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Analysis main disciplines

Archaeobotany

The Archaeobotany is the discipline that studies the vegetables; obtain as paleoenvironmental data (vegetables groups evolution and climates evolution) as anthropics data (human action upon the vegetables and agricultural practices). The obtained information in this studies interest at the paleobotany in the way of evolution and diffusion of the plants and the paleoethnobotany human’s group’s relation with the vegetables elements.

This type of vegetables remains conserved in the archaeological sites it is ample: from microcopies elements, like pollens, as the elements in order of millimeters or centimeters, the same as seeds and charcoal. ArqueoLine offers four disciplines services that analyse this type of elements: the Charcoal analyses, Carpology, Palynology and the Phytoliths study.

• Anthrocology
• Carpology
• Palinology
• Phytoliths

Anthrocology

The Charcoal analyses are the analyses of the firewood charcoal recover in archaeological sites. The discipline objectives are on one hand, the knowledge of plants formation in the past and his diachronic evolution. In this way we can recognize the possible naturals or anthropics transformations. On the other hand have the objective of study the forest resources exploitation related with fuel exploitation, as wood using for the construction or tools fabrication.

The Charcoal analyses it is based in the taxonomy identification and the statistical treatment of charcoal recuperates in archaeological sites.

The charcoal recovery it is realized through a previous sifts of the sediment, followed of a manual selection. The sift systems depends of the sample type and the logistic capacity of each excavation, so we will use sift in dry or by water with manual flotation or machine or with water directly. It is important to use sifts of 0’4mm and/or 0’2mm for obtaining all the charcoal record.

For the identification we use an optical microscope of reflect light with in order to visualized the three anatomical planes of the wood. The anatomical characters observation allows identifying each fragment. The manuals consultation of comparative anatomy and reference charcoal collections of actual charcoal help to an optimal botany identification of trees and shrubs recuperates in the archaeological sites.

In exceptional cases about none carbonize wood the analyses process needs a previous preparation of thin plates with a microtome and the subsequent observation through the light transmitted microscope.

Identification process of anthrocologyc record

RECORD	PROBLEMATIC	TECHNIQUES	RESULTS
Charcoal or wood	Identification	Microscope observation	Identification, recount and paleoecological and paeloeconomy signification

Photographical series: charcoal analyses

1. 
   Objectives diagram of the Charcoal analyses
2. 
   Process image of sift by flotation and the sediment selection
3. 
   Identification process
4. 
   Light transmitted microscope with a prepare charcoal for the observation
5. 
   Anatomy image of an angiosperm (transversal plane of Acer sp.) and a coniferous (transversal plane of Juniperus sp.) through the Scanning Electron Microscope

Carpology

Cultivated and recollected plants have been used from the Prehistory for satisfied many basic necessities: eat (also the elaboration drinks), like fuel, for the textiles elaboration, tools, housings and medicines.

The paleoecology is the discipline of the Archaeoethnobotany that concentrates in the study of seeds and fruits and the human groups related with vegetal environment. Since this analyses we can determine or reconstruction the paleodiet, the subsistence patterns (like the agriculture development) and the seasonality grouping patterns. The investigation also is going towards the agricultural technique reconstruction, through the experimentation and the ethnobotany.

The vegetable remains conserve in exceptional conditions in the archaeological sites (preponderantly carbonized, although also mineralitzates). Because of this and his extremely fragility, it is necessary to apply a collect technique adequate for not destroy the sample in the collecting process.

For recuperate this vegetable remains we collect the sediment that proceed of the excavation (normally on the development of the field work). The sediment volume collected depends of the characteristics of each archaeological site, although an acceptable quantity it is 20 liters for each unity (by level, stratum, habitation…). The majority of buckets used in archaeological excavation come calibrates in liters.

Later on, we wash the used sediment in a flotation machine with water (allow treating great sand volumes in a fast way). The archaeobotany remains precipitate in an exterior column of different size sifts separating the different vegetable remains (wood charcoal and fruits in one way, seeds of cultivate plants and plants remains that go with cultivation in the other way).

