THE PLANT REMAINS FROM MONS-CLAUDIANUS, A ROMAN QUARRY SETTLEMENT IN THE EASTERN DESERT OF EGYPT - AN INTERIM-REPORT

A rich assemblage of primarily desiccated plant remains has been recov ered from the Roman quarry settlement of Mons Claudianus in the Easter n Desert of Egypt. These remains indicate that the food supply to the site was well organized despite its remote location and that both stap les and luxury foods were imported. It has also been established that straw and chaff were imported in large quantities, highlighting the fa ct that the presence of the by-products of the early stages of the cro p processing sequence cannot necessarily be interpreted as implying th at the cereals were cultivated locally.