The Historical Botanical Collection of the Società Africana d’Italia: Study and Revaluation for the Rediscovery of Ancient Vegetal Biodiversity

An important component of the museum of the Società Africana d’Italia (SAI) is the botanical collection, including raw materials, processed and derived objects of plant origin collected between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, mostly during expeditions to Africa, financed by the SAI. On the other hand, part of these vegetal products were bought from private owners, or were do- nated by corresponding members from Africa, especially from Italian colonies and other parts of the continent. Within the collection of SAI, the vegetal world is repre- sented by 224 samples of diverse categories like grains/seeds, fruits, leaves, roots, wood and fibers, besides some textile products and woven materials, related to more than 60 species of plants, possibly used as food, medicine or for industrial purposes. Collected for commodity purposes, it has now come to represent a rare testimony of the cross-section of a vegetal world, which is partly no longer existent. The study of this collection, through the reconstruction of the acquisition of ma- terials by SAI, and their identification using the botanical nomenclature, could help in widening the core of the permanent exposition of the Museo della Società Africa- na d’Italia, housed by “L’Orientale”. Moreover, the botanical collection represents a precious reference for the study of vegetal remains from African archaeological con- texts, in order to reconstruct food habits, agriculture and the environment in pre- protohistoric times.