Methods of Archaeological Lab Report

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CUNY Hunter College *

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101

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Anthropology

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Oct 30, 2023

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Huang 1 Archaeobotany Lab Exercise and Lab Report Assignment Final Assignment Laboratory Report Methods of Archaeological Science Presented to Hunter College By: Jessica Huang May 3, 2023

2 Introduction/Background Knowledge The plant excavation was extracted from a site called Skútustadir located in Northern Iceland, where the oceanic environment cause the tropical season to be characterized by chilly winters and summers. The area was covered in deep, narrow valleys that were shut off by steep mountains and woodlands when Scandinavians first arrived in Iceland in the 800s, which led to advancements in sailing, boat construction, and navigation (Vikings and Colonization, 2020). As a result, it is clear that seat boats and maritime knowledge were used to colonize and trade in Iceland. Scandinavia received seeds, cuttings, and scions from foreign plants over the roughly 250-year period between 700 and the beginning of 1000 AD as a result of considerable commercial and cultural exchange across Europe (Agricultural Plants in the Viking Age, 2023). In relation to our excavations, several plant species that were discovered in Skútustadir were: Date pits (Pheonix Dactylifera), Iceland moss (Cetratia Islandica), Barley Grain seeds (Hordeeum Vulgaer), and Coffee (Coffea Arabica). Since 15,000 BCE, Barley has been cultivated due to their resilient properties and exists in a wide range of conditions. It is well adapted to various climatic and day-length conditions, from Ethiopia to northern Scandinavia. Despite Iceland’s sub-arctic agriculture, it is considered to be at the margin of barley cultivation. ( Icelandic Agricultural Sciences, 2023) Iceland Moss is a lichen native to the northern areas of Europe. It thrives in profusion on the rocky terrain close to lava slopes and plains in Iceland's north and west. Even though they are recognized for surviving in severe conditions, mosses need lots of water, comfortable temperatures, and sunlight in order to develop and flourish. They remain dormant and wait for better living circumstances if these demands are not supplied. ( Peng, 2017 ) Date Pits are widely cultivated and native across numerous tropical regions including South Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. They play a significant role in food

3 sources and income which spread dates to many countries since ancient times. In fact, Date pits can be used not only as food but also as a decoration, soap, medicine, etc (Chao, C. C. T., & Krueger, R. R, 2007). Last but not least is Coffee which dominated 70% of global production. Coffee beans are native to Ethiopia dating back to 1,000 BC meaning they are tropical plants. Methods During this excavation scientists and archaeologists applied methods of Flotation screening and Macrobanical Analysis with Digital Reference to further study the plant species gathered from archeological sites. The site is first excavated by travel in a single-layer excavation to carefully collect surface artifacts. The artifacts are then stored in a separate unit in a secure bag separating and labeling each site and excavation level. The most recent layers are on the top while the oldest layers are on the bottom. After they gather the plant remains they will try to recover the small artifact through Flotation Archaeology. Flotation Archaeology is a method of mineral processing used to separate and recover artifacts like charred seeds and nuts. During the process, the soil will be dried and poured into buckets of water so that the charcoal and plant remains will float up to the surface because they are lighter. The plant remains will then be processed through Macrobanical Analysis with Digital Reference. During this process, the plant's remains will be hand sorted from the solid sections. When all of the plant remains are taken out of the solid they will be counted and charted in numerical data to our results. By studying the archaeobotanical remains we can find out the past history of the plant’s usage, origin, and environmental interactions.

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4 Results During the plant excavation, there were four plant species that were founded. Starting at the oldest is Coffee (Coffea Arabica) with 151 seeds and Date Pit (Pheonix Dactylifera) with 25 seeds from Post - 1717 A.D. During 1300 - 1477 A.D., there were 41 Iceland Moss (Cetratia Islandica) only. The most modern plants found in the year 940 - 1262 A.D were Iceland Moss and Barley Grain seed (Hordeum Vulgare). In the graph located below, we can verify that Iceland Moss strives for the longest period of time extending from 1300 - 1262 A.D. Plant Remains Layers in Iceland Layer Chronology Iceland Moss (Cetratia Islandica) Barley Grain (Seed) (Hordeum Vulgare) Coffee (Coffea Arabica) Date (Pit) (Pheonix Dactylifera) 007 Post-1717 A.D 0 0 151 25 15 1300 - 1477 A.D 41 0 0 0 25 940 - 1262 A.D 21 45 0 0

5 Discussion Based on the laboratory results we have gained a deeper analysis of the origin and historical background of the different plant species. Starting off with Iceland Moss which is native to Iceland and founded in 1300 - 1477 A.D. During these the Little Ice Age caused the climate to shift making it abnormally cold. Barley was used for agriculture since it has resilient properties allowing it to within a wide range of conditions due to its ability to adapt to various conditions. Despite Iceland’s sub-arctic agriculture, it is considered to be at the margin of barley cultivation. Iceland Moss is native to the northern areas of Europe. They are able to thrive in the rocky terrains of Iceland. However, despite its recognition for surviving in severe conditions, they require care with appropriate sunlight and nutrition and if these conditions are not met they will remain dormant and wait for better living circumstances. This is why they weren’t able to strive in the cold winters presenting its absence. Date Pits are widely cultivated and native across numerous tropical regions including South Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. They are imported to Iceland because they play a significant role in food sources and income for many countries since ancient times. Date pits were used not only as food but also as decoration, soap, medicine, etc. Coffee is also imported to Iceland from trade and made a global impact dominating 70% of global production. Coffee beans are native to Ethiopia dating back to 1,000 B.C. meaning they are tropical plants. Since they are tropical plants they are not meant to survive under Iceland’s cold regional climate. Thence, their short arrival, and quick passing.

6 References Agricultural plants in the Viking Age . Agricultural Plants in the Viking Age | Fotevikens Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://www.fotevikensmuseum.se/d/en/vikingar/hur/mat/recept/vaxter Chao, C. C. T., & Krueger, R. R. (2007, August 1). The date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.): Overview of biology, uses, and cultivation . hortsci. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/42/5/article-p1077.xml#:~:text=Abstr act,Africa%2C%20and%20the%20Middle%20East. Chao, C. C. T., & Krueger, R. R. (2007, August 1). The date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.): Overview of biology, uses, and cultivation . hortsci. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/42/5/article-p1077.xml Editorial. (2020, March 9). Vikings and Colonization . Icelandic Times. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://icelandictimes.com/zh-hans/132318/ Grapevine.is. (2017, December 7). From Iceland - the life and death of Icelandic mosses . The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://grapevine.is/mag/articles/2017/12/07/the-life-and-death-of-icelandic-mosses/#:~:tex t=The%20lava%20field%20remained%20barren,field%2C%20and%20started%20to%20gr ow. IAS | Icelandic Agricultural Sciences . (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2023, from https://ias.is/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IAS-2017-2-HrannarSmari-ofl-002.pdf Tristam, P. (2020, January 9). The history of the world's most consumed coffee bean . ThoughtCo. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-arabica-coffee-2353016

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