{"id":86144,"date":"2023-06-13T13:02:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T11:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/?p=86144"},"modified":"2023-06-15T08:36:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T06:36:18","slug":"festa-ciencia-archaeobotany-giap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/actualitat\/noticies\/2023\/festa-ciencia-archaeobotany-giap\/","title":{"rendered":"At the Barcelona Science Fest, we cultivate knowledge with Archaeobotany!"},"content":{"rendered":"
This<\/span> weekend<\/span>, Rambla Prim in Barcelona has <\/span>been<\/span> buzzing<\/span> with<\/span> families<\/span> and<\/span> researchers<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> 16th <\/span>Science<\/span> Festival.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n

We the ICAC (Catalan <\/span>Institute<\/span> of <\/span>Classical<\/span> Archaeology<\/span>) <\/span>participated<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> event<\/span> with<\/span> a <\/span>workshop<\/span> on cereal <\/span>cultivation<\/span> and<\/span> sustainable<\/span> food<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>where<\/span> children<\/span> and<\/span> their<\/span> families<\/span> interacted<\/span> with<\/span> large-scale<\/span> reproductions<\/span> of <\/span>ancient<\/span> cereal <\/span>seeds<\/span> and<\/span> performed<\/span> tasks<\/span> of <\/span>sample<\/span> identification<\/span> and<\/span> classification<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> activity<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> well<\/span> received<\/span>, <\/span>with<\/span> the<\/span> participation<\/span> of <\/span>about<\/span> thirty<\/span> people<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>including<\/span> 15 <\/span>children<\/span> and<\/span> their<\/span> families<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> workshop<\/span> led to\u00a0the<\/span> discovery<\/span> of A<\/span>rchaeobotany<\/span><\/strong>: a <\/span>discipline<\/span> that<\/span> is <\/span>not<\/span> widely<\/span> known<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> popular <\/span>imagination<\/span> of A<\/span>rchaeology<\/span> but<\/span> is <\/span>essential<\/span> for <\/span>understanding<\/span> key<\/span> aspects<\/span> of past <\/span>societies<\/span>‘ <\/span>daily<\/span> life;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>food<\/span>, <\/span>agricultural<\/span> practices<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> trade<\/span> routes<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Cultivating Knowledge: Unveiling Ancient Crops for a Sustainable Future<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Welcome<\/span> to <\/span>the<\/span> world<\/span> of <\/span>archaeobotany<\/span><\/strong> and<\/span> the<\/span> study<\/span> of <\/span>ancient<\/span> cereals! <\/span>Did<\/span> you<\/span> know<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> number<\/span> and<\/span> diversity<\/span> of cereal <\/span>varieties<\/span> have<\/span> decreased<\/span> since<\/span> prehistoric<\/span> times<\/span>? In <\/span>the<\/span> introductory<\/span> phase<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> workshop<\/span>, <\/span>we<\/span> compared<\/span> some<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> most <\/span>consumed<\/span> cereals <\/span>today<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> wide<\/span> variety<\/span> of cereal <\/span>species<\/span> that<\/span> existed<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> prehistoric<\/span> Mediterranean<\/span> area<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Using<\/span> various<\/span> graphic<\/span> and<\/span> plastic<\/span><\/strong> materials<\/strong> (a <\/span>poster<\/span>, <\/span>reproductions<\/span> of <\/span>charred<\/span> seeds<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> images<\/span> on paper), <\/span>our<\/span> researchers<\/span> explained<\/span> the<\/span> most <\/span>relevant<\/span> aspects<\/span> of <\/span>their<\/span> research<\/span> methodology<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The<\/span> second<\/span> part of <\/span>the<\/span> workshop<\/span> focused<\/span> on <\/span>the<\/span> tasks<\/span> of <\/span>sample<\/span> identification<\/span> and<\/span> classification<\/span><\/strong> through<\/span> experimentation<\/span> and<\/span> manipulation<\/span> of <\/span>charred<\/span> seeds<\/span>. <\/span>First<\/span>, <\/span>children<\/span> located<\/span> the<\/span> seeds<\/span> among<\/span> real <\/span>archaeological<\/span> sediments, <\/span>and<\/span> they<\/span> didn’t<\/span> mind<\/span> getting<\/span> their<\/span> hands<\/span> dirty<\/span> at<\/span> all! <\/span>Then<\/span>, <\/span>using<\/span> interpretation<\/span> cards <\/span>with<\/span> images<\/span> and<\/span> names<\/span> of <\/span>different<\/span> cereal <\/span>varieties<\/span>, <\/span>they<\/span> had<\/span> to <\/span>correctly<\/span> identify<\/span> and<\/span> classify<\/span> the<\/span> seeds<\/span> they<\/span> found<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> sediment.