The Computerized Grass Grains Key aims to help researchers to identify modern and ancient cereal grains. The key contains approximately 1950 samples of more than 600 species from Israel and the Middle East. Its dimensions and morphological properties examined each grain.

From the late 1980s in Prof. Kislev’s laboratory until these days, we put great effort into creating this key. During this period, we collected many grains during collection trips in Israel, the Eastern Mediterranean countries (Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria), the islands of Crete and Cyprus, and visits to the herbaria of the London and Berlin Botanical Gardens.

The key proved to be a most valuable scientific tool, promoting identifying grass grains from various major prehistoric and historic sites.

We are currently improving the key, adding species and samples, and turning it into a computerized three-dimensional key.