Experimental Archaeology as a Tool for Understanding Microbotanical Taphonomy

Summary

Microbotanical residue analysis, particularly starch grain and phytolith analysis, of ground stone artifacts has become a well-established method for investigating subsistence practices, plant processing patterns, and tool use at prehistoric sites around the world. Within the Aegean, however, where wheat and barley are the primary staple grains, microbotanical analysis of stone tools has only recently been incorporated into on-going research. A collaboration between PlantCult, a European Research Council funded project of the University of Thessaloniki, and the Wiener Laboratory (ASCSA) is advancing work on this important topic through experimental research. As part of PlantCult’s multidisciplinary study of food culture, grinding experiments have been conducted utilizing different tool types and a variety of Aegean staple resources. This paper presents the microbotanical component of this research, which addresses four questions: 1) the impact of grinding time, material type, and tool type on phytolith and starch morphology, 2) the effect of sampling methodology, specifically dry brushing, wet brushing, and sonicating, on recovery, 3) the assemblage of microbotanicals on re-utilized tools, and 4) the potential for recovery from archaeological materials. Although directed toward Aegean research, this study highlights the usefulness of experimental studies and provides comparative data relevant to research in other regions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22000