Application of the OliveID morphometric tool for the identification of archaeobotanical carbonized olive endocarps: evidence for morphological continuity with the modern Throumbolia cultivar.

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluates the applicability of digital morphometric analysis to images of archaeological carbonized olive endocarps as a proof-of-concept initial approach for archaeobotanical investigations. Conventional morphometric analyses of olive endocarps largely rely on manual measurements, limiting reproducibility and quantitative comparison.

METHODS

Ten archaeological endocarps were selected from previously published archaeological assemblages based on the integrity of their outlines, apex-base morphology and overall preservation quality. Quantitative descriptors describing endocarp size, symmetry, curvature and contour geometry were extracted using the OliveID software and compared with a modern morphometric reference database comprising Greek and international olive cultivars.

RESULTS

Reliable contour extraction and quantitative descriptor computation were successfully achieved for all archaeological specimens despite carbonization. Preliminary comparison of representative morphometric descriptors showed that the archaeological specimens were positioned within the morphometric variation observed among the modern reference collection. Hierarchical clustering consistently associated the archaeological endocarps with the modern Throumbolia morphotype, while distinguishing them from elongated, globular and mucro-bearing cultivars.

DISCUSSION: These findings demonstrate the feasibility of applying digital image-based morphometric analysis to sufficiently preserved archaeological carbonized olive endocarps and indicate a similar morphometric affinity between the analyzed archaeological material and the modern Throumbolia cultivar. This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of digital morphometric approaches for quantitative archaeobotanical investigations of archaeological olive remains, while emphasizing the need for larger archaeological datasets and standardized image acquisition to further validate the observed morphometric similarity.