Topics for Analysis
Macrofossils/microfossils
a fossil large enough to be seen and studied without a microscope, representing the preserved remains of organisms like plants or animals, or even the evidence of their activities such as tracks
What does archaeobotany study?
Study of ancient plant remains
What type of plant remains were found in the burned Ubaid house at Kenan Tepe?
Charred barley and lentils
Name one cereal commonly grown during the Ubaid period.
Barley
What is the “Mediterranean Triad”?
Grapes, olives, barley
natural mold of root systems preserved in the ground, often revealing where plants once grew even if the plants themselves are long gone.
What is flotation used for in archaeobotany?
Separating charred plant material from soil
What does finding rachis fragments in an outdoor courtyard suggest?
Outdoor threshing or crop processing
What does the presence of lentils alongside barley tell us about diet?
Balanced diet and soil rotation
What are two cultural uses of plants besides eating?
Medicine, ritual, symbolism
Coprolites
mineralized remains of excrement, often preserved through drying, desiccation, or mineral replacement.
When did archaeobotany begin to emerge as a scientific field?
Post–WWII, mid-20th century
Why is the Kenan Tepe house considered a “snapshot in time”?
Sudden fire preserved everything in place
What evidence shows that farming at Kenan Tepe was household-based?
Storage and processing within homes
How might a plant like barley symbolize identity or tradition?
Staple crops tied to cultural identity
Phytoliths
microscopic silica bodies deposited in plant tissues that can survive long after the plant itself decays.
How did archaeobotany shift from cataloging species to interpreting social life?
Began interpreting plants in social/economic contexts
How do plant remains help identify “activity areas” in Ubaid houses?
Distribution shows food prep, storage, disposal zones
What clues show cooperation among Ubaid households in farming?
Shared outdoor winnowing/threshing spaces
How can art or texts support archaeobotanical data?
They give context and meaning to finds
Iconograph and textual sources
images or visual representations of plants found in art: wall paintings, carvings, pottery decorations, mosaics, or reliefs.
They show how plants were depicted, used, or symbolized in ancient cultures (e.g., wheat sheaves in temple art, olive branches in ritual scenes).
Why is collaboration between archaeologists and botanists essential?
Because context and lab data = full picture of human behavior
What do different plant distributions inside vs. outside houses reveal about social structure?
Reflects household autonomy and shared labor
How does archaeobotany reveal early irrigation or environmental management?
Reed pollen + water plants = irrigation evidence
How does archaeobotany help bridge economic and symbolic views of plants?
Combines economy and ideology; plants as both food and culture