Archaeobotany

Plants have and continue to play an important role in the development of human cultures, and the study of their remains in archaeological contexts can tell us a lot about our predecessors, how they related to each other and their impact on the environment, and some of their practices.

The study of wood – xylology

By studying the cellular structure of wood, we can work out which plant species were used to make an object. This way we can tell if the objects were imported – because they are made from European or exotic woods – or produced on site from local woods. Some species have specific qualities, such as resistance to rot or fire, hardness, flexibility and the like, that shed light on how artefacts were used.

The study of seeds – carpology

Seeds can survive for centuries under certain conservation conditions, such as drought, carbonisation and lack of oxygen. They can tell us what vegetation was like on the island, both natural and altered by mankind, and the crops that were grown. On the Route des premiers Français site in Saint-Paul, for example, pepper seeds were found in association with agricultural facilities. 

The study of charcoal – anthracology

By studying the cell structure of charcoal we can identify the specifies or plant type – woody or herbaceous – from which they originate and use this information to reconstruct the landscape before a fire or agricultural use. The level of combustion and size of the charcoal can tell us how hot the fire was and, if used by humans, which techniques were used.

Future studies

Archaeobotany and the study of past environments has begun to gain ground in Réunion in different forms and in ways that reflect the island’s specific geological characteristics and climate. Archaeologists will study other media to advance our scientific knowledge in the future. Pollen (palynology), for example, can provide many clues about the history of agricultural activity and urbanisation and could be sampled from archaeological sites.

To learn more about this discipline, visit the dedicated pages on the Archéologie en chantier and University of Geneva websites.