What does a Archaeobotanist do?

What does a Archaeobotanist do?

Archaeobotanists, or paleoethnobotanists, are archaeologists that specialize in the analysis of plant, or floral, remains and the historical relationships between plants and people. Archaeobotanists have made invaluable contributions to our understanding of past societies.

What is the meaning of Archaeobotanist?

/ (ˌɑːkɪəʊˈbɒtənɪ) / noun. the analysis and interpretation of plant remains found at archaeological sites.

Who is known as Archaeobotanist?

Archaeobotanists or paleoethnobotanists are scholars or practitioners of archaeobotany (paleoethnobotany), a sub-discipline of archaeology concerned with plant remains.

What is Archaeobotanical evidence?

It focuses on the study of preserved plant evidence from archaeological sites and the reconstruction and interpretation of past human-plant relationships. The term “archaeobotany” emphasizes the archaeological nature of the evidence, with its recognition of site formation processes and sampling issues.

What are Phytoliths used for?

Phytoliths are very robust, and are useful in archaeology because they can help to reconstruct the plants present at a site when the rest of the plant parts have been burned up or dissolved.

How do you become a Paleoethnobotanist?

High School students need to study a range of social subjects and geoscience for acceptance onto an archeology degree. Ideally, they should study history and geography. They will also require at least one of the hard sciences. Biology would be ideal for the ethnobotany side of the role.

What is Ethnoarchaeology How does it help the study of history?

Ethnoarchaeology is the ethnographic study of peoples for archaeological reasons, usually through the study of the material remains of a society (see David & Kramer 2001). Ethnoarchaeology aids archaeologists in reconstructing ancient lifeways by studying the material and non-material traditions of modern societies.

Who are archaeo zoologists?

Zoo-archaeology (or archaeo-zoology), also known as faunal analysis, is a branch of archaeology that studies remains of animals from archaeological sites. Faunal remains are the items left behind when an animal dies. These include bones, shells, hair, chitin, scales, hides, proteins and DNA.

How are phytoliths formed?

Phytoliths form through the biomineralization of silica that plants take up from the soil, and which is deposited within different intracellular and extracellular structures of the plant. Phytoliths come in varying shapes and sizes and, due to their inorganic nature, they persist after the decay of the plant.

Are phytoliths a type of Microfossil?

Background: Opal phytoliths (microscopic silica bodies produced in and between the cells of many plants) are a very resilient, often preserved type of plant microfossil.

Is paleobotany different from Paleoethnobotany?

For those who differentiate the terms, they usually mean the following: Archaeobotany focuses on recovery and botanical identifications. Paleoethnobotany focuses on the archaeological interpretation of the relationship between people and plants.

What is the goal of Ethnoarchaeology?

Ethnoarchaeology aids archaeologists in reconstructing ancient lifeways by studying the material and non-material traditions of modern societies. Ethnoarchaeology also aids in the understanding of the way an object was made and the purpose of what it is being used for.