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Children<\/span> showed<\/span> surprise<\/span> and<\/span> great<\/span> interest<\/span> in <\/span>learning<\/span> about<\/span> ancient<\/span> seed<\/span> banks<\/span> (<\/em><\/span>agrogenetics<\/span><\/em>),<\/em> experimental cereal <\/span>crops<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> the<\/span> application<\/span> of artificial <\/span>intelligence<\/span> in <\/span>identifying<\/span> and<\/span> studying<\/span> prehistoric<\/span> cereals.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed<\/span>, <\/span>the<\/span> work<\/span> of <\/span>archaeologists<\/span> is <\/span>diverse<\/span>! <\/span>Outreach<\/span> activities<\/span> are<\/span> a <\/span>valuable<\/span> tool<\/span> for <\/span>breaking<\/span> stereotypes<\/span> and<\/span> inspiring<\/span> scientific<\/span> vocations<\/span>. <\/span>And<\/span> we<\/span> are<\/span> passionate<\/span> about<\/span> it<\/span>!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> final part of <\/span>the<\/span> workshop<\/span> drew<\/span> special<\/span> attention<\/span> with<\/span> its<\/span> large-scale<\/span> (<\/span>and<\/span> brightly<\/span> colored<\/span>) 3D <\/span>reproductions<\/span> of <\/span>ancient<\/span> seeds<\/span> <\/strong>documented<\/span> in <\/span>prehistoric<\/span> Mediterranean<\/span> sites<\/span>. <\/span>Children<\/span> had<\/span> to <\/span>place<\/span> each<\/span> cereal on <\/span>its<\/span> corresponding<\/span> identification<\/span> card, <\/span>and<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> not<\/span> as <\/span>easy<\/span> as <\/span>it<\/span> seemed<\/span>!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The<\/span> workshop<\/span> Cultivating Knowledge: Unveiling Ancient Crops for a Sustainable Future<\/span><\/span> <\/strong><\/span>is <\/span>an<\/span> initiative<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> archaeobotany<\/span> team<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> GIAP <\/span>research<\/span> group<\/span><\/a> at<\/span> ICAC, <\/span>led<\/span> by<\/span> researcher<\/span> Alexandra Livarda<\/a><\/span><\/span>. <\/span>Postdoctoral<\/span> researcher<\/span> Marie-Curie Charlotte Diffey<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and<\/span> Dar\u00edo Herranz<\/a><\/span> <\/span>participated<\/span>, <\/span>accompanied<\/span> by<\/span> knowledge transfer<\/span> technician<\/span> Marta Fl\u00f3rez<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> support<\/span> of Ada Richaud<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and Maria Ferrer<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We<\/span> also<\/span> want<\/span> to <\/span>highlight<\/span> the<\/span> collaboration<\/span> of <\/span>researcher<\/span> Leonor Pe\u00f1a-Chocarro<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0from<\/span> the<\/span> Center<\/span> for <\/span>Human<\/span> and<\/span> Social <\/span>Sciences<\/span> at<\/span> CSIC in Madrid.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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This new p<\/span>roposal<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> very<\/span> well<\/span> received<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> audience<\/span>, <\/span>who<\/span> interacted<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> researchers<\/span>, <\/span>asking<\/span> various<\/span> questions<\/span> about<\/span> archaeobotany<\/span>, <\/span>their<\/span> research<\/span> projects<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> methodologies<\/span>. <\/span>It<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> a <\/span>fantastic<\/span> experience<\/span> that<\/span> allowed<\/span> GIAP to <\/span>share<\/span> a part of <\/span>its<\/span> research<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> public<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The<\/span> Barcelona Science<\/span><\/a> Festival is a <\/span>scientific<\/span> dissemination event<\/span> organized<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Barcelona City <\/span>Council<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>and<\/span> this<\/span> year<\/span> marks<\/span> its<\/span> 16th <\/span>edition<\/span>. <\/span>The<\/span> workshops<\/span> and<\/span> activities<\/span> took<\/span> place<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> Bes\u00f2s <\/span>neighborhood<\/span> of Barcelona (<\/span>District<\/span> of Sant Mart\u00ed). <\/span>The<\/span> ICAC <\/span>workshop<\/span> was<\/span> located<\/span> in <\/span>Space<\/span> 8: <\/span>Living<\/span> Beings<\/span> and<\/span> took<\/span> place<\/span> on <\/span>Sunday<\/span>, 11th <\/span>June<\/span>, <\/span>shortly<\/span> after<\/span><\/strong> 5:00 PM<\/strong>, <\/span>during<\/span> the<\/span> second<\/span> day<\/span> of <\/span>this<\/span> large-scale<\/span> event<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Funding:<\/h6>\n

This activity was designed in the context of the following projects:<\/p>\n