Anthropologist, archaeologist, and paleoethnobotanist whose main research focus is on the role of plants and the environment in the development of social complexity and the collapse of civilizations with occasional forays into the peopling of the Americas, the origins of agriculture, and historic archaeology Supervisors: Alexia Smith, PhD Advisor, Debrorah Pearsall, MA Advisor, and Dan Ingersoll, BA Advisor
We review research on ancient and modern environments in the Programme for Belize Archaeology Pro... more We review research on ancient and modern environments in the Programme for Belize Archaeology Project (PfBAP), focusing on studies of the vegetation. A goal is to show how these studies complement each other. To describe the ancient environment, paleobotany uses fossil pollen, phytoliths, starch grains, and geochemical signatures. In recent research, phytoliths and starch grains are collected from surface samples and paired with geochemical signatures, floral inventories, and contemporary pollen signatures to construct environmental analogues of ancient environments. To study the modern environment, forest ecology uses repeated inventories of tree species in forest stands. These studies have shown how variable the old-growth forests of the area are in in space and in time. Forests range greatly in composition of tree species, tree stem density, number of tree species, and in rates of tree mortality, recruitment, and growth. This variation can be related to underlying variation in soil and slope, and patterns resulting from natural disturbance by flooding and wind. We give examples of synergy between the study of ancient and modern environments in the Maya region that demonstrate fruitful interactions between these disciplines for paleobotanists, ecologists, and archaeologists.
In addition to understanding humanity through material culture, the archaeological record also ha... more In addition to understanding humanity through material culture, the archaeological record also has the capacity to provide botanical data which provides insight to ancient environmental landscapes, climate patterns, and provides a baseline for agroeconomic systems and foodways. Studying archaeobotanical records is vital to a holistic interpretation of material culture and contributes to understanding degrees of variation between ecological and cultural areas. Together with archaeobotany, ethnobotanical survey can also offer valuable contextual evidence when studying past environments. Despite spatial and temporal discontinuities in plant-use and knowledge systems, ethnobotanical data viewed with a critical lens can also provide data missing from the archaeological record which is inherently not exhaustive and relies heavily on interpretation. Ethnobotanical and paleoethnobotanical research at the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP) includes ethnobotanical interviews conducted in the nearby town of San Felipe and archaeobotanical investigations at Structure 3 at the site of La Milpa. By combining a modern analogue of plant practices and knowledge systems via ethnobotanical survey, collecting plant specimens for an archaeobotanical reference library, collecting soil samples from new projects, and sampling artifacts for residues, archaeobotanical research at PfBAP continues to expand what we know about the ancient Maya in northwestern Belize.
We present macrobotanical, starch, and phytolith data from artifacts and sediments from Middle Fo... more We present macrobotanical, starch, and phytolith data from artifacts and sediments from Middle Formative La Blanca (1000-600 cal BC) and Late Formative El Ujuxte (600 cal BC-cal AD 115) in the Soconusco region in Guatemala. Potential economic plants identified included palm (cf. Arecaceae), two varieties of maize (Zea mays), guava (Psidium guajava), bean (Phaseolus), chili peppers (Capsicum), squash (Cucurbitaceae), custard apple (Annonaceae), coco plum (Chrysobalanaceae), lerén (Calathea), arrowroot (Maranta), and bird-of-paradise (Heliconia). The results suggest that control of food production and consumption was critical for the transition from complex chiefdoms during the Middle Formative to the archaic state in the Late Formative. The arrival of a more productive South American variety of maize at El Ujuxte (about 2549 BP) allowed elites to exploit an already existing broad-based economic system and to use the maize-based religious system to increase control over maize agricultural practices and maintain power through ideology and disciplinary power. These data suggest that the arrival of fully domesticated South American maize likely influenced the overall development of Mesoamerican state-level societies. Resumen Presentamos datos macrobotánicos, almidón y fitolitos de artefactos y sedimentos del Formativo Medio La Blanca (1000-600 cal aC) y Formativo Tardío El Ujuxte (600 cal aC-115 cal dC), región de Soconusco, Guatemala. Las posibles plantas económicas identificadas incluyen la palma (cf. Arecaceae), dos variedades de maíz (Zea mays), la guayaba (Psidium guajava), frijol (Phaseolus), chiles (Capsicum), calabaza (Cucurbitaceae), crema de manzana (Annonaceae), la ciruela de coco (Chrysobalanaceae), el lerén (Calathea), el arrurruz (Maranta) y el ave del paraíso (Heliconia). Los resultados demuestran que el control de la producción y el consumo de alimentos fueron fundamentales para la transición de los cacicazgos complejos durante el Formativo medio al estado arcaico en el Formativo tardío. La llegada de una variedad sudamericana de maíz más productiva a El Ujuxte (ca. 2549 AP) permitió a las élites explotar un sistema económico de base amplia ya existente y utilizar el sistema religioso basado en el maíz para aumentar el control sobre las prácticas agrícolas de maíz y mantener el poder mediante la ideología y el poder disciplinario. Estos datos sugieren que la llegada del maíz sudamericano totalmente domesticado influyó en el desarrollo general de las sociedades mesoamericanas estatales.
Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongo... more Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongolian Gobi Desert has been profoundly changing, punctuated by the appearance of lakes, wetlands, and finally aridification. Vegetation communities have responded to these changes according to temperature shifts and northward to southward movements of the edges of East Asian monsoonal systems. Human groups have lived, foraged, and traveled through the landscape of the Gobi for millennia, adapting their technologies and systems of plant and animal use with the dramatic changes of flora and fauna, and likely contributed to the character of the vegetation communities in the region today. Pastoral nomads living in semi-arid regions are sometimes implicated as contributors to desertification. However, our research at the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia has yielded geoarchaeological and phytolith data which show the opposite effect. Changing landscape and vegetation patterns from the Middle to Late Holocene suggest that early pastoralists might have contributed to a shift away from halophytic desert vegetation, and an increase in semi-arid desert-steppe grasses. We suggest that the halophytic succulents growing around saline ponds during the Mid-Holocene wet phase, were replaced by Stipa and other steppic grasses after pastoralists entered the region, increasing hillslope erosion which covered the saline sediments of the valley floor, and encouraged the growth of grass seeds carried in the dung of herd animals.
Starch grain analysis is a rapidly growing field of research in Southwest Asia and is beginning t... more Starch grain analysis is a rapidly growing field of research in Southwest Asia and is beginning to be applied to many different time periods. However, much work still remains regarding which taxa produce starch grains that can be identified archaeologically. In this paper, I centralize what is known about starch production patterns within regional flora and analyze 64 previously unstudied taxa from 22 families. The results of this study demonstrate that descriptions of starch grains from Southwest Asian taxa are scattered between archaeological and plant and food science publications. Ten of the species examined in this study, most of whom are grasses, produced starch grains that can be identified at varying taxonomic levels.
Early Archaic subsistence strategies of New England remain poorly understood despite their import... more Early Archaic subsistence strategies of New England remain poorly understood despite their importance in helping researchers understand how people adapt to changing landscapes following the end of the last glacial maximum (21,000-14,000 B.P.). Excavations at the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation in Mashantucket, Connecticut during the 1990s revealed a large, semi-sedentary village nestled alongside a complex wetland ecosystem. In this paper, we present preliminary starch grain analysis of several stone tools recovered and curated from these excavations. The results of this study indicate that both transitory and reserve starch grains are preserved on these artifacts and that at least one of the artifacts may have been used for leaf or stem processing. The results of this study also demonstrate the potential for future research in which paired macrobotanical and residue analysis will allow for a better understanding of subsistence practices at the site and during the early Archaic in g...
Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted... more Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted in the discovery of the earliest occurrence of an intentional cremation in the Near East directly dated to 7031-6700 cal BC (Pre-Pottery Neolithic C, also known as Final PPNB, which spans ca. 7100-6400 cal BC). The funerary treatment involved in situ cremation within a pyre-pit of a young adult individual who previously survived from a flint projectile injury. In this study we have used a multidisciplinary approach that integrates archaeothana-tology, spatial analysis, bioanthropology, zooarchaeology, soil micromorphological analysis, and phytolith identification in order to reconstruct the different stages and techniques involved in this ritual: cremation pit construction, selection of fuel, possible initial position of the corpse, potential associated items and funerary containers, fire management, post-cremation gesture and structure abandonment. The origins and development of cremation practices in the region are explored as well as their significance in terms of Northern-Southern Levantine connections during the transition between the 8th and 7th millennia BC. The bones are distributed throughout the bottom of the pit, partly superimposed one on the other to a thickness of 40 cm. However, the density of remains was not very marked except at the centre of the pit (Fig 6). If there was an apparent anatomical disorder at first glance, by looking at the details some interesting patterning could be observed. Cranial and mandibular fragments were found only in the southern half of the structure. Next to the south wall on the upper level, we found the base of the skull (mandible reversed and occipi-tal fragments); the rest of the cranial vault and face (frontal, maxillars, parietals and tempo-rals) were found slightly lower down at the centre of the pit. Conversely, the cervical vertebrae were dispersed out from the centre to the northern half of the pit. The thoracic column and some of the ribs were concentrated in the centre, roughly following a west-east direction. The lumbar vertebrae were found in the middle and against the southwestern wall PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted... more Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted in the discovery of the earliest occurrence of an intentional cremation in the Near East directly dated to 7031-6700 cal BC (Pre-Pottery Neolithic C, also known as Final PPNB, which spans ca. 7100-6400 cal BC). The funerary treatment involved in situ cremation within a pyre-pit of a young adult individual who previously survived from a flint projectile injury. In this study we have used a multidisciplinary approach that integrates archaeothana-tology, spatial analysis, bioanthropology, zooarchaeology, soil micromorphological analysis, and phytolith identification in order to reconstruct the different stages and techniques involved in this ritual: cremation pit construction, selection of fuel, possible initial position of the corpse, potential associated items and funerary containers, fire management, post-cremation gesture and structure abandonment. The origins and development of cremation practices in the region are explored as well as their significance in terms of Northern-Southern Levantine connections during the transition between the 8th and 7th millennia BC. The bones are distributed throughout the bottom of the pit, partly superimposed one on the other to a thickness of 40 cm. However, the density of remains was not very marked except at the centre of the pit (Fig 6). If there was an apparent anatomical disorder at first glance, by looking at the details some interesting patterning could be observed. Cranial and mandibular fragments were found only in the southern half of the structure. Next to the south wall on the upper level, we found the base of the skull (mandible reversed and occipi-tal fragments); the rest of the cranial vault and face (frontal, maxillars, parietals and tempo-rals) were found slightly lower down at the centre of the pit. Conversely, the cervical vertebrae were dispersed out from the centre to the northern half of the pit. The thoracic column and some of the ribs were concentrated in the centre, roughly following a west-east direction. The lumbar vertebrae were found in the middle and against the southwestern wall PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongo... more Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongolian Gobi Desert has been profoundly changing, punctuated by the appearance of lakes, wetlands, and finally aridification. Vegetation communities have responded to these changes according to temperature shifts and northward to southward movements of the edges of East Asian monsoonal systems. Human groups have lived, foraged, and traveled through the landscape of the Gobi for millennia, adapting their technologies and systems of plant and animal use with the dramatic changes of flora and fauna, and likely contributed to the character of the vegetation communities in the region today. Pastoral nomads living in semi-arid regions are sometimes implicated as contributors to desertification. However, our research at the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia has yielded geoarchaeological and phytolith data which show the opposite effect. Changing landscape and vegetation patterns from the Middle to Late Holocene suggest that early pastoralists might have contributed to a shift away from halophytic desert vegetation, and an increase in semi-arid desert-steppe grasses. We suggest that the halophytic succulents growing around saline ponds during the Mid-Holocene wet phase, were replaced by Stipa and other steppic grasses after pastoralists entered the region, increasing hillslope erosion which covered the saline sediments of the valley floor, and encouraged the growth of grass seeds carried in the dung of herd animals.
The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh ... more The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, over a period of five years, we identified a number of sites with dense surface artefact scatters and features that seem to represent this transition period. Evident in those concentrations are characteristic microblade cores, microblades, " thumbnail" flake scrapers, projectile points, ground stone tools, and stone features of unknown function. Between 2012 and 2014 we collected ground stone artefacts from four sites and sediment samples from three sites. With permission of Mongolian authorities, the artefacts from one site and sediment samples from three sites were sent for botanical analyses to the University of Texas, Austin, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that plant remains are present on the ground stone artefacts: dendritic long-cells from a deep pore of one artefact and starch grains from the pores of six of the seven artefacts. These data present the first opportunity to understand what resources " Neolithic " people were processing with ground stone tools in this area and further our opportunity to better understand the little-known " Neolithic "-Early Bronze Age transition period in Central Asia. This paper describes the ground stone artefacts and further explores the results of data retrieved from some of these artefacts.
The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh ... more The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, over a period of five years, we identified a number of sites with dense surface artefact scatters and features that seem to represent this transition period. Evident in those concentrations are characteristic microblade cores, microblades, “thumbnail" flake scrapers, projectile points, ground stone tools, and stone features of unknown function. Between 2012 and 2014 we collected ground stone artefacts from four sites and sediment samples from three sites. With permission of Mongolian authorities, the artefacts from one site and sediment samples from three sites were sent for botanical analyses to the University of Texas, Austin, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that plant remains are present on the ground stone artefacts: dendritic long-cells from a deep pore of one artefact and starch grains from the pores of six of the seven artefacts. These data present the first opportunity to understand what resources “Neolithic” people were processing with ground stone tools in this area and further our opportunity to better understand the little-known “Neolithic”-Early Bronze Age transition period in Central Asia. This paper describes the ground stone artefacts and further explores the results of data retrieved from some of these artefacts.
This special issue examines new trends in phytolith scholarship and assesses the future direction... more This special issue examines new trends in phytolith scholarship and assesses the future direction of this field of research. The papers presented represent a broader shift in phytolith research into a new phase called the “Period of Expanding Applications”. It is characterized by 1) a rapid increase in the number of phytolith publications; 2) a diversification of research topics; 3) a reassessment of the use of radiocarbon and other isotopes in phytoliths; 4) the development of digital technologies for refining and sharing phytolith identifications; 5) renewed efforts for standardization of phytolith nomenclature and labora- tory protocol; and 6) the development of the field of applied phytolith research. This paper argues that interdisciplinary collaborations and a continued effort to understand the basics of phytolith production patterns are essential for the growth of the discipline and its application in archaeological studies.
We review research on ancient and modern environments in the Programme for Belize Archaeology Pro... more We review research on ancient and modern environments in the Programme for Belize Archaeology Project (PfBAP), focusing on studies of the vegetation. A goal is to show how these studies complement each other. To describe the ancient environment, paleobotany uses fossil pollen, phytoliths, starch grains, and geochemical signatures. In recent research, phytoliths and starch grains are collected from surface samples and paired with geochemical signatures, floral inventories, and contemporary pollen signatures to construct environmental analogues of ancient environments. To study the modern environment, forest ecology uses repeated inventories of tree species in forest stands. These studies have shown how variable the old-growth forests of the area are in in space and in time. Forests range greatly in composition of tree species, tree stem density, number of tree species, and in rates of tree mortality, recruitment, and growth. This variation can be related to underlying variation in soil and slope, and patterns resulting from natural disturbance by flooding and wind. We give examples of synergy between the study of ancient and modern environments in the Maya region that demonstrate fruitful interactions between these disciplines for paleobotanists, ecologists, and archaeologists.
In addition to understanding humanity through material culture, the archaeological record also ha... more In addition to understanding humanity through material culture, the archaeological record also has the capacity to provide botanical data which provides insight to ancient environmental landscapes, climate patterns, and provides a baseline for agroeconomic systems and foodways. Studying archaeobotanical records is vital to a holistic interpretation of material culture and contributes to understanding degrees of variation between ecological and cultural areas. Together with archaeobotany, ethnobotanical survey can also offer valuable contextual evidence when studying past environments. Despite spatial and temporal discontinuities in plant-use and knowledge systems, ethnobotanical data viewed with a critical lens can also provide data missing from the archaeological record which is inherently not exhaustive and relies heavily on interpretation. Ethnobotanical and paleoethnobotanical research at the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP) includes ethnobotanical interviews conducted in the nearby town of San Felipe and archaeobotanical investigations at Structure 3 at the site of La Milpa. By combining a modern analogue of plant practices and knowledge systems via ethnobotanical survey, collecting plant specimens for an archaeobotanical reference library, collecting soil samples from new projects, and sampling artifacts for residues, archaeobotanical research at PfBAP continues to expand what we know about the ancient Maya in northwestern Belize.
We present macrobotanical, starch, and phytolith data from artifacts and sediments from Middle Fo... more We present macrobotanical, starch, and phytolith data from artifacts and sediments from Middle Formative La Blanca (1000-600 cal BC) and Late Formative El Ujuxte (600 cal BC-cal AD 115) in the Soconusco region in Guatemala. Potential economic plants identified included palm (cf. Arecaceae), two varieties of maize (Zea mays), guava (Psidium guajava), bean (Phaseolus), chili peppers (Capsicum), squash (Cucurbitaceae), custard apple (Annonaceae), coco plum (Chrysobalanaceae), lerén (Calathea), arrowroot (Maranta), and bird-of-paradise (Heliconia). The results suggest that control of food production and consumption was critical for the transition from complex chiefdoms during the Middle Formative to the archaic state in the Late Formative. The arrival of a more productive South American variety of maize at El Ujuxte (about 2549 BP) allowed elites to exploit an already existing broad-based economic system and to use the maize-based religious system to increase control over maize agricultural practices and maintain power through ideology and disciplinary power. These data suggest that the arrival of fully domesticated South American maize likely influenced the overall development of Mesoamerican state-level societies. Resumen Presentamos datos macrobotánicos, almidón y fitolitos de artefactos y sedimentos del Formativo Medio La Blanca (1000-600 cal aC) y Formativo Tardío El Ujuxte (600 cal aC-115 cal dC), región de Soconusco, Guatemala. Las posibles plantas económicas identificadas incluyen la palma (cf. Arecaceae), dos variedades de maíz (Zea mays), la guayaba (Psidium guajava), frijol (Phaseolus), chiles (Capsicum), calabaza (Cucurbitaceae), crema de manzana (Annonaceae), la ciruela de coco (Chrysobalanaceae), el lerén (Calathea), el arrurruz (Maranta) y el ave del paraíso (Heliconia). Los resultados demuestran que el control de la producción y el consumo de alimentos fueron fundamentales para la transición de los cacicazgos complejos durante el Formativo medio al estado arcaico en el Formativo tardío. La llegada de una variedad sudamericana de maíz más productiva a El Ujuxte (ca. 2549 AP) permitió a las élites explotar un sistema económico de base amplia ya existente y utilizar el sistema religioso basado en el maíz para aumentar el control sobre las prácticas agrícolas de maíz y mantener el poder mediante la ideología y el poder disciplinario. Estos datos sugieren que la llegada del maíz sudamericano totalmente domesticado influyó en el desarrollo general de las sociedades mesoamericanas estatales.
Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongo... more Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongolian Gobi Desert has been profoundly changing, punctuated by the appearance of lakes, wetlands, and finally aridification. Vegetation communities have responded to these changes according to temperature shifts and northward to southward movements of the edges of East Asian monsoonal systems. Human groups have lived, foraged, and traveled through the landscape of the Gobi for millennia, adapting their technologies and systems of plant and animal use with the dramatic changes of flora and fauna, and likely contributed to the character of the vegetation communities in the region today. Pastoral nomads living in semi-arid regions are sometimes implicated as contributors to desertification. However, our research at the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia has yielded geoarchaeological and phytolith data which show the opposite effect. Changing landscape and vegetation patterns from the Middle to Late Holocene suggest that early pastoralists might have contributed to a shift away from halophytic desert vegetation, and an increase in semi-arid desert-steppe grasses. We suggest that the halophytic succulents growing around saline ponds during the Mid-Holocene wet phase, were replaced by Stipa and other steppic grasses after pastoralists entered the region, increasing hillslope erosion which covered the saline sediments of the valley floor, and encouraged the growth of grass seeds carried in the dung of herd animals.
Starch grain analysis is a rapidly growing field of research in Southwest Asia and is beginning t... more Starch grain analysis is a rapidly growing field of research in Southwest Asia and is beginning to be applied to many different time periods. However, much work still remains regarding which taxa produce starch grains that can be identified archaeologically. In this paper, I centralize what is known about starch production patterns within regional flora and analyze 64 previously unstudied taxa from 22 families. The results of this study demonstrate that descriptions of starch grains from Southwest Asian taxa are scattered between archaeological and plant and food science publications. Ten of the species examined in this study, most of whom are grasses, produced starch grains that can be identified at varying taxonomic levels.
Early Archaic subsistence strategies of New England remain poorly understood despite their import... more Early Archaic subsistence strategies of New England remain poorly understood despite their importance in helping researchers understand how people adapt to changing landscapes following the end of the last glacial maximum (21,000-14,000 B.P.). Excavations at the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation in Mashantucket, Connecticut during the 1990s revealed a large, semi-sedentary village nestled alongside a complex wetland ecosystem. In this paper, we present preliminary starch grain analysis of several stone tools recovered and curated from these excavations. The results of this study indicate that both transitory and reserve starch grains are preserved on these artifacts and that at least one of the artifacts may have been used for leaf or stem processing. The results of this study also demonstrate the potential for future research in which paired macrobotanical and residue analysis will allow for a better understanding of subsistence practices at the site and during the early Archaic in g...
Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted... more Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted in the discovery of the earliest occurrence of an intentional cremation in the Near East directly dated to 7031-6700 cal BC (Pre-Pottery Neolithic C, also known as Final PPNB, which spans ca. 7100-6400 cal BC). The funerary treatment involved in situ cremation within a pyre-pit of a young adult individual who previously survived from a flint projectile injury. In this study we have used a multidisciplinary approach that integrates archaeothana-tology, spatial analysis, bioanthropology, zooarchaeology, soil micromorphological analysis, and phytolith identification in order to reconstruct the different stages and techniques involved in this ritual: cremation pit construction, selection of fuel, possible initial position of the corpse, potential associated items and funerary containers, fire management, post-cremation gesture and structure abandonment. The origins and development of cremation practices in the region are explored as well as their significance in terms of Northern-Southern Levantine connections during the transition between the 8th and 7th millennia BC. The bones are distributed throughout the bottom of the pit, partly superimposed one on the other to a thickness of 40 cm. However, the density of remains was not very marked except at the centre of the pit (Fig 6). If there was an apparent anatomical disorder at first glance, by looking at the details some interesting patterning could be observed. Cranial and mandibular fragments were found only in the southern half of the structure. Next to the south wall on the upper level, we found the base of the skull (mandible reversed and occipi-tal fragments); the rest of the cranial vault and face (frontal, maxillars, parietals and tempo-rals) were found slightly lower down at the centre of the pit. Conversely, the cervical vertebrae were dispersed out from the centre to the northern half of the pit. The thoracic column and some of the ribs were concentrated in the centre, roughly following a west-east direction. The lumbar vertebrae were found in the middle and against the southwestern wall PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted... more Renewed excavations at the Neolithic site of Beisamoun (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel) has resulted in the discovery of the earliest occurrence of an intentional cremation in the Near East directly dated to 7031-6700 cal BC (Pre-Pottery Neolithic C, also known as Final PPNB, which spans ca. 7100-6400 cal BC). The funerary treatment involved in situ cremation within a pyre-pit of a young adult individual who previously survived from a flint projectile injury. In this study we have used a multidisciplinary approach that integrates archaeothana-tology, spatial analysis, bioanthropology, zooarchaeology, soil micromorphological analysis, and phytolith identification in order to reconstruct the different stages and techniques involved in this ritual: cremation pit construction, selection of fuel, possible initial position of the corpse, potential associated items and funerary containers, fire management, post-cremation gesture and structure abandonment. The origins and development of cremation practices in the region are explored as well as their significance in terms of Northern-Southern Levantine connections during the transition between the 8th and 7th millennia BC. The bones are distributed throughout the bottom of the pit, partly superimposed one on the other to a thickness of 40 cm. However, the density of remains was not very marked except at the centre of the pit (Fig 6). If there was an apparent anatomical disorder at first glance, by looking at the details some interesting patterning could be observed. Cranial and mandibular fragments were found only in the southern half of the structure. Next to the south wall on the upper level, we found the base of the skull (mandible reversed and occipi-tal fragments); the rest of the cranial vault and face (frontal, maxillars, parietals and tempo-rals) were found slightly lower down at the centre of the pit. Conversely, the cervical vertebrae were dispersed out from the centre to the northern half of the pit. The thoracic column and some of the ribs were concentrated in the centre, roughly following a west-east direction. The lumbar vertebrae were found in the middle and against the southwestern wall PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongo... more Since the end of the Pleistocene some 11,700 years ago, the landscape and vegetation of the Mongolian Gobi Desert has been profoundly changing, punctuated by the appearance of lakes, wetlands, and finally aridification. Vegetation communities have responded to these changes according to temperature shifts and northward to southward movements of the edges of East Asian monsoonal systems. Human groups have lived, foraged, and traveled through the landscape of the Gobi for millennia, adapting their technologies and systems of plant and animal use with the dramatic changes of flora and fauna, and likely contributed to the character of the vegetation communities in the region today. Pastoral nomads living in semi-arid regions are sometimes implicated as contributors to desertification. However, our research at the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia has yielded geoarchaeological and phytolith data which show the opposite effect. Changing landscape and vegetation patterns from the Middle to Late Holocene suggest that early pastoralists might have contributed to a shift away from halophytic desert vegetation, and an increase in semi-arid desert-steppe grasses. We suggest that the halophytic succulents growing around saline ponds during the Mid-Holocene wet phase, were replaced by Stipa and other steppic grasses after pastoralists entered the region, increasing hillslope erosion which covered the saline sediments of the valley floor, and encouraged the growth of grass seeds carried in the dung of herd animals.
