with the aid of the monographic study on this genus by Aytug (1961). The tree currently grows on the hill and mountain slopes of the hinterland of the Adana Gulf (Fig.4), from southern Turkey to Syria and northern Lebanon. It forms part of the woods between 1000 and *The name of the authority is reported as it appears in the Aytug research work used for pollen determination.
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
2 i3
2000 m a.s.l, in Turkey (Davis, 1965) and between 1800 and 1900 m a.s.l, toward the south (Post and Dinsmore, 1933). Pollen is dispersed in September and October (Post and Dinsmore, 1933).
Quercus L. A high percentage of Quercus pollen was morphologically similar to that of Q. ilex L. According
PLATE II
14
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17
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214
M. MARIOTT! LIPPI AND A. MERCURi
PLATE III
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8 10 IAm I
I
Pollen grains in the resin !. Plantago cf. lanceolata 2. Urtica sp. 3. Poaceae 4. Caryophyllaceae 5,6. Fabaceae 7,8. Typha angustifolia
to studies on oak pollen (Smit, 1973; Mariani Colombo et al., 1983) it is known that other oaks of Mediterranean climate, such as Q. calliprinos Webb and Q. coccifera L., show pollen similar to those of Q. ilex. With regard to Q. ilex, it is widespread in the Mediterranean basin (Fig.2.). This tree also reaches the Atlantic coasts of the Gascony Gulf, southern Spain and Morocco and it is present along the southern coasts of the Black Sea (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). It blooms from late winter to mid spring.
bution but it also reaches the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, southern Spain and Morocco and is present along the southern coast of the Black Sea (Fisher and Schmucker in: Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). In Morocco the tree grows on rises up to an altitude of 1650m a.s.l. (Emberger, 1938). O. europaea is widely cultivated. It blooms from March to June (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976; Feinbrun-Dothan, 1978). Castanea sativa Miller
Olea europaea L. As mentioned before, this species is part of the Mediterranean thermo-xerophilous vegetation. It has a predominantly circum-Mediterranean distri-
Pollen grains of Castanea sativa Miller are small in size and they may be transported by air current for distances of up to 100 km (Mandrioli et al., 1977). Thus the presence oi' this pollen does not
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
215
necessarily imply that C. sativa trees grow at a short distance away. C. sativa is a constituent of the mesophilous woods. Its original area of distribution has been considerably extended by the human activity. The tree is, at present, widespread in the northern Mediterranean regions and south-central Black Sea area. It also reaches the Atlantic coasts of the Iberian peninsula toward north and the coasts of the Caspian Sea toward east. The tree is also present in the northern part of Algeria and Tunisia along the Atlas Mountain Chain (Meusel et al., 1964). Blooming time is around June (Maire, 1961; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
them into different genera except for the 0.6% identified as Giyceria pollen type. In Fig.5 groupings have been made on the basis of grain size and annulus diameter, according to Andersen (1979). The significant percentage of grains of cereal pollen, which are poorly airborne (Behre, 1981), suggests their cultivation fields were not far away from the site where the resin was collected. Although many different species are included under the heading Poaceae, the majority of these, at medium latitudes, reaches their peak blooming period in late spring or summer. The relative abundance of this pollen suggests that many species of Poaceae were in bloom when the resin was collected.
Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.
Plants from anthropogenic environments
Like Castanea, O. carpinifolia is part of the Mediterranean mesophilous woods. Its area of distribution (Fig.3) includes south-eastern France, Italy, the Balkan peninsula, part of the Aegean Islands, Turkey, the slopes of the Caucasus mountains facing the shores of the Black Sea (Schmucker, 1942). It blooms from March to May (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976; Davis, 1982).
In addition to those cited above, other plants represented in the resin are generally related to the presence of man. Firstly, Plantago, and particularly P. lanceolata L., is generally connected with anthropogenic environments (Behre, 198 i). Other plants, e.g. Urtica, some Chenopodiaceae species, Rumex and certain Artemisia species more specifically belong to nitrophilous or ruderal flora.
Poaceae
Plants from ,,arm and arid environments
The percentage of Poaceae pollen grains is high (29.6%). It was, however, not possible to separate
Daucus carota L. and Anemone cf. hortensis are the best representatives of this environment. The
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Corylus L. Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. Tilia L. "11 Fig.3. A p p r o x i m a t e present-day areas o f taistribution a r o u n d the Mediterranean basin c~ Tiiia L. (Adapted from Schmucker, 1942; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
-i
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L.,
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M. MARIOTTILIPPIAND A. MERCURI
216
iii
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Cedrus libani Loud. Cercis siliquastrum L. Platanus orientalis L.
