Paleoethnobotany
Plants, People, and Archaeology. By Clarissa Cagnato.
  • Paleoethnobotany
  • Research
  • Macrobotanical Analysis
  • Starch Grain Analysis
  • Starch Grain Database
  • Resources
  • Publications
  • CV
  • Contact
  • Archaeology Blog

Tea drinking in China may be older than previously thought

7/13/2015

0 Comments

 
The discovery of roots belonging to a tea tree have pushed tea cultivation to possibly 6,000 years ago. It was previously thought that tea was first consumed about 3,000 years ago in China. The recovery of broken ceramics and evidence of manual digging around the roots––found at the site of Ningbo in the Zhejiang province–– suggest that the tea plants were purposefully planted by people. 
0 Comments

Ancient calculus yields fascinating information about past diet and pollution

6/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Plaque from 400,000 year old teeth recovered in Qesem Cave, Israel, has revealed fascinating information about the past. The dental plaque contained charcoal, which is considered evidence for indoor fires, and traces of essential fatty acids and starch suggest plants were also part of the diet. In addition, plant fibers that the investigators believe may be remnants of plants used to clean teeth, were also recovered during the analysis of the ancient teeth. 
0 Comments

Oldest basil pollen found in Japan

5/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Pollen grains, belonging to basil and approximately 1500 years old, have been recovered in Japan. The pollen was recovered from an important context--- possibly the ruins of Queen Himiko's home, although the exact location continues to be debated. The pollen recovered in Japan resembles closely to a species native to Southeast Asia (other basil species are native to India). 
0 Comments

Neanderthal Cooking and Flavorful Herbs

4/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Neanderthals living 50,000 ago in northern Spain apparently enjoyed flavoring their meats with herbs, namely chamomile and yarrow. While these plants are generally known for their medicinal properties, the authors of this new study, looking at previously studied dental calculus, suggest that they were likely added to flavor their food. Their argument is supported by observations of modern-day wild chimpanzees chewing on bitter herbs, among other things. 
0 Comments

Ancient terraces and canals: Investigating farming in the driest desert in the world

3/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Archaeologists are investigating how local populations 500 years farmed in one of the driest parts of the world, Chile's Atacama Desert.
0 Comments

ANNOUNCEMENT: Opportunity for Conservation Botany and Ethnography Field School in two Yucatec Mayan-speaking Villages, Yucatan, Mexico

1/19/2015

0 Comments

 
See below for an announcement regarding a field school opportunity for this summer. Please note I'm not in charge of this program, nor will I be there this summer.  For any information please contact the organizers directly. 

The Maya Research Program (MRP- www.mayaresearchprogram.org/)  and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT- www.brit.org) are hosting a Conservation Botany and Ethnography Field School in two Yucatec Mayan-speaking villages in Yucatán, Mexico July 17th to August 16th, 2015. The session will provide students (undergraduate and graduate levels) and participants with intensive field experiences in both conservation botany and ethnographic methods around ethnobotanical problems.  The faculty consists of a professional ethnobotanist, pharmacologist, medical and environmental anthropologist, human ecologist, and archaeologist, plus local experts in Maya plant ecology, Maya cosmology, Maya ritual as related to botany, and Maya culture, past and present.  Students will enhance their skills under realistic field conditions, learn to work in teams, explore the ethics of ethnobotanical research, and participate in service learning projects! In addition, students will experience home stays with community members and learn Spanish throughout the session, and visit famous archaeological sites. Space is limited so remember to apply early to ensure your spot in the course.

Link to website: https://sites.google.com/a/brit.org/conservation-field-school/home



0 Comments

Ash tonics for Roman Gladiators

10/24/2014

0 Comments

 
Gladiators consumed beans and grains, and supplemented their diet by drinking ash tonics, which provided minerals such as calcium. This study was carried out measuring various stable isotope levels from bones of gladiators dating to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The bones were excavated from Ephesos in modern-day Turkey; an important Roman city that once had a large population. 
0 Comments

Peach domestication

9/15/2014

0 Comments

 
The domestication of trees is a topic that interests archaeologists as it is not as well understood as the processes involving other crops. However, the discovery of ancient peach pits from the Yangtze Valley in China has shed some light on this long process which started 7500 years ago. By around 4,300 to 5300 years ago, the peaches started to look like the domesticated peaches currently produced and consumed. According to the researchers, ancient Chinese farmers used techniques such as grafting and vegetative reproduction to develop specific types of peaches. 


0 Comments

Paleo Escargot?

8/25/2014

0 Comments

 
Cave dwellers living in Spain about 30,000 years ago consumed snails, according to new research. Often hard to identify consumption of snails in the archaeological record, new evidence supports the notion that ancient people in this region were consuming one species of snail-- Iberus aloneness-- the same species used in modern-day paella. 
Moreover, the snails were collected and consumed when they were already adult, therefore, ensuring in a sustainable practice. It is clear that escargot is not a recent invention! 
0 Comments

Bone chemistry reveals King Richard III diet

8/18/2014

0 Comments

 
Archaeologists investigating the remains of King Richard III have obtained new data that elucidates the king's diet. According to isotope analyses, Richard III had a rich diet, which included wildfowl and fish. Moreover, he drank plenty of wine. Evidently, his meals were fit for a king. 
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Archaeology News

    Follow the latest discoveries from the world of archaeology, plants, and people. 

    Archives

    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agriculture
    Alcohol
    Ancient Maya
    Aztec
    Bronze Age
    Ceramics
    China
    Cosmetics
    Diet
    Disease
    Dna
    Dog
    Domestication
    Egypt
    Ethnobotany
    Europe
    Field School
    Fire
    Food
    Genome
    Harappa
    Hominin
    Inca
    Isotope
    Japan
    Mass Spectrometry
    Maya
    Medicine
    Neanderthal
    Neandethal
    Neolithic
    Olmec
    Orchid
    Organic Chemistry
    Osteology
    Patrimony
    Phytolith
    Pigment
    Pollen
    Polynesia
    Recipes
    Residue Analysis
    Ritual
    Shipwreck
    South America
    Starch
    Sweet Potato
    Teeth
    Teotihuacan
    Terraces
    Tobacco
    Trade
    Vikings
    Wine
    Zooarchaeology

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.