Case Studies in Paleoethnobotany : Understanding Ancient Lifeways Through the Study of Phytoliths, Starch, Macroremains, and Pollen

__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. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of figures 12 List of tables 14 Preface 16 Acknowledgments 18 Part I The Nature and Study of Paleoethnobotanical Remains 20 1 Paleoethnobotanical Remains 22 Introduction: The Paleoethnobotanical Approach 22 Paleoethnobotanical Data and Their Study 24 Macroremains 24 Pollen 32 Phytoliths 34 Starch 39 Studying Archaeobotanical Remains 39 The Comparative Collection 42 2 Deposition and Preservation of Paleoethnobotanical Remains 46 Introduction 46 Macroremain Deposition and Preservation 50 Summary 50 Grinding Stone Example 51 Phytolith Deposition and Preservation 52 Summary 52 Grinding Stone Example 53 Starch Deposition and Preservation 53 Summary 53 Grinding Stone Example 54 Pollen Deposition and Preservation 55 Summary 55 Grinding Stone Example 56 Conclusion: Deposition and Preservation of Paleoethnobotanical Remains 57 3 Field Sampling and Recovery 60 Introduction 60 Strategies and Techniques for Sampling 60 Flotation and Fine-Sieving 67 Flotation Example: Using a SMAP-Style System 69 Collecting Artifacts and Residues for Starch (and Other Microfossil) Analysis 73 Guidelines for Selecting Artifacts 73 Field-Sampling of Residues for Microfossil Study 74 4 Approaches to Paleoethnobotanical Interpretation 77 Introduction 77 Qualitative Analysis 78 Quantitative Analysis 80 Common Measures Used to Interpret Archaeobotanical Data 80 Raw Data Tabulation 80 Ubiquity/Percentage Presence 85 Ratios 87 Diversity 89 Application of Multivariate Techniques 90 Reading a Stratigraphic Diagram 90 Part II Interpreting Paleoethnobotanical Data: Case Studies 96 5 Investigating Neanderthal Lifeways Through Paleoethnobotany 98 Introduction 98 Background to the Case Study 99 Neanderthal Diet(s): The Contribution of Plant and Animal Foods 101 Neanderthals as Top Predators: Faunal and Isotope Evidence 101 Neanderthals as Foragers: Botanical Evidence 103 Foraging Practices of Early Modern Humans 111 Discussion: Plant Foods in the Neanderthal Diet 117 Neanderthal–Plant Interrelationships Beyond Diet 118 Medicinal Plant Use 118 Fuel Selection 118 Ecosystem Management 122 Spatial Organization of Sites as a Reflection of Modern Behavior 122 Early Modern Human Example: Sibudu Cave, South Africa 124 Summary and Discussion: Neanderthals and Modern Behaviors Beyond Diet 125 Conclusion: Investigating Neanderthal Lifeways Through Paleoethnobotany 126 6 The Paleoethnobotany of Maize: Understanding Domestication and Agriculture 131 Introduction 132 Is It Maize? Identifying and Characterizing Maize Remains 132 Introduction 132 Macroremains 133 Pollen 137 Phytoliths 140 Starch 143 Summary and Discussion: Identifying Maize 148 Assessing the Importance of Maize in Prehistoric Foodways 149 Introduction 149 Assessing the Abundance of Maize 150 Assessing the Impact of Maize on the Landscape 154 Summary and Discussion: Identifying the Importance and Impact of Maize 157 Conclusion: Contributions of Paleoethnobotany to Studying Domestication and Agriculture 159 7 Archaeobotany and Insights Into Social Relationships at Cahokia 165 Introduction 165 Overview of Cahokia: The Site, Chiefdom, and Subsistence Base 166 Cahokia: Site and Cultural Sequence 166 Subsistence and Land Use 170 Changing Social Relationships and Foodways: An Overview 171 Maize, Elites, and Ritual at Cahokia 173 Insights From Macroremains, Cooking Pots, and Residues 175 Stable Isotope and Skeletal Studies of Human Remains 182 Summary: Maize and Social Status at Cahokia 184 Food, Status, and Social Relationships: Beyond Maize 186 Animals in Ritual and Diet of Elites and Nonelites at Cahokia 186 Black Drink and Cacao 187 Conclusion: Contributions of Paleoethnobotany to Understanding Social Relationships at Cahokia 188 8 An Individual’s Relationship to the Natural World: Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman 193 Introduction 193 Discovery and Excavation 195 The Iceman’s Equipment and Clothing 197 Studies of the Iceman’s Body 200 Health and Cause of Death 200 Clues to Ötzi’s Diet and Travels 201 Environmental and Archaeological Studies of the Iceman Site and Region 204 Conclusion: Insights from Paleoethnobotany Into the Life and Times of Ötzi 211 9 Plants and Healing/Health 217 Introduction 217 Interpretation Based on Medicinal Properties of Plants 218 Eastern North America 221 Europe and Southwest Asia 222 Africa 224 Medicinal Plants in Compelling Archaeological Contexts 226 Central and South America 226 Europe 228 East Asia 231 Coprolites and Latrines: Evidence From the Ingestion of Medicinal Plants 232 North America 232 South America 233 Southwest Asia and Europe 236 Analyzing Medicinal Preparations/Residues 239 North America 239 Europe and Africa 240 Identifying Active Plant Agents in Human Remains 241 Conclusion: Investigating Plants and Healing/Health Through Paleoethnobotany 242 10 Conclusion: Investigating Ancient Lifeways Through Paleoethnobotany 247 Introduction 247 Methodological Aspects of Making Convincing Interpretations 247 Approaching Interpretation at Different Scales of Analysis 250 Final Thoughts 252 Index 256 'Case Studies in Paleoethnobotany' focuses on interpretation in paleoethnobotany. In it the reader is guided through the process of analysing 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 analysed. 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