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Paleoethnobotany, also known as archaeobotany in European (particularly British) academic circles, is the archaeological sub-field that studies plant remains from archaeological sites. The major research themes are recovery and identification of plant remains, the use of wild plants, the origins of agriculture and domestication, and the co-evolution of human-plant interactions.
Paleoethnobotanists use a variety of methods to identify and recover plant remains. One method is to sieve excavated material in a water bath in order to allow the organic material to float to the surface. This method is known as flotation. The matrix (the soil from a suspected archaeological feature) is slowly added to agitated water. The soil, sand, and other heavy material, known as heavy fraction, will sink to the bottom. The less dense organic material such as charred seeds, wood and bone will tend to float to the surface. The material that floats to the top, called light fraction, is gathered with a sieve. The organic light fraction is then available for examination. Samples of the heavy fraction are also gathered for later analysis.
Another method used by paleoethnobotanists is the reconstitution and analysis of human paleofeces (sometimes the term coprolite is used).
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Ancient Gardening - An investigation of the plants and methods in gardening from 10,000 B.C.E. to 1700 C.E.
Archaeobotanical Lab-Bar Ilan University - Profiles of the laboratory and selected studies including Ashkelton, Atlit-Yam, Netiv Hagdud, Gesher Benot Ya'agov, Ohalo II, and a computerized key of grass grains.
Archaeobotanical Reports from Central Asia - Bibliographies compiled by Naomi Miller.
Meta Description: [ Bibliographies of Archaeobotanical
Reports ]
Archaeobotanical Reports from Iran - Bibliographies compiled by Naomi Miller.
Meta Description: [ Bibliographies of Archaeobotanical
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Archaeobotany Lesson 2.5 - Instructional material for a one hour archaeobotany lesson from the University of North Carolina.
Archaeobotany Working Group - Brief profile of this working group of the North Atlantic Biocultural Organisation.
Meta Description: [ NABO is an interdisciplinary, international, non-governmental regional research cooperative that works to serv
e scholars interested in the interactions of humans and changing landscapes across the North Atlantic region ]
Çatalhöyük Archaeobotany Report 1999 - Report detailing the methods and results of archaeolobotanical analysis at this site.
Date Stones in Archaeology - Archaeology of Date Stones
Meta Description: [ Archaeology of Date Stones ]
Ethnobotany and Paleoethnobotany Bibliography - Compiled by Michael A. Pfeiffer.
Experimental Approaches to the Archaeobotany of Wild Plant Foods - Paper by Sarah Mason on experiments used to provide comparative material for examining pre-agrarian European sites which contain morphologically-indeterminate charred material.
Florida Museum of Natural History: Archaeobotany Collection - These collections house plant remains primarily from the southeastern United States and the circum Caribbean region, and include both prehistoric and historic period sites.
International Work Group for Palaeoethnobotany - Report on the history of the group and the 1998 meeting.
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Joint Archaeobotanical Project: Fromm's Landing - Description of a research project at Flinder University. Includes pictures of botanical remains.
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Ohio State University: Graduate Training in Archaeobotany - Offers graduate degrees in anthropology with an archaeobotany specialization. Archaeobotany faculty, facilities, and courses.
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Palaeoethnobotany at Caesarea - The Combined Caesarea Expeditions offers this module as a learning tool. Introduction, background, applications, methodology, and recovery and sorting.
Procedures to Recover Archaeobotanical Remains - Paper on bucket flotation procedures to recover archaeobotanical remains by Cheryl Ward, Ph.D.
Recent Palaeoethnobotanical Research at Scowlitz - Talk presented to the Archaeological Society of British Columbia, at Vancouver, BC, April 12, 2000 by Natasha Lyons.
Review of Food Plants from the British Isles - Abstract of a review of the archaeological evidence for food plants from the British Isles: an example of the use of the Archaeobotanical Computer Database.
The Dung File - Organized list of references dealing with pollen, parasites, and plant remains in coprolites and latrine fills from archaeological and palaeoenvironmental sites.
The Role of Wild Plant Foods In Pre-Agrarian Europe - Profile of research project by Sarah Mason.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - The official organ of the International Work Group for Palaeoethnobotany covers the entire field of vegetation history - mainly the development of flora and vegetation during the Holocene and Pleistocene.
Meta Description: [ Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - Geology. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany publishes research papers, review articles and short contributions of high quality from Europe, the Americas and around the world. It covers the en... ]
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