Fig.4. Approximate present-day areas of distribution around the Mediterranean basin of Cedrus libani Loud., Cercis siliquastrum L. and Platanus orientalis L. (Adapted from Schmucker, 1942; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
Othergrasses( 14,1%) ~~Hordeum
group(9,7%) '
Others(70,4%) Fig.5. Poaceae pollen types present in the pollen spectrum of the resin.
pollen of D. carota has been identified also by means of monographic works about Apiaceae (Cerceau, 1959; Cerceau-Larrival, 1962, 1963, 1965). This plant is widespread in the dry Mediterranean regions where it blooms during different seasons (Zohary, 1972; Pignatti, 1982; Jafri 1985). The genus Anemone includes species with different ecologies. The pollen found in the resin sample is very similar to that of A. hortensis L., a herbaceous plant which grows under dry conditions. Anemone generally blooms from January to June (Post and Dismore, 1932; Maire, 1964; Zohary, 1972; Pignatti, 1982). Amaranthaceae, most of the Euphorbiaceae and many species of the genus Artemisia, together with
several other Asteraceae, are also included in this group. The presence of pollen grains of Arecaceae, Tamarix, Capparis, Maerua, Grewia is very significant, because, as a whole, they shift the attention toward the warm and dry southern and middleeastern parts of the Mediterranean basin. The last two plants, in particular, do not presently occur in Europe. Plants from wet environments The largest number of pollen grains belonging to plants of wet environments are those of Cyperaceae (6%) accompanied by pollen of Typha angustifolia L., Glyceria type and the waterplant Myriophyllum. Pollen of hygrophilous trees are those of Alnus [probably A. incana (I,) Moench], Salix (including S. alba L.) and Populus. Platanus orientalis L. can also be included here. These plants, with the exception of A. incana which does not occur in Africa (Meusel et al., 1964; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976) are found throughout the Mediterranean basin. Humulus lupulus L. also points to a moist or anthropogenic environment. Other plants Some plants are widely spread, but only in a part of the Mediterranean basin In particular,
PALYNOLOGYOF RESIN FROM EGYPTIANCOFFIN
Corylus sp., Tilia sp. and Cercis siliquastrum L. are found throughout Europe and Asia but are not indigenous to Africa (Figs.3,4); Juglans sp. and Piatanus orientalis L. point more specifically to the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin (Maire, 1961; Kriissmann, 1962; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). It should, however, be kept in mind that the distribution of many of these species has since ancient times been widened by man. Conclusions The resin showed a high content of pollen. The very good preservation of the grains strongly suggests that the material underwent only little treatment. This hypothesis is also supported by the small number of pollen from aromatic or similar plants whose derivates might nave been mixed with the original resin. However, we cannot be absolutely sure that all the pollen grains found were part of the original resin. The botanical origin of the resin from Pinus halepensis (Mercuri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989) was confirmed. Poaceae show the highest percentage in the pollen spectrum. Among these, the pollen of Hordeum and Avena/Triticum types are anthropogenic indicators and provide also phenological indications. The resin was probably collected in late spring or in summer, seasons which are also best suited to this purpose. This suggestion is supported by the presence of the pollen of many plants blooming during this period, e.g. Olea, Castanea, Ostrya, while the dispersal of pollen of Pinus halepensis and Cedrus libani occurs eai!ier. A phytogeographical investigation revealed the most probable area of resin collection. As stated, it cannot be established with certainty due to variations in the areas of distribution caused by climatic changes or to the disappearance or spread of many species caused by man. In any case, the sporadic cultivation of exotic plants would not alone be sufficient to reconstruct an entire environment in another place. Trees like Pinus halepensis, Olea europaea and Quercus ilex (Fig.2) distinctly point to the Mediterranean basin as the geographical source of the
217
resin, but do not permit the specific area to be defined. Other plants, such as Ostrya carpinifolia, Tilia and Corylus (Fig.3), do not grow in Africa and thus help to exclude this continent as site of origin of the resin. Plants like Cercis siliquastrum and Platanus orientalis (Fig.4) lead to conclusion that the eastern , ,rt of the Mediterranean basin is involved. Moreover, the presence of pollen of plants from the tropical-subtropical climatic regions, such as Grewia, exclude an European provenience. The occurrence of pollen of Cedrus libani (Fig.4) further narrows down the area of origin of the resin. The tree, at the present time, grows naturally only in the south-eastern part of Turkey and adjacent areas of north-western Syria and north Lebanon. Moreover, the flora of this part of the Mediterranean basin fits well with that represented by the pollen assemblage found in the resin. One may therefore assume with some degree of certainty that the resin examined was collected in this area.
