AAP6149   Advanced Archaeobotany   (15 credits)

Description

This module comprises laboratory classes involving practical handling of archaeobotanical material as well as student-led seminars reviewing key methodological and interpretive debates in archaeobotany. It delivers specialised skills in the identification, analysis and interpretation of a range of archaeobotanical materials, including charred and waterlogged plant tissues (seeds of wild/weed species, waterlogged remains of leaves and stems, charred remains of roots and tubers etc.). Advanced techniques in archaeobotany (such as biomolecular archaeology, stable isotope analysis, weed ecology and multivariate statistics) are discussed in relation to crop husbandry, and the origins and spread of agriculture. Priorities in report writing are explored, and the module is assessed by a project report, devoted to presentation and interpretation of a large archaeobotanical dataset.

Reading List