They found what are called phytoliths.

他们发现发现了所谓的“植物岩”。

And some of the phytoliths closely resemble modern-day garlic mustard seeds.

其中一些植物岩跟现代的葱芥籽很像。

But these phytoliths have now provided what the researchers say is the earliest known use of spice in cuisine.

但现在研究人员认为，这些植物岩的出现是已知最早的烹饪香料使用。

Grasses contain tiny pieces of silica, called phytoliths (illustrated above), whose job is to discourage herbivores, both vertebrate and insect.

草含有微量的二氧化硅成分，称之为植物岩（如上图所示），其职能是阻止脊椎动物和昆虫这样的食草生物。

Like many plants, tea leaves contain tiny, hard crystals called phytoliths made of calcium oxalate.

像许多植物一样，茶叶含有微小的坚硬晶体，称为植硅体，由草酸钙制成。

The firm has set up a factory in Meleiro, a town in a rice-growing area of southern Brazil, to extract phytoliths and put them in tyres.

为了提取植物岩并添加到轮胎中，该公司已经在位于巴西南部水稻种植区的一个小镇Meleiro建造了一所工厂。

Microscopic plant fossils, called phytoliths, have also been recovered from some teeth, showing that it fed on grasses -- including possibly bamboo -- as well as seeds and fruit.

从一些牙齿中也发现了被称为植硅体的微型植物化石，表明它以草——可能包括竹子——以及种子和水果为食。