Acknowledgements We wish to thank Prof. D. Bertolani Marchetti of the University of Modena (Italy) and Prof. G. Moggi of the University of Florence (Italy) for their critical review of the manuscript and Dr. E. Corradini of the "'Soprintendenza ai Beni Artistici e Storici di Modena e Reggio Emilia." The research was carried out with the financial support of M.U.R.S.T. (40% funding). (Publication no. 58 of "Museo Botanico" - - University of Florence). The present contribution was performed as joint investigation-by the authors.
References Andersen, S.T., 1979. Identification of wild grass and cereal pollen. Danm. Geol. Unders., ,~rbog 1978: 69-92. Arobba, D., 1976. Analisi pollinica di una resina fossile rinvenuta in un dolio romano. Pollen Spores, 18(3): 385-393. Arobba, D., 1979. Determinazione di Pinus halepensis Miller e Pinus pinaster Aiton sulla base di differenze palinologiche. Arch. Bot. Biogeogr. Ital., 55(3): 83-92. Arobba, D., Bandini Mazzanti, M., Bertolani Marchetti, D., Galasso, M., Gardini, G. and Mannoni, T., 1983. Studio pluridisciplinare del materiale proveniente da un carico
218
navaie del I-III sec. d. C. scoperto sui fondali delrlsola del Giglio (Grosseto-ltalia). Forma Maris Antiqui, ! 1,I 2 (19751981), pp.117-144. Aytug, B., 1961. i~tude des Pollens du Genre Cddre (Cedru:" Link.). Pollen Spores, 3(i): 47-54. Behre, K.E., 1981. The interpretation of anthropogenic indicators in pollen diagrams. Pollen Spores, 23(2): 225-245. Bertolani Marchetti, D., 1985. Pollen paleoclimatology in the Mediterranean since Messinian time. In: D.J. Stanley and F. Wezel (Editors), Geological Evolution of the Mediterranean Basin. ch. 24, pp.525-543. Camus, A., 1938-1939. Les Ch6ne. Monographie du genre Quercus. Tome II. Genre Quercus sous-genre Euquercus. P. Lechevalier, Paris, 830 pp. Cerceau, M.TH., 1959. C!6 de d6termination d'Ombel!if6res de France et d'Afrique du Nord d'apr6s leurs grains de pollen. Pollen Spores, !: 145-190. Cerceau-Larrival, M.TH., 1962. Le pollen d'OmbeUif6res m6diterran6ennes. I. Echinophoreae. Pollen Spores, 4(!): 95-104. Cerceau-Larrival, M.TH., 1963. Le pollen d'Ombellif6res m6diterranb,ennes. !I. Tordylinae Drude. Pollen Spores, 5(2): 297-323. Cerceau-Larrival, M.TH., 1965. Le pollen d'Ombellif6res m~diterran6ennes. III. Scandicineae Drude. IV. Dauceae Drude. Pollen Spores 7( I ): 35-62. Crivellari, D., 1956. Primi risultati di un ottennio di esperimenti sulla resinazione dei Pino d'Aleppo. Accad. Ital. Sci. Forest. Ann., 5: 333-379. Davis, P.H., 1965. Flora of Turckey and the East Aegean Islands. I. Edinburgh University Press, 567 pp. Davis, P.H., 1982. Flora of Turckey and the East Aegean Islands. VII. Edinburgh University Press, 547 pp. Emberger, L., 1938. Les Arbres du Maroc. Larose, Paris, 517 pp. Feinbrun-Dothan, N., 1978. Flora Palaestina. 111. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem, 481 pp. Fenaroli, L. and Gambi, G., 1976. AIberi. Dendroflora Italica. Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, 720 pp. Girard, M., 1969. Nouvelles techniques de pr6paration en Palynologie. Bull. A.E.F.Q., 4: 275-278. Jafri, S.M.H. and El Gadi, A., 1976. Flora of Libya. AI Faateh University Faculty of Sciences. Dep. Bot., Tripoli, 117: 1-159. Kriissmann, G., 1960. Handbuch der Laubgerh61ze. P. Parey, Berlin.
