UCL Qatar

Dr. Mary Anne Murray is busy at UCL Qatar processing samples taken during the excavation season to search for evidence of diet and other uses of organic material in Old Doha. To do this, she is using a flotation machine to separate these materials from the dirt. After processing the samples through the machine, she will sort them and examine them under a microscope. Research on botanical remains allows the project to better understand evidence that is not always immediately visible during excavation.

Initial results of the botanical study have already yielded dietary evidence (grape seeds, date seeds, melon seeds, barley) as well as evidence for the use of medicinal plants (Cordia myxa, or Egyptian Plum).

Dr Murray's research is part of UCL Qatar's QNRF funded project, the Origins of Doha. Visit the Origins of Doha project website and track our findings.