In this episode, I talk with Anna Florin about archaeobotany and her research at the Madjedbebe site in Australia.
About Anna Florin
Anna Florin’s PhD research at the University of Queensland focuses largely on identifying plant remains found at archaeological sites. She is currently one of the archaeobotanists working on the Madjedbebe excavations in Northern Australia. As part of her work as an archaeobotanist, she also works with the traditional owners of the site, the Mirarr, to learn about their traditional use of plants and to collect samples of various plants for comparison with remains found during archaeological excavations.
Web:
https://uq.academia.edu/SAnnaFlorin
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/S_Anna_Florin
https://social-science.uq.edu.au/profile/1138/anna-florin
Some useful terminology and links
Madjedbebe
A sandstone rock shelter in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Site of the oldest known evidence of human habitation in Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madjedbebe
Mirarr
The traditional Aboriginal owners of lands in the Alligator Rivers region of Northern Australia. Custodians of the Madjedbebe site.
http://www.mirarr.net/pages/mirarr
Pandanus
A palm-like tree used throughout the Pacific for food and textiles. Remains of nuts from the pandanus were found at the Madjedbebe site.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandanus
Palynology
The study of plant pollen, spores, and certain microscopic planktonic organisms, in both living and fossil form. In archaeology, it is used to help determine past environments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palynology
Phytoliths
Rigid, microscopic structures made of silica, found in some plant tissues and which persist after the decay of the plant. In archaeology, they are used to help determine which plants were present at a location.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolith
https://texasbeyondhistory.net/varga/images/phytolith.html
https://www.ufg.uni-kiel.de/en/professorships-and-fields/phytolith-analysis
OSL dating
A method of dating soils or certain objects found at archaeological sites. Unlike radiocarbon dating, organic material is not needed for OSL.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optically_stimulated_luminescence
Boncuklu Höyük
A 10,500 year old farming village site in Central Turkey.
http://boncuklu.org/
[article] The first Australian plant foods at Madjedbebe, 65,000–53,000 years ago
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14723-0
[article] Ancient plant foods discovered in Arnhem Land
https://stories.uq.edu.au/news/2020/ancient-plant-foods-discovered-in-arnhem-land/index.html
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