M. MARIOTTI LIPPi AND A. MERCURI
Le Hou6rou, H.N., 1969. La vegetatio~n,~e la Tunisie steppique. Th6se de Doctorat 6s Sciences d'Etat, Univ. Marseille. Maire, R., 1952. Flora de rAfrique du Nord. 1,7,15. Le Chevalier, Paris. Matte, R., 1961. Flora de l'Afrique du Nord. VII. Le Chevalier, Paris. 330 pp. Mair~, R., 1980. Flora de l'Afrique du Nord. XV. Le Chevalier, Pa, is. 309 pp. Mancrioli, P., Puppi, G. and Tampieri, F., 1977. Dispersione anemofila di polling=in Vaile Padana. G. Bot. ltal., !!!(3): 153-164. Mariani Colombo, P., Chiesura Lorenzoni, F. and Grigoletto, F., 1983. Pollen grain morphology supports the taxonomical discrimination of Mediterranean Oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae). Plant Syst. Evol., 141: 273-284. Mercuri, A. and Mariotti Lippi, M., 1989. Prime indagini palinologiche su una resina proveniente da un sarcofago cgizio. G. Bot. Ital., 123 (I): 65. M6tro, A. and Sauvage, Ch., 1955. Flore des V6g6taux ligneux de la Mamora. Rabat, 498 pp. Meusel, H., Jager, E. and Weinert, E., 1964. Vergleichende Chorologie der Zentraleuropaischen Flora. Verlag, Jena, 258 pp. Piacentini, P., 1988. The anthropoid stone coffin in the Estense Collection of Modena-ltaly. Fifth Int. Cong. Egyptology (Oct 29-Nov 3 1988, Cairo): in press. Pignatti, S., 1982. Flora d'Italia. I, I!, Ill. Edagricole, Bologna. Pinna, M., 1977. Climatologia. Unione Tipografico-Editrice torinese, Torino, 422 pp.. Post, G.E. and Dinsmore, J.E., 1932, 1933. Flora of Syria, Palestine and Sinai. l (639 pp.), il (928 pp.). American Press, Beirut. Schmucker, T., 1942. Le specie arboree della zona nordico temperata e la ioro distribuzione. SILVAE ORBIS 4. C.I.S., Berlin. Smit, A., 1973. A scanning electron microscopical study of the pollen morphology in the genus Quercus. Acta Bot. Neerl., 22(6): 655-665. Trevisan Grandi, G., Dallai, D. and Mercuri, A., 1986. Contributo alla conoscenza dei contenuti pollinici in resine naturali e tentativi di interpretazione. Atti II Congr. Naz. A.I.A., pp.368-373. Zohary, M., 1966, 1972. Flora Palaestina. 1 (364pp.), II (498 pp.). The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem.
207
Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C. M. Mariotti Lippi a and A. Mercuri b aDipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, Universith di Firen:e, v. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firen-e, Italy blstituto e Otto Botanico, Universitfz di Modena, ~: le Caduti in Guerra, 127, 41100 Modena, Italy
(Received January 22, 1991; revised and accepted June 13, 1991)
ABSTRACT Mariotti Lippi, M. and Mercuri, A., 1992. Palynology of a resin from an Egyptian coffin of the second century B.C. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol., 71: 207-218. A palynologicai analysis was carried out on a small amount of resin from the inside of an anthropoid Egyptian stone coffin from the second century B.C. Pinus halepensis Miller is the best represented resiniferous plant (5.3%) in the pollen spectrum and the botanical origin of the resin can be ascribed to it. The only group of pollen which is relatively abundant in the spectrum is Poaceae (29.6%). This high percentage suggests that grasses were in bloom during the period the resin was collected (late spring or summer). Pollen of Quercus ilex, Olea europaea, Ostrya carpil~(folia, Castanea sativa were also found. Pollen grains of Hordeum and Avena/Triticum types together with those of Plantago, Urtica, Chenopodiaceae, Rumex and Arwmisia represent anthropogenic indicators. A phytogeographical interpretation of the found pollen assemblage suggests the eastern part of the Mediterranean as the most probable area v,here the resin was collected. The presence of Cedrus libani pollen suggests an origin from south-eastern Turkey, north-western Syria or northern Lebanon. The flora of this area is in accordance with the pollen assemblage found in the studied resin.
Introduction An a n t h r o p o i d stone coffin (Fig.l) discovered at S a q q a r a (Egypt) and dated to the second century B.C. is one o f the Egyptian antiquities now kept in the Estense Collection (Civic M u s e u m , M o d e n a , Italy). In 1830, the coffin was sent to M o d e n a ' s D u k e Francesco IV by the t r a d e r Pietro Gennari of Reggio Emilia. In June 1988, the sarcophagus was opened for restoration a n d historical-archeological studies (Piacentini, 1988). A small quantity o f resin, apparently used to hold the head in place, was discovered in the coffin and subjected to palynological analysis. Resins are well-known as traps for all kinds o f airborne particles, such as pollen grains. The pollen assemblage entrapped in resin enables us to reconstruct the original vegetation o f the area in which the resin plant grew (Trevisan G r a n d i et al., 1986). Botanical knowledge is necessary to recog0034-6667/92/$05.00
nize which pollen represents the local flora and which is derived from greater distances. Moreover, it must be kept in mind that c o n t a m i n a t i o n of the studied resin, such as by mixing the original resin with other resins or aromatic oils, m a y produce spurious pollen assemblages. A preliminary palynological analysis o f the resin established its botanical source and also indicated that the resin was collected somewhere in the Mediterranean basin (Mercuri in: Piacentini, 1988; Mercuri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989). The aim o f the present paper was to identify more closely the specific area of origin o f the resin within the M e d i t e r r a n e a n basin.
