Archaeobotany
Archaeobotany working group
Archaeobotany as a branch of archaeobiology is concerned with the study of plant remains, primarily from anthropogenic deposits from earlier periods. Together with the other disciplines at the IPNA, it is an important cornerstone in researching and reconstructing the economics and natural environment of past eras in human history. Archaeobotany also provides important information for the interpretation of archaeological structures.
Primarily, plant macro-remains are analyzed (seeds and fruits, wood, leaves, stems and other vegetative plant parts). Many of these finds can be identified to species level. In addition, micro-remains (pollen and spores) are also examined.
Introductory literature:
- Cappers, R.T.J. and Neef, R. (2012) Handbook of plant palaeoecology. Groningen Archaeological Studies. Groningen.
- Jacomet, S. and Kreuz, A. (1999) Archaeobotany. Stuttgart.
- Jacomet, S. (2013) Archaeobotany: analyses of plant remains from waterlogged archaeological sites. In: Menotti, F. and O'Sullivan, A. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of wetland archaeology. Oxford, 497-514.
- Pearsall, D.M. (2015) Paleoethnobotany: a handbook of procedures. Walnut Creek.
Cyclical courses:
- Lecture "Introduction to Archaeobotany": takes place every four semesters, provides an overview of the entire subject area.
- Practical course "Determination of plant remains (seeds and fruits) from anthropogenic and natural deposits": Familiarization with the most important archaeobotanical finds; every spring semester.
- "Archaeobiological field course": one-week course held every year; practical application of the disciplines taught at the IPNA.
- Internship "Determination, data collection, evaluation and interpretation of botanical macroremains from excavations": One-week course at Master's level; staff work with material from an actual site.
As we are currently the only research group in Switzerland, we examine material from all parts of the country. Individual projects also involve excavations abroad (France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Egypt). The samples come from all archaeological periods, although the very early periods (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic) and the modern era are clearly underrepresented. The range of topics is extremely broad; current focal areas are the layers of Neolithic lakeside settlements and their genesis, Metal Age settlement structures, Roman cremation graves and medieval features.
Kontakt Archäobotanik
Staff
Assoziierte und ehemalige Mitarbeitende
| Name | Funktion | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Christoph Brombacher | Freier wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter | ||
| Giovanni Di Stefano | ehem. technischer Mitarbeiter | ||
| Dr. Annekäthi Heitz | Freie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | annekaethi.heitz-at-unibas.ch | |
| Prof. Dr. Stefanie Jacomet | Freie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | ||
| Dr. Lucie Martin | Freie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | lucie.martin-at-unige.ch | |
| Dr. Angela Schlumbaum | Freie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | ||
| Dr. Lucia Wick | Freie wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin | lucia.wick-at-unibas.ch |
Projects not in the database
No further projects at present.
Samples for archaeobotanical investigations are usually taken by the co-workers on the excavations, ideally in consultation with the IPNA specialists. Samples are prepared at the IPNA or by personnel trained by us in the cantons. The identification and analysis of the finds requires a great deal of experience.
Sampling in the field
Sample preparation
The samples are mixed with water and, if the sediment is compact, frozen and thawed. Organic and inorganic components are separated by careful semi-flotation. The separation by sieves into size classes facilitates the read-out.
- Guide to the construction of a slurry station
- Guide to sludging the samples
Determination of plant remains
Selection and identification is carried out using a stereo magnifier (binocular), with magnifications between 6x and 50x. An extensive comparative collection of modern seeds and fruits as well as special literature is provided at the IPNA for identification.
Evaluation according to the archaeological questions
The results are recorded in the ArboDat database. The evaluation is based on the archaeological questions.
Quick Links
Social Media