Searching for Clues: Processing-Wear Analysis on Waterlogged Edible Plant Remains in Archaeobotanical Samples

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Culinary Archaeology" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The archaeobotanical remains of several cesspits and wells from Delft were analyzed to determine if “preparation marks,” marks on plant remains resulting from specific preparation methods, are present and if these marks can be used to differentiate between kitchen refuse and consumption waste or excrement. By combining the results from archaeobotanical analysis with historical recipes and experimental research, it was possible to associate a number of preparation marks with a specific type of preparation method, such as chewing, pressing, cutting, and cracking. Though other types of preparation methods were more difficult to distinguish, this study shows that in some cases it is possible to distinguish between kitchen refuse and consumption waste or excrement. This type of analysis will help us move beyond the traditional research questions of which species people consumed in the past; it will inform us how they processed these food items.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Culinary Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35530.0