New Directions for Pollen and Phytolith Analysis in Historic New England

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "New Avenues in the Study of Plant Remains from Historical Sites" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Microbotanical analysis has been historically underutilized at colonial-era sites in New England. This talk will discuss the use of pollen and phytolith at three historic sites in coastal Massachusetts: Brewster Gardens and Burial Hill Plymouth; the Doane Family Homestead in Eastham; and Ben Luce Pond on Martha’s Vineyard. Pollen data is useful at historic sites for characterizing the regional composition of arboreal species to understand the role of human-environment relationships prior to settlement by Europeans. Phytoliths provide localized use of plant use indicating diet and agricultural practices. These data along with political ecological and colonial theory to consider how changes to the physical landscape were directly correlated to the development of social and political inequality in the burgeoning colonies. English colonialism precipitated dramatic social, political, and economic changes which implicated the environment through restrictions and policy, for example, the introduction of private property, disrupted burn cycles, deforestation, and agricultural clearance.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• New Avenues in the Study of Plant Remains from Historical Sites   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology