Comparing anatomy of wood charcaol which are produced from species of some woods

In this research, some anatomical features were defined which can be practically used for the identification of wood charcoals. For this aim, wood charcoals produced artificially were compared with control wood samples. Provided findings will be references for diagnosing of carbonized wood samples in archeological excavations.Materials were collected near Bartin, and wood samples were taken from 13 different woody species. These species are Cedrus libani A. Rich., Arbutus unedo L., Cotinus coggygria Scop., Erica arborea L., Fagus orientalis L., Laurus nobilis L., Ligustrum vulgare L., Myrtus communis L., Phillyrea latifolia L., Pistacia terebinthus L., Platanus orientalis L., Rhododendron ponticum L., Tamarix smyrnensis Bunge.As wood anatomical features, the growth rings, tracheids, bordered pits and ray features of a softwood species, Cedrus libani, were researched. Of the other remain 12 hardwood species, the growth rings, vessel groupings, vessel arrangements, vessel element features (perforationplates, helikal thickenings, intervessel pits), fibres, axial parenchyma and ray properties were investigated. Vessel diameters (traheid diameters for Cedrus libani A. Rich) of carbonized and control wood samples were measured using reflected light microscope, and mean values and standard deviations were calculated.Although the determining of all the wood anatomical features in carbonized wood samples was not possible, some main anatomical features for their identification appeared in this research. The diagnostic anatomical features for wood charcoal identification are distinct or indistinct growth ring boundaries, diffuse or ring porosity, vessel arrangements in transverse sections, simple or scalariform perforation plates, the presence or absence of helical thickenings on the vessel wall, inter-vessel pits arrangement, ray width and ray height.Depending on carbonized wood sample, few of above-mentioned anatomical characters can be definitely observed. Because of having common anatomical traits, it is generally difficult to make the identification of wood charcoals at the species level. However, the identification of them is mostly carried out on the basis of genus or family level.