What is archaeobotany?

Archaeobotany, also known as Paleoethnobotany, is the study of the relationship between humans and plants in the past. As a discipline with firm roots in the practice of ethnobotany, it places great emphasis on the social and cultural dimensions of plant use through time. Since the 1930s, archaeologists have recognized the wealth of information that can be gleaned from a careful examination of plant data.

Seeking to go beyond taxa lists, archaeobotanists answer meaningful, overarching questions covering everything from domestication and agricultural intensification to meaning and identity. To fittingly address these inquiries, methodologies that are rigorous, justifiable, systematic and—above all else—generate solid, representative data are crucial and foundational to archaeobotanical research.