The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh ... more The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, over a period of five years, we identified a number of sites with dense surface artefact scatters and features that seem to represent this transition period. Evident in those concentrations are characteristic microblade cores, microblades, " thumbnail" flake scrapers, projectile points, ground stone tools, and stone features of unknown function. Between 2012 and 2014 we collected ground stone artefacts from four sites and sediment samples from three sites. With permission of Mongolian authorities, the artefacts from one site and sediment samples from three sites were sent for botanical analyses to the University of Texas, Austin, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that plant remains are present on the ground stone artefacts: dendritic long-cells from a deep pore of one artefact and starch grains from the pores of six of the seven artefacts. These data present the first opportunity to understand what resources " Neolithic " people were processing with ground stone tools in this area and further our opportunity to better understand the little-known " Neolithic "-Early Bronze Age transition period in Central Asia. This paper describes the ground stone artefacts and further explores the results of data retrieved from some of these artefacts.
The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh ... more The transition from the Mongolian Neolithic to the Bronze Age is not well understood. Within Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, over a period of five years, we identified a number of sites with dense surface artefact scatters and features that seem to represent this transition period. Evident in those concentrations are characteristic microblade cores, microblades, “thumbnail" flake scrapers, projectile points, ground stone tools, and stone features of unknown function. Between 2012 and 2014 we collected ground stone artefacts from four sites and sediment samples from three sites. With permission of Mongolian authorities, the artefacts from one site and sediment samples from three sites were sent for botanical analyses to the University of Texas, Austin, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that plant remains are present on the ground stone artefacts: dendritic long-cells from a deep pore of one artefact and starch grains from the pores of six of the seven artefacts. These data present the first opportunity to understand what resources “Neolithic” people were processing with ground stone tools in this area and further our opportunity to better understand the little-known “Neolithic”-Early Bronze Age transition period in Central Asia. This paper describes the ground stone artefacts and further explores the results of data retrieved from some of these artefacts.
This special issue examines new trends in phytolith scholarship and assesses the future direction... more This special issue examines new trends in phytolith scholarship and assesses the future direction of this field of research. The papers presented represent a broader shift in phytolith research into a new phase called the “Period of Expanding Applications”. It is characterized by 1) a rapid increase in the number of phytolith publications; 2) a diversification of research topics; 3) a reassessment of the use of radiocarbon and other isotopes in phytoliths; 4) the development of digital technologies for refining and sharing phytolith identifications; 5) renewed efforts for standardization of phytolith nomenclature and labora- tory protocol; and 6) the development of the field of applied phytolith research. This paper argues that interdisciplinary collaborations and a continued effort to understand the basics of phytolith production patterns are essential for the growth of the discipline and its application in archaeological studies.
Phytoliths are becoming an increasingly important tool in archaeological, forensic, paleontologic... more Phytoliths are becoming an increasingly important tool in archaeological, forensic, paleontological, and nanotechnological research. Deborah Pearsall has been a pioneer in emphasizing the importance of understanding phytolith production patterns and in discovering phytolith types that can be used to reconstruct various aspects of human/plant interactions. In this project, I analyzed 354 samples from 181 select non-grass species commonly encountered in Southwest Asian archaeological soils. Southwest Asia has played a pivotal role throughout history and prehistory due in large part to its geographic location at the intersection of Asia, Africa, and Europe. To date, the majority of phytolith research in this region has focused on understanding production patterns in plants commonly consumed by humans. This project was focused on understanding phytolith production patterns in non-grass, predominately weedy taxa. The results of this study have added to the growing body of knowledge surrounding phytolith production in general and helped to clarify what species do and do not produce phytoliths in Southwest Asia.
Over the past 40 years, phytolith analysis has become an integral part of archaeological and pala... more Over the past 40 years, phytolith analysis has become an integral part of archaeological and palaeoethnobotanical research and has helped shed new light on many important topics. Despite the proliferation of phytolith studies, many aspects of phytolith research and training remain unresolved. Some of the issues that will be discussed in this forum include: How, or should the protocol for processing comparative materials, soils, artifact residues, and dental calculus become standardized and simplified? With so few academic and professional positions available, how do we train the next generation of phytolith researchers even if the students do not have an advisor who specializes in phytolith analysis? Macrobotanical and palynological subdisciplines have published reference collections for different geographic regions. What steps can be taken to establish published regional comparative phytolith keys? Where is field is going? Researchers at various stages of their academic careers will offer their perspective on the problems they have encountered and provide insights into how archaeologists can move the discipline forward.
