Modern and Historical Representation of Cereal Agriculture in Anatolia: Insights from Pollen Records

Year 2025, Volume: 35 Issue: 3, 517 - 532, 30.09.2025

Mustafa Doğan

https://doi.org/10.29133/yyutbd.1645005

Abstract

Domesticated cereals, introduced during the Neolithic Revolution, have been central to agriculture, diet, economy, and culture in the Eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia. As a result, their representation in agricultural systems is a key focus of paleoecological research. This study evaluates the representation of cereals in Anatolia using both modern and fossil pollen data. Fossil pollen data (maximum cereal percentages) come from 117 pollen diagrams spanning 1967-2023. Modern data (1968-2023) consist of 642 records from 509 sampling points. The interpretation of modern pollen data considers non-irrigated agricultural areas and various aspects of cereal farming in Türkiye. Modern pollen data show cereal percentages ranging from 0% to 38%, with an average of 1.51%. Sixty-seven percent of the data have cereal percentages of 1% or less, 92.5% are below 5%, and only 2.6% exceed 10%. Fossil pollen data range from 0% to 78%, with 32% showing low levels (≤1%), and an average of 4.9%. Areas with cereal percentages above 15%, such as Çatalhöyük, Lake Van, Kureyşler, Lake Nar, and Lake Söğüt, exhibit broad geographic distribution. These findings indicate that cereals generally occur in low proportions in Anatolia, with higher values linked to specific environmental conditions.

Keywords

Anatolia , Pollen Records , Cereal Cultivation , Land Use , Agriculture

Thanks

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. Neil Roberts for his valuable insights and constructive feedback during the preparation of this study. His guidance and support at various stages of the work have significantly contributed to the depth of this research.

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