Phytoliths as a tool for investigations of agricultural origins and dispersals around the world (original) (raw)
Related papers
2020
Out WA 2020. In: Müller, J. Ricci, A. (Eds), Past Societies. Human Development in Landscapes. Leiden, Sidestone Press, pp. 37-50. While identification criteria based on pollen, macro-remains (such as fruits) or chaff phytoliths, all originating from the flowering parts of plants, are available for various cereal crops that are of major economic importance in the world, identification criteria for the leaves of these crops, based on remains that can be recovered from the archaeological record, are very scarce. The development of relevant identification criteria can improve the visibility and understanding of crop by-products consisting of leaves in the archaeological record. This contribution provides an overview of a line of research concerning the development of phytolith-based identification criteria to distinguish between leaf phytoliths of broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, pearl millet and sorghum – four crops that have been of significant importance since prehistory.
Issues and directions in phytolith analysis
This special issue examines new trends in phytolith scholarship and assesses the future direction of this field of research. The papers presented represent a broader shift in phytolith research into a new phase called the “Period of Expanding Applications”. It is characterized by 1) a rapid increase in the number of phytolith publications; 2) a diversification of research topics; 3) a reassessment of the use of radiocarbon and other isotopes in phytoliths; 4) the development of digital technologies for refining and sharing phytolith identifications; 5) renewed efforts for standardization of phytolith nomenclature and labora- tory protocol; and 6) the development of the field of applied phytolith research. This paper argues that interdisciplinary collaborations and a continued effort to understand the basics of phytolith production patterns are essential for the growth of the discipline and its application in archaeological studies.
Plant Genetic Resources, 2008
The potential for the phylogeographical analysis of cereal landraces to determine the initial patterns of agricultural spread through Europe is discussed in relation to two of the first cereals to be domesticated, emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). Extant landraces available from germplasm collections have a patchy distribution, largely being confined to regions of rugged upland topography, and the phylogeographical patterns observed may be due to 'overstamping' by more recent crop movements. Phylogeographical studies of non-viable historical landrace material held in herbarium and old seed collections and found in historical buildings have the potential to fill in the gaps in time and space. We explore the importance of precise geographical provenance and the limitations of this in extant and historical material. Additionally, we consider the effect of various chemicals and the preservation of DNA in the historical material.
Quaternary International, 2019
In Micronesia, and more broadly in the Pacific Islands, human-introduced plants, especially vegetatively-propagated root/tuber and tree crops, form a large part of local diets. Archaeobotanists working in the region often employ phytolith analysis to understand the landscapes these plants help create, the role that they play in human migration and settlement, and socio-cultural aspects of food production systems. However, to more fully understand the benefits and limitations of this method, it is necessary to develop and analyze regional, archaeologically oriented phytolith reference collections, as has been done in other regions of the world. This paper presents an analysis of one such reference collection to more fully understand the potential and limitations of phytolith analysis in the archaeology of the Pacific Islands, specifically oriented towards the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia. In this analysis, 77 plant taxa were processed, individual phytolith morphologies were recorded, and plants and plant parts were categorized according to phytolith production. Results confirm that phytoliths in the taxa of this region are abundant and specific, and can be used for both understanding landscape use and the function of artifacts and features. However, there are some notable limitations that may be specific to the Pacific region and the crops that grow here.
PALAEOASSOCIA as a methodological tool for phytosociological analyses is further developed
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2023
y interplay, or sociology, between plant species. The spatial manifestation and co-occurrence of plant species is known as vegetation. A basic understanding of vegetation is often acquired by grouping species in 'ecological groups' based on individual labelling of species such as, for example, 'arable weed', 'grassland species', or 'ruderal' (e.g. Arnolds and van der Maarel 1979). Another approach is phytosociology, the study of plant communities (syntaxa). Plant communities are defined on the basis of field observations of co-occurrence of species. Although substantial variation in field methods and research density exists, numerous systematic vegetation recordings (relevés) are available in most countries (Schaminée et al. 1995a). In the Netherlands, this adds up to more than 600,000 at present. The ASSOCIA software package (van Tongeren et al. 2008) assigns plots from field observations to pre-defined and well-established plant communities. Schepers et al. (2013) developed a method to divide an archaeobotanical sample into overlapping species groups. PALAEOASSO-CIA more or less treats archaeobotanical datasets as modern plots. A major challenge to overcome is the fact that the vast majority of archaeobotanical assemblages contain plant species from various environmental origins. Essentially, what the method aspires to, is to split this environmental mixture Communicated by M. Ptáková.
2007
The phytolith record from archaeological strata is a powerful tool for reconstructing aspects of past human behaviour and ecology. Considerable insights into the problems and potentials of this record can be obtained by studying phytoliths in modern plants. We prepared a phytolith reference collection of modern plants mostly from northern Greece that includes quantitative information on phytolith concentrations (number of phytoliths per gram dry organic material) and morphological assemblages. Here we analyse this reference collection with the aim of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the archaeological phytolith record. The reference collection comprises 62 different plant taxa. Of them, 28 are trees, 1 conifer, 10 shrubs and 1 herb, 3 domesticated annual legumes and 19 monocotyledons. We demonstrate quantitatively the extent to which woody species, legumes and fruits of dicots contribute only small amounts of phytoliths to the sediments per unit tissue dry weight, while leaves of trees and shrubs produce significant amounts of phytoliths and grasses are prolific phytolith producers. We compare the data of this reference collection with a similar reference collection from another Mediterranean ecosystem (Israel). The comparison indicates that some aspects of phytolith production are probably genetically controlled, whereas others are environmentally controlled. We note that despite the fact that woody species produce few phytoliths per gram of tissue, their record can be most informative when taking into account other properties of the sediments. We also note that jigsaw puzzle-shaped phytoliths normally form in plants that grow in humid conditions, but may form in arid environments when the plants are irrigated. This study clearly shows the extent to which some plants can be under-represented and others over-represented in the phytolith record. Knowing the extent of this bias can greatly improve our interpretation of the phytolith record.