Archaeological identification of fragmented nuts and fruits from key Asia‐Pacific economic tree species using anatomical criteria: Comparative analysis of Canarium, Pandanus and Terminalia

ABSTRACT The fats, protein and carbohydrates afforded by tree nuts and fruits are key resources for communities from Southeast Asia, through Melanesia, Australia and across Oceania. They are important in long‐distance marine trade networks, large‐scale ceremonial gatherings, and are core resources i...

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Veröffentlicht in:Archaeology in Oceania 2022-10, Vol.57 (3), p.160-188
Hauptverfasser: Fairbairn, Andrew S., Florin, S. Anna
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:ABSTRACT The fats, protein and carbohydrates afforded by tree nuts and fruits are key resources for communities from Southeast Asia, through Melanesia, Australia and across Oceania. They are important in long‐distance marine trade networks, large‐scale ceremonial gatherings, and are core resources in a wide range of subsistence economies, including foraging systems, horticulture and swidden agriculture. Recent archaeobotanical evidence has also shown their deep‐time importance, being amongst the earliest foods used in the colonisation of novel environments in Australia and New Guinea, as well as the later colonisation of Near and Remote Oceania. The archaeobotanical methods used to identify fruit and nut‐derived plant macrofossils have been largely limited to use of morphological characters of near whole or exceptionally preserved remains, most commonly endocarps, the hard, nutshell‐like interior layer of the fruit protecting the seed. Here we detail how anatomical characteristics of endocarps, visible in light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), can be used with surviving morphological features to identify confidently the use of key Asia‐Pacific economic trees, in this case, Canarium, Pandanus and Terminalia. Systematic anatomical description allows the identification of these important economic taxa, and separation from the remains of others such as Aleurites and Cocos, when found in a range of archaeological assemblages. This includes the often highly fragmented charred assemblages that can be recovered routinely from most sites with appropriate fine‐sieving and flotation methods. These methods provide the basis for a more representative and nuanced understanding of ancient plant use, economy and social systems operating in the region and, being particularly useful in tropical regions, will broaden the archaeobotanical database on ancient foods globally. Résumé Les graisses, les protéines et les glucides fournis par les noix et les fruits sont des ressources essentielles pour les communautés d'Asie du Sud‐Est, de Mélanésie, d'Australie et d'Océanie. Ils sont importants dans les réseaux commerciaux maritimes à longue distance, les rassemblements cérémoniels à grande échelle et sont des ressources essentielles dans un large éventail d'économies de subsistance, y compris les systèmes de recherche de nourriture, l'horticulture et l'agriculture itinérante. Des preuves archéobotaniques récentes ont également montré leur importance dans le temps, étant par
ISSN:0728-4896
1834-4453
DOI:10.1002/arco.5273