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Mudbrick samples revealed seven plant species in Sudan

Four clear glass petri dishes arranged in a row on a white surface, each containing progressively darker grain samples ranging from pale yellow powder on the left to brown whole seeds on the right, resembling archaeological plant specimens at various stages of processing or analysis.
Research area:ArchaeologyBuilding and ConstructionArchaeology and ancient environmental studies

What the study found

Plant remains extracted from mudbrick at four Christian sites in Sudan identified seven plant species, along with additional unidentified wild-grass glumes. The evidence was grouped into riverine wild flora, cultivated flora, and wild trees.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors state that this archaeobotanical evidence provided information about the economy and flora landscape in the El Mahas region.

What the researchers tested

The researchers collected about four kilograms of material from four Christian mudbrick sites during fieldwork for the Mahas Archaeological project in April 2019. They soaked the samples in water, sieved them through 0.5 mm and 1 mm meshes, dried the separated material, and examined it under binoculars, using fresh seeds and identification literature for comparison.

What worked and what didn't

Seven species were identified from seeds and fruits: Triticum aestivum, Hordeum vulgare, Sorghum bicolor, Setaria italica, Adansonia digitate, Acacia nilotica, and Cyperus rotundus. The samples also contained large unidentified deposits of glumes from wild grasses in the Poaceae family, plus some animal dung and insect remains.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the small sample set from four sites. The summary is restricted to the information reported for these Christian mudbrick sites in the El Mahas region.

Key points

  • Mudbrick samples from four Christian sites in Sudan yielded seven identified plant species.
  • The identified plants included cultivated crops, wild grasses, and wild trees.
  • Unidentified glumes from wild grasses in the Poaceae family were also present.
  • Animal dung and insect remains were separated during sorting.
  • The authors say the evidence informs the economy and flora landscape of the El Mahas region.

Disclosure

Research title:
Mudbrick samples revealed seven plant species in Sudan
Authors:
Hamad Mohamed Hamdeen
Publication date:
2026-02-26
DOI:
10.5070/d6.63337
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by OpenAI. The original authors did not write or review this post.

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