Trace elements in plant for reconstruct the provenance and agricultural management in the past

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K12806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cultural assets study and museology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: YONEDA Minoru 東京大学, 総合研究博物館, 教授 (30280712)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Nasu Hiroo 岡山理科大学, 先導科学研究科, 准教授 (60390704) ; KUDO Yuichiro 国立歴史民俗博物館, 研究部, 准教授 (30456636)
• Research Collaborator: GAKUHARI Takashi 金沢大学, 国際文化資源学研究センター, 特任助教 ; ITAHASHI Yu 東京大学, 総合研究博物館, 特任研究員 ; SHIN Kicheol 総合地球環境学研究所, 研究基盤国際センター, 助教 ; KUSUNO Haruka (登坂 葉瑠香) 東京大学, 総合研究博物館, 特任研究員 ; KAMIJO Nobuhiko 弘前大学, 人文社会学部, 准教授 ; KATAOKA Taro 弘前大学, 人文社会学部, 講師
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 炭化種実 / 炭化物 / 植物遺存体 / 微量元素 / 栽培化 / メラノイジン / 古食性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to evaluate the provenance and agricultural management in the past, we investigate the chemical signals (trace elements) in wild and domesticated species of plants which were grown up in the same botanic garden. The Ba and Sr contents in domesticated beans and wild acorn are significantly higher than other plants. Interestingly, zinc concentration is higher in domesticated beans (Azuki and black beans) than wild bean, suggesting chemical signal may use as an indicator of domestication of beans, although further biological discussion is necessary to establish a chemical parameter of domestication. Furthermore, suitable floral remains which is composed of Melanoidine can be selected by X-ray CT scanning.

Free Research Field

考古科学