Overview

Case Studies in Paleoethnobotany focuses on interpretation in paleoethnobotany. In it the reader is guided through the process of analyzing archaeobotanical data and of using that data to address research questions. Part I introduces archaeobotanical remains and how they are deposited, preserved, sampled, recovered, and analyzed. Five issue-oriented case studies make up Part II and illustrate paleoethnobotanical inference and applications. A recurrent theme is the strength of using multiple lines of evidence to address issues of significance. This book is unique in its explicit focus on interpretation for ""consumers"" of paleoethnobotanical knowledge. Paleoethnobotanical inference is increasingly sophisticated and contributes to our understanding of the past in ways that may not be apparent outside the field or to all practitioners. The case study format allows in-depth exploration of the process of interpretation in the context of significant issues that will engage readers. No other work introduces paleoethnobotany and illustrates its application in this way. This book will appeal to students interested in ancient plant–people interrelationships, as well as archaeologists, paleoethnobotanists, and paleoecologists. The short methods chapters and topical case studies are ideal for instructors of classes in archaeological methods, environmental archaeology, and ethnobiology.

Full Product Details

Author:   Deborah Pearsall
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.771kg
ISBN:  

9781138544710

ISBN 10:   113854471
Pages:   242
Publication Date:   03 July 2018
Audience:   College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Preface Part I: The Nature and Study of Paleoethnobotanical Remains Chapter 1. Paleoethnobotanical Remains Introduction: The Paleoethnobotanical Approach Paleoethnobotanical Data and their Study Macroremains Seeds Fruits and nuts Wood Roots and tubers Pollen Phytoliths Starch Studying archaeobotanical remains The comparative collection Chapter 2. Deposition and Preservation of Paleoethnobotanical Remains Introduction Macroremain Deposition and Preservation Summary Deposition Preservation Grinding stone example Phytolith Deposition and Preservation Summary Deposition Preservation Grinding stone example Starch Deposition and Preservation Summary Deposition Preservation Grinding stone example Pollen Deposition and Preservation Summary Deposition Preservation Grinding stone example Conclusion: Deposition and Preservation of Paleoethnobotanical Remains Chapter 3. Field Sampling and Recovery Introduction Strategies and Techniques for Sampling Flotation and Fine Sieving Flotation example: Using a SMAP-style system Pre-flotation preparations Flotation Post-flotation cleanup Hints for good recovery of macroremains by machine-assisted flotation Collecting Artifacts and Residues for Starch (and other microfossil) Analysis Guidelines for selecting artifacts Criteria for artifact selection Control samples Handling artifacts Provenience information Field-sampling of residues for microfossil study Supplies Procedure for unwashed artifacts Reducing water volume Chapter 4. Approaches to Paleoethnobotanical Interpretation Introduction Qualitative analysis Quantitative analysis Common Measures used to Interpret Archaeobotanical Data Raw data tabulation Ubiquity/percentage presence Ratios Diversity Application of multivariate techniques Reading a Stratigraphic Diagram Part II: Interpreting Paleoethnobotanical Data: Case Studies Chapter 5. Investigating Neanderthal Life-ways through Paleoethnobotany Introduction Background to the Case Study Neanderthal Diet(s): The Contribution of Plant and Animal Foods Neanderthals as top predators: Faunal and isotope evidence Neanderthals as foragers: Botanical evidence Near East and Mediterranean Central and northern Europe Foraging practices of early modern humans Near East, Europe and Africa South and Southeast Asia Discussion: Plant foods in Neanderthal diet Neanderthal-Plant Interrelationships Beyond Diet Medicinal plant use Fuel selection Ecosystem management Spatial Organization of Sites as a Reflection of Modern Behavior Early modern human example: Sibudu Cave, South Africa Summary and discussion: Neanderthals and modern behaviors beyond diet Conclusion: Investigating Neanderthal Life-ways through Paleoethnobotany Chapter 6. The Paleoethnobotany of Maize: Understanding Domestication and Agriculture Introduction Is it maize? Identifying and Characterizing Maize Remains Introduction Macroremains Pollen Phytoliths Starch Summary and discussion: Identifying maize Assessing the Importance of Maize in Prehistoric Food-ways Introduction Assessing the abundance of maize Assessing the impact of maize on the landscape Summary and discussion: Identifying the importance and impact of maize Conclusion: Contributions of Paleoethnobotany to Studying Domestication and Agriculture Chapter 7. Archaeobotany and Insights into Social Relationships at Cahokia Introduction Overview of Cahokia: The Site, Chiefdom, and Subsistence Base Cahokia: Site and cultural sequence Subsistence and landuse Changing Social Relationships and Foodways: Overview Maize, Elites, and Ritual at Cahokia Insights from macroremains, cooking pots, and residues Stable isotope and skeletal studies of human remains Summary: Maize and social status at Cahokia Food, Status, and Social Relationships: Beyond Maize Animals in ritual and diet of elites and non-elites at Cahokia Black drink and cacao Conclusion: Contributions of Paleoethnobotany to understanding social relationships at Cahokia Chapter 8. An Individual's Relationship to the Natural World: Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman Introduction Discovery and Excavation The Iceman’s Equipment and Clothing Studies of the Iceman’s Body Health and cause of death Clues to Ötzi's diet and travels Environmental and Archaeological Studies of the Iceman Site and Region Conclusion: Insights from Paleoethnobotany into the Life and Times of Ötzi Chapter 9. Plants and Healing/Health Introduction Interpretation based on Medicinal Properties of Plants Eastern North America Europe and Southwest Asia Africa Medicinal Plants in Compelling Archaeological Contexts Central and South America Europe East Asia Coprolites and Latrines: Evidence from the Ingestion of Medicinal Plants North America South America Southwest Asia and Europe Analyzing Medicinal Preparations/Residues North America Europe and Africa Identifying Active Plant Agents in Human Remains Conclusion: Investigating Plants and Healing/Health through Paleoethnobotany Chapter 10. Conclusion: Understanding Ancient Lifeways through Paleoethnobotany Introduction Methodological Aspects of Making Convincing Interpretations Approaching Interpretation at Different Scales of Analysis Final Thoughts

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Author Information

Deborah M. Pearsall is Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri, having retired in 2013 after 35 years. She holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MA and PhD from the University of Illinois, all of which are in the subject of Anthropology. Her interests within this discipline center on South American archaeology and paleoethnobotany: the study of plant–people interrelationships through the archaeological record. She has conducted paleoethnobotanical research in numerous locations in the Americas. Her research has two broad themes: the origins and spread of agriculture in the lowland Neotropics, and methods and approaches in paleoethnobotany. She is the author of three books: Paleoethnobotany: A Handbook of Procedures; Plants and People in Ancient Ecuador: The Ethnobotany of the Jama River Valley; and, with D. R. Piperno, The Origins of Agriculture in the Lowland Neotropics. She was also the general editor of Academic Press’s 2008 Encyclopedia of Archaeology and has published in numerous professional journals and edited collections.

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