Studying ancient plants to understand the past

Archaeobotanical methods

Archaeobotany is the study of plants in archaeological contexts. Plant remains are typically divided into two classes:

  • macrobotanical (visible with the naked eye, such as seeds and charcoal)

  • microbotanical (visible with aid of a microscope, such as starch grains, phytoliths, and pollen).

Phytoliths at Aventura

An example of the range of variation in phytolith types found in samples from a water feature at Aventura.

To study water at Aventura, I utilized phytolith analysis for environmental reconstruction. Phytoliths are microscopic pieces of silica that form in some plant species. When plants take up ground water through their roots, they take up minerals, including silica. Silica is then deposited in inter- and intracellular spaces in the plants. Since they do not decompose, they preserve excellently in archaeological contexts. By examining their general shape and morphology, they can be identified to the family, genus, or sometimes even species level.

I analyzed soil samples from water features at Aventura and found that in the past, there was more water present on the landscape. This complements oral histories that indicate prior to deforestation and the introduction of sugar cane in the area, water was held year-round in low-lying areas known as bajos.

Ancient fiber research

Images of microfibers and associated hair and epidermal cells. Modified from Figure 3 in Liu et al. 2023 (see publications page).

At the Stanford Archaeological Science lab, I have been collaborating on an ancient fiber research project. This project has demonstrated that microfibers preserve in archaeological contexts, and they can be identified to the genus and species level. This research is important because textiles do not typically preserve in archaeological contexts. However, by analyzing microfibers from artifact residues of artifacts used to process fibers to make textiles, we can learn more about ancient textile technology. Find a link to this paper on my publications page!