Phytolith Recovery from Native American Woodland Ceramics Utilizing a Heavy Liquid Technique

Presentation Type

Oral and/or Visual Presentation

Presenter Major(s)

Anthropology

Mentor Information

Elizabeth Arnold, Janet Brashler, Mark Schwartz

Department

Anthropology

Location

Kirkhof Center 2216

Start Date

10-4-2013 12:00 AM

End Date

10-4-2013 12:00 AM

Keywords

Culture, Environment, Physical Science, U.S. Diversity

Abstract

A pilot study of starch and phytolith recovery techniques was carried out by two students (Kayla Hurd, Emily Teall) and three professors from the Anthropology Department (Elizabeth Arnold, Mark Schwartz, and Janet Brashler). Phytoliths are silica bodies that are deposited in the cells of living plants, and survive their parent plants; phytolith morphology reveals the type of parent plant. Phytolith extraction was carried out on residue removed from pottery sherds. The pottery was collected during GVSU archaeological excavations at a the Middle Woodland site of Prison Farm (2 sherds, c. 10 BCE - 80 CE), the Early Late Woodland site of Zemaitis (4 sherds, c. 500-700 CE), and the Late Woodland site of South Flats (1 sherd, c. 1400 CE). Additional research materials from the site of Hibermerdon Tepe in southeastern Turkey (c. 2000-1500 BCE) were analyzed for comparative purposes. The phytoliths revealed information about subsistence that will be discussed in this presentation.

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Apr 10th, 12:00 AM Apr 10th, 12:00 AM

Phytolith Recovery from Native American Woodland Ceramics Utilizing a Heavy Liquid Technique

Kirkhof Center 2216

A pilot study of starch and phytolith recovery techniques was carried out by two students (Kayla Hurd, Emily Teall) and three professors from the Anthropology Department (Elizabeth Arnold, Mark Schwartz, and Janet Brashler). Phytoliths are silica bodies that are deposited in the cells of living plants, and survive their parent plants; phytolith morphology reveals the type of parent plant. Phytolith extraction was carried out on residue removed from pottery sherds. The pottery was collected during GVSU archaeological excavations at a the Middle Woodland site of Prison Farm (2 sherds, c. 10 BCE - 80 CE), the Early Late Woodland site of Zemaitis (4 sherds, c. 500-700 CE), and the Late Woodland site of South Flats (1 sherd, c. 1400 CE). Additional research materials from the site of Hibermerdon Tepe in southeastern Turkey (c. 2000-1500 BCE) were analyzed for comparative purposes. The phytoliths revealed information about subsistence that will be discussed in this presentation.