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Interpretation in Context: Sampling and Analysis in Paleoethnobotany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Heidi A. Lennstrom and
Christine A. Hastorf
Heidi A. Lennstrom
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI 96817
Christine A. Hastorf
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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Abstract

During the past 20 years the collection of samples for flotation and subsequent paleoethnobotanical analyses have flourished. At the same time, archaeologists have become increasingly concerned with both the physical and cultural contexts of material remains. With this in mind, we must critically examine the sampling schemes used in the field and laboratory. This article presents a method that can help archaeologists recover the most complete information needed to address both the physical and cultural context of archaeobotanical remains. By comparing flotation samples from features and adjacent locations, we demonstrate the need for systematic, comprehensive sampling and analytical procedures to delineate the chronological, stratigraphical, and cultural relationships between and among materials in adjacent areas.

La recolección de muestras de flotación y consiguiente análisis paleobotánico han florecido en los últimos 20 años. Al mismo tiempo, los arqueólogos se han tornado más preocupados con los contextos fisico y cultural de los restos materiales. Con esto en mente, necesitamos examinar criticamente los esquemas de muestreo usados en el campo y en el laboratorio. Este artículo presenta un método que ayuda a los arqueólogos a recuperar información completa necesaría para evaluar los contextos fisico y cultural de los restos arqueolígicos. A través de la comparación de muestras deflotación tomadas en rasgos y localidades adyacentes, demostramos que se necesita un procedimiento de muestreo sistemático, analítico, y comprensivo para delinear las relaciones cronológicas, estratigráficas y culturales entre materiales provenientes de áreas adyacentes.

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Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 60 , Issue 4 , October 1995, pp. 701 - 721
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1995

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