4/16/2015 Phytolith Studies in Archaeology Springer
http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/9781441904652_2258/fulltext.html 1/25
(1)
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Claire Smith
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology
10.1007/9781441904652_2258
Phytolith Studies in Archaeology
Philippa Ryan
1
Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, UK
Philippa Ryan
Email: PRyan@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Email: philippalaurenryan@yahoo.co.uk
Without Abstract
Introduction
Phytolith analysis is a microbotanical technique used in archaeology to study ancient plant remains. Phytoliths are opaline silica bodies
formed during the lifetime of a wide variety of plant taxa within and between certain cells. These microremains can provide insight into
ancient diet, the nonfood uses of plants (such as for fuel or weaving), spatial arrangements of plant use and discard across settlements,
agricultural practices, and seasonality of preagrarian site occupations. The durability of these microremains makes them particularly
valuable at archaeological sites where preservation conditions are not suited to the survival of charred, desiccated, or waterlogged macro
remains. Phytoliths provide both complementary and unique information about plant use at sites where charred macrobotanical remains
(cereals, seeds) are present since these datasets preserve information about different suites of plant parts and enter the archaeological