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This archaeobotanical study represents the first comprehensive study of the Late Bronze Age Hittite subsistence use of plants and woodland vegetation in the Black Sea region. Seed/fruit and wood-charcoal analyses were conducted to gain insight into the plant-based economy of the site. The economic seed plants reveal that the main annual crops were barley, free-threshing wheat, and emmer, along with pulses like lentil, bitter vetch, grass pea, broad bean, and garden pea. In addition, a variety of fruits and nuts were used. The charcoal analyses show the use of different woodland types and, together with the spectrum of wild plant macrofossils, paint a picture of extensive anthropogenic activity on the natural vegetation. Previous research postulated that Hittite agriculture was strongly influenced by cultural and political factors. The climatic conditions and the natural environment of the Hittite sites played a less important role in the choice of agricultural products than traditional ties to systematic surplus production of specific crops. To test this hypothesis, we compare seed assemblages from Oymaağaç Höyük with those from other Late Bronze Age and Hittite settlements in Anatolia and northern Syria and investigate possible environmental constraints and cultural trends. Climatic factors, such as the general regional climate patterns as well as mean annual precipitation, were taken into consideration when discussing the plant diversity. Our results confirm a strong cultural pattern of plant subsistence at Oymaağaç Höyük, which is similar to that in other Hittite sites in Central Anatolia, while it differs from other non-Hittite settlements with comparable rainfall regimes.

The archaeobotanical study of Dilling includes the analysis of 719 samples, representing 115 houses, most of which collectively cover the Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Migration Period (200 BC – AD 500). This extensive sampling allows for a general picture of everyday activities to be reconstructed from the remains of plants found at the site, and which can be extrapolated to the region as a whole. The results show that a variety of activities have taken place, at different intensities, across the seven excavation areas. The preservation of the plant remains, however, differs considerably between the areas. In general, the preservation of plant macrofossils is poor at the site, but the large number of samples, and the application of a multiproxy approach, provides a unique opportunity to better understand everyday life in the region during the Iron Age. The combination of the archaeobotanical results, geoarchaeology (see chapter 13) and charcoal remains (chapter 11) collectively provides a valuable source of information on past agricultural practices, crop processing and diet. This is the first attempt to present an overview of the huge dataset from Dilling, and there is undoubtedly room for further interpretation and discussion.