Material and methods The resin sample (g 0.79) was prepared according to A r o b b a (!976) and A r o b b a et al. (1983),
© 1992 - - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved
208
M. MARIOTTI LIPPl AND A. MERCUR!
Fig. l. Egyptian sarcophagus of the second century B.C. now kept in the Estense Collection of the Civic Museum of Modena (Italy).
however with slight modifications. The resin was dissolved in benzene for 24 hours, centrifuged and the treatment repeated once again. After washing with ethanol, the residue was hydrated with distilled water and treated with 10% HC! and 10% NaOH. The final residue was washed with distilled water and then stored in a water and glycerol solution (!: i). The good preservation of the pollen grains, and their relatively recent age, permitted a direct
comparison with a pollen reference collection ("Palinoteca delrlstituto Botanico di Modena") and current pollen literature. Table I shows the list of plants whose pollen or spores were found and the relative percentage of grains out of the total number of pollen plus spores. The plants have been divided into three groups to better illustrate the results. The first group includes the resiniferous plants and other trees, shrubs and climbing plants (AP)
209
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
TABLE I
TABLE ! (continued)
Pollen spectrum of the resin (e. =except)
% %
AP
Pinus halepensis Cedrus iibani Cupressaceae Quercus cf. ilex Vitis sp.
Olea europaea Phillyrea sp. Other Oleaceae (e.Fraxinus) Cercis cf. siliquastrum Pistacia sp. Other Anacardiaceae Araliaceae Tamarix sp. Arecaceae Myrica sp. Capparis sp. Maerua sp. Acacia sp. Grewia sp. Euphorbiaceae cf. Fagus
Castanea sp. Quercus sp. Corylus sp. Ostrya carpin(folia Juglans sp. Clematis cf. vitalba cf. Aesculus Tilia sp. Acer sp. Rosaceae Ericaceae Uimus sp.
Humulus iupulus Other Cannabaceae
Platanus orientalis Ainus cf. incana Salix sp. Salix cf. alba Populus sp. NAP Poaceae (e.Giyceria)
Plantago sp. Plantago cf. lanceolata Rumex sp. Urtica sp.
Daucus carota Anemone ef. hortensis Chenopodiaceae Artemisia sp.
5.3 0.8 0.4 2.1 0.2 1.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.8 0.2 2.7 0.6 0.8 3.1 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.2 1.0 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2
1.0 1.9 0.2 1.0 0.2
29.0 3.3 2.3 0.8 1.0 3.1 1,8 2,7 i,2
Matricaria type Carduus type cf, Anthemis Other Asteroideae Amaranthaceae Solanaceae Tr~folium type Other Fabaceae Papaveraceae Caryophyllaceae Lamiaceae Brassicaceae Campanulaceae
Cichorioideae Convolvulus sp. Boraginaceae Thalictrum sp. Polygalaceae cf. Poterion Liliaceae Cyperaceae Giyceria type
0.6 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 !.9 1.2 ! .2 1.0 ! .0 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Typha angust~folia Myriophyllum sp.
