Prunus avium
Seeds of a number of cherry species have however been found in Bronze Age and Roman archaeological sites throughout Europe. The reference to "sweet" and "sour" supports the modern view that "sweet" was "Prunus avium"; there are no other candidates among the cherries found. In 1882 Alphonse de Candolle pointed out that seeds of "Prunus avium" were found in the Terramare culture of north Italy (1500–1100 BC) and over the layers of the Swiss pile dwellings. Of Pliny's statement he says (p. 210):