Microscopic Analysis of Starch Grains and its Applications in the Archaeology of the Stone Age

Kovárník, Jaromír; Beneš, Jaromír

doi:10.24916/iansa.2018.1.6

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Starch microremains are a suitable source of information about plant usage that can be detected directly from artefacts. This method can help refine the results from other kinds of analysis such as pollen, macroremains and phytolith analysis (Pearsal, 2015;Kovárník, Beneš, 2018). The observed data can supplement the information from some other area of knowledge.…”

Section: Habitatmentioning

confidence: 96%

An Archaeobotanical Onsite Approach to the Neolithic Settlements in Southern Regions of the Balkans: The Case of Vrbjanska Čuka, a Tell Site in Pelagonia, Republic of Macedonia

Beneš¹,

Наумов²,

Majerovičová³

et al. 2018

IANSA

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Introduction 1.1 Neolithic bioarchaeological knowledge from the Balkans in context Current bioarchaeological research over the last two decades has comprised archaeobotany, archaeozoology and biological anthropology (human bioarchaeology) and in a broader concept of bioarchaeology, as postulated by J. G. D. Clark already in the 1970s (Clark, 1973). In current research, this broader perspective of bioarchaeology has been adopted mostly by European scholars (e.g.

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Section: Habitatmentioning

confidence: 96%

An Archaeobotanical Onsite Approach to the Neolithic Settlements in Southern Regions of the Balkans: The Case of Vrbjanska Čuka, a Tell Site in Pelagonia, Republic of Macedonia

Beneš¹,

Наумов²,

Majerovičová³

et al. 2018

IANSA

Self Cite

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“…Starch-grain analysis studies have found organic residue preserved on stone tools (Harris, 2013;Piperno et al, 2004;Pryor et al, 2013) and in dental calculus (Henry et al, 2011;Pryor et al, 2013). These grains are plant microremains such as spores, pollen and phytoliths (Kovárník & Beneš, 2018). Starch grains are particularly significant because they can be found in all plants and are resistant to grinding and drying, can occasionally survive carbonisation (Cortella & Pochettino, 1994) and can thus provide a list of species used at an archaeological site (Messner et al, 2008).…”

Section: Biological Indicators Of Plant Manipulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data from Bilancino (Italy) and Dolní Věstonice (Czech Republic) supported evidence of advanced plant exploitation before the agricultural transition in Europe. In relation to the Mesolithic, starch-grain analysis made it possible to identify consumption of domestic cereals (Triticum monococcum, Triticum dicoccum, Hordeum distichon) before 8,550 BP in the Balkans (site of Vlasac) (Kovárník & Beneš, 2018).…”

Section: Biological Indicators Of Plant Manipulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Hunter-Gatherer Impact on Vegetation in Last Interglacial and Holocene Europe: Proxies and Challenges

Nikulina

MacDonald

Scherjon

et al. 2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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We review palaeoenvironmental proxies and combinations of these relevant for understanding hunter-gatherer niche construction activities in pre-agricultural Europe. Our approach consists of two steps: (1) identify the possible range of hunter-gatherer impacts on landscapes based on ethnographic studies; (2) evaluate proxies possibly reflecting these impacts for both the Eemian (Last Interglacial, Middle Palaeolithic) and the Early–Middle Holocene (Mesolithic). We found these paleoenvironmental proxies were not able to unequivocally establish clear-cut differences between specific anthropogenic, climatic and megafaunal impacts for either time period in this area. We discuss case studies for both periods and show that published evidence for Mesolithic manipulation of landscapes is based on the interpretation of comparable data as available for the Last Interglacial. If one applies the ‘Mesolithic’ interpretation schemes to the Neanderthal record, three common niche construction activities can be hypothesised: vegetation burning, plant manipulation and impact on animal species presence and abundance. Our review suggests that as strong a case can be made for a Neanderthal impact on landscapes as for anthropogenic landscape changes during the Mesolithic, even though the Neanderthal evidence comes from only one high-resolution site complex. Further research should include attempts (e.g. by means of modelling studies) to establish whether hunter-gatherer impact on landscapes played out at a local level only versus at a larger scale during both time periods, while we also need to obtain comparative data on the population sizes of Last Interglacial and Holocene hunter-gatherers, as these are usually inferred to have differed significantly.

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“…Starch grain research has been carried out throughout the world on different kinds of archaeological material, such as stone tools, residues on potsherds, dental calculus and the soil matrix. It has proved to be useful in answering questions about the ancient use of starchy food, as well as contributing to various insights on cultivation, domestication and past human diet (Loy 1994;Torrence and Barton 2006;Copeland and Hardy 2018;Kovárník and Benes 2018;among others). In recent years, particular emphasis has been placed on the need for this kind of study to give detailed descriptions of, firstly, the processes leading to formation of the archaeological context under study, as well as post-depositional processes that may have occurred and affected the starch deposits; secondly, actions undertaken to prevent contamination of archaeological samples with modern starch; and thirdly, the care that must be taken to consider all these factors when taxonomic identification is proposed (Mercader et al 2017(Mercader et al , 2018Copeland and Hardy 2018).…”

Section: Microbotanical Analysis Starch Grains and Potsherdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Starchy food residue on a potsherd from a late Holocene hunter-gatherer site in Argentine Patagonia: towards the visibility of wild underground storage organs

Ciampagna

Molares

Ladio

et al. 2021

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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The aim of this paper is to present recent advances in the microbotanical analyses of an organic residue on a potsherd from a late Holocene hunter-gatherer site in Argentine Patagonia, which is the first evidence of this kind for the processing of starchy food. Standard methods were carried out for starch grain recovery and morphometric analysis, care being taken in the prevention of cross-contamination and evaluation of post-depositional factors. Diagnostic features of the ancient starch grains recovered were compared against those from a list, available in the bibliography, of plants potentially processed in pottery, but no match was found. An anatomical and starch grain reference collection was established with three of the most frequently consumed traditional wild underground storage organs (USOs) of Patagonia, Alstroemeria aurea Graham, Tropaeolum porifolium Cav. and Diposis patagonica Skottsb., in order to compare these against the archaeobotanical record. We suggest that T. aff. porifolium (and probably also A. aff. aurea) were processed in the pot from which the sherd came, and discuss these results in terms of a better understanding of the role of wild USOs in subsistence and the possible cooking methods used in hunter-gatherer societies in Argentine Patagonia.

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Microscopic Analysis of Starch Grains and its Applications in the Archaeology of the Stone Age

Cited by 9 publications

References 55 publications

An Archaeobotanical Onsite Approach to the Neolithic Settlements in Southern Regions of the Balkans: The Case of Vrbjanska Čuka, a Tell Site in Pelagonia, Republic of Macedonia

An Archaeobotanical Onsite Approach to the Neolithic Settlements in Southern Regions of the Balkans: The Case of Vrbjanska Čuka, a Tell Site in Pelagonia, Republic of Macedonia

Tracking Hunter-Gatherer Impact on Vegetation in Last Interglacial and Holocene Europe: Proxies and Challenges

Starchy food residue on a potsherd from a late Holocene hunter-gatherer site in Argentine Patagonia: towards the visibility of wild underground storage organs

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