Published: 2018-01-01

Botanical research on the past - botanical sources

Maria Lityńska-Zając

Abstract

Botanical sources are all kinds of plant remains preserved in archaeological sites. Traditionally they are classifi ed into macroscopic and microscopic remains. The former group com-prises specimens visible to the naked eye or at low magnifi cation, e.g. fruits, seeds or vegetative parts. The second group are specimens visible only thanks to special equipment, among others, such as sporomorphs, starch grains, phytoliths or diatoms. These are remains of different species and parts of plants that have fossilized and survived in sediments. Their state of preservation depends on many factors, including the structure of plant organs and their resistance to destruc-tive forces as well as the deposition- and post-deposition-time factors infl uencing the deposit. The composition of the deposits preserved in archaeological layers and/or features is also dependent on humans and their past relations with plants. The highly anthropogenic character of plant remains and the context of fi nds are among the major factors that condition the interpretation of sources.

Keywords:

plant remains, state of preservations, taphonomy

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Lityńska-Zając, M. (2018). Botanical research on the past - botanical sources. Kwartalnik Historii Kultury Materialnej, 66(2), 189–198. Retrieved from https://journals.iaepan.pl/khkm/article/view/1007

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