Evaluating microstructural malting identification markers in charred archaeological cereal grains

Abstract

Identifying ancient malting and brewing practices provides key insights into diet, technology, and social practices. This study evaluates the diagnostic reliability of microstructural malting markers in 50 charred cereal grains from six Danish archaeological sites spanning 1–1650 CE. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), two proposed methodologies for detecting malting were assessed: amylolytic modification of starch granules and thinning of aleurone layer cell walls. Samples derived from contexts containing clearly germinated and ungerminated grains enabled direct evaluation of these criteria under varying charring conditions and archaeological preservation. Starch granules were preserved in 70% of the examined barley/oat grains, and 41% of germinated grains exhibited amylolytic degra