6,0 0,6 0.6 0.6
Pteridophyta
0.8
Unidentified
3.3
AP / NAP Total pollen
31/69 5 !3
typical of Mediterranean or warm-dry climates. Euphorbiaceae, a family showing a mixture of species of very different ecology and appearance (shrubby or herbaceous), were placed at the end of this group, although they could equally well have been assigned to one of the other groups. The second group lists the mesophilous arboreal species which are part of mountain and hilly woods in the Mediterranean area. The inclusion of Rosaceae, probably Prunus species, in the group was mainly based on the same reason as given above for Euphorbiaceae. Listed at the end are the hygrophilous trees A lnus, Salix and Populus. The third group is divided into several subgroups and consists of herbaceous plants and ferns (NAP). The Poaceae pollen grains have been kept separated with the exception of the Glyceria type (which
210
could be identified separately), because of its special ecological characteristics. The Poaceae are followed by pollen of plants with a relationship to man and/or dry environments. The last subgroup includes hygro- and hydrophilous plants. Pteridophyta are listed at the end. The AP/NAP ratio has been given, but not too much emphasis must be laid on this figure, as it does not indicate the real forest coverage at the site where the resin was collected. This is due to the limited period during which the pollen was trapped in the resin and since it is not sure to what extent contamination by other pollen might have occurred (for the reasons mentioned above) at a later stage. Results and discussion
In the resin sample seventy-four different types of grains were identified (Table I). Among AP, pollen of Pinus, Osoya, Castanea, Quercus, Olea are most abundant. Pollen of Platanus, Alnus, Salix, Rosaceae, other Oleaceae and Grewia present lower percentages. Pollen of herbaceous plants form the majority (69%) of the recorded pollen, with Poaceae pollen (29.6%) being by far the most abundant. Next in importance are Cyperaceae, Piantago, Daucus, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Anemone and Papaveraceae, in order of decreasing abundance. It is suggested that all trapped and identified pollen grains did originally belong to the resin, although it is not at all certain that the resin was used in its pure state. It might have been melted
PLATE I Pollen grains in the resin !,2. Pinus halepensis 3,4. Quercus cf. ilex 5. Olea europaea 6. Cercis siliquastrum 7,8. vitis sp. 9. Capparis sp. 10. Castanea sp. ! !. Grewia sp. ! 2,13. Maerua sp. 14. Ostrya carpinifolia
M. MARIOTTI LIPPI AND A. MERCURI
and mixed with other substances which could have influenced the original palynological content. The plants of significance whose pollen is present in the spectrum are briefly discussed below, together with their areas of distribution in the Mediterranean basin. Their occurrence is influenced by two factors, viz. human impact and climate. The latter factor has, however, not changed drastically during the last few thousand years (Pinna, 1977; Bertolani Marchetti, 1985). Pinus halepensis Miller Morpho-biometrical studies (Arobba, 1976, 1979) has led us to the conclusion that the pine pollen found in the resin belongs to Pinus halepensis Miller (Plate I). Aleppo pine is a thermophilous and xerophilous species, widespread in the circum-Mediterranean region (Fig.2) and also occur along the northeastern and southern coasts of the Black Sea (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). In the northern part of the Mediterranean basin it takes part in the Mediterranean sclerophyllous evergreens with Quercus ilex L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Olea europaea L. and some species of the genera Juniperus and Phiilyrea. In the Middle East it grows on hills or mountain slopes, together with Olea europaea, Quercus calliprinos Webb, Pistacia palaestina Boiss. and with Quercus boissieri Reuter and Phillyrea iatifolia L. (Feinbrun-Dothan, 1978); in northern Africa it occurs with Quercus ilex, Phillyrea angu-
st~folia L., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Cupressus sempervirens L., Pistacia lentiscus L. etc. between 800
211
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
PLATE I
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M. MARIOTTiLIPPIAND A. dERCURI
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Olea europaea L. Pinus halepensis Mill. Quercus ilex L.
Fig.2. Approximate present-day areas of distribution of Olea europaea L., Phms halepensis Miller and Quercus ilex L. (Adapted from Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
and 1500 m a.s.I. (Camus, i 938-1939; Le Hou6rou, 1969). The pollen dispersal period is from March to May (Post and Dinsmore, 1932; Maire, 1952; M~tro and Sauvage, 1955; Zohary, i q66, Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). P. halepensis is the resiniferous plant with the highest percentage of pollen in the examined material and therefore, it is suggested that this tree represents the botanical origin of the resin (Mer~uri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989). Studies on the resin exudation of P. halepensis have shown that the flux is greatest in June and July, or, in any case, during the warm months (Crivellari, 1956). The periods of high resin exudation and pollen dispersal
PLATE II Pollen grains in the resin Corylus sp. 1. Juglans sp. 2. UImus sp. 3. Clematis cf. vitalba 4. 5,6. Platanus orientalis Alnus cf. incana 7. 8,9. Salix sp. 10,11. Daucus carota 12,13. Anemone cf. hortensis 14,15. Rumex sp. 16. Chenopodiaceae 17. Matricaria type
are out of phase and this may explain the relatively low percentage of Pinus pollen. Cedrus libani Loud.*
Cedrus pollen was identified by comparison with reference material and with the aid of the monographic study on this genus by Aytug (1961). The tree currently grows on the hill and mountain slopes of the hinterland of the Adana Gulf (Fig.4), from southern Turkey to Syria and northern Lebanon. It forms part of the woods between 1000 and *The name of the authority is reported as it appears in the Aytug research work used for pollen determination.
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
2 i3
2000 m a.s.l, in Turkey (Davis, 1965) and between 1800 and 1900 m a.s.l, toward the south (Post and Dinsmore, 1933). Pollen is dispersed in September and October (Post and Dinsmore, 1933).
Quercus L. A high percentage of Quercus pollen was morphologically similar to that of Q. ilex L. According
PLATE II
14
.
15
i
..
,
'
16.
