Archaelogy

• Paleobotany


  Study of ancient plants
• Palynology


  Study of pollen grains
• Zooarchaeology


  Study of ancient animal remains
• Physical Anthropology


  Study of human biology and evolution
• Reconstruction of the environment

  Process of recreating past surroundings
• Ecofacts


  Objects indicating past natural environment
• Subsistence


  Means of obtaining food
• Meal


  Food consumed at a specific time
• Diet


  Overall food consumed regularly
• Coprolites


  Fossilized feces providing consumption evidence
• Macro-botanical remains


  Large plant remains
• Charred remains


  Plant remains burned or charred
• Waterlogged remains


  Plant remains preserved in water
• Dried remains


  Plant remains dehydrated
• Sieving


  Separating materials through a mesh screen
• Flotation


  Process of separating materials by density
• Subulate


  Narrow and tapering shape
• Ovate


  Egg-shaped
• Context


  Setting in which artifacts are found
• Phytoliths


  Silica deposits in plant cells
• Micro-botanical remains


  Tiny plant remains
• Pollen diagrams


  Graphical representation of pollen data
• Genus/Species identification


  Determining plant species
• Phytoliths in the archaeological record

  Silica deposits found in ancient sites
• Seasonality


  Patterns related to seasons
• Storage issues


  Challenges with preserving food
• Domestication


  Process of taming plants or animals
• Text


  Written evidence
• Artwork


  Visual representations
• Analyzing Macro-animal remains


  Studying large animal remains
• Identify


  Recognize and classify
• Bone element


  Part of a bone
• Wild or Domesticated


  Determining if an animal is wild or tamed
• Age


  Stage of life
• Fetal


  Unborn animal
• Juvenile


  Young animal
• Tooth eruption rates


  Timing of tooth growth
• Sex


  Gender of the animal
• Number of Identified Specimens (NISP)

  Count of identified animal parts
• Minimum number of Individuals (MNI)


  Minimum count of animals represented