The initial pathways of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) into Europe based on AMS dates and stable carbon isotope data

Kyriaki Karanikola; Margaux Lucienne Celine Depaermentier; Tom Maltas; John Meadows; Dragana Filipović; Soultana-Maria Valamoti; Michael Kempf; Andrew Fairbairn; Michaela Vychronová; Goce Naumov; Sophia Koulidou; Clémence Pagnoux; Hanna Aleksandrova; Tzvetana Popova; Giedrė Motuzaitė-Matuzevičiūtė

doi:10.1038/S41598-026-70250-W

Title	The initial pathways of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) into Europe based on AMS dates and stable carbon isotope data
Authors	Karanikola, Kyriaki ; Depaermentier, Margaux Lucienne Celine ; Maltas, Tom ; Meadows, John ; Filipović, Dragana ; Valamoti, Soultana-Maria ; Kempf, Michael ; Fairbairn, Andrew ; Vychronová, Michaela ; Naumov, Goce ; Koulidou, Sophia ; Pagnoux, Clémence ; Aleksandrova, Hanna ; Popova, Tzvetana ; Motuzaitė-Matuzevičiūtė, Giedrė
DOI	10.1038/S41598-026-70250-W
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Is Part of	Scientific reports.. Berlin : Springer Nature. 2026, Early Access, p. [1-24].. eISSN 2045-2322
Keywords [eng]	Broomcorn millet ; AMS radiocarbon dating ; Stable carbon isotopes ; Crop introduction ; Bronze age
Abstract [eng]	Research on broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) has significantly improved our understanding of its introduction and dispersal across Europe during the second millennium BCE. However, its arrival into regions such as Southeastern Europe and Anatolia remains poorly understood. In the present study, we combine directly AMS-dated archaeobotanical millet grains with published stable carbon isotope data to investigate the chronol- ogy and dispersal routes of millet into Europe. The study integrates 70 radiocarbon dates obtained from charred millet grains, including 16 newly generated AMS dates, and re-evaluates previously published data using Bayesian chronological modeling. An extensive stable carbon isotopic dataset from human and animal remains is integrated in this review. The results confirm that the earliest secure evidence for millet in Europe currently derives from the western Pontic Steppe, while subsequent appearances are synchronously documented in the Carpathian Basin, Southeastern Europe, and the Caucasus. In contrast, archaeobotanical and isotopic evidence from Anatolia consistently supports a later introduction of millet in this region. These results reveal millet dispersal pathways into Europe and highlight the importance of direct radiocarbon dating and interdisciplinary approaches to study prehistoric crop dispersal and dietary practices.
Published	Berlin : Springer Nature
Type	Journal article
Language	English
Publication date	2026
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„The initial pathways of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) into Europe based on AMS dates and stable carbon isotope data“