TAA i.3.2.70

Notebook
Botanical remains (TAA i.3.2)
Page number
70
Caption
Note for scientific publication on botanical remains
Date of creation
24 September 1932
Material
Ink
Paper
Measurements
25.9 x 20.3 cm (h x w)
Notes

Handwritten letter from Prof. John Percival to Leonard Boodle identifying some of the botanical samples as emmer wheat.

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© Griffith Institute,

University of Oxford

Transcription

                                                                                  Department of Agricultural Botany,
Prof. JOHN PERCIVAL, M.A., Sc.D.                                THE UNIVERSITY,
                                                                                                READING, BERKS.

                                                                                                       Sep 24    192/<3>2

 

Dear Mr Boodle,

          The specimens taken from the tomb of 

Tut-Ankh-Amen, which you sent are typical 

spikelets wix[?]/<th> grain, of Emmer (Wheat) (Triticurn 

dicoccum Schübl.)

          xxx[?]/<Em>mer was the only type of wheat known to

the Ancient Egyptians & I have examined authentic 

specimens from Egypt dating from pre-dynastic 

times down to the XVIIIth dynasty & later.

          This cereal is/<w>as still grown in small amounts 

in Egypt & over/<at> to the at the bex[?]/<g>inning of last century, but is 

no longer cultivated there. It is, however, still x[?]/<fo>und

as an important cereal in Abyssinia & also 

grown by primitive peoples in out of the way 

parts of Persia, Russia, as well as in the 

Basque provinces of Spain, & certain districts 

of Serbia, Morocco & Southern Germany.

 

                                        Yours very sincerely

                                                   John Percival.