Microscopic Analysis of Starch Grains and its Applications in the Archaeology of the Stone Age (original) (raw)

2018, Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica. Natural Sciences in Archaeology

Archaeobotanical micro-residuals are today a major focus in artefactual and bioarchaeological investigations. Though starch grains analysis may be regarded as marginal, it can be a useful analysis for archaeological research, being a method suitable for the investigation of stone artefacts and ceramic vessels. Soil samples and dental calculus can also be examined. Through the use of various extraction methods it is possible to answer questions of diet composition and purpose of stone tool use. As documented in recent studies examining the composition of the human diet, starch grain research should be one of the main areas of archaeobotanical investigation. Its applicability can be seen in studies where it is useful to define the role of plants in human subsistence. New evidence of plant use in archaeological contexts in the Stone Age, beginning in the Palaeolithic and ending in the Neolithic, has been presented in recent papers. Current archaeological studies, including those using starch grain analyses, have particularly indicated the higher ratio of plants in the diet during the Palaeolithic period.