17
.
10 lain
214
M. MARIOTT! LIPPI AND A. MERCURi
PLATE III
Ij
4 F'
8 10 IAm I
I
Pollen grains in the resin !. Plantago cf. lanceolata 2. Urtica sp. 3. Poaceae 4. Caryophyllaceae 5,6. Fabaceae 7,8. Typha angustifolia
to studies on oak pollen (Smit, 1973; Mariani Colombo et al., 1983) it is known that other oaks of Mediterranean climate, such as Q. calliprinos Webb and Q. coccifera L., show pollen similar to those of Q. ilex. With regard to Q. ilex, it is widespread in the Mediterranean basin (Fig.2.). This tree also reaches the Atlantic coasts of the Gascony Gulf, southern Spain and Morocco and it is present along the southern coasts of the Black Sea (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). It blooms from late winter to mid spring.
bution but it also reaches the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, southern Spain and Morocco and is present along the southern coast of the Black Sea (Fisher and Schmucker in: Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). In Morocco the tree grows on rises up to an altitude of 1650m a.s.l. (Emberger, 1938). O. europaea is widely cultivated. It blooms from March to June (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976; Feinbrun-Dothan, 1978). Castanea sativa Miller
Olea europaea L. As mentioned before, this species is part of the Mediterranean thermo-xerophilous vegetation. It has a predominantly circum-Mediterranean distri-
Pollen grains of Castanea sativa Miller are small in size and they may be transported by air current for distances of up to 100 km (Mandrioli et al., 1977). Thus the presence oi' this pollen does not
PALYNOLOGY OF RESIN FROM EGYPTIAN COFFIN
215
necessarily imply that C. sativa trees grow at a short distance away. C. sativa is a constituent of the mesophilous woods. Its original area of distribution has been considerably extended by the human activity. The tree is, at present, widespread in the northern Mediterranean regions and south-central Black Sea area. It also reaches the Atlantic coasts of the Iberian peninsula toward north and the coasts of the Caspian Sea toward east. The tree is also present in the northern part of Algeria and Tunisia along the Atlas Mountain Chain (Meusel et al., 1964). Blooming time is around June (Maire, 1961; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
them into different genera except for the 0.6% identified as Giyceria pollen type. In Fig.5 groupings have been made on the basis of grain size and annulus diameter, according to Andersen (1979). The significant percentage of grains of cereal pollen, which are poorly airborne (Behre, 1981), suggests their cultivation fields were not far away from the site where the resin was collected. Although many different species are included under the heading Poaceae, the majority of these, at medium latitudes, reaches their peak blooming period in late spring or summer. The relative abundance of this pollen suggests that many species of Poaceae were in bloom when the resin was collected.
Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.
Plants from anthropogenic environments
Like Castanea, O. carpinifolia is part of the Mediterranean mesophilous woods. Its area of distribution (Fig.3) includes south-eastern France, Italy, the Balkan peninsula, part of the Aegean Islands, Turkey, the slopes of the Caucasus mountains facing the shores of the Black Sea (Schmucker, 1942). It blooms from March to May (Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976; Davis, 1982).
In addition to those cited above, other plants represented in the resin are generally related to the presence of man. Firstly, Plantago, and particularly P. lanceolata L., is generally connected with anthropogenic environments (Behre, 198 i). Other plants, e.g. Urtica, some Chenopodiaceae species, Rumex and certain Artemisia species more specifically belong to nitrophilous or ruderal flora.
Poaceae
Plants from ,,arm and arid environments
The percentage of Poaceae pollen grains is high (29.6%). It was, however, not possible to separate
Daucus carota L. and Anemone cf. hortensis are the best representatives of this environment. The
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Corylus L. Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. Tilia L. "11 Fig.3. A p p r o x i m a t e present-day areas o f taistribution a r o u n d the Mediterranean basin c~ Tiiia L. (Adapted from Schmucker, 1942; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
-i
Corvlus .
L.,
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Scop. and
M. MARIOTTILIPPIAND A. MERCURI
216
iii
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ii
iii
ii
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i
iiiiiii
-
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Cedrus libani Loud. Cercis siliquastrum L. Platanus orientalis L.
Fig.4. Approximate present-day areas of distribution around the Mediterranean basin of Cedrus libani Loud., Cercis siliquastrum L. and Platanus orientalis L. (Adapted from Schmucker, 1942; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976).
