Paleoethnobotany: A Handbook of Procedures

Praise for the First Edition: "Pearsall is to be commended for producing a volume that will do much to positively affect future research in paleoethnobotany." --REVIEWS IN ANTHROPOLOGY "Every archaeologist planning to excavate a site needs to read Pearsall's section on sampling botanical remains before digging. . ." --AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST "Pearsall does an excellent job of raising and answering questions related to the "how to's" of paleoethnobotany. Her style is relaxed, yet informative, and in sections is similar to a conversation with the author." --AMERICAN ANTIQUITY This new edition of the definitive work on "doing paleoenthnobotany" follows the steady growth in the quantity and sophistication of paleoenthnobotanical research. It features a rewritten chapter on phytolith analysis and a new chapter, "Integrating Biological Data." It also includes new techiques, such as residue analysis, and new applications of old indicators, such as starch grains. An expanded examination of pollen analysis, more examples of environmental reconstruction, and a better balance of Old and New World examples increase the versatility of this holistic view of paleoethnobotany. Paleoenthnobotany, Second Edition presents the diverse approaches and techniques that anthropologists and botanists use to study human-plant interactions. It shows why anthropologists must identify plant remains and understand the ecology of human-plant interactions. Additionally, it demonstrates why botanists need to view the plant world from a cultural perspective and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the archaeological record.