This paper discusses the preliminary analysis of phytoliths recovered from soil samples taken fro... more This paper discusses the preliminary analysis of phytoliths recovered from soil samples taken from the Ubaid period settlement of Tell Zeidan in northern Syria. Phytoliths recovered from contexts such as house floors, outdoor surfaces, and hearths are used to reconstruct subsistence practices and, when combined with geographic information systems data, allow for a spatial reconstruction of plant use across the site. These data document the ranges of plants being utilized during the Ubaid period and provide information on how these food products were being gathered and produced. The results of this analysis add to the growing body of knowledge surrounding subsistence strategies and the development of the Ubaid period in northern Mesopotamia
Survey artifacts are used by a variety of archaeologists studying any number of interesting topic... more Survey artifacts are used by a variety of archaeologists studying any number of interesting topics. The focus of this masters thesis is to test the usefulness of paleoethnobotanical remains found on artifacts recovered during archaeological survey and to study food consumption and production patterns in medieval England. Specifically phytolith and starch grain analysis was used to determine the level of environmental contamination on fieldwalking and excavated artifacts from the medieval period in the parish of Wicken, Northamptonshire, England. In addition, a comparative collection of phytolith and starch grains found in medieval foods and weeds was created. Particular emphasis was placed upon looking for wheat, barley, oats, rye, and legume phytoliths and starch grains. The usefulness and level of contamination was determined by comparing survey artifacts and surface soil samples from Wicken with non-contaminated excavated artifacts from nearby Wyton, Cambridgeshire. The microremains from the artifacts and soil samples were examined under a microscope using standardized processing and counting methods devised at the MU paleoethnobotany lab. In addition, the phytoliths and starch grains found in the soils and artifacts from Wicken and Wyton were compared to the medieval historical records for Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire so as to better understand human consumption patterns in medieval England. Finally, the residues from the survey artifacts will be used to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the manuring hypothesis proposed by R. Jones and the development of the open- field system.
The results of this study indicate that survey artifacts have undergone some degree of contamination because the phytoliths and starch grains found on the artifacts match those found in the surrounding soil. However, the results are inconclusive because the origins of the residues on the artifacts cannot be determined with absolute certainty. The historical record for medieval Northamptonshire does not match the microfossil record found at Glebe Cottage in Wicken, Northamptonshire. The historical record for Cambridgeshire does match the microfossil record found on the artifacts from Durley Cottage, Cambridgeshire. The end result illustrates that although the historical record can be used to interpret overall food production patterns in a region, subtle variations still exist as seen with the plant microfossil record. Unfortunately, because it could not be determined if the survey artifacts were contaminated by their environment, the manuring hypothesis could not be tested. An interesting side result of this study was to demonstrate that land use practices influence phytolith taphonomy and the overall phytolith assemblage. Soils that are constantly farmed and undergo bioturbation were found to have mostly broken and redundant phytolith types. Soils that did not undergo extreme bioturbation, such as those protected by a collapsed building, contained fragile and often diagnostic types.
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Papers by Thomas Hart
The results of this study indicate that survey artifacts have undergone some degree of contamination because the phytoliths and starch grains found on the artifacts match those found in the surrounding soil. However, the results are inconclusive because the origins of the residues on the artifacts cannot be determined with absolute certainty. The historical record for medieval Northamptonshire does not match the microfossil record found at Glebe Cottage in Wicken, Northamptonshire. The historical record for Cambridgeshire does match the microfossil record found on the artifacts from Durley Cottage, Cambridgeshire. The end result illustrates that although the historical record can be used to interpret overall food production patterns in a region, subtle variations still exist as seen with the plant microfossil record. Unfortunately, because it could not be determined if the survey artifacts were contaminated by their environment, the manuring hypothesis could not be tested. An interesting side result of this study was to demonstrate that land use practices influence phytolith taphonomy and the overall phytolith assemblage. Soils that are constantly farmed and undergo bioturbation were found to have mostly broken and redundant phytolith types. Soils that did not undergo extreme bioturbation, such as those protected by a collapsed building, contained fragile and often diagnostic types.