After the samples are clean, we realize a selection for separate the identifiable remains. The identification it realize through binocular lens observation and with the assistance of reference charcoal collections and different special atlas.

Identification process of carpology record

RECORD	PROBLEMATIC	TECHNIQUES	RESULTS
Sediment with grains or/and seeds	Identification	Recovery by manual select Atlas and reference collection Binocular lens	Identification, recount and paleoecological and paeloeconomy signification

Photographical series: Carpology analyses

1. 
   Pouring of a sample in the flotation machine at the beginning of the wash process
2. 
   Sediment washing through the flotation machine
3. 
   Sediment with archaeobotany remains in wash process
4. 
   Dry of samples
5. 
   Identification remains through the binocular lens
6. 
   Detail identification remains through the binocular lens
7. 
   Triticum aestivum/durum remains (hard common wheat) coming from archaeological sites of the Bronze Age

Palinology

The palynological analyses allow the reconstruction of the landscape in the moment that the sediment was deposited. A whole of analyzed and sequenced samples allows knowing the paleoenvironmental evolution of the landscape, approaching us to the territorial use of a human establishment.

The Palynology also allows to date in a relative way the archaeological or/and geological deposits; characterize stratums an archaeological levels for his stratigraphic correlation inside an archaeological site; and obtain enough organic residuum for dating by 14C AMS.

From Mesolithic/Neolithic this analyses can discern the type of anthropic impact upon a certain territory or space (cattle activities, agriculture, mining…

landscape, climate and surroundings reconstruction with palinology

RECORD	PROBLEMATIC	TECHNIQUES	RESULTS
Sediment, limestone concretion, stalagmite, natural resin, recipient remains, etc.	Vegetable landscape reconstruction, paleonenviroment and paleoclimate Territory utilization (agriculture, cattle, etc.) Residuum securing for dating by 14C AMC	Assembly biological preparations Microscope observation Determination and recount	Palynological diagrams with inform

Photographical series: palynological analyses

1. 
   Samples collect in stratigraphic position of an archaeological site
2. 
   View in the laboratory of Palynology
3. 
   Washing and centrifuging of pollens samples
4. 
   Carbonates elimination of pollens samples
5. 
   Sediment sifting
6. 
   Test-tube equilibration
7. 
   Archaeopalynology diagram
8. 
   Paleobiological pollen diagram

PHYTOLITHS

The silica phytoliths accumulate inside and between the vegetables cells and in different parts of the plant through the silica that the plant takes from the floor. In some taxons we can differentiate the morphology at spices level (including plant parts), in others at family level and few of them do not produce phytoliths.

The phytoliths contrary to pollens have the advantage that, in normal conditions, tend to move in the space less or nothing after his removal. The phytoliths deposition in the floor it produces when the producer plant burns or decomposes. Near 2% the total weigh of the wood ash it is constituted by phytoliths, silica add and other elements. If it’s treating of grass, the quantity of present phytoliths in the ashes increases considerately. This conserve during long time periods in pH of soils less than 9, and always that the sample have been not incinerate at more than 900ºC (and so then we expect to find the remains of fuse silica).

Also we can recuperate it in the used tools (chert, hand mill, potteries, etc.) and in animals and humans teeth. Through his analyses we can do approximations of the fireside function, human diet, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, etc. In some cases we use in places which the ashes or seeds have been not conserving, for detect firesides or the agriculture incipient.

The sample preparation and the work protocol it is similar at Palynology (dissolution, centrifuging, sampling preparation for microscope, observation, recount, determination and inform with photography).

landscape, climate and surroundings reconstruction through fitology

RECORD	PROBLEMATIC	TECHNIQUES	RESULTS
Sediment, natural resin, recipient remains, etc…	Vegetable landscape reconstruction, paleonenviroment and paleoclimate Territory utilization (agriculture, cattle, etc.)	Assembly biological preparations Microscope observation Determination and recount	Palynological diagrams with inform

Bulliform phytolith

Silica skeleton of large echidnades cells