[Other sources] - Archaeobotany and art

Archaeobotany and art

What is archaeobotany?

• Archaeobotany generally involves studying the 1 of historical plant species.

• However, archaeobotanist Dalla Ragione studies art for information about Italy’s past biodiversity.

Changes to agriculture in Italy in the 1950s

• 2 attracted farmers looking for industrial work. Crops that grew slowly, were unproductive or could not be gathered by 3 were no longer cultivated.

Dalla Ragione’s early life

• She helped her father find plants and unused 4 on their farm.

• She later studied the cultural history and genetics of fruit.

Bufalini Palace

• Dalla Ragione noticed frescoes on the walls of the 5 in the palace.

• The artist had painted 6 varieties of fruits and vegetables.

• She sourced many of these vegetables, including a rare white 7.

Further research

• ‘Madonna and Child with the Pear’ – the 8 of the fruit showed it was actually an apple.

• Another painting showed a fruit referred to as an apple, but Dalla Ragione looked in 9 and decided it was a pear.

• She located this variety of pear in a 10 in Tuscany.

Preserving rare plants

• The Dalla Ragione Foundation preserves fruit trees by allowing people to 11 them.

• Dalla Ragione continues to search for lost varieties.

• This can be difficult as their 12 may have changed.

• She believes plants are part of our cultural identity – e.g. emigrating Italians took 13 to the Americas.