Evaluation of the Archaeobotanical Remains of the Early Bronze Age Level III of Seyitömer Höyük and the ethnobotanical studies of today's surrounding villages together

This study presents a comparative evaluation of the archaeobotanical data from the Early Bronze Age III phase of the Seyitömer Höyük settlement, located within the borders of Kütahya Province, and the ethnobotanical findings obtained from seven surrounding villages and one town. The primary aim of the research is to investigate the potential continuity and transformation of prehistoric plant use practices within the context of contemporary traditional knowledge systems. Within the scope of archaeobotanical analyses, 214 samples were examined, revealing 84 taxa belonging to 28 families and a total of 530,087 plant remains. In the ethnobotanical fieldwork, interviews were conducted with 117 participants, documenting various uses of 147 taxa from 35 families, including 17 subspecies, 5 varieties, and 7 endemic species. As a result of the comparative analysis, 33 overlapping taxa were identified between the archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical datasets, providing a basis for interpreting processes of cultural continuity and transformation. The study demonstrates that the joint evaluation of archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical data offers an effective methodological approach to understanding historical ecological knowledge systems.