Maris Nostri Novus Atlas: Seeds and fruits from the Mediterranean Basin

The Maris Nostri Novus Atlas project was carried out by two archaeobotanists, Dr Diego Sabato and Dr Leonor Peña-Chocarro, researchers at the Archaeobiology Laboratory of the Institute of History which is part of the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council).  The atlas comprises an extensive assemblage of high-resolution pictures from different angles of seeds and fruits accompanied by an intuitive and simple search system. Entries are organized by size range instead of in traditional alphabetical order so as to facilitate  comparing specimens of the same size. A life-size image reference is also included for each sample. This atlas is a practical guide aimed at facilitating the daily tasks of both specialists and amateurs who need to identify seeds and fruits. It is likewise a key tool serving not only archaeobotany or botany, but related disciplines. The volume, initiated in 2015 by means of a painstaking photographic catalogue and classification, includes 2,608 specimens (species, subspecies and varieties) forming part of 880 genera and 134 families.  Moreover, the assemblage represents approximately 10% of the vascular  flora of the Mediterranean.