ruisaflezing

Ruisaflezing is a term encountered in Dutch-language archaeobotany and paleoenvironment literature to describe the deposition of rye remains within a sedimentary or archaeological context. The word combines ruis, the Dutch word for rye, with aflezing, meaning deposition or laying down. In practice, ruisaflezing refers to the recovery and interpretation of rye grains, chaff, and processing waste that accumulate in soil layers, middens, or refuse pits at archaeological sites. Such assemblages can indicate the presence of rye cultivation, threshing, storage, or processing activities and help reconstruct agricultural practices and economies in a region and period. The term is not universally standardized and may be encountered primarily in Dutch-language sources; English-language equivalents vary.

Methods used to study ruisaflezing include processing ground samples through flotation or wet sieving to concentrate macroremains, followed by taxonomic identification under a microscope. The contextual dating of deposits, through radiocarbon or associated artifacts, supports chronological placement. In interpretation, researchers consider taphonomic factors, site function, and stratigraphic relationships, and may combine with microremains such as pollen or phytoliths for broader environmental reconstruction.

Limitations include distinguishing intentional deposition from natural accumulation or secondary deposition, potential trade or movement of rye grains between sites, and preservation biases. Consequently, ruisaflezing is most informative when integrated with broader archaeobotanical datasets and precise stratigraphic information.

See also: Archaeobotany, flotation and sieving, phytolith analysis, pollen analysis, radiocarbon dating.