Disentangling human from natural factors: Taphonomical value of microanatomical features on archaeological wood and charcoal assemblages

Abstract

Archaeobotanical charcoal and wood analyses rely on the observation of different macro- and microanatomical features affecting wood structure to variable extents. These features may result from a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors alluding to different stages of the wood’s taphonomical history: initial growth conditions, human selection, transformation/use and discard, post-depositional processes and archaeological sampling strategies. Papers in this volume address taphonomy in this broad sense, through recent methodological work mainly based on experimentation and case studies from a variety of chrono-cultural and geographical contexts. The authors present a number of tools available to wood and charcoal analysts and discuss their archaeological relevance to characterize anthropogenic and/or natural processes. The presented approaches are complementary and well reflect the extent to which wood and charcoal remains provide new insights into past human practices and social dynamics.