(Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice, 5th ed. Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn.)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Phytoliths
Phytoliths: Minute particles of silica derived from the cells of plants, able to survive after the organism has decomposed or been burned. They are common in ash layers, pottery, and even on stone tools and teeth. They are helpful for understanding the fluctuations in vegetation over time in very ancient times.
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Did the suspension specialist who came out last summer talk about these? Or did this come from your reading? (What I mean to say: Are you personally acquainted with a phytolith?)
ReplyDeleteNope, not that I remember anyway. This is a quote definition from the Archaeology book cited at the end of the statement. :) Not personally acquainted with them, no, it just popped into my head as I was uploading my flowers this morning. :) The connection was too much to resist (and I'd just read the section on them yesterday).
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