A Seedy Affair: An Archaeobotanical Study of the Johnston Site (36In2)

Summary

Archaeobotanical research can provide archaeologists with insights into what plant resources past peoples were consuming and utilizing as well as the spatial organization of resource use and other activities within a site. Investigations at the Johnston Site, a large ring village located in Western Pennsylvania date back to the 1950s, yet until recently, relatively little research has been completed with archaeobotanical samples. This Late Prehistoric site is categorized in literature as representing the Johnston Phase of the Monongahela culture, but many questions still remain about village structure and its residents. Analysis of the carbonized wood and seeds retrieved through flotation not only provides a more detailed picture of the resources used by the Monongahela people but information on how those resources were distributed across features may clarify the use of space in this village. Applying archaeobotanical research to this site contributes to the understanding of Monongahela culture and provides a framework for future study.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage