ANTHR 3042 - Paleoethnobotany

(crosslisted) ARKEO 3042
(PBSS-AS, BIO-AS)

Spring. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Co-meets with ANTHR 6042/ARKEO 6042.

M. Dedrick.

This course will prepare students to identify, analyze, and interpret plant remains gathered from archaeological sites. We will build a conceptual framework to explain how human behavior relates to plant patterning, drawing on case studies from around the world. Through hands-on laboratory activities, we will study aspects of plant anatomy and explore methods for the sampling and identification of plant remains, including charred seeds and wood, phytoliths, starch grains, and pollen. We will analyze paleoethnobotanical datasets using database and statistical programs to present evidence in varying formats. Final projects will involve the first-hand study of plant remains sampled from archaeological sites.