Spiny plants in the archaeological record of Israel

The flora of Israel, like in other arid regions, has many spiny plants. We describe their existence in the archaeobotanical record of the last 780,000 years. Of 246 spiny/thorny species in the current flora, 19 are trees, 37 are shrubs, 50 are half-shrubs, 83 are perennial herbs and 57 are annuals. Forty-six (18.7%) spiny/thorny species were identified in the archaeobotanical record: 15 tree species (78.9%), ten shrub species (27.0%), six half-shrub species (12.0%), three perennial herb species (3.6%) and 12 annuals (21.1%). Because humans needed wood, trees were taken into their habitats. Since trees are better preserved than herbaceous plants and shrubs their remains are more common. Only a small proportion of the spiny/thorny half-shrubs and perennial herbs was found, probably because they are not a good source of firewood, construction materials, or human food. Spiny weeds, and segetal and ruderal plants entered the archaeobotanical remains either by chance, as seeds contaminating grain and fodder, growing at the sites, or through their deliberate use by ancient peoples as supplementary foods and medicine. The identified spiny/thorny species in the archaeobotanical record of Israel indicates that the flora was always spiny even before the significant human impact in the last several millennia.