
































New Outlooks in Paleoethnobotany 

Review by Angelina Perrotti 

Method and Theory in Paleoethnobotany 

by John M. Marston, Jade d’Alpoim Guedes and Christina Warinner (eds) 

University Press of Colorado, 2014

Method and Theory in  Paleoethnobotany is  an excellent  volume that  is  the first  of  its  kind to  be

published in  over 25 years.  The editors  sought  to  complement  the existing body of  literature (i.e.

Hastorf  and  Popper  1988;  Pearsall  1989,  2000),  rather  than  compile  a  replacement  reference  by

discussing topics that have been adequately discussed in previous publications. Instead, John Marston,

Jade d’Alpoim Guedes and Christina Warinner discuss technological advancements, such as DNA and

isotopes and apply postprocessual theory to paleoethnobotanical data. The various contributors also

emphasize formation processes in paleoethnobotany (used synonymously with archaeobotany).

The  first  section,  “Formation  Processes,”  includes  three  chapters  that  provide  excellent

overviews of  formation processes  of  macrobotanicals,  starch  granules,  pollen and phytoliths.  Both

Daphne E.  Gallagher’s  chapter  on formation  processes  of  the  macrobotanical  record  and Deborah

Pearsall’s chapter on taphonomy of pollen and phytoliths provide clear, concise reviews on the topics.

Pearsall  compares and contrasts  the formation processes, sampling techniques and identification of

pollen versus phytholiths, which is sure to be helpful to many readers. Amanda Henry’s chapter on the

formation and taphonomic processes affecting starch granules presents information on a newer line of

microbotanical  evidence.  Henry  discusses  formation  of  the  starch  record,  and  elaborates  on  the

applications of starch analysis. Not only can starch granules represent the ancient plants from which

they  were  produced,  activities  such  as  cooking,  sprouting  and  grinding  can  be  evidenced  by  the

morphology of the granules. Henry also discusses the susceptibility of starch analysis to contamination,

which may minimize just how problematic contamination can be, given the pervasiveness of modern



starches (Laurence et al. 2011).

The second section, “Recovery, Identification and Data Management,” is primarily focused on

macrobotanical  analysis,  and  contains  concise  overviews  of  the  paleoethnobotanical  process  from

sampling, onto processing and recovery, followed by laboratory analysis and identification. d’Alpoim

Guedes  and  Robert  Spengler  head  up  this  section  with  a  discussion  of  sampling  strategies.  They

emphasize blanket sampling and encourage collecting large samples to allow for additional analyses

such  as  soil  micromorphology.  Chantel  White  and  China  Shelton  proceed  with  a  chapter  about

recovering macrobotanical  remains in field.  This is  an abbreviated set  of instructions for someone

interested in how flotation works, though anyone looking to construct a flotation system would find

more  details  in  Pearsall’s  (1989,  2000)  manual.  A chapter  by  Gayle  Fritz  and  Mark  Nesbitt  on

laboratory analysis and identification of plant remains follows and covers analysis after recovery in the

field. Last, a chapter about digitizing the archaeobotanical record by Warinner and d’Alpoim Guedes

discusses advances in digital forums to store and share data.

Section three, “Quantification and Analysis,” provides an easily comprehensible guide to what

kinds  of  statistics  can  be  used  in  archaeobotany,  and which  are  most  commonly  used  today.  The

material covered in the section begins with an explanation of commonly used simple statistics such as

ratios and concentration values. It is followed by a discussion from Alexia Smith about the uses of

multivariate  statistics,  including  identifying  plant  remains  and  understanding  spatial  distributions

within  a  site.  Next,  a  chapter  by  Amber  VanDerwarker  et  al.  discusses  the  analysis  of  intrasite

variability. This section is concluded by a discussion by Chris Stevens about intersite variation within

charred plant remains. These chapters are a great place to start for someone who is trying to review

statistics or is new to statistical analysis, as each chapter presents case studies to help clarify concepts.

The fourth section “The Integration of Paleoethnobotanical Data,” focuses on interdisciplinary

approaches in paleoethnobotanical research. The first chapter in the section by Timothy Messner and

Gary Stinchcomb urges collaboration between geomorphology, paleoclimatology and sociology to aid

in  interpreting  paleoethnobotanical  remains.  The  authors  also  emphasize  the  applications  of

paleoethnobotany  to  environmental  science  today.  A chapter  about  isotopes  by  Christina  Warinner

follows and provides an explanation of the proxy and its uses. The subsequent chapter by Nathan Wales

et al. discusses the use of ancient biomolecules (aDNA, RNA etc.) in paleoethnobotany. This chapter

reviews  formation  and  taphonomy  of  an  aDNA  record  and  would  be  very  helpful  to  many

archaeologists, as it explains the differences between plant, animal and human DNA. The last chapter

in the section, by Jesse Casana, gives a history of aerial imaging in the discovery and mapping of

archaeological sites and outlines of the benefits and drawbacks of different techniques, ranging from



aerial photography to LIDAR.

The  final  section,  “Interpretation,”  includes  three  chapters  on  theory  behind  interpreting

paleoethnobotanical  data.  The  first  chapter  by  Kristen  Gremillion  seeks  to  clear  up  some

misconceptions that many paleoethnobotanists have about Human Behavioral Ecology. Though she

does not “mount a full-fledged defense of HBE” (p.341), she gives a fair assessment of the strengths

and weaknesses of this theoretical perspective. Gremillion stresses the value of models, claiming that

they are intentionally simplified, and when they fail to make accurate predictions, one can examine the

points at which they are vulnerable, “revealing unexpected relationships or raise new questions to be

pursued” (p.342). She also discusses various models rooted in human behavioral ecology and how they

relate to paleoethnobotanical inquiries such as plant husbandry and decisions surrounding crop choice

and processing methods. Next is a chapter that discusses documenting human niche construction in the

archaeological  record  by  Bruce  Smith.  He  outlines  difficulties  identifying  this  behavior  in  the

archaeological record, including teasing apart anthropogenic and climatic disturbances in an ancient

landscape, such as the appearance of more fruit and nut bearing trees or fires. Last, a chapter by Shanti

Morell-Hart,  adopts  a  unique  approach,  applying  linguistic  models  to  the  interpretation  of

paleoethnobotanical material. Morell-Hart does an excellent job of explaining how she takes material

remains and places them in the sociological setting of the every day lives of the ancient people who

used them.

Overall,  this  book  is  an  excellent  volume  that  accomplishes  its  goal  of  complementing

previously  published  paleoethnobotany  manuals  (Hastorf  and  Popper  1988;  Pearsall  1989,  2000).

However, given the current curation crisis (see Manquardt et al. 1982), it is disappointing to see that a

discussion  of  curation  was  not  included.  A dialogue about  conservation  practices  of  these  fragile,

perishable  materials  would  have  been  appreciated.  Additionally,  a  discussion  about  designing  a

collections based paleoethnobotanical project would have been valuable, given the existence of ample

paleoethnobotanical material that remains under analyzed or unanalyzed, gathering dust in storage.

Despite this flaw, Method and Theory in Paleoethnobotany will surely become a staple on any

paleoethnobotanist’s bookshelf as it addresses new topics that are more relevant today than ever, such

as technological advances and current theoretical approaches. In addition to providing an excellent

starting  point  for  any  novice  or  seasoned  paleoethnobotanist,  this  volume  would  be  an  excellent

selection for a graduate seminar on paleoethnobotany. While Pearsall’s Paleoethnobotany (1989, 2000)

is an irreplaceable reference for anyone looking to perform a paleoethobotanical analysis, students may

find it  too detailed for a  seminar  or classroom. Method and Theory in  Paleoethnobotany provides

discussions of history, methodologies, current theoretical perspectives and case studies that are tied



together by an extensive bibliography to allow for further in depth exploration of a particular topic by

an  interested  student.  The  chapters  within  this  volume  are  in  a  logical  order  and  consider  the

paleoethnobotanical process from the first steps of developing a research design through interpretation

of data. Though this volume will certainly become a fixture for paleoethnobotanists, any archaeologist

will find it a valuable reference for understanding plant use by ancient humans.

References Cited

Hastorf, Christine A., and Virginia S. Popper, eds.

1988. Current Paleoethnobotany: Analytical Methods and Cultural Interpretations of Archaeological

Plant Remains. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Laurence, Andrew R., Alston Thoms, Vaughn M. Bryant, and Cassandra McDonough

2011.  “Airborne  Starch  Granules  as  a  Potential  Contamination  Source  at  Archaeological  Sites.”

Journal of Ethnobiology 31(2):213-232. Accessed July 17, 2015. DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-31.2.213

Manquardt, William H., Anta Montet-White, and Sandra C. Sholtz

1982. “Resolving the Crisis in Archaeological Collections Curation.” American Antiquity 47(2):409-

418.

Pearsall, Deborah M.

1989. Paleoethnobotany: A Handbook of Procedures. 1st ed. San Diego: Academic Press.

Pearsall, Deborah M.

2000. Paleoethnobotany: A Handbook of Procedures. 2nd ed. San Diego: Academic Press.

Angelina Perrotti is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University. Her

current  research  includes  the  application  of  coprophilous  fungi  to  archaeology  and  terminal-

Pleistocene  extinctions  and  environmental  change  in  the  Southeastern  United  States.  She  is  also

interested in the application of electron microscopy to archaeology.

© 2015 Angelina Perrotti