Othergrasses( 14,1%) ~~Hordeum
group(9,7%) '
Others(70,4%) Fig.5. Poaceae pollen types present in the pollen spectrum of the resin.
pollen of D. carota has been identified also by means of monographic works about Apiaceae (Cerceau, 1959; Cerceau-Larrival, 1962, 1963, 1965). This plant is widespread in the dry Mediterranean regions where it blooms during different seasons (Zohary, 1972; Pignatti, 1982; Jafri 1985). The genus Anemone includes species with different ecologies. The pollen found in the resin sample is very similar to that of A. hortensis L., a herbaceous plant which grows under dry conditions. Anemone generally blooms from January to June (Post and Dismore, 1932; Maire, 1964; Zohary, 1972; Pignatti, 1982). Amaranthaceae, most of the Euphorbiaceae and many species of the genus Artemisia, together with
several other Asteraceae, are also included in this group. The presence of pollen grains of Arecaceae, Tamarix, Capparis, Maerua, Grewia is very significant, because, as a whole, they shift the attention toward the warm and dry southern and middleeastern parts of the Mediterranean basin. The last two plants, in particular, do not presently occur in Europe. Plants from wet environments The largest number of pollen grains belonging to plants of wet environments are those of Cyperaceae (6%) accompanied by pollen of Typha angustifolia L., Glyceria type and the waterplant Myriophyllum. Pollen of hygrophilous trees are those of Alnus [probably A. incana (I,) Moench], Salix (including S. alba L.) and Populus. Platanus orientalis L. can also be included here. These plants, with the exception of A. incana which does not occur in Africa (Meusel et al., 1964; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976) are found throughout the Mediterranean basin. Humulus lupulus L. also points to a moist or anthropogenic environment. Other plants Some plants are widely spread, but only in a part of the Mediterranean basin In particular,
PALYNOLOGYOF RESIN FROM EGYPTIANCOFFIN
Corylus sp., Tilia sp. and Cercis siliquastrum L. are found throughout Europe and Asia but are not indigenous to Africa (Figs.3,4); Juglans sp. and Piatanus orientalis L. point more specifically to the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin (Maire, 1961; Kriissmann, 1962; Fenaroli and Gambi, 1976). It should, however, be kept in mind that the distribution of many of these species has since ancient times been widened by man. Conclusions The resin showed a high content of pollen. The very good preservation of the grains strongly suggests that the material underwent only little treatment. This hypothesis is also supported by the small number of pollen from aromatic or similar plants whose derivates might nave been mixed with the original resin. However, we cannot be absolutely sure that all the pollen grains found were part of the original resin. The botanical origin of the resin from Pinus halepensis (Mercuri and Mariotti Lippi, 1989) was confirmed. Poaceae show the highest percentage in the pollen spectrum. Among these, the pollen of Hordeum and Avena/Triticum types are anthropogenic indicators and provide also phenological indications. The resin was probably collected in late spring or in summer, seasons which are also best suited to this purpose. This suggestion is supported by the presence of the pollen of many plants blooming during this period, e.g. Olea, Castanea, Ostrya, while the dispersal of pollen of Pinus halepensis and Cedrus libani occurs eai!ier. A phytogeographical investigation revealed the most probable area of resin collection. As stated, it cannot be established with certainty due to variations in the areas of distribution caused by climatic changes or to the disappearance or spread of many species caused by man. In any case, the sporadic cultivation of exotic plants would not alone be sufficient to reconstruct an entire environment in another place. Trees like Pinus halepensis, Olea europaea and Quercus ilex (Fig.2) distinctly point to the Mediterranean basin as the geographical source of the
217
resin, but do not permit the specific area to be defined. Other plants, such as Ostrya carpinifolia, Tilia and Corylus (Fig.3), do not grow in Africa and thus help to exclude this continent as site of origin of the resin. Plants like Cercis siliquastrum and Platanus orientalis (Fig.4) lead to conclusion that the eastern , ,rt of the Mediterranean basin is involved. Moreover, the presence of pollen of plants from the tropical-subtropical climatic regions, such as Grewia, exclude an European provenience. The occurrence of pollen of Cedrus libani (Fig.4) further narrows down the area of origin of the resin. The tree, at the present time, grows naturally only in the south-eastern part of Turkey and adjacent areas of north-western Syria and north Lebanon. Moreover, the flora of this part of the Mediterranean basin fits well with that represented by the pollen assemblage found in the resin. One may therefore assume with some degree of certainty that the resin examined was collected in this area.
Acknowledgements We wish to thank Prof. D. Bertolani Marchetti of the University of Modena (Italy) and Prof. G. Moggi of the University of Florence (Italy) for their critical review of the manuscript and Dr. E. Corradini of the "'Soprintendenza ai Beni Artistici e Storici di Modena e Reggio Emilia." The research was carried out with the financial support of M.U.R.S.T. (40% funding). (Publication no. 58 of "Museo Botanico" - - University of Florence). The present contribution was performed as joint investigation-by the authors.
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