The Archaeobotanical Project

Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains in archeology. Archaeobotanical data can include macrofossils (e.g., seeds, wood charcoal), microfossils (e.g., pollen, starch grains), and biochemical residues. These data can be used to describes historic plant use and is vastly underutilized in modern conservation. In this project we seek to create a database of archaeological sites containing archaeobotanical remains belonging to eight plants that are of cultural importance in California and along the Pacific Coast. Through this research we hope to understand the spatiotemporal coverage of these species in the archeobotanical record to (1) create a more complete picture of past and current plant usage, (2) mobilize and highlight the importance of archeobotanical data for modern research, and (3) call attention to data and metadata needs for the field.

Study species include (from left to right): soaproot (Chlorogalum), elderberry (Sambucus), redbud (Cercis), tule (Schoenoplectus), blue dicks (Dichelostemma), sourberry (Rhus), tobacco (Nicotiana), and oaks (Quercus).

Specific members

Lucy Katzman-Tranah

Timeline

March 2026: Lucy received the Society for California Archaeology's Shannon Mahoney Memorial Scholarship.

Fall 2025: Project Initiation

Lucy Katzman-Tranah joins the project as a Research intern.