WittmacJc — Our Present Knowledge of Ancient Plants. 3 



We have now a large number of such prehistoric relics from 

 Egypt, Western Asia, especially from Troy and Anatolia, 

 from different places in Greece and Italy. We have further 

 prehistoric seeds from the tombs of the ancient tribes of 

 nearly the whole of Europe. 



In America we have the mounds of the Indians in Ohio, and 

 about St. Louis, the burial places of the Apache, the cliff- 

 dwellers and other Indian tribes in the southwestern border 

 states. Above all, America is rich in the sepulchres of the 

 ancient Peruvians, the Incas and their subjects. 



In Switzerland as well as in Northern Italy and other 

 regions have been uncovered the so-called Lake-Settle- 

 ments or wooden pile buildings (" Pfahlbauten " in German), 

 similar to those still existing in Borneo and the South Sea. In 

 these settlements the inhabitants lived in houses raised on piles^ 

 driven into the lakes, near the shore, lest the enemy surprise 

 them unaware. All waste products were thrown into the 

 lake and thus produced a valuable source of modern study. 



It is nearly the same in the inland of Denmark where the 

 so-called " Kjokkenmodding " (kitchen refuse) are found. 

 These are heaps of refuse. Sirhilar piles of such refuse are 

 also to be encountered in Brazil. The archaeologists search 

 through these waste products like a rag-man pickino- our 

 modern rubbish, and they reach many valuable results reo-ard- 

 ing the history of the ancient peoples. 



Leading now directly into my theme, I must first remark 

 that we possess to date no vegetable relics of India and 

 Eastern Asia, although it would be of the greatest interest if 

 such were to be obtained. 



The oldest source is Egypt with its pyramids and temples.. 

 What has been discovered there? Chiefly wheat and barley. 

 You probably are aware of the story that the wheat 

 grains are said to have germinated. What truth is there ini 

 this? None whatever. If you plant such Egyptian grains- 

 of wheat or subject them to germinating conditions they will- 

 sooner or later dissolve like clay in water but never germinate. 

 And yet, such is the report published in an earnest botanical, 

 journal, the " Flora " of 1835, p. 3, which report was made 



