Video: 45.000 seeds, fruits and plants in a unique collection

In the 1950s, professors from the former Biological Archaeological Institute at the University of Groningen initiated a seed and fruit collection to aid in the identification of plant remains found in archaeological excavations.

Over the past decades, Prof René Cappers has expanded the collection, not only with seeds and fruits but also including various stages of traditional crop processing, food products, and medicinal plants. The result is a unique reference collection comprising over 45,000 samples.

In this video, archaeobotanist dr Sonja Filatova explains how the collection is utilized for scientific research.

The collection has become a global standard reference in various scientific disciplines and organizations involved in seed identification. The Groningen collection is physically accessible and is currently housed at the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, but it will soon be secured in a state-of-the-art vault at Zernike.

Additionally, the collection is available for consultation through the website Digital Plant